My OpenLearn Profile
- Personalise your OpenLearn profile
- Save your favourite content
- Get recognition for your learning
Why study religion? An understanding of the world’s religious traditions is crucial in helping us to appreciate not just the varied forms of belief and practice that we encounter at home, abroad and in the media, but also the influence that religion has on world affairs. This course offers an introduction to the study of religions, and in particular to six major religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism, including the various roles of their founders and leaders, their texts, rituals, practices and behaviors. This practical insight will enable you to develop a better understanding of different beliefs and worldviews and what these mean to their adherents. This material is taken from The Open University Course A217 Introducing Religions.
- Duration 1 hour 45 mins
- Updated Tuesday 13th April 2010
- Introductory level
- Posted under History & The Arts
Track 1: Introducing Religions
A short introduction to this album.
© The Open University 2008
- Read a transcript of this track - you'll need a PDF viewer, such as Adobe's free Adobe Reader
- Download this track from iTunes U - you'll need Apple's free iTunes software
- See details of the Open University course this album comes from
- Discover more from The Open University and iTunesU at open.edu/itunes
Tracks in this podcast:
| Track | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introducing Religions | A short introduction to this album. Play now Introducing Religions |
| 2 | The architecture of a mosque | The largest and most splendid mosque in India. Play now The architecture of a mosque |
| 3 | An important shrine in Delhi | The most important Sufi shrine in India in Awia near Delhi. Play now An important shrine in Delhi |
| 4 | Hinduism in an Indian village | How Hindu practice has changed in a small Indian village over the last 25 years Play now Hinduism in an Indian village |
| 5 | Varanasi: An important religious site | Varanasi, on the Ganges, is one of the most important Hindu religious sites. Play now Varanasi: An important religious site |
| 6 | The evolution of Hinduism | Hinduism is an evolving religion both in India and internationally. Mathura, the reputed birthplace of Krishna, is now an international centre Play now The evolution of Hinduism |
| 7 | The place of Enlightenment | Bodhgaya in northern India is famous for Buddhists and Hindus as the place where the Buddha gained enlightenment. It is a site of pilgrimage and prayer for monks and lay Buddhists from all over the world. Play now The place of Enlightenment |
| 8 | Becoming a Buddhist monk | Trainees come from all over Sri Lanka to a Theravada centre near Colombo to train as monks. For local people too it is an important cultural institution Play now Becoming a Buddhist monk |
| 9 | Everyday Jewish life | Leslie and Irene Lancaster on the everyday life of a Jewish family. Play now Everyday Jewish life |
| 10 | Greek orthodox Holy communion | Holy communion in the Greek orthodox church Play now Greek orthodox Holy communion |
| 11 | Three different Sikh temples | Comparing three very different Sikh temples or Gurudwaras, beginning with the most important shrine, the Golden Temple in Amritsar Play now Three different Sikh temples |
| 12 | The importance of music in Sikhism | On the importance and complexity of music in the Sikh religion Play now The importance of music in Sikhism |
| 13 | Initiation into a Sikh sect | Initiation into a strict Sikh sect Play now Initiation into a Sikh sect |
| 14 | A Sikh school | The Guru Nanak Sikh School in London Play now A Sikh school |
About the author
Tags, Ratings and Social Bookmarking
Ratings
Other content you may like
BSc (Honours) Mathematics
From economic policy to scientific advancement, mathematics is indispensable to modern life. This degree course will give you a good understanding of pure and applied mathematics at an advanced level, and enhance your career prospects in a huge array of fields. You’ll cover a wide range of topics, from the abstract to how mathematics is used in the real world, and develop a secure understanding of mathematical concepts and approaches. Through your study of the BSc (Honours) Mathematics you’ll gain:
Education & Development
Infants’ understanding of their social world
In this free course, Infants' understanding of their social world, we draw on a wide range of psychological research to address the question of whether infants have a rich understanding of their social world. You will have the opportunity to read journal papers and newspaper articles as well as to engage with audio clips, and to explore your assumptions about infants' social understanding.
History & The Arts
Introducing the Classical world
How do we learn about the world of the ancient Romans and Greeks? This free course, Introducing the Classical world, will provide you with an insight into the Classical world by introducing you to the various sources of information used by scholars to draw together an image of this fascinating period of history.
Opening the Boundaries of Citizenship
How do we define being a citizen? In what ways has the idea of citizenship expanded? At a time when tumultuous world events, from Israel to India, call for a deeper understanding of the purpose and power of citizenship
TV, Radio & Events
OU on the BBC: The Joy Of Stats
Hans Rosling takes a journey into the heart of statistics - and shows why they're anything but dull.
History & The Arts
Entrainment
Open University ethnomusicologist Martin Clayton describes how his study of music and its performance in different cultural settings has allowed him to develop his understanding of the concept of entrainment. His research into this phenomenon is providing key insights into the synchronisation of rhythmic processes in humans and in the natural world. To find out more, follow the research links.
TV, Radio & Events
The Big Question: The Big Religion Questions
Trust The Big Question team to find the right questions to explore the worlds of faith.
free course icon
Level 2 icon
History & The Arts
Discovering Ancient Greek and Latin
The free course, Discovering Ancient Greek and Latin, gives a taste of what it is like to learn two ancient languages. It is for those who have encountered the classical world through translations of Greek and Latin texts and wish to know more about the languages in which these works were composed.
History & The Arts
Graphic books
Learn how Edward Lear’s books were printed using the then-innovative technique of lithography.
©2017. All rights reserved. The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), an exempt charity in England & Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (SC 038302). The Open University is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in relation to its secondary activity of credit broking.
Be the first to post a comment
We invite you to discuss this subject, but remember this is a public forum.
Please be polite, and avoid your passions turning into contempt for others. We may delete posts that are rude or aggressive; or edit posts containing contact details or links to other websites.