Religious and Secular Symbols

Abstract

Religious/Secular symbolism involves the use of indicators such as artwork, signs, myths or use of any other medium which tends to give the understanding of the moral structure of the society. This study aims to highlight those objects, events, myths in different religions and the meaning which they carry with themselves.

Table of Contents

Abstracti

Introduction1

Focal Symbols1

General symbols2

Secondary specific symbols2

Audio symbols Conceptual Non-Verbal3

Audio symbols conceptual verbal4

Public and Private symbols4

Conclusion5

Works Cited6

Religious and Secular Symbols

Introduction

Symbols over the period of time have been used to create an understanding among the larger segment of the society. Symbols have also been the source of transferring information from one generation to the other, from one place to the other and from one section of the society to the other. However over the period of time symbols were incorporated as a tool to portray religious or secular thoughts. The art of symbolism has been stretched into various limits, which are of, a different nature and category altogether. The use of symbols has been broken which are listed as under

Focal Symbols

Azaan is a call to the prayer recited by the muezzin of the mosque; the call is given to the Muslims five times a day. Azaan outline's the shahda, which in translation, means the acceptance that there is no god except Allah and Muhammad (P.BU.H) is the last messenger of Allah (Touma, pp.145). Lion is counted among the most powerful symbol in Buddhism. Lion conventionally has been associated with power and strength. Therefore, Buddhists tend to indicate the teachings of Buddha as compelling as the roar of the lion (Hirakawa, pp.8). In Christianity, the use of church bell is often used to signify the time to call upon the worshippers to make worship. Sometimes it is used to indicate a wedding, funeral or other church related services (Lexander, pp.2). Menorah is considered to be one of the focal symbols of the Jewish faith, it is a seven branched candelabrum used in the temple crafted out of gold (Haye, pp.11).

General symbols

Star and the crescent are the most popularly known symbol associated to Islam although many researchers believe that star and crescent has nothing to do with Islam rather it was adapted by the Ottoman Empire. Since then it has been associated with Islam in one way or the other. In Buddhism, tree hold a very special place, according to the belief of the Buddhists it was under the tree of the bodhi where Buddha received enlightenment. Worship of the tree was practiced along ago in the conformist India, and thus the roots of worshipping tree and leaf draws it roots from there (Hirakawa, pp.10). Cross in Christianity is interpreted as the mean for the execution of Jesus Christ. It also relates to the three dimensional representation of the Jesus' body. However, the most common of them is the Latin cross (Lexander, pp.7). In Judaism, the star of David is considered to be most known symbol which symbolizes the Jewish faith. The star of David is interpreted as the shape of ...