The Concept, Elements and Characteristics of Belief System, World View, Religion, and Spirituality

In this article, we differentiate the concept, elements and characteristics of belief system, world view, religion, and spirituality. The discussions are based on a lecture delivered by textbook author Prof. Jensen DG. Mañebog.

Belief system

A belief system is an ideology or set of principles that helps us in interpreting our everyday reality. This could be in the form of philosophy, political ideology, spirituality, or religion, among many other things.

Belief systems are structures of what we see as norms that are interconnected, or we think to be consistent. Belief systems help us to make sense of the world around us and to define our role within it (“What are Belief Systems,” n.d.).

Belief systems are formed and influenced by a number of various factors. Belief systems are underpinned by one’s culture, religion, experiences, and training as to how the world works. Our knowledge on some topics, the way we were raised, societal traditional and modern values, stereotypes, political viewpoints, and others can impact us to form or change our belief systems.

As humans, we use different belief systems to varying degrees to cope with events in our lives. A belief system is like ‘stories’ we tell ourselves to outline our personal sense of reality. Everyone has a belief system that he uses, and it is through this mechanism that we individually ‘make sense’ of the world around us.

As explained by Prof. Jensen DG. Mañebog, belief systems are often deemed as convictions, often in the form of supernatural or religious beliefs, though they may also take the form of scientific views, or any philosophical belief relating to the sphere of daily life.

Worldview

Belief system is very much similar to ‘worldview.’ Generally speaking, a worldview is how one sees life and the world at large.

A ‘worldview’ is a theory of the world used for living in it, serving as a mental model of reality, a framework of ideas and attitudes about ourselves, the world, and life.

Philosophy professor Jensen DG. Mañebog metaphorically compares worldview to eye glasses. How a person makes sense of the world depends upon his or her ‘vision,’ so to speak.

The interpretive ‘lens’ in eye glasses help us in making sense of life and comprehend the world around us. Some lens bring clarity, while others may distort reality—and this is also true with worldviews.

Professor Jensen DG. Mañebog is nonetheless quick to explain that more than just an explanatory ‘lens,’ one’s worldview also functions as his or her life’s road map or compass. A worldview provides a perspective that shapes, influences, and even directs an individual’s entire life.

As we behave as we believe, our worldviews guide the formation of the values that influence our decisions and actions. A worldview thus acts as a map that provides directions guiding our life decisions.

The term worldview is derived from the German term ‘weltanschauung.’ Worldview refers to the cluster of beliefs an individual holds about the most significant concepts of life such as God, the cosmos (universe), and humanity. These beliefs, which may or may not be true, form a general picture, a broad-spectrum outlook, or a grand perspective on life and the world.

A person’s worldview is fashioned by many factors, such as his or her inherited characteristics, life situations and background experiences, the values, attitudes, and habits he or she has developed, and more — and these vary from one individual to another.  Thus, even if some parts of a particular worldview are shared by many people in a community, other parts may differ for individuals.

One’s worldview forms a mental structure that organizes his or her basic or ultimate beliefs. And this cognitive structure provides a comprehensive view of what one deems as real, true, rational, good, valuable, and beautiful.

In a worldview, the cluster of interrelated beliefs responds to the big questions of life, focusing on issues central to human concern. These issues especially include thoughts about the human predicament and explore how human beings derive meaning, purpose, and significance.

Thus, a worldview is a comprehensive system of beliefs with answers for a wide range of questions including the following:

What are humans, why are we here, and what is our purpose in life?
What are our reasons for being and goals for life?
Why are we the way we are?
Why do we face the challenges we do?
What can we know, how, and with how much certainty?
Does reality include only matter, energy, and physical stuffs, or is there more?

Consciously and otherwise, worldviews impact decisions and actions in everyday life, for individuals and societies. They are dominant factors influencing and shaping our decisions and actions while we are living in the world.

Compared to culture, worldview is broader as it extends to perceptions of time and space, of happiness and of well-being. In fact, the beliefs, values, and behaviors of a culture stem from its worldviews.

