Religion
Theories of Religion
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Elements of Religion
Religious Cosmologies
Belief In Supernatural
Rules of Behavior
Abstract Forces
Spirits
Gods
Monotheistic
Polytheistic
Animism : inanimate objects w spiritual force ie. weather
Karma
Reincarnation
Meditation
Rituals and Religious Practitioners
Rites of Passage : separation / liminality / incorporation
Rites of Intensification : communities nagol south pacific ; land diving - unity that encourages people to see themselves as members of the community
Rites of Revitalization : post crisis to rebuild community "john frum" - south pacific after ww11
Religious Practitioners
Priests
Shamans
Prophets
Karl Marx "Religion is the Opium of the people"
Dame Mary Douglas - Purity a& Danger ( 1966) cultural ideas of "dirty" & "impure" influence religious beliefs ie. kosher diet
Totem & Taboo - Freud - religious belief provides rule/restriction - keeps antisocial instincts ie. oedipal complex suppressed - "totemic religions" regulate interaction w socially significant objects
Marvin Harris (1974) Cows, Pigs, Wars, Witches ; Hindu Religion sacred cow - religion is based in economic reality
Clifford Geertz - religion is a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, & long lasting moods & motivation - way to enact or make visible important cultural ideas
Origin of the Universe/ Man/Earth
Greek Origin - gods & mortal heirarchy
navajo: platters
Bible : genesis - god did stuff
Anthropomorphic: having human characteristics
scott hutson (2000) raves induce altered state of conciousness
Chukchi- russian - schizophrenia
millenarians : believe something major will happen to transform the world
George Gmelch (1971)Rituals Reduce anxiety : ie "baseball magic"
Malinowski - myth or origin not " idle tale, but hard worked active force"
Sacred
Profane
Collective Effervescence : a passion or energy that arises when groups of people share same thoughts and emotions
defining religion
divide between religion /spirituality or even magic is murky in some cultural contexts
Sir James Frazer The Golden Bough - armchair - dismissed spirituality
Sir EB Taylor defined religion minimally and narrowly
Religion is US - participation in a distinct form of faith
Sociologist Durkenheim - religion set of practices, and social institutions that brought community together "church"
Marcell Maus (1902) a general theory of magic - religion and magic are on opposite poles of spiritual belief
Cargo Cult - term to describe rituals that seek to attract material prosperity (not commonly used )