University:
Indiana University South Bend
Course:
ANTH-E 105 | Culture and Society
Academic year:

2024
Views:

436

Pages:

36
Author:

Rosalinda G.

RELIGION THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF RELIGION Religion- the social institution consisting of the beliefs and practices associated with supernatural beings, powers, and forces Thus, religion is composed of the ideas, objects, norms, beliefs, and actions that stand for something that transcends ordinary reality. THE FUNCTIONS OF RELIGION 1) Psychological Security • provides order and meaning by explaining the nature of life and death and the origins of the universe • helps us handle anxiety by giving us a sense of control in our lives (through prayer, sacrifice, rituals, and magic) • is scientifically demonstrated to change a religious person’s physical condition (via inspiration, motivation, hope, etc.) THE FUNCTIONS OF RELIGION 2) Social Solidarity • brings people together (us versus them) • perpetuates cultural beliefs and practices (morality, values, knowledge [truth], etc.) • often serves the needs of the powerful (hegemony) • can also inspire people to change the existing order through rebellion and revolution CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION • The root of all human religion is animism. • animism- the belief in spiritual beings (e.g., spirits, gods, angels, devils, elves, ghosts, etc.) • soul- the spiritual part of a person’s identity that can separate from the physical body and engage in transcendent activities outside of the body CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION • Among many traditional cultures, plants and animals are also believed to have souls. • mana- raw impersonal power (e.g., luck, The Force) but also pertains to the supernatural forces present in a particular geographic or inanimate entities such as talismans, amulets, mountains, rivers, trees, stones, wind, etc. CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION • cosmology- the systems of beliefs concerning the religious and social order • doctrine- written and formal statements about religious beliefs (religious laws and principles) • myths- sacred stories, drawing on supernatural explanations to account for the origin of things and serves to provide a sense of order in an otherwise chaotic world CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION • ritual- a repeated gesture or ceremony of religious and symbolic nature used for specific purposes on specific occasions • prayer- a conversation conducted with gods and spirits by people that involves blessing, giving thanks, asking for help or forgiveness, demonstrating appeasement, etc. • sacrifice- ceremonial offerings to the gods that increase spiritual purity or the efficacy of prayer CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION • taboos- sets of negative sanctions or statements about behaviors that may lead to supernaturally imposed harm (often food, sex, and moral violations like selfishness, backbiting, lying, etc.) • divination- the practice of obtaining useful, hidden, or unknown information from a supernatural authority (only certain individuals have the ability to do this) CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION • god (or deity)- a supernatural being believed to have created or has some degree of control over the world and universe • monotheism- the belief in a single god • polytheism- the belief in many gods • Polytheistic religions typically have a greater god or gods and several lesser gods CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION • religious pluralism- the existence of two or more religions in the same society • religious syncretism- the blending of two or more religions • e.g., Voodoo- blending of Catholicism and Yoruban religion • Easter: What do eggs and rabbits have to do with the resurrection of Jesus? • December 25th: Jesus’ or Mithral’s Birthday? (Orthodox Christmas in January) CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION • messianic- religions that believe in the coming of an individual who will bring forth an utopian world • millenarian- religions that believe that a catastrophe will occur and bring forth a new age • fundamentalism- the belief that returning to authentic religious traditions can restore a society to its former glory (e.g., revitalization movements, Christian fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalism) CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION • There are two ways that the supernatural can be dealt with: religion and magic. • In religion, the supernatural is believed to be so powerful and transcendent of people that people are subject to its will, and must deal with it through prayer and other rituals. In magic, the supernatural can be managed or controlled. CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION Magic: • sorcery- a form of magic that is used for antisocial purposes, this involves the manipulation of physical objects (bones, hair, potions, etc.) into the supernatural • witchcraft- magic carried out on a purely psychic level and thus does not require the manipulation of physical objects for access to the supernatural CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION Two Types of Magic: • (1) sympathetic or contagious magic- works on the principle that objects that have been in contact with one another will continue to exert a spiritual force on each other • (e.g., sticking a needle into the stomach of a doll [made of some items of the target person] that represents an actual person will cause that person to have stomach pains) CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION Magic: • (2) imitative magic- works on the principle that mimicking the supernatural effects one wishes to achieve will cause them to happen • e.g., rain dance conducted in order to cause rain or a hunting ritual CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION Religious Specialists • shaman- a practitioner who derives their power directly from the supernatural source • Shaman are usually part-time practitioners and often skilled healers with the ability to set bones, deliver babies, and other medical treatments. • Shaman are called marabouts in West Africa. CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION Religious Specialists • priest- a professional religious practitioner; associated with ranked and stratified societies (chiefdoms & states) • This is usually a full-time position. • Priests do not personally possess spiritual power; it is derived from their office (in Christianity). MAJOR RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD • Christians: 2,448,000,000 (33% of world pop.) • Muslims: 1,752,000,000 (24% of world pop.) • Hindus: 1,019,000,000 (14% of world pop.) • Non-Religious: 828,000,000 (11% of world pop.) • Buddhists: 520,000,000 (7% of world pop.) • Ethnic Religionists: 267,000,000 (3.6% of world pop.) • New Religionists: 66,000,000 (0.3% of world pop.) • Sikhs: 25,000,000 (0.3% of world pop.) • Jews: 14,000,000 (0.2% of world pop.) MAJOR RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD Christians Christians: 2,448,000,000 total • Catholics: 1,242,000,000 (half of total Christians) • Protestants: 553,000,000 (includes Anglican, Baptists, Episcopalians, Evangelicals, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Calvinists) start breaking from Roman Catholics in 1517 • Independents (including Unaffiliated, Unitarians, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.)): 429,000,000 • Orthodox: 284,000,000 (Russian, Greek, Coptic [Egypt & Ethiopia], Armenian, etc.) major disagreements with Roman Catholics since 1054