A religious worldview will allow or perhaps embrace
supernatural conceptions of the general order of existence
that are not present in a nonreligious worldview.

Both religious and nonreligious worldviews have been present and important throughout recorded history. The worldviews of persons who are following a world religion today tend to include the following cognitive notions:

1. There is a universal spirit, god, deity or divine entity
2. This divinity has established an eternal moral order that, in part at least, can be known to human beings
3. People have the duty to follow eternal moral dictates
4. This human conduct has long-term (beyond individual death) significance.

The above four-part listing begins Chapter 1 ("The Religious View of Life") of a student text for adolescents written by Brant Abrahamson and Fred Smith (Thinking About Religion from a Global Perspective, 1997). The authors characterize their four major elements as representing "…a life understanding that unites Jews, Christians and Muslims with Hindus and Buddhists as well as the followers of many newer faiths. All believe in a universal intelligence that provides a framework for human living."  By way of holding to a religion, a person's way of life is directed toward the realization of some transcendent end-state.

It is important to note that any person’s worldview need not be, and in fact probably is not, congruous with the fundamentals of any single religious tradition or sect. A worldview is acquired on an ongoing basis, and many an individual's worldview framework blends religious notions and practices he or she acquires from a multitude of experiences over time. A person with exposure to several religious traditions is likely to have a life outlook that is "cobbled" from the varied experiences and understandings to which they have been exposed.

Defining "Religion" for School Curricula

 A recurring challenge to those teaching about religions in public schools is that of defining religion in a practical way for the youngsters.  Abrahamson and Smith, just mentioned, are classroom teachers who have been teaching directly about religion since the 1960s, and they report satisfaction in using the language of the above "definition" (as they further flesh it out in their materials) with youngsters and with parents and the varied stakeholders in their community. Their "four-notion" definition supports their making clear to youngsters the significance of conceptual elements as "a framework for living."

The typical focus of school study about religion is on specific institutionalized sets of beliefs, dogmas, ethical prescriptions, and practices that center in devotion to and service of a particular deity or deities. This facilitates academic study about religions in terms of history of creedal formation and comparative study.  It is necessary, however, that one present religion in terms apropos to the civic aims of public education.

A Need to Address the Force of Conscience

If students are to grow in understanding of the relevance of religious liberty, American style, to our country's guarantees of citizens' civil rights, then teachers who teach about religion need to clarify for adolescents the "power of conscience" of human life that underlies any individual's ultimate loyalty to a religion. Teachers need also to emphasize that people who have a nonreligious worldview have the same power of conscience, but that their conceptions (symbols, "aura of factuality," etc.) differ. 

Viewing religion and nonreligion as "ways of life," each way informed by conceptual elements, is useful. The power of conscience one can derive from a worldview (religious or nonreligious) needs to be made clear to youngsters.  

More Example Definitions of "Religion"

Some definitions more than others bring forth the notion of this trait (power of conscience).  They do so by way of specific mention of the emotional aspect one finds wrapped into the cognitive framework of any worldview.

Clifford Geertz writes (in "Religion as a Cultural System," In The Religious Situation, edited by D. Cutler, Beacon Press, 1968, p.643) that religion is "…a system of symbols…formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivation seem uniquely realistic."

Along the same lines,  Leszek Kolakowski (in Religion, Oxford University Press, 1982, p.191) describes religion as "…the realm of worship wherein understanding, knowledge, the feeling of participation in the ultimate reality (whether or not a personal god is meant) and moral commitment appear as a single act."

It seems important that any definition for religion that a teacher uses be practicable and also capture the emotional/conceptual components of the outlook that make the freedom of conscience our nation guarantees to all citizens, whatever their worldview, so vital.

Corrections and comments are invited.  [Last updated: 5/02/01]
Author: Mynga Futrell, Ph.D.