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Ninian Smart’s Dimensions of Religion

Ninian Smart’s Dimensions of Religion. Religion and Film Martin Kilbridge. Why “Dimensions”?. Religion is notoriously hard to define. Is Buddhism a religion? Is Marxism a religion? Is Secular Humanism a religion? Dimensions help us by identifying key components of religion.

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Ninian Smart’s Dimensions of Religion

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  1. Ninian Smart’s Dimensions of Religion Religion and Film Martin Kilbridge

  2. Why “Dimensions”? • Religion is notoriously hard to define. • Is Buddhism a religion? • Is Marxism a religion? • Is Secular Humanism a religion? • Dimensions help us by identifying key components of religion. • For our purposes, they help us identify religious elements in film.

  3. The 7 Dimensions of Religion • Mythological • Ritual • Experiential • Material • Doctrinal • Ethical • Institutional

  4. Mythological • Stories (sacred narratives) that reveal the nature of the universe and of humanity. Frequently they tell of the origins and development of the religion. Vishnu Reclines on Ananta, Victoria and Albert Museum, http://www.vam.ac.uk/users/node/5727

  5. Ritual • Ceremonial forms. Rites both communal and individual. Circumcision, http://israelnjudaism.blogspot.com/2010/10/jewish-circumcision.html

  6. Experiential • Personal experiences of God or the Ultimate Reality. Siddhartha's Enlightenment, http://celestiallights.blogspot.com/2010/05/birth-enlightenment-death-parinirvana.html

  7. Material • Objects and places that represent or are manifestations of the sacred. Chalice of Peter of Sassoferrato, Metropolitan Museum of Art, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mend/hd_mend.htm

  8. Doctrinal • Formal expressions of the teachings and beliefs of the religion. A representation of the Trinity, http://catholicquestionsinasecularworld.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html

  9. Ethical • Laws and principles regarding human behavior. Sophomore Service Day http://www.mcquaid.org/page.cfm?p=410

  10. Institutional • Communal rules and organization. Shinto Priest on his Coming of Age Day, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7187073.stm

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