Instructor Manual: Robert E. globally Van Voorst, RELG: Introduction to World Religions, 5e, ©2027, 9798214158761; Chapter 1: Beginning
Your Study of World Religions
Instructor Manual
Robert E. globally Van Voorst, RELG: Introduction to World Religions, 5e, ©2027,
9798214158761; Chapter 1: Beginning Your Study of World Religions
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter......................................................................2
Chapter Objectives........................................................................................................2
Key Terms.....................................................................................................................2
What’s New in This Chapter........................................................................................4
Chapter Outline.............................................................................................................5
Additional Activities and Assignments.........................................................................6
Discussion Questions................................................................................................................................. 6
Explore and Reflect Activities................................................................................................................... 6
Additional Resources....................................................................................................9
Internet Resources......................................................................................................................................9
Introduction to World Religions YouTube Channel..................................................................................9
a
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 1
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Robert E. globally Van Voorst, RELG: Introduction to World Religions, 5e, ©2027, 9798214158761; Chapter 1: Beginning
Your Study of World Religions
PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHAPTER
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce students to the academic study of world religions by
establishing foundational concepts, methods, and contemporary issues essential for understanding
religious diversity. This chapter guides learners through defining religion as patterns of beliefs and
practices expressing what communities regard as sacred or ultimate about life. Students explore six
dimensions of religion, including cognitive, ethical, ritual, institutional, aesthetic, and emotional aspects.
The chapter examines various academic approaches to studying religion, from historical and
psychological methods to sociological and anthropological perspectives. Additionally, it addresses critical
contemporary issues such as religious tolerance and intolerance, violence, pluralism, ecological concerns,
and new religious movements. By encouraging students to examine their own preunderstandings while
developing cultural intelligence, this chapter prepares diverse learners to engage respectfully and
analytically with different religious traditions throughout their academic journey.
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
The following objectives are addressed in this chapter:
1-1 State your own understanding of religion.
1-2 State the definition of religion as used in this book.
1-3 State your own answer to the question: Why study religion?
1-4 List and describe the six dimensions of religion given in this chapter.
1-5 Discuss how the various academic disciplines contribute to the study of religion.
1-6 Explain the special issues involved in the study of religion today.
[return to top]
KEY TERMS
Aesthetic dimension: The sensory element of religion that encompasses beauty, sounds, smells,
spaces, symbols, art, architecture, and ritual gestures.
Agnostics: Those who do not know whether a God or gods exist and are not always antireligious or
combative against religion.
Atheism: The conviction that there is no God and that religion is mostly mistaken.
Civil religion: The dominant religion of a nation or culture that typically involves some religious
conviction about that nation or culture.
Cognitive dimension: The thinking dimension of religion that teaches followers what is necessary to
know about gods, founders, creation, meaning of life, and human identity.
a
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 2
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Robert E. globally Van Voorst, RELG: Introduction to World Religions, 5e, ©2027, 9798214158761; Chapter 1: Beginning
Your Study of World Religions
Cultural anthropology: The scientific study of human life focused on concrete human settings,
examining underlying cultural values and dynamics.
Cultural intelligence: The ability to understand, respect, and deal with people of other cultures and
religions.
Ethical dimension: The moral expectations and systems of behavior found in religions for
individuals, families, societies, and nations.
Feminism: The movement for women’s equality that believes in and advocates for the political,
economic, and social equality of the sexes.
Historical method: The study of the past using careful scholarly analysis, such as archaeology and
the study of texts in their original languages.
Institutional dimension: The organizational structure that religions give to their religious
community and wider society, distinguishing between specialists and laity.
Laity: The main body of people who practice a religion, as distinguished from religious specialists who
lead the religion.
Life-cycle rituals: Ceremonies to mark important points in life, such as birth, becoming an adult,
weddings, and funerals.
Monotheism: The belief in one God.
Myths: Stories that relate the basic truths of a religion, used in a positive way by religions despite
common usage meaning untrue stories.
New Atheists: A group of current atheists who have made sharp public attacks on religion, viewing it
as harmful and irrational.
New religious movements (NRMs): Religious groups that have arisen since the nineteenth century
and now have sufficient size, longevity, and cultural impact to merit academic study.
Nones: Those who are unaffiliated with a religion, a term that comes from surveys where “none” is the
last response option for religious affiliation.
Patriarchy: The male domination of society that most religions stem from and uphold to some extent.
