Nature of Religion and Beliefs - SST's

What is an intermediary?

A person who acts as a link between the adherent and the supernatural.

What is an adherent?

Individuals who believe in, follow or support a particular faith or religious teaching.

What is a denomination?

A distinct branch or sub-group within a larger religion under a common name, tradition or belief.

What is monotheism?

Worship of a single god or divine.

What is polytheism?

Worship of multiple gods or gods.

What is a transcendent worldview?

The transcendent religious worldview is the belief in the supernatural dimension beyond humankind.

What is an immanent worldview?

The immanent religious worldview is the belief in the supernatural dimension within an individual.

What is a worldview?

The manner in which a person views the world around them.

What is the supernatural dimension?

The supernatural dimension is the belief in the divine power or being greater than humankind and the natural world.

What is the divine?

The divine refers to a god or higher power that is greater than human life.

What is faith?

Faith is the belief and trust in a divine being or power, often without scientific evidence.

What is a secular?

Secular refers to the different aspects of life, society and beliefs.

What is a doctrine?

Doctrine is a set of beliefs or rules followed by a religious tradition.

What are beliefs and believers?

Beliefs are the acceptance in something centered upon the supernatural dimension which is expressed through worldviews. Believers, living and deceased, are adherents who follow or participate in a particular religion.

What are sacred texts and writings?

Texts that provide guidance, stories and answers in various forms, including oral, visual or written.

What are ethics?

Ethics is the reasoning behind moral decisions that helps to clarify right and wrong with consequences and rewards and offers a system of standards.

What are rituals and ceremonies?

Rituals and ceremonies are the practical dimension of a religion that deepens understanding of the ultimate reality and reflects the response and understanding of the ultimate reality in one's religion.

What is a dynamic living religion?

The ability to change or adapt a religion throughout a changing society to remain relevant and practical.

What is an expression?

An outward demonstration of faith, beliefs and spiritual experiences.

What is religion?

Religion is the belief, worship or practices of a higher or divine power or any such system of belief or worship.

What is a religious tradition?

Religious traditions are a system of beliefs, practices, rituals and values.

Aborigine

A person, animal, or plant that has been in a country or region from the earliest times.

Aboriginal people

Relating to the Aboriginal peoples of Australia or their languages.

Spirituality

The quality of being concerned with the human spirit rather than physical things.

Totem

A natural object or animal believed to have spiritual significance.

Metatemporal

An understanding of time that combines past, present, and future into a single complete reality.

Kinship

A web of social relationships that bind people together.

Sacred sites

Specific locations holding deep spiritual, cultural, or religious significance.

Country

A nation with its own government occupying a particular territory.

Indigenous

Inhabiting or existing in a land from the earliest times, before the arrival of colonists.

Ancestral spirit

The souls of deceased relatives believed to remain among the living and influence their lives.

Elders

People who are senior figures in a tribe, community, or group.

Art/Symbols

Visual metaphors used to represent complex ideas, emotions, or narratives beyond literal meaning.

Ritual estate

A specific, traditionally defined area of land for which a group has spiritual responsibility and custodianship.

Physical medium

Tangible physical landscapes that act as essential vessels through which spiritual, cultural, and ancestral realities are lived, communicated, and experienced.