SMART’S 6-TRAIT MODEL

ELEMENTS OF RELIGION

1. Religious Experience

• religions often begin with the religious experiences of individuals

For example, Siddhartha Gautama had a religious experience called enlightenment while meditating and became known as the Buddha, the founder of Buddhism

• The experience of the founder of the religion and the history of how the religion developed

The story of Moses is a great example: from his birth, adoption, burning bush to the parting of the Red Sea and the receiving of the Commandments on Mount Sinai. He is the founder of Judasim.

1. Religious Experience

• This trait also addresses the nature of the Divine (God for theistic religions)

The Christian understanding of the Divine is one of the most complex: the Trinity: the belief in one God but three persons: God the Father; Jesus Christ the Son who was God made human; and the Holy Spirit (the divine within each of us).

1. Religious Experience

• The basic beliefs that separate one religion from another• The teachings of the religion (how

the “big questions” are answered)

These beliefs are often itemized in a Creed or statement of belief like the Apostle’s Creed in Christianity.

Or the Shahadah in Islam

2. Religious Doctrine

2. Religious Doctrine

• The religion’s belief about the afterlife are part of this trait

3. Sacred Symbols and

Rituals

• Religious symbols like the crucifix for CatholicsOr the “om”

symbol for Hinduism

3. Sacred Symbols and

Rituals

• Rites of passage like Sacraments for Catholics, but also daily rituals like meditation

3. Sacred Symbols and Rituals

• Festivals/Holy Days like Hanukkah in Judaism

3. Sacred Symbols and Rituals

• And special places of pilgrimmage such as the Ka’bah in Mecca for Muslims.

4. Sacred Scripture

• Holy books which include sacred stories explaining the religion, such as the Bible

4. Sacred Scripture

• Could include ancient stories passed down by word of mouth, such as in Native Spirituality

4. Sacred Scripture

• May also include interpretations of the Sacred Text such as the Talmud in Judaism.

5. Community of Faith

• Religious leaders like Rabbis, Priests, Bishops, Monks

Community of Faith

• Branches, sects, groups within a religion, such as the many denominations of Christianity.

5. Community of Faith

• And the regular meeting place of the community, such as the Sikh Gurdwara.

6. Ethics and Morality

• each religious tradition has a moral code that guides followers in behaviour that is expected (i.e. 10 Commandments)

6. Ethics & Morality

• This could include rules for appropriate dress, such as the hijab in Islam

Or dietary restrictions such as the Kosher laws in Judaism

Summary

• 1. Religious Experience – history, founder, understanding of the Divine/God.

• 2. Religious Doctrine – beliefs, creeds, afterlife teachings.

• 3. Symbols & Rituals – symbols, rituals, rites of passage, holy days/festivals, places of pilgrimmage.

• 4. Sacred Scripture – Sacred texts, stories, commentaries

• 5. Community of Faith – leaders, branches/sects, place of worship

• 6. Ethics & Morality – behaviour rules, dress code, dietary restrictions.