God, the Person and Behavioural Norms in Religious Tradition (Leaving Cert Religious Education): Revision Notes
God, the Person and Behavioural Norms in Religious Tradition
Understanding the connection between God and the individual believer
The relationship between how we understand God (or the transcendent) and our concept of what it means to be a person forms the foundation of religious behaviour. This connection asks: how does a believer's view of their God shape their understanding of their own purpose and role within their faith?
When believers have a clear understanding of who God is and what their relationship with God should be, this directly influences how they act and what practices they follow. The way religious communities understand both God's nature and human purpose creates specific patterns of behaviour that become normal and expected within that tradition.
This fundamental relationship between belief and behaviour explains why different religious traditions develop distinct practices and customs. Understanding this connection helps us see how theology directly translates into lived religious experience.
Christianity and behavioural norms
Christian understanding of God and the person
In Christian tradition, Jesus is viewed as the transcendent - the divine presence that connects heaven and earth. Christians believe that as followers of Christ, their purpose is to model their lives after Jesus's example and teachings.
The Christian concept of personhood centres on following Christ's path. This means that a Christian's identity and purpose are fundamentally shaped by their relationship with Jesus and their commitment to living according to his teachings.
Worked Example: The practice of communion
The ritual of communion demonstrates how Christian understanding translates into regular practice:
Step 1: Historical foundation Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples at the Last Supper, asking them to continue this practice in remembrance of his sacrifice
Step 2: Theological meaning This act represents Jesus opening the pathway to God's forgiveness through his sacrifice
Step 3: Behavioural result Because Jesus established this practice, taking communion has become a standard and expected behaviour in Christian churches today
This shows how the Christian understanding of Jesus as transcendent directly creates a specific religious practice that believers follow regularly.
The communion example illustrates a crucial principle: when believers understand something as divinely commanded or modelled, it naturally becomes a normative practice within their religious community.
Islam and behavioural norms
Islamic understanding of God and the person
In Islamic tradition, Allah is understood as the one true and almighty God. This represents the Islamic view of the transcendent - Allah as the supreme, all-powerful divine being.
The concept of the person in Islam is defined by the term "Muslim," which means "one who submits." This means that a Muslim's fundamental purpose and identity involve submitting to and obeying Allah's will in all aspects of life.
Worked Example: The five daily prayers (Salat)
The practice of praying five times daily illustrates how Islamic understanding creates behavioural norms:
Step 1: Divine command The Qur'an, understood as God's direct revelation, establishes prayer as an expected religious practice
Step 2: Response to understanding Because Muslims understand that this is Allah's will, they perform these prayers without hesitation
Step 3: Behavioural norm The five daily prayers have therefore become a standard behavioural expectation within Islamic tradition
This demonstrates how the Islamic understanding of Allah's authority and the Muslim's role as one who submits directly shapes daily religious practice.
How understanding determines behaviour
Both examples show a clear pattern that demonstrates the direct relationship between belief and practice:
The Pattern of Religious Behaviour Development:
- Religious understanding: Each tradition has specific beliefs about God's nature and human purpose
- Divine guidance: These beliefs are supported by sacred texts and religious teachings
- Expected behaviour: This understanding naturally leads to particular practices becoming normal and expected
- Community norms: These practices become standard behavioural patterns within the religious community
The connection between belief and behaviour is not accidental - it flows directly from how each tradition understands the relationship between God and the individual believer.
Religious behaviours don't develop randomly or arbitrarily. They emerge logically and systematically from each tradition's core theological understanding of divine nature and human purpose.
Key Points to Remember:
- The relationship between understanding God and the concept of the person directly shapes how religious communities behave
- In Christianity, following Jesus's example leads to practices like communion becoming behavioural norms
- In Islam, understanding Allah's authority and the Muslim's duty to submit creates practices like the five daily prayers
- Religious behaviours aren't arbitrary - they develop logically from each tradition's understanding of God and human purpose
- Both sacred texts and religious teachings guide believers in understanding what behaviours are expected within their faith community