Human Renewal and Transformation Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

One of the major questions in religion and philosophy is the question of free will. Without delving deep into this issue, the main question that might be raised is, do people have the possibility for spiritual renewal and transformation? Taking a look at most major religions, it can be stated that the answer would be positive. Nevertheless, this paper attempts to analyze the need for human renewal and transformation, stating that such possibility is often given in unequal proportions.

Approaching the aspect of religion, it can be stated that all religions emphasize human transformation and renewal. In that regard, with all religions acknowledging and identifying sins, in one form or another, they at the same time acknowledge that people are not free of these sins. Thus, people need to purify themselves going through transformations, the most complete form of which is spiritual, i.e. “a dramatic change in religious belief, attitude, and behavior that occurs over a relatively short period of time” (Schwartz, 2000).

Each religion slightly modifies its version of the transformation, having the main theme in changing behavior and resetting priorities. In that regard, renewal can be seen as a lighter version of spiritual transformation, which implies changing behavior without major shifts in religious beliefs. It can be stated that our nature is pure at birth, develops into a mixture of good and bad with different proportions, largely defined by many external factors, e.g. background, family, locations, beliefs, etc.

It can be stated that there is a general call for renewal and transformation, where each person perceives such call individually, due to individual characteristics. A person raised in a religious family, who lived in a moderate-income and received a good education, will likely have fewer difficulties in transforming his character, than for example, a person who lives in a poor family with alcohol problems, in a neighborhood filled with gangs, and who quit school at the age of 15. The latter might be an exaggeration, and exceptions in both cases certainly exist, but nevertheless, it does not change the fact that people are influenced by external factors, reaching the need for renewal and transformation, outlined in most religions.

Accordingly, it should be stated that the path for renewal and transformation is mostly the same for most people, which implies that different efforts will be needed for spiritual transformation. In that regard, the path prescribed by Christianity can be found attractive, specifically, with the ritual of going to confessions. Acknowledging one’s own mistakes can be seen as the first step to avoid them. It is not implied that other paths are not effective, rather than that it is hard for a person to acknowledge his/her own mistakes. Even from the point of view of psychology, such practice can “encourage the practitioner to observe his own subjective frame of reference… [acquiring] a high level of self-awareness by using any one of these practices as a means of paying attention to his own thoughts (Banks, 2009).

It can be concluded that despite the difficulties that different people might face in acknowledging the need for renewal and transformation, it is nevertheless possible. Despite the contribution of individual factors, personal responsibility should not be omitted. With the distinction of good and bad being acknowledged since birth, each person needs to go through transformation and renewal, with the failure to do so, being an indication of spiritual weakness.

References

Banks, S. L. (2009). ON HOLY GROUND: WHERE RELIGION AND COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY CONNECT. Renew Theology. Web.

Schwartz, A. J. (2000). The Nature of Spiritual Transformation: A Review of the Literature. Spiritual Transformation Research. Web.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2021, December 10). Human Renewal and Transformation. https://ivypanda.com/essays/human-renewal-and-transformation/

Work Cited

"Human Renewal and Transformation." IvyPanda, 10 Dec. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/human-renewal-and-transformation/.

References

IvyPanda. (2021) 'Human Renewal and Transformation'. 10 December.

References

IvyPanda. 2021. "Human Renewal and Transformation." December 10, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/human-renewal-and-transformation/.

1. IvyPanda. "Human Renewal and Transformation." December 10, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/human-renewal-and-transformation/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Human Renewal and Transformation." December 10, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/human-renewal-and-transformation/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1