Religion is a social institution that answers questions and explains the seemingly inexplicable. Religion provides explanations for why things happen and demystifies the ideas of birth and death. Religions based on the belief in a single deity are monotheistic. Those that encompass many deities arepolytheistic.

2. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
RELIGION RELIGION
A social institution that answers questions and
explains the seemingly inexplicable. Religion
provides explanations for why things happen and
demystifies the ideas of birth and death. Religions
based on the belief in a single deity
are MONOTHEISTIC. Those that encompass many
deities are POLYTHEISTIC.

3. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
UNITING TRADITIONSUNITING TRADITIONS
When families attend religious services or put up
decorations in honor of a holiday, they are
teaching their children about their religion and
how to observe it. By engaging in these activities
and traditions, children are united with others of
the same religion around the world. In this way,
families teach their own culture as well as the
culture of the society at large.

4. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
I.I. RELIGIONRELIGION- an organized system of ideas about
the spiritual sphere or the supernatural, along
with associated ceremonial practices by which
people try to interpret or influence aspects of the
universe otherwise beyond their control.
• ELEMENTS OF RELIGION
 BELIEFS-a feeling of being sure that someone or
something exist
 RITUALS-a formal ceremony that is always
performed in the same way
 CHURCH-a public divine worship

5. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
•TYPES OF RELIGIOUS GROUPS
A CHURCH is a religious group integrated with
society.
A SECT is a religious group that sets itself apart
from society as a whole.
A CULT is a religious group that is outside
standard cultural norms, typically centeredaround
a charismatic leader.

6. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
• SPIRITUALITY- concerns with the sacred, as
distinguished from material matters. Spirituality
is often individual rather than collective and
does not require a distinctive format or
traditional organization.
• RELIGIOUS PRACTICE- participation in religious
ceremonies may bring a sense of personal lift-
wave of assurance, an emotion being
overpowered by joy, having a peace of mind.

7. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
II. SUPERNATURAL BEINGS AND POWERII. SUPERNATURAL BEINGS AND POWER
• GODS AND GODESSES- great and remote
beings who control the universe.
Example:
 Zeus (Greek)- god of the sky
 Neptune (Roman)- god of the sea
 Amihan (Philippines)- goddess of wind
 Erishkagal (Mesopotamia)- goddess of the
underworld
The Greek Gods.mp4

9. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
• ANCESTAL SPIRITS-
belief in ancestral spirits is
consistent with the wide
spread notion that
human beings are made
up of two closely
intertwined partners:
Physical body and spirit
self. The spirits retain an
active interests and even
membership in a society.

10. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
• ANIMISM- belief that nature is enlivened or
energized by distinct personalized spirit beings
separable from bodies. Spirits or souls are
believed to dwell in humans and animals (even
in stones, mountains, and sun) spirits are
considered part of the nature rather than being
superior.

11. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
• ANIMATISM- belief that nature is enlivened or
energized by an impersonal spiritual power or
supernatural potency.

12. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
III. RELIGIOUS SPECIALISTISTS-III. RELIGIOUS SPECIALISTISTS- individuals who
guide and supplement the religious practices.
They are highly skilled people utilizing
supernatural forces. They undergo special
training to perform their tasks.
• PRIEST AND PRIESTESS- full time religious
specialists formally reognized for their skills in
guiding the religious practices of others and for
contacting and influencing supernatural forces.
Example: priest, minister, imam, rabbi
Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL

13. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
PRIEST
MINISTE
R
RABBI
IMAM

14. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
• SHAMANS- a person
who enters an altered
state of conciousness to
contact and utilize an
ordinarily hidden reality
in order to acquire
knowledge, power and
help others.
Example: Traditional
Healers
Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL

15. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
IV. RITUALS AND CEREMONIESIV. RITUALS AND CEREMONIES
Religious rituals are the ways which people relate
to the supernaturals. Rituals serve to relieve social
tensions and reinforce group solidarity. They even
lessen the social disruption and individual
suffering like crisis or death.

16. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
V. MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONSMAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS
Most of the world subscribes to one of the following
religions:
• CHRISTIANITY: The most
widespread world
religion, Christianity
derived from Judaism. It
is based on the belief that
Jesus Christ was the son of
God and the redeemer of
mankind.

17. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
• ISLAM: Followers of
Islam are called
Muslims. Muslims
believe that the true
word of God was
revealed to the
prophet Muhammad
around 570 A.D. God
in Islam is the same
god as the Christian
and Judaic deity.

18. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
• JUDAISM: Judaism is
a monotheistic
religion that
predates
Christianity, built on
the belief that they
are the “chosen
people” of God.

19. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
• HINDUISM: The oldest
major world religion,
dominant in India. Hindus
do not worship a single
person or deity but rather
are guided by a set of
ancient cultural beliefs.
They believe in the
principle of karma, which
is the wisdom or health of
one’s eternal soul.

20. Social Institutions
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL
• BUDDHISM: follow the
teachings of Siddhartha
Gautama, a spiritual teacher
of the sixth
century B.C.E.Buddhism,
does not feature any single
all-powerful deity but
teaches that by eschewing
materialism, one can
transcend the “illusion” of life
and achieve enlightenment.

21. Social Institutions
SOURCES:
 SIOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY
Dr. Zenaida Q. Reyes, Dr. Diony V. Varela and Prof.
Arthur S. Abulencia
 http://sparkcharts.sparknotes.com/gensci/sociology
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJCm8W5RZes
 Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Prepared by:
 J-anne Paula C. Dacusin
SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURALSPIRITUALITY, RELIGION & SUPERNATURAL