3. • Worldview – worldview is a set of beliefs used to understand the world. The basic way of
interpreting things and events that pervades a culture so thoroughly that it becomes a
culture’s concept of reality-what is good, what is important, what is sacred, what is real.
• Belief system - are the stories we tell ourselves to define our personal sense of ‘reality’ (the
way things actually exist)
• Religion- Etymologically, the word came from ‘Religare’ - a Latin word which means to bind
fast or hold together, to secure, to bind,to fasten together, to create a system of attitudes
and beliefs.
4. INDIGENOUS
• The word indigenous refers to anything that is native to a particular
geographical region. This includes people, cultures, languages, or species of
plants or animals.
• A synonym often used for indigenous is "native," but the word native in
connection with peoples and their cultures is potentially offensive. It could be
considered a stereotype, suggesting that they are primitive or backward.
Aborigines of
Australia
American
Indian
Cordilleras of
Luzon
Lumads of
Mindanao
5. TWO TYPES OF INDIGENOUS RELIGION
1. One type has been
practiced by tribes of
people that have lived in
the same region of the
world for perhaps
thousands of years.
These religions would be
indigenous to that region
of the world.
II. The other type includes indigenous religions that
were carried by people to other regions of the
world. People continue to practice those religions,
often in combination with more dominant religions
such as Christianity, but they are not indigenous to
their new homes. These religions are formed from a
synthesis, or combination, of indigenous and
nonindigenous beliefs.
6. RELIGIOUS SYNCRETISM
• The amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures,
or schools of thought.
• The fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices. Instances of religious
syncretism—as, for example, Gnosticism (a religious dualistic system that
incorporated elements from the Oriental mystery religions), Judaism,
Christianity, and Greek religious philosophical concepts—were particularly
prevalent during the Hellenistic period (c. 300 bce–c. 300 ce).
8. WORDS TO KNOW
ANIMISM
The worship of trees,
rocks, mountains, and
such, which are
believed to have
supernatural power.
BON
An indigenous religion
of Tibet.
CANDOBLE
A South American religion
with many similarities to
Santería, often used
synonymously with
Santería. “Dance in
honour of the gods",
9. SHAMAN
A priest like person in an
indigenous religion who is
thought to have special
powers to communicate
with the spirit world; often
used as a synonym for a
traditional healer.
SHAMANISM
A term used generally to
refer to indigenous
religions that believe in
an unseen spirit world
that influences human
affairs.
SUPERNATURA
L
That which is beyond
the observable world,
including things relating
to God or spirits.
WORDS TO KNOW
10. VODOU
An African-based
religion practiced
primarily in Haiti and in
other Central and South
American countries.
VODOUISANT
An uninitiated
practitioner of
Vodou.
PAGANISM
Contemporary religions
usually based on
reverence for nature. It
is the ancestral religion
of the whole of
humanity.
WORDS TO KNOW
11. SANTERO
A practitioner of
Santería.
PANTHEISM
is a modern one,
possibly first appearing
in the writing of the Irish
freethinker John Toland
(1705) and constructed
from the Greek roots
pan (all) and theos (God)
MANA
Among Melanesian and
Polynesian peoples, a
supernatural force or
power that may be
ascribed to persons,
spirits, or inanimate
objects.
WORDS TO KNOW
12. The best estimate of the number of practitioners of indigenous religious
beliefs is about 300 million. If that figure is accurate, it would make this
group, taken together, the seventh-largest religious group in the world.
13. CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIGENOUS RELIGION
•geographic location,
•The use of ritual and artifacts
•Community participation
•A fluid structure
•Belief in a supreme God or other divinities (gods).
14. GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS
An indigenous religious group tends to live within a specific bioregion, or a region with a
relatively uniform environment and ecology (mountain, desert, rainforest, or plains).
15. THE USE OF RITUAL AND ARTIFACTS
Indigenous religions rarely have written sacred texts. Rather, their beliefs focus
on dances, costumes, masks, ritual traditions, and sacred artifacts (material
objects).
16. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
They tend not to rely on silent meditation or individualized experiences but
on ritual activities that bind people to the community
17. A FLUID STRUCTURE
Indigenous religions are not bound by formal theologies. They tend to
evolve and change as the conditions of life change.
18. BELIEF IN A SUPREME GOD OR OTHER DIVINITIES (GODS).
Most indigenous religions believe in some sort of great spirit, a god, whether male or
female, who created the world and is responsible for the way the world works. Some
believe in multiple gods.
19. ABOUT INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS
• Belief. Indigenous religions have a strong connection to nature and have
worship practices that bring the community together. They usually do not
have any formal teachings but seek to live in harmony with nature.
• Followers. There are about 300 million followers of indigenous religions,
though they may also practice other faiths.
• Name of God. Indigenous religions have many different names for their God
or gods, including Olódùmarè, Gran Met, the Great Spirit, Nzambi, and
Dagpa.
20. • Symbols. There is no symbol that represents all indigenous religions. They
each may have objects special to their beliefs. For instance, the Sioux hold the
hoop, or circle, as a sacred symbol of unity.
• Worship. Indigenous worship is primarily nature-based, with ceremonies
using objects from nature or occurring outdoors.
• Dress. Dress for worship may vary across indigenous religions, but often
there are no requirements.
ABOUT INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS
21. ABOUT INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS
• Texts. Written texts are a distinct non-feature in indigenous religions.
• Sites. Sacred sites may vary from religion to religion.
• Observances. Each indigenous religion has its own special observances,
oftentimes surrounding periods of seasonal change.
• Phrases. Some indigenous religions may have a common phrase that unites
their followers, but many do not.