Phenomenology of religion: The study of religion through its observable practices and phenomena
to understand its essence.
Pilgrimage: Travel to a special destination to increase one’s devotion and improve one’s religious
status.
Pluralism: The recognition of religious differences and engaging with them constructively, going
beyond mere tolerance.
Polytheism: The belief in many gods.
a
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 3
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Robert E. globally Van Voorst, RELG: Introduction to World Religions, 5e, ©2027, 9798214158761; Chapter 1: Beginning
Your Study of World Religions
Preunderstanding: The state of one’s understanding of reality with which one makes sense of new
experiences, describing existing knowledge before new interpretation.
Religion: A pattern of beliefs and practices that expresses and enacts what a community regards as
sacred and ultimate about life.
Religious studies: The academic study of religion that aims to understand all religious traditions
objectively in a religiously neutral way.
Ritual: Symbolic action in worship, meditation, or other religious activities that achieves practical goals
and helps reenact religious truths.
Secularism: Life without religion, particularly in the public sphere, that has challenged most religions
for the past two hundred years.
Secularization hypothesis: The idea that science and education will diminish or end religion in the
modern world, now largely discredited.
Shaman: A religious specialist in an indigenous society who acts as a medium between the visible
world and the spirit world.
Sociology: The scientific study of groups and group behavior that explains religion’s role in society and
mutual relationships.
Theology: The study of a religion based on a religious commitment to it in order to promote it,
conducted from the inside.
Tolerance: Putting up with the views and actions of others that are opposed to one’s own, usually for
the common good.
Violence: Religiously motivated violence includes all events in which a follower of a religion is the
perpetrator or the recipient of violent behavior, or both.
New Religious Movements: Emerged at the start of 19th century, also known as alternative or
marginal religioun movements.
[return to top]
WHAT’S NEW IN THIS CHAPTER
In 1-2b, several new definitions of “religion” have been added, and the more non-academic ones
have been removed.
In 1-5, the various disciplines used in the study of religion have been made more concise.
In Map 1.1, “Distribution of World Religions Today,” the numbers of adherents have been
updated.
In 1-5b, the paragraph and the glossary term on history of religions have been deleted.
In 1-5f, new treatment of LGBTQ studies in religion has been added.
a
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 4
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Your Study of World Religions
Instructor Manual
Robert E. globally Van Voorst, RELG: Introduction to World Religions, 5e, ©2027,
9798214158761; Chapter 1: Beginning Your Study of World Religions
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter......................................................................2
Chapter Objectives........................................................................................................2
Key Terms.....................................................................................................................2
What’s New in This Chapter........................................................................................4
Chapter Outline.............................................................................................................5
Additional Activities and Assignments.........................................................................6
Discussion Questions................................................................................................................................. 6
Explore and Reflect Activities................................................................................................................... 6
Additional Resources....................................................................................................9
Internet Resources......................................................................................................................................9
Introduction to World Religions YouTube Channel..................................................................................9
a
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 1
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Robert E. globally Van Voorst, RELG: Introduction to World Religions, 5e, ©2027, 9798214158761; Chapter 1: Beginning
Your Study of World Religions
PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHAPTER
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce students to the academic study of world religions by
establishing foundational concepts, methods, and contemporary issues essential for understanding
religious diversity. This chapter guides learners through defining religion as patterns of beliefs and
practices expressing what communities regard as sacred or ultimate about life. Students explore six
dimensions of religion, including cognitive, ethical, ritual, institutional, aesthetic, and emotional aspects.
The chapter examines various academic approaches to studying religion, from historical and
psychological methods to sociological and anthropological perspectives. Additionally, it addresses critical
contemporary issues such as religious tolerance and intolerance, violence, pluralism, ecological concerns,
and new religious movements. By encouraging students to examine their own preunderstandings while
developing cultural intelligence, this chapter prepares diverse learners to engage respectfully and
analytically with different religious traditions throughout their academic journey.
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
The following objectives are addressed in this chapter:
1-1 State your own understanding of religion.
1-2 State the definition of religion as used in this book.
1-3 State your own answer to the question: Why study religion?
1-4 List and describe the six dimensions of religion given in this chapter.
1-5 Discuss how the various academic disciplines contribute to the study of religion.
1-6 Explain the special issues involved in the study of religion today.
