Religious traditions are the means by which a religion is practiced and acknowledged within a religious culture. In a religion, there are many customs and practices that can seem arbitrary to jaundiced eyes; however, these traditions can play vital roles in the continuation and teaching of a religion and culture. In this essay, we will examine the varying elements of religious tradition, and what significance they hold in teaching a culture to someone in that religion. Religions traditions are connected to the sacred by providing a spiritual connection between necessary actions of a society and a perceived spiritual allegory.
Religious traditions are meant to provide teachings, doctrine and instruction to those within the religion. Many religions have an origin or creation myth; Genesis in the Bible is one example. This, along with other myths, like the stories of Greek figures like Sisyphus and Prometheus, are used to explain the unexplainable events in life (the purpose of the sun, how mankind was given fire, etc.).
There are many purposes taken by religious traditions in order to perpetuate aspects of a culture. There are religious rituals to perform practical societal purposes, such as maturity, manhood, fertility and the like; the Igbo, for example, use many traditions as rites of passage within their religion. In the Igbo language, an honorific must be used by children to refer to their elders, and must greet them the first time they see them every day. This helps to instill cultural ideas of respect for one's elders; the Igbo religion makes this practice sacred, connecting the aforementioned cultural ideal something organized and mandated (Neusner, 2003). Other religious traditions help young men along the path to manhood; many Native American cultures cite the vision quest as a step on the path to being an adult. While this is placed in a framework of spirituality and the sacred, connecting visions to the gods they worship, it is also a sacred way to send young men off on a journey of self-discovery and resourcefulness, so they may become tough, productive members of the tribe (Lawton & Morgan, 2007).
Religious traditions are typically organized by the clergy of that religion; shamans, priests, and the like have a connection to both the sacred and the community, and therefore they are the conduit by which those two forces interact. The aforementioned traditions are orchestrated by religious figures and the clergy to teach members of a community social values and mores, granting divine punishments for poor, immoral behavior. The shaman of a village is considered the spiritual leader of that community, acting as a mentor to those who look to him.
In conclusion, religious traditions are comprised of many elements that connect the mundane to the sacred. Religious myths and stories are used to demonstrate fantastic explanations for important and unquantifiable events in our world (Repa, 1998). Religious traditions are also used to mark cultural milestones and instill values in its citizens. Religious traditions also provide a measure of spiritual solace to its members, either through placing significance to an event or explaining troubling possibilities, such as an afterlife. The clergy and community leaders of a religion help to teach and enforce these traditions in order to achieve these goals. With these things in mind, it is clear just how important religious traditions are to maintaining an even-handed and effective religious culture.
References
Lawton, C., & Morgan, P. (2007). Ethical issues in six religious traditions. Edinburgh University
Press.
Neusner, J. (2003). World religions in America: An introduction. Westminster John Knox Press.
Repa, J. Theodore (1998-10-18). "Building Community: The Marriage of Religion and
Education". Retrieved from https://files.nyu.edu/jtr1/public/sermon.htm.
