The Six Dimensions of Religion

To Ninian Smart, the world renowned theologian, the six dimensions of religion are
common aspects shared between all religions to varying extents, and they can be
used as part of a structured approach towards analyzing, comparing, and
contrasting different belief systems and worldviews. They are the following:
1. Doctrines: are beliefs about the nature of divinity or ultimate reality and the
relationship of humans to that divinity or ultimate reality. These are the fundamental
principles and teachings of a belief system. Examples:

The Trinity: Christianitys philosophically complex definition of God as

three distinct yet unified beings in the form of: the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit.
Tawhid: Islams uncompromising fundamentally monotheistic
conceptualization of God as a strictly singular being.
The Three Marks of Existence: Buddhisms view of three
characteristics shared by all sentient beings which are namely: Anicca
(Impermanence), Dukkha (Suffering), and Anatta (Non-Self).

2. Myths: The prized stories that constitute the sacred origins and history of a
particular religion, its God(s), and its important human figures. Examples of
such stories can be found in:
The Hadith: a compiled collection of the various recorded acts and
sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, which some consider to be
essential to the understanding of Islam and the Quran.
The Ramayana: an ancient Hindu scripture, the title of which
translates into English as Ramas Journey, and contains the Sanskrit
Epic about the story of Rama, an avatar of the Hindu God Vishnu.
3. Ethics: the codified set of rules, behavioral precepts and system of values
which followers need to abide by. The extent to which a person conforms to
these laws and virtues are often the basis by which to judge the holiness of a
believer. Furthermore, these ethical and moral legal standards by which
people need to live are often extended to the realm of social governance.
Examples include:
The Sharia: is the extensive and intricate set of moral codes and
religious laws which are derived from the Quran and the Sunnah of the
Prophet, and deal with all aspects of social and personal life.
The Ten Commandments: are a set of unquestionable biblical principles
which must be adhered to by followers of Judaism and most sects of
Christianity.

4. Rituals: are pre-established and prescribed acts or observances of religious

practice in a private or public setting, with the more significant rituals often
being conducted in a ceremonial nature. Some of the better known examples
include:
The Salah: is one of the five pillars of faith in Islam and is therefore a
core part of Islamic religious tradition and practice. This ritual worship,
which the most devout Muslims perform five times daily, like several
others, has a codified set of rules and procedures as to how and when
it should be conducted.
Hajj: another one of the five pillars of faith in Islam, is the annual
pilgrimage to Mecca, and is easily one of the most exemplary
demonstrations of mass public worship were able to see in the world
today.
Meditation: in Buddhism is a form of mental concentration that is meant ultimately to help an
individual on his or her journey of spiritual enlightenment.

5. Experiential: one of the most important aspects of religion is the experiences

and feelings they invoke in people. Religious tradition often contain several
examples of prophets and other important figures who undergo a process of
transformation after coming into contact with some sense of the divine or the
ultimate reality. It is also true that such divine feelings are experienced by
ordinary men in more ordinary ways in their everyday lives.
6. Institutional: some religions, especially the larger and more influential ones,
create particular institutions to carry out their practice and message. These
institutions often vary greatly in their characteristics and functions. One of
the more notable examples of such institutions are the Catholic Churches.