by Author Name Withheld 161

Created on: July 24, 2009

Every culture, in some form or another, has religion as part of their way of life. A religion consists of traditions, sub-traditions, and a recognition of a transcendental Being or goal. With such a variety of religions among us, a pattern can be seen. There are certain aspects that create shape and these aspects can be observed in seven dimensions. Although each religion may place more or less emphasis on a particular dimension, there is typically a sense of acknowledgment toward the others as well. The seven dimensions consist of: 1. practical/ritual; 2. experiential/emotional; 3. narrative/mythic; 4. doctrinal/philosophical; 5. ethical/legal; 6. social/institutional; and, 7. material.

The practical/ritual dimension contains the forms of preaching, prayers, worship, and sacrifice. This dimension expresses the practices that consist of the religion. Many religions, such as Catholicism and Islam, place heavy emphasis on prayer. In Catholicism, followers may pray many times a day-when waking, at dinner, before bed. Prayer also takes place during church attendance, after the words of the Father are spoken, and on an individual basis. In Islam, prayer occurs five times a day. Each prayer corresponds to a particular time of day, no matter where the person may be. It is believed that prayer the way to talk to God or Allah, that He listens and it brings the follower closer to Him.

The experiential/emotional dimension may be one of the most insisting-meaning, it is needed for all the others to continue on. This dimension covers the connection to God that is felt by the believer. This can occur in mainly two ways: numinous and mystical. Whereas the numinous experience is more of a dualist approach, the mystical experience is drawn from the inner self. In the numinous experience, the believer feels a sense of veneration toward a God that is separate from the self, mysterious and all-powerful. This is pronounced in the Catholic religion, where the feeling is felt immediately upon walking into a cathedral, hair nearly standing on end. In the mystical experience, however, the feeling does not come through from the reverence and awe of a separate being. It is inward and non-dual, an insight of being one in the same with God, nature, or whatever is believed to be the highest of all things. This experience is more a quest into discovering and understanding this connection and unity. A mystical experience is observed in many eastern religions, for example,

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