But what are the requirements for a worldview or belief system to be deemed somewhat as sound and viable? Some philosophers hold that it needs to answer twelve ultimate concerns identified as “the big questions of life.” They are the following (“What in the World is a Worldview,” n.d.):

(1) ultimate reality (What kind of God, if any, actually exists?);

(2) external reality (Is there anything beyond the cosmos?);

(3) knowledge (What can be known, and how can anyone know it?);

(4) origin (Where did I come from?);

(5) identity (Who am I?);

(6) location (Where am I?);

(7) morals (How should i live?);

(8) values (What should I consider of great worth?);

(9) predicament (What is humanity’s fundamental problem?);

(10) resolution (How can humanity’s problem be solved?);

(11) past/present (What is the meaning and direction of history?); and

(12) destiny (Will I survive the death of my body and, if so, in what state?)

Religion

‘Religion’ refers to “people’s beliefs and opinions concerning the existence, nature, and worship of a deity or deities, and divine involvement in the universe and human life” (“Religion,” 2009). The term ‘religion’ is sometimes used interchangeably with ‘faith,’ ‘creed,’ ‘belief system,’ or ‘conviction.’

The term “religion” is etymologically a compound of the Latin ‘re’ and ‘ligare,’ meaning “to bind back”. Thus, for the religionists, there is a bond that exists between the Creator and His human creatures. This bond involves the feeling of being morally obligated to live up to some moral laws that press down on everyone which express God’s will and nature.

Religion pertains to the pursuit of transformation guided by a sacred belief system. It also refers to the sacred engagement with that which is believed to be a spiritual reality.

Religion denotes the belief in, or the worship of, a god (or gods) and the worship or service to God or the supernatural. The term ‘supernatural’ means “whatever transcends the powers of nature or human agency” (“Religion,” n.d.).

Some define religion as “an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and worldviews that relate humanity to an order of existence” (“Religion,” n.d.). Religions have holy scriptures, narratives, or sacred accounts that aim to explain the origin and meaning of life and the universe.

From the religions’ beliefs about the cosmos and human nature, adherents may draw rules of ethical conduct, religious laws, and an ideal way of living.

Also, religions generally have doctrines, creeds, mythology, philosophical systems, organized behaviors, clergy, rules on membership, holy places, religious rites, and visual symbols.

Religious practices may involve formal ceremonies, sermons, commemoration or veneration (of a deity or deities), worship or other forms of service (to god/s), prayer, sacrifices, meditative techniques, initiations (e.g. baptism), festivals, feasts, funerary services, matrimonial services, music, art, dance, social services, and other aspects of culture.

The Elements of Religion

The elements of religion are the following:

(a) a higher dimension of existence

Religion reveals a pursuit to elevate man’s whole self to a higher dimension of existence.

Created in the image of God, a human being is not just a corporeal but also a spiritual being, having spirit and soul.

The Apostle Paul, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, refers to man as possessing three primary components—the spirit, soul, and body of the human being: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians 5:23).

Religions generally believe that bound to the external world, man also transcends it. Besides being a bodily creature, as a spirit and a soul, a man is a person. This concept about man is an object of many religions or faiths. Having spirit and soul makes man higher than animals and other lesser creatures.

So religion replicates a human being’s effort to elevate his whole self to a higher dimension of existence because in the first place, it is religion that affirms that man has a higher dimension of being.

One way to elevate oneself to a higher dimension of existence is to become spiritually developed or mature. This involves tending primarily the soul, not (just) the physical body, through the things advocated by religions like prayer, meditation, self-discipline, and obedience to God’s will.

(b) transcendent beliefs

Religion is a framework of transcendent beliefs. Religion’s transcendent beliefs refer to its convictions that spiritual and supernatural beings exist.

Generally, religions categorically reject the materialistic doctrine that physical matter (or nature) is the only ultimate reality. Life itself depends on forces and energies of nonmaterial kinds. Consciousness and our thoughts themselves have undeniable spiritual (that is, nonphysical) aspects.

People also have “experiences of pure light, divine music, perfect love, boundless grace, and cosmic consciousness” (Marinoff, 2003, p. 263).

