Essays on Sects

The word theology can be traced back to an amalgamation of two separate Greek words: θεος (god) and λογος (word). At its most basic, theology is exactly what the name implies: it allows people to have a word about God. More broadly, the study of theology is intended to bring religious leaders to the point in their education where they can easily discourse on the various subjects of religion, with recourse to the thoughts and works of religious leaders who came before them, much like any other serious academic subject. While theology is in itself a field of study that can ...

Abstract

Multiculturalism refers to the integration of different cultures to confide to a single national culture or social viewpoint. Thus, multiculturalism is an accommodative social perspective that entails integrating divergent social and cultural practices to a unified accord. With regards to the Australian multiculturalism programs, it would be imperative to conclude that it has had a share of challenges in implementing this policy, but at the same time reaped a lot from this policy. Thus, amidst challenges that come with settling people with diverse interests, Australia has had some gains out of its efforts to integrate people of different social ...

African-American culture had a significant impact on the formation of the cultural identity of the United States. Important role in the formation of the main aspects of African American culture played a religious representation of African Americans which began in the period of slavery in the United States. Today interracial relationships are treated not as a confrontation, but the interaction that should enrich the American culture. African-American culture itself is considered as a developing, unique and at the same time organically fit into the US culture. Spiritual culture of the Black people is the result of a complex development, ...

Part 1

Karl Marx Karl Marx attempted to look at religion from an objective and more scientific perspective, and he termed it as a form of economic injustice. According to him, it is used by those who intend to oppress others by making things and situations to look better when they are not. It is a way of exploiting the poor, and he coined the statement “opium of the masses” because it is what the people are fed so as not to see the harsh realities of their poor situations (Kendall, 2015). People just get content with their situations; make them ...

Smith, Augier & Nettleford in their article on Rastafarianism note that its beginnings were in the 1920s. While the movement is believed to have officially started in 1933 in Jamaica, the movement or rather religion, already had started. The country of Jamaica is believed to have had two specific individuals that guided the movement that has become known as Rastafarianism - Bedward and Marcus Garvey. In most contexts, the latter is more prominently discussed being regarded as the father of the movement. The idea behind Rastafarianism as Smith, Augier & Nettleford articulate is to proclaim African American nationalism and subsequently, the ...

Buddhism is a way of life that has always fascinated me. The principles of Buddhism and the philosophical elements have always attracted me to know more about the religion. This paper is an effort to elaborate why Buddhism is of interest to me as a student in religious studies. Buddha Shakyamuni is believed to be the founder of Buddhism. He lived and preached in the Indian subcontinent some two thousand five hundred years back. From that time onwards, a huge number of people from around the world have adopted the unpolluted spiritual route of Buddhism and the preaching based ...

Shintoism and Buddhism in Japanese History

Before the spread of today’s religion, the early civilizations had different views as to how they could explain the things around them. Some would say it is the work of spirits who dwell upon plants, animals and inanimate objects while others believe in the intervention of divine beings who created the world prior to mankind. While some of these early beliefs have been forgotten in favor of newer religions, there are countries where early beliefs played heavily in the formation of the nation and even triggered a conflict to occur when a new religion was introduced to the ...

Buddhism has its origin in South Asia, but it crossed cultural and geographical boundaries to make its presence felt in Western nations. Buddhism marched towards North America in around 1860s with the arrival of Chinese immigrants. The spread of Buddhism in America is also attributed to Americans and Europeans who visited Asia in the late1800s. Undoubtedly, Buddhism has blossomed fast in American culture since then. Nonetheless, the gulf between Buddhist converts and immigrants is one of the prominent features specific to North America. This gulf is riven by deep social, cultural and linguistic variations. It is the point where ...

Abstract

There seems to be a particularly significant burden on Muslim families who want to adopt in the United Kingdom (Ali 2013; Meer and Modood 2009; Frazer and Selywn 2005). Muslim families are less likely than other religious groups to adopt, and there are a number of reasons why these individuals might struggle more to become adoptive parents than others. There are no de facto rules against Muslim families adopting children, but the reality is that Muslim families adopt much less frequently than other groups. They also struggle with ensuring sponsorship to the United Kingdom and other legal standards—these ...