The Characteristics of Religion (HSC SSCE Studies of Religion): Revision Notes

The Characteristics of Religion

Understanding what defines a religion has been a complex task for scholars and religious communities throughout history. This revision note explores the key characteristics that help identify and understand religious traditions, with a particular focus on how these characteristics apply in practice.

Why characteristics of religion matter

When European settlers first arrived in Australia, they failed to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spiritual beliefs as legitimate religions. The Christian settlers believed they had a duty to convert Aboriginal peoples to Christianity and force them to abandon their Dreaming stories. This misunderstanding occurred because there was no clear framework for defining what constitutes a religion.

The distinction between the sacred (aspects related to religion) and the secular (areas separate from religion) varies significantly across different belief systems. Understanding the characteristics of religion helps us navigate these differences with greater awareness and respect.

Ninian Smart's seven characteristics of religion

Ninian Smart, one of the leading scholars in religious studies, developed a comprehensive framework for understanding religion. Rather than focusing solely on what people believe, Smart emphasised how religious adherents express their beliefs through observable practices and structures. His approach deliberately avoids requiring a supreme god as a defining feature, making it applicable to a wider range of spiritual traditions.

Smart identified seven characteristics that can be found in most religious traditions, though not all characteristics appear with equal importance in every religion:

1. Practical and ritual dimension

This characteristic encompasses the physical acts of religious devotion. It includes worship practices, prayer rituals, and liturgy (the structured forms of public worship). These practical expressions allow believers to actively engage with their faith through repeated, meaningful actions.

2. Experiential and emotional dimension

Religion involves more than just intellectual belief; it includes the emotional content behind rituals and prayers. This dimension recognises the personal experiences believers have of the divine, sacred, or transcendent. These experiences can range from a sense of peace during prayer to profound mystical encounters.

3. Narrative or mythic dimension

Every religious tradition contains stories that convey important truths and values. These sacred narratives might include creation stories, accounts of divine intervention, or tales of religious heroes.

4. Doctrinal and philosophical dimension

This characteristic involves the systematic beliefs, values, and theological principles that form the intellectual framework of a religion. It represents the attempt to understand and explain religious truths through reasoned thought and organised teachings.

5. Ethical and legal dimension

Religious traditions establish rules and guidelines that govern the behaviour of adherents. These ethical principles and laws help believers live according to their religious values and maintain the standards their faith requires. They provide practical guidance for daily decision-making and moral conduct.

6. Social and institutional dimension

Religion exists not only as individual belief but also as communal practice. This dimension includes the gathered community of believers, the religious institutions that support them, and the organisational structures that sustain the tradition across generations.

7. Material dimension

The physical aspects of religion include buildings (such as churches, mosques, or temples), religious symbols, works of art, sacred objects, and other tangible expressions of faith. These material elements serve as focal points for worship and reminders of religious identity.

Applying the characteristics: the SSCE HSC framework

1. Beliefs and believers

This category addresses what adherents believe and how these beliefs shape their identity as members of a religious community. It combines Smart's doctrinal, experiential, and social dimensions.

2. Sacred texts and writings

This characteristic focuses on the scriptures, writings, and narratives that form the foundation of religious teaching. It incorporates Smart's narrative and doctrinal dimensions.

3. Ethics

This category examines the moral principles and rules that guide religious behaviour. It corresponds to Smart's ethical and legal dimension.

4. Rituals and ceremonies

This characteristic explores the practical expressions of faith through structured activities and observances. It relates to Smart's practical and ritual dimension, as well as material aspects.

Judaism as a case study

Judaism provides an excellent example of how these characteristics manifest in a living religious tradition. The Jewish faith has maintained a unified community across thousands of years, despite the diaspora (the scattering of Jewish people across different countries). Religious culture and practices kept this community connected even without a homeland.

Beliefs and believers in Judaism

Jewish identity has been maintained through a strong system of symbols, including texts, synagogues, laws, and ethical principles. The anthropologist Clifford Geertz described how these symbols work together to create meaning and unity.

Core Jewish beliefs include:

Monotheism: The belief in one God, which distinguishes Judaism from polytheistic religions. This singular focus on one divine being shapes all other aspects of Jewish faith and practice.

The Covenant: This is essentially a contract between God and the Jewish people, making them "the people of their God." The covenant reflects Jewish historical experiences and explains the foundational relationship at the heart of Judaism. According to this belief, God chose the Jewish people and established specific obligations and promises with them.

Divine Law: The acceptance that God has prescribed and inspired the laws that govern Jewish life. These laws are not human inventions but divine instructions for righteous living.

