1. Why Study Religion ?
Extract from the Foreword by Professor John Bowker, Trinity College, Cambridge from the book, Religions of the World (R Whiting).

2. “he sees the value of studying Religion in a wider context”
Student : What could be the wider context he is writing about?
I must look for them in the following images.

3. THERE ARE THREE MAIN REASONS WHY!!!!!!!

13. WHAT MAKES THIS SO? Number 1 = Danger
Extremely dangerous
Vicious things done in name of Religion
People tortured
Burned alive
Holy wars
Crusades
Groups of people kept in subordination and subjection – outcasts, slaves and women in relation to men
Insoluble problems which have a religious part to them
Northern Ireland
Middle East
Division between communist countries and others
Despite all the facts on the left people are passionate in their commitments and are believers
WHAT MAKES THIS SO?

14. Number 2 = Inspiration
Humankind’s greatest achievement in art, poetry, music, architecture, spiritual exploration and discovery
Religion is not disappearing but changing its forms of appearance and expression
It is a vital and creative force in many lives.

15. “.....the majority of people alive on the planet today are committed to some form of religious belief.”
This is a huge generalised statement that needs evidence to support the claim. What evidence would you use to support the point?
NB Because it is the forward of a book the evidence lies in the following chapters. You will not have such a luxury.

16. Number 3 = Meaning
Religions are concerned with what my be the case – find its rest in God
Choice of how to respond to life
It may be what religions claim is false
How do we know if we make no exploration ourselves?
Searching for meaning in life.