World Religions Explaining the Unexplainable

What is Religion? Relationship with a Deity ◦Deity – god figure Expression of Goodness Sacred Frame of Mind Moral Exchange of Power Ethical Practice Set of Beliefs and Practices

Types of Religions Atheistic - no deity Monotheistic - one deity Polytheistic - multiple deities Pantheistic - everything is deity Animism – ancestors become spiritual forces Henotheism – believing in many gods, but one of them is supreme

Attributes of Religions Belief in Supernatural Sacred/Secular Divide Communal/Individual Rituals Moral/Ethical Code Communication with Divine Mythical (sacred) stories ◦Myth – story that attempts to explain the reality of the world in which a person lives Social Organizations Promise of Inner Peace/Harmony Offer future hope Propagate themselves

Function of Religion Give Answers Address Morality Offer Control Provide Society, Structures, and Values Give Meaning to Existence Show guidance of how to live

Perspectives of Religion Adherent - looking from the inside Opponent - from outside to prove against Scholar - from inside to understand Seeker - from the middle with intent to follow or not follow

History of Religious Studies Began to view religion from outside in 1500’s Why Religious Studies? ◦Understand new cultures in travel ◦Modernity (worldview of reason and rational explaining) Responses to Religions: ◦Exclusivism – only ours is right ◦Inclusivism – ours is true, but others could be right too ◦Pluralism – every religion has truth ◦Universalism – all willed be “saved”

Jean Bodin ( ) French Wars of Religion (Cath./Protest.) ◦French diplomat - peacemaker ◦Didn’t believe Christians could solve war Wrote “Colloquium” ◦Best religion is closest to Adam and Eve ◦Earliest religion is the best religion ◦Concerned with the best version of Christianity

Edward Herbert ( ) Lived during 30 Years War (Cath./Prot.) Diplomat ◦Seek religion accepted by majority Found common religious themes: ◦One God ◦God is Worshipped ◦Virtue is Key ◦Repent of Sins ◦Afterlife Consequences

Brenard Fontenelle ( ) Studied myths and rituals of other groups ◦“Primitive Mind” seeks to explain nature  Gods are in control  A basic mind cannot handle complexity, so a simple concept must be presented (gods) ◦Concludes that religion will be trumped by Science ◦Because religion was an attempt to explain reality, science is the ultimate way in which one explains reality

David Hume ( ) Scottish Empiricist (no instinctual knowledge) ◦No spiritual realm “Natural History of Religion” ◦Sources of Religion: ◦1) Nature’s Power ◦2) Anthropomorphism – assigning human characteristics to a deity “No progression in religion”

Karl Marx ( ) “Religion is the opiate of the masses” Focused on the Economic Aspect ◦Have’s and Have Not’s Divides Social Functions: ◦Sub-Structure - physical needs ◦Super Structure - arts, philosophy, religion History Is between Workers and Owners Religion is the Owners’ attempt to calm the Workers

Emile Durkheim ( ) Founder of Sociology ◦Sociology – the study of personal interactions and the systems of those interactions Religions based on Social Behavior Looks at Totemism ◦Sacred things are related to society ◦Totem is unifying mark ◦Religions worship themselves

Sigmund Freud ( ) Founder of Psychoanalytical Technique “Totem and Taboo” ◦Monotheistic religion arises from mythical and primal murder of father figure “Future of an Illusion” ◦Religion is a coping mechanism ◦Religion is illusion of wish-fulfillment ◦Religion forces neurosis (deal with issues)

4 Theories of Origins 1) Naturalism 2) Animism 3) Ghost Theory 4) Totemism

Naturalism Naturalism – the idea that worship originated with the fact that nature is unexplainable, and therefore worthy of worship Max Muller ◦Humans are in awe of nature ◦Lightening, Rain, Fire, etc. ◦Religion is personification of nature

Animism Animism – the idea that religion originated because all things had a spirit that must be controlled Edward Burnett Taylor ◦“everything is inhabited by a spirit”  Religion is interaction between human and spirit  Many spirits but few gods  Worship is control of unique spirits

Ghost Theory Ghost Theory – the idea that religion originated by seeing spirits/ghosts in a dream state, thus the people’s spirit still exists Herbert Spencer ◦People are confused by Real and Dreams  You see dead people in dreams ◦Ghosts must be alleviated  Leads to ancestor worship ◦Therefore, we are surrounded

Totemism Totemism – religion originated by means of communities needing to control their worlds and sacrificing to the group’s icon/mascot W. Robertson Smith ◦Religion begins with sacred animal ◦In times of need, sacrifice the animal  Origin of sacrifice system ◦Tribes have different animals as unifying

Indigenous Religions Indigenous - originating locally ◦Traditional, aboriginal, tribal, primal, native, oral, non-literate Common Features ◦Oral/Spoken Religion ◦Connection to the Land ◦Life and Sacred Connected ◦Time is a Circle ◦Seasonal and Generational Cycles ◦Taboo – a rule that forbids a specific behavior

Indigenous Religions Relationship to Spirits ◦Presence of Supreme Being ◦Unseen Powers (human-like, nature, ancestors) Kinship to Creation ◦Everything has spirit ◦Earth as Mother (land is sacred) ◦All creatures are kin (brother bear…)

Indigenous Religions Relationship with Power ◦Sacred Sites  Places have higher concentration of power ◦Sacred Objects  Power built through sacred practices  Ritual objects retain power ◦Women= mysterious and dangerous

Indigenous Religions Spiritual Specialists ◦Storyteller - maintain oral tradition ◦Instrumentalist - communication with spirits ◦Sacred Dancers - make unseen visible (hula) ◦Shaman - heals phys/psych/spirit problems  Techniques: herbs, sweat bath, massage  Divination – the act of determining the past, present, and future will of the god(s)  Prayer, and chanting  Altered Consciousness (drum, sing, drink, drugs, etc.)

Indigenous Religions Group Rituals ◦Rites of Passage (birth, manhood, womanhood, etc.) ◦Rituals of Survival (hunting, feasting, etc.) ◦Rituals of Purification (marriage, errors, etc.) Individual Rituals ◦Seek Visions ◦Vision Quest