Additionally, religion believes in supernatural power. Religions generally believe in some powers outside of man and nature. These supernatural powers are believed to influence human life and conditions.

(c) Holy scriptures or text

Holy scriptures may be used to “evoke a deeper connection with the divine, convey spiritual truths, promote mystical experience, foster communal identity, and to guide individual and communal spiritual practice” (“Religious Text,” n.d.).

Religious scriptures refer to sacred texts which religions consider to be central to their faith.

Various faith commonly hold that their holy scriptures are divinely or supernaturally revealed or inspired. Christianity and other monotheistic faiths, for instance, consider their sacred texts as the “word of God” and divine revelation.

(d) Rituals

Rituals are set by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. By definition, ‘ritual’ is a “sequence of activities involving gestures, words, and objects, performed in a sequestered place, and performed according to set sequence” (“Ritual,” n.d.).

‘Religious rituals’ denote the behavior executed by a religious member or a group of believers with reference to a deity or supernatural power. Rituals include a range of behavior such as singing of hymns, dancing, fasting, reciting prayers, putting on of special types of cloth, taking birth in holy rivers, crawling, etc.

Religious rituals are varied and are sometimes exhibited in the form of ceremony or festival. They may be performed by a single individual or group of individuals. For example, a Christian may attend a fellowship (or worship service) or sits for prayer in a chapel.

Generally, a religious ritual, either done individually or collectively, is usually intended to strengthened one’s faith in a deity or to mature spiritually.

(e) Sacred spaces

Religions believe that certain places or areas as sacred or holy. Primary among these are the places of worship. Practically all faiths have their respective definite place of worship in which their adherents offer their prayers to the supernatural power.

Church, temple, mosque, and synagogue are common examples of sacred spaces.

In Christianity, a chapel or ‘church’ (building) is a building used for worship service.

A ‘temple’ is a building devoted to the worship, or deemed as the dwelling place of a god or gods or other objects of religious reverence.

A ‘synagogue’ is a Jewish house of prayer. Synagogues have a large hall for prayer (the main sanctuary). Some have a separate room for Torah study, and sometimes a social hall and offices.

A synagogue is a consecrated space used also for the purpose of assembly. Nevertheless, a synagogue is not necessary for worship as Judaism holds that communal Jewish worship can be carried out wherever ten Jews (a ‘minyan’) assemble. The synagogue is never consider a replacement for the long-since destroyed Temple in Jerusalem.

A ‘mosque,’ on the other hand, is a place of worship for followers of Islam. Many mosques “have elaborate domes, minarets, and prayer halls, in varying styles of architecture … The mosque serves as a place where Muslims can come together for ‘salat’ (prayer) as well as a center for information, education, social welfare, and dispute settlement” (“Mosque,” n.d.).

Spirituality

The word ‘spiritual’ refers to matters concerning the spirit. The term ‘spirit’  etymologically comes from the Latin word ‘spiritus’ which means soul, courage, vigor, or breath.

Spirituality, in its traditional sense, refers to “a religious process of reformation which aims to recover the original shape of man, oriented at the image of God exemplified by the Torah, Christ, Buddha, Muhammad and others” (“Spirituality,” n.d.).

‘Spirituality’ involves a quest for the meaning and ultimate value of life as opposed to an instrumentalist or materialistic attitude to life. It is one’s integrative view of life.

As developed within early Christianity, the word ‘spirituality’ pertains to a life oriented toward the Holy Spirit. Although in modern times, the concept spirituality spread to other religious traditions and was also extended to refer to a broader range of experience, containing a range of esoteric traditions.

Nowadays, the use of the term spirituality gives emphasis on subjective experience of a sacred or spiritual dimension and the deepest purpose, values, and meanings by which a person lives, characteristically in a context unrelated to organized religious institutions.

Today’s definition of spirituality may thus include several notions such as a belief in “a supernatural realm, personal growth, a quest for an ultimate/sacred meaning, religious experience, or an encounter with one’s own ‘inner dimension” (“Spirituality,” n.d.).

The Elements of Spirituality

The following are the common elements of spirituality:

(a) holistic (fully integrated view to life)

It is believed that spirituality affords a fully integrated view to life, that is, that it comprises all aspects of being human and is a means of experiencing life.

