. Scholars conclude that what we ordinarily call religion manifests to some degree the following eight elements: 1) a belief system; 2) community; 3) central myths; 4) rituals; 5) an ethical system; 6) emotional experiences; 7) material expressions of religion; and 8) sacredness.

Examine to what extent your religious beliefs fall into this pattern. Do some elements have more weight than others? If some of these 8 factors do not appear to apply, briefly acknowledge this and state why they do not. If you do not have a belief system, interview someone who does and examine their belief system, or choose one you yourself are curious about.

If you wish as a creative essay option: Compare childhood understanding of a religious tradition you’ve been raised in or heard about with what you learn by applying Molloy’s eight-step analysis of a belief system to it as an adult.

Provide enough details to support your answer. The emphasis here should be on your own words, not the research of others. Look at our textbook for excellent resources on major religions, both East and West.

This essay should be 3 full pages (double-spaced, standard fonts and APA format; no title page necessary; 1050 words) in length.

All papers are expected to follow APA guidelines for documentation. Follow Academic Integrity Policy + 80/20 Written Work Guidelines in Announcements