The Ninth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society
Universal Religious Symbols: Mutual Influences and Specific Relationships:
Symbols are especially tied to Religion. All religions, one way or another, contain a wide variety of symbols such us figures, ceremonies and rituals, temples, sacred sites, myths and historical accounts, among many others. They are the vehicle of the transcendence manifestation, so that their meaning never run out.
Either because they look for expressing a transcending truth, or because anthropological reasons, the fact is that a great majority of these symbols overlap in meaning and conformation. Religious symbols’ meaning, their interreligious coincidences and the influences and mutual relationships are the special focus of this conference, both in the concrete symbolism of a specific religious context and compared symbolism, or symbolism of the absence of transcendence, as well as the significance and impact in the forming of social imagery and political symbolism. In our current societies we should take into consideration the influence of these universal religious symbols, certainly regarding their differences, but mainly in their analogies and common truths that they do convey about human life, sense and existence.