Seven Dimensions Of Religion

1. Seven Dimensions of Religion
Understanding a human
phenomenon

2. The Seven by Ninian Smart
Practical and Ritual Dimension
Experiential and Emotional
Narrative or Mythic Dimension
Doctrinal and Philosophical Dimension
Ethical and Legal Dimension
Social and Institutional Dimension
Material Dimension

3. Practical and Ritual
Practices such as
–Worship, Praying,
Regular Gatherings,
Rites of Passage
http://www.huntington.edu/worship/images/Worship-039_small.jpg
http://www.farsipraise.net/blog/uploaded_images/worship%20shofar-blower-talit-756042.jpg
http://patdollard.com/wp-content/uploads/muslims-praying.jpg

4. Experiential and Emotional
People react when they
have encountered
something which they
believe is very profound.
http://delivery.viewimages.com/xv/1541648.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=
17A4AD9FDB9CF19396908EAF14430D35940696E613E87FCF2556AE8CBB5C4EFC
http://delivery.viewimages.com/xv/74365748.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4A
D9FDB9CF1933D389E1A66A48986185BD6C7A7470EA7879D000F7E7BD7FE

5. Narrative or Mythic
Stories which explain
and inspire.
–One such story is the
Hopi tradition of how
peaches became sweet
and the bees got wings.
http://www.zoopy.com/photo_image/large/1180376216.jpg
http://www.greengiantfresh.com/images/peaches.jpg

6. Doctrinal and Philosophical
Provides rational for
many of the practices
and ideas of the
religion.
–Trinity
–Bodhisattva
http://www.lemoyne.edu/philosophy/images/thinker.jpg
http://www.rothburycommunity.org/images/RCC2%20Logo.JPG

7. Ethical and Legal
Ideas and laws that
shape behavior.
–Laws of Manu
–5 Precepts
–Ten Commandments
–Beatitudes
http://minimediaguy.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/tn_question.jpg
http://66.231.15.127/ClassLibrary/Page/Images/Data/515.jpg

8. Social and Institutional
Social outgrowth of
religious experience.
–Masjid
–Church
–Synagogue
–Sangha
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Jama_Masjid.jpg/800px-Jama_Masjid.jpg
http://www.jeffooi.com/Sangha_0044.jpghttp://www.diamond-congress.hu/mdo2006/images/mdo/pict/synagogue.jpg

9. Material
An outgrowth of religious
experience/encounter.
–Music
–Art
–Symbol
–Architecture
http://www.ethnicpaintings.com/images/buddhist-art-thanka-life-mandala.jpg
http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_pictures/symbols/images/dharma.gif
http://www.soas.ac.uk/gallery/Previous/Images/ISLAMIC.JPEG

10. Sources
Seven Dimensions
of Religion are from
The World’s
Religions by Ninian
Smart