Writing Assignment:   The search for a definition of religion is challenging since religion is a c ...

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Writing Assignment:   The search for a definition of religion is challenging since religion is a complex phenomenon. Scholars conclude that what we ordinarily call religion manifests to some degree five basic elements (cf. Cunningham and Kelsay, Chapter 1, pp. 12-16).  Examine to what extent your religious beliefs fall into this pattern. Do some elements have more weight than others? Select the three elements that are key to your beliefs and analyze them.  If you do not have a belief system, interview someone who does and examine their belief system.   Then think about the word "sacred."  Some people think about certain personal relationships as 'sacred.'  Others talk about 'the sacredness of life.'  What are such expressions intended to convey? Is such language religious or not? Identify if possible a 'sacred' moment in your life (cf. Cunningham and Kelsay, Chapter 2).  (3-4 pages) Please use APA formatting for all assignments as required by USF.   Figure 1 William James The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902).