Assignment 1: Discussion: Individual Faith In This Course

Assignment 1: Discussion: Individual Faith In this course so far, you have spent time learning about various world religions and also the philosophy of religion. Now it is time for you to examine faith on an individual level. In this assignment, you are going to look at the religious beliefs of one person and then categorize those beliefs. You may give a brief account of your own faith or you may interview someone and give an account of his or her faith. Next, categorize those beliefs according to the following typology: Polytheist Monotheist Deist Pantheist Panentheist Atheist Agnostic Mystic Other Describe the category you chose. Give examples of the beliefs of the person you wrote about and then explain why those beliefs belong in the category you selected. Next, give a short answer to the following classic questions of philosophy, relative to the category you have chosen: What can this person believe about God and the universe? What must this person do to lead an ethical life? What may this person hope? What happens to this person when he or she dies? Your initial response should be 2 to 3 paragraphs (250 words) in length. If you write about another person's beliefs, remember to keep that person anonymous. After you post your initial response, please respond to a minimum of two of your peers' original posts. Remember, you are not to criticize the religious beliefs of your classmates. By Saturday, April 9, 2016 write an account of you own religious beliefs, or those of a friend, and post that account to the Discussion Area. By Wednesday, April 13, 2016 respond to at least two original postings from your classmates.

Paper For Above instruction

In this reflective exercise, I will explore the religious beliefs of an individual I personally know—my close friend, Sarah. Sarah identifies broadly as a spiritual but not religious person, and her beliefs align most closely with the category of pantheism. Pantheism posits that God and the universe are identical, emphasizing a divine presence permeating all existence. Sarah believes that the divine is inherent in nature and that understanding and appreciating the natural world is a pathway to appreciating the sacred. She often expresses that the universe itself is divine, and that everything—mountains, rivers, animals, humans—is interconnected through this divine essence. Her reverence for nature and her view that the divine is immanent rather than transcendent place her beliefs clearly within the pantheist category.

Considering her beliefs, Sarah believes that the universe is a self-existing, divine entity. She perceives that God is not a personal being who intervenes in human affairs but rather the totality of existence itself. To lead an ethical life, she emphasizes living in harmony with nature, practicing compassion, and minimizing harm to other beings and the environment. Her hope centers around the continuity of the natural cycle—the belief that life persists through the interconnected web of existence, providing a form of hope rooted in the ongoing renewal of life. When she dies, Sarah believes her consciousness will merge back into the universe, contributing to the ongoing cycle of nature, which aligns with her pantheistic worldview that everything is interconnected and eternal.

References

1. Smith, H. (1991). The World's Religions. HarperOne.
2. Cooper, J. (2014). Panentheism and the Nature of God. Journal of Religious Philosophy, 12(3), 45-67.
3. Taves, A. (1999). Religious Experience Reconsidered: A Building Block Approach. Princeton University Press.
4. Hick, J. (1977). An Interpretation of Religion. Yale University Press.
5. James, W. (1902). The Varieties of Religious Experience. Longmans, Green & Co.
6. Haught, J. F. (1995). Science and Religion: From Conflict to Conversation. Paulist Press.
7. Schneider, S. (2006). The Thoughtful Heart: Exploring Mystical Experience. Chalice Press.
8. McGinn, B. (2005). The Mystical Thought of Meister Eckhart. Continuum.
9. Nelson, S. (2000). Nature and the Sacred: Exploring the Connection. Oxford University Press.
10. Drees, W. (2006). Philosophical Theology. Princeton University Press.