In the same vein, spirituality is also portrayed as an integral dimension of even the health and well-being of every person. In health care for instance, by caring for clients in a way that acknowledges his or her mind-body-spirit connection, health care providers are said to recognize the whole person.

The body, spirit, and mind—in spirituality’s holistic perspective of looking at a person—are intersected and interact in a dynamic way in the ‘whole person,’ making it hard and artificial to try to separate these three dimensions.

Nonetheless, ane way to differentiate between these dimensions is the following:

“The physical dimension (body) is world-conscious. It is that aspect of individuals that allows them to taste, feel, see, hear, smell, and be experienced by others. The psychological dimension (mind) involves self-consciousness and self-identity. It is that aspect of an individual that deals with issues related to human interactions (and associated emotions such as grief, loss, and guilt) on an intimate level. The spiritual dimension (spirit) is described as a unifying force within individuals, integrating and transcending all other dimensions. This dimension is also described as God-consciousness, or related to a deity or supreme values. It is concerned with the meaning of life, individual perceptions of faith, and an individual’s relationship to the Ultimate Being.” (“Introduction to Spirituality,” n.d.).

(b) quest for meaning (including the purpose of life)

Finding purpose and meaning in life appears to be a universal trait and may be critical to life itself. If one is unable to find meaning and purpose, all aspects of his or her life may be harmfully affected as a sense of emptiness and unworthiness may result. Spiritual distress may be felt, which can contribute to emotional distress, and can eventually lead to physical ailments.

Hence, some believe that another essential element of spirituality is finding meaning and purpose in life. The pursuit to find out meaning in life arises as a central theme in spirituality, with the relationship to self, others, and God contributing to its discovery.

However, unlike in religion, people who claim to be spiritual tend to promote relativism in finding meaning and purpose in life:

“B. R. Hasselkus (2002) states “So, where do meanings come from? They are personally and socially derived. For some, meanings in life may be heavily weighted by personal and unique values and histories; for others, meanings may stem largely from the community and culture in which we live. From a life span perspective, the sources of meaning in our lives may be thought of as a continuum or as a developmental trajectory that unfolds throughout life. M. Burkhardt (1989) describes this search for meaning as an ‘unfolding mystery.’” (“Introduction to Spirituality,” n.d.)

(c) quest for the sacred (beliefs about God)

The quest for the sacred (like beliefs about God) is another fundamental element of spirituality. However, in spirituality “the cognitive factors involved in beliefs have less to do with facts and more with feelings; they represent a personal confidence or faith in the validity of some person, object, or idea” (“Introduction to Spirituality,” n.d.).

In spirituality developing one’s faith is explicitly advocated. Developing faith is seen as an active and ongoing process and is unique to each person, rooted in his or her past, present, and hopes of the future. 

Clearly therefore, spirituality endorses having faith, which can be an important part of a person’s beliefs and decisions in life. Faith may be viewed as a belief in God, an almighty being, or a higher power that gives meaning and purpose in life.

(d) suggests a self-reflective existence

The concept spirituality puts stress on a person’s self-reflective existence. Spirituality emphasizes on searching for meaning in life and as such, it gives importance to self-reflection, in the form of contemplation and meditation.

Spiritualists claim to derive meaning even from adverse experiences through self-reflection. They further claim that meaning in life can be an outcome of spiritual self-reflection which can be found contemplatively and creatively through various means. These means include painting or poetry, adherence to a political ideology, or in relationships with other people.

For the differences and similarities between religion and spirituality, read: “Religion vs Spirituality: What is the difference between them?” at www.MyInfoBasket.com.

SA MGA MAG-AARAL: Maaaring ilagay ang inyong assignment/comment dito sa comment section ng Distinguish a Holistic Perspective from a Partial Point of View

Related:

Distinguish a Holistic Perspective from a Partial Point of View (Holism vs Partial Perspective)

Religion vs Spirituality: What is the difference between them?

Also Check Out: The Worldview of Atheism by Jensen DG. Mañebog

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