[return to top]
KEY TERMS
Aesthetic dimension: The sensory element of religion that encompasses beauty, sounds, smells,
spaces, symbols, art, architecture, and ritual gestures.
Agnostics: Those who do not know whether a God or gods exist and are not always antireligious or
combative against religion.
Atheism: The conviction that there is no God and that religion is mostly mistaken.
Civil religion: The dominant religion of a nation or culture that typically involves some religious
conviction about that nation or culture.
Cognitive dimension: The thinking dimension of religion that teaches followers what is necessary to
know about gods, founders, creation, meaning of life, and human identity.
a
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 2
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Robert E. globally Van Voorst, RELG: Introduction to World Religions, 5e, ©2027, 9798214158761; Chapter 1: Beginning
Your Study of World Religions
Cultural anthropology: The scientific study of human life focused on concrete human settings,
examining underlying cultural values and dynamics.
Cultural intelligence: The ability to understand, respect, and deal with people of other cultures and
religions.
Ethical dimension: The moral expectations and systems of behavior found in religions for
individuals, families, societies, and nations.
Feminism: The movement for women’s equality that believes in and advocates for the political,
economic, and social equality of the sexes.
Historical method: The study of the past using careful scholarly analysis, such as archaeology and
the study of texts in their original languages.
Institutional dimension: The organizational structure that religions give to their religious
community and wider society, distinguishing between specialists and laity.
Laity: The main body of people who practice a religion, as distinguished from religious specialists who
lead the religion.
Life-cycle rituals: Ceremonies to mark important points in life, such as birth, becoming an adult,
weddings, and funerals.
Monotheism: The belief in one God.
Myths: Stories that relate the basic truths of a religion, used in a positive way by religions despite
common usage meaning untrue stories.
New Atheists: A group of current atheists who have made sharp public attacks on religion, viewing it
as harmful and irrational.
New religious movements (NRMs): Religious groups that have arisen since the nineteenth century
and now have sufficient size, longevity, and cultural impact to merit academic study.
Nones: Those who are unaffiliated with a religion, a term that comes from surveys where “none” is the
last response option for religious affiliation.
Patriarchy: The male domination of society that most religions stem from and uphold to some extent.
Phenomenology of religion: The study of religion through its observable practices and phenomena
to understand its essence.
Pilgrimage: Travel to a special destination to increase one’s devotion and improve one’s religious
status.
Pluralism: The recognition of religious differences and engaging with them constructively, going
beyond mere tolerance.
Polytheism: The belief in many gods.
a
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 3
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Robert E. globally Van Voorst, RELG: Introduction to World Religions, 5e, ©2027, 9798214158761; Chapter 1: Beginning
Your Study of World Religions
Preunderstanding: The state of one’s understanding of reality with which one makes sense of new
experiences, describing existing knowledge before new interpretation.
Religion: A pattern of beliefs and practices that expresses and enacts what a community regards as
sacred and ultimate about life.
Religious studies: The academic study of religion that aims to understand all religious traditions
objectively in a religiously neutral way.
Ritual: Symbolic action in worship, meditation, or other religious activities that achieves practical goals
and helps reenact religious truths.
Secularism: Life without religion, particularly in the public sphere, that has challenged most religions
for the past two hundred years.
Secularization hypothesis: The idea that science and education will diminish or end religion in the
modern world, now largely discredited.
Shaman: A religious specialist in an indigenous society who acts as a medium between the visible
world and the spirit world.
Sociology: The scientific study of groups and group behavior that explains religion’s role in society and
mutual relationships.
Theology: The study of a religion based on a religious commitment to it in order to promote it,
conducted from the inside.
Tolerance: Putting up with the views and actions of others that are opposed to one’s own, usually for
the common good.
Violence: Religiously motivated violence includes all events in which a follower of a religion is the
perpetrator or the recipient of violent behavior, or both.
New Religious Movements: Emerged at the start of 19th century, also known as alternative or
marginal religioun movements.
[return to top]
WHAT’S NEW IN THIS CHAPTER
In 1-2b, several new definitions of “religion” have been added, and the more non-academic ones
have been removed.
In 1-5, the various disciplines used in the study of religion have been made more concise.
In Map 1.1, “Distribution of World Religions Today,” the numbers of adherents have been
updated.
In 1-5b, the paragraph and the glossary term on history of religions have been deleted.
In 1-5f, new treatment of LGBTQ studies in religion has been added.
a
© 2027 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 4
accessible website, in whole or in part.
