1. Religion

2. Religious and Political Correlations
Egalitarian foragers & horticulturalists: more equal nature spirits (animism).
Pastoralist and Agricultural tribes & chiefdoms: single or hierarchized agrarian or pastoral Gods, ritual year reflecting farming/herding cycles, & common belief deities look after whorshippers.
Centralized states: hierarchical polytheism with a ruling deity or monotheism.

3. Ancestors Japanese ancestor worship
Used to be male-centered, as Japan was patrifocal; now kinship is shifting to a bilateral system, and female ancestors are now worshipped and women can carry out the rituals.
This is an example of social changes affecting religious changes.

4. Ghosts and Demons
In a functionalist interpretation, hauntings and possessions are cultural representations of social or psychological stressors experienced by people with high social or individual anxiety.
Some Christian traditions treat illnesses such as addiction & adultery through exorcism.
In Bali, Muslims treat anxiety with exorcism, and Hindus with trance possession rituals. These increased among both groups due to heightened religious conflict.

5. 3 Phases of a Rite of Passage
Separation
Liminal: Temporarily reduces social difference; allows for non-normative behaviors.
Reincorporation

6. Magic
Attempt to mechanistically control spiritual forces with specific aims. Practitioners believe their words and actions compel the spirit world to behave in certain ways.
Malinowski’s Anxiety Theory of Magic (e.g., baseball magic).
Imitative (looks like object or person; eg. dolls) vs. contagious (from the person e.g., hair, or must touch).