Sacred texts and writings in Judaism

The most important Jewish scripture is the Tanakh (also called the Jewish Bible or Hebrew Bible). Many Jewish people find the Christian term "Old Testament" problematic because it implies these scriptures have been superseded by something newer, rather than being complete and valid in themselves.

Structure and content of the Tanakh:

The Tanakh contains diverse literary forms, including creation narratives, poetry, legal codes, and historical accounts. It records how God interacted with Jewish kings, prophets, heroes, and heroines, showing divine approval or disapproval of their actions.

The Torah: The first five books of the Hebrew Bible hold special significance. Jewish tradition teaches that these books were revealed to the prophet Moses on Mount Sinai. The Torah serves as the primary source of Jewish law and provides the foundational stories of Jewish origins.

The role of prophets: A prophet in Judaism is a messenger who receives divine inspiration or revelation and communicates it to the Jewish people or others. The Hebrew Bible records these prophetic messages whilst also serving other purposes: inspiring readers, illustrating God's nature, and providing reference points for literature and culture.

Historical significance:

When the Jewish people had their first temple (approximately 1000-586 BCE), major rituals took place there, as it was believed to be God's dwelling place. After the temple's destruction forced the Jewish people from their homeland, reading the Hebrew Bible became a crucial symbol of Jewish identity. This practice helped maintain community coherence across geographical separation.

Ethics in Judaism

The Book of Leviticus, the third book of the Torah, contains extensive legal and ethical teachings. These laws go beyond simple moral guidance to encompass a complete worldview that describes how Jewish people should live within their covenant relationship with God.

Scope of Jewish law:

Jewish ethical teachings cover virtually every aspect of daily life. The laws address dietary practices (what foods are permissible), agricultural methods (how to plant crops), clothing choices (what to wear), personal hygiene (how to bathe), and much more. This comprehensive approach provides believers with clear guidance for maintaining ritual purity and ethical conduct.

Ethical commandments:

The commandments include prohibitions against greed and coveting others' possessions. They emphasise respecting parents and contributing positively to the community. According to Leviticus, if Jewish people follow these laws and ethical rules, they will experience happiness and prosperity, and God will grant blessings to the Jewish people.

Jewish law in modern contexts:

In Australia and similar countries, government laws apply to all citizens regardless of religious affiliation. These laws represent a Western, secular, democratic worldview with significant Christian historical influence. However, many religious systems, including Judaism, Islam, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander beliefs, maintain religiously sanctified laws they consider divinely ordained.

Rituals and ceremonies in Judaism

Jewish rituals serve multiple functions: they connect individuals to their faith, strengthen community bonds, and maintain continuity with historical traditions. These practices demonstrate that the most significant Jewish rituals often take place in the home rather than in religious buildings.

Shabbat observance:

The weekly Shabbat (or Sabbath) meal represents one of Judaism's most important rituals, practised by Jewish people regardless of their level of religious observance. The term Shabbat literally means "cease," reflecting the day when God rested after creating the world.

Shabbat begins at sunset on Friday evening and concludes at nightfall on Saturday. The Friday evening meal marks the start of this holy day and serves as both a family gathering and a religious observance.

Functions of the Shabbat meal:

The ritual exemplifies how Jewish observance centres on the home rather than exclusively on the synagogue. It places scripture and tradition at the heart of family life whilst celebrating community through shared food. The meal strengthens family relationships by bringing all members together to share both their religion and each other's company. This weekly practice creates continuity across generations, as children learn traditions by participating in them.

Textual and experiential approaches to religion

Scholars and students can approach religion through two complementary avenues: the textual and the experiential.

The textual approach involves reading and analysing religious scriptures, historical documents, and academic texts about religion. Anyone can access the Tanakh, Qur'an, Bible, or other sacred texts and study them intellectually. This approach provides important knowledge about religious beliefs, history, and teachings.

The experiential approach involves observing or participating in religious practices to understand how faith is lived. Whilst reading about religion provides valuable information, seeing it in action offers different insights. Experiencing worship services, rituals, or community gatherings helps reveal how abstract beliefs translate into concrete practices and lived experiences.

Limitations and considerations

Smart's framework, whilst comprehensive, has limitations that students should recognise:

Variations across traditions: Not all religions exhibit all seven characteristics equally. Some traditions, such as Chinese Confucianism, have minimal mythic dimensions. Many New Age spiritual practices do not align well with Smart's framework.

Different classification systems: Various scholars have proposed alternative lists of religious characteristics, often with different combinations or numbers of elements. Smart's seven characteristics generally encompass these other frameworks but represent one approach among several.

Focus on expression over belief: Smart deliberately emphasises how people express beliefs rather than what they believe. This approach has strengths (it allows comparison across diverse traditions) but also limitations (it may overlook the importance of internal conviction and personal faith).

Remember!