University:
MacEwan University
Course:
HIST 476 | Topics in the History of Religion
Academic year:

2024
Views:

268

Pages:

2
Author:

Arthur M.

1/18 - Intro Why Study Beligion? • Gives answers for fundamental questions • Affects gout, politics, world interests Community Makes money Understanding others & ourselves Fundamental Questions I Who am I? 2. What is the nature of ultimate reality? 3. How should we live our lives? 1/23 - The Acadernic Study of Religion •Thomas Aquinas - 13th C. thinker of Roman Catholic Theology Summa Theologia - Uses Scholastic Method •Take your opponents stance - helps critical thinking Insider vs Outsider Approach • Insider churches, temples, etc.; observing on inside paying attention to what ppl say wlout evaluating based on outside norms Understanding not everlerating • Outside -observing, describing, evaluating developing theories - critical, extermal view - value both sides! But we mainly focus on insider views -understanding principles Understanding vs. Evaluating • Evaluating - 2nd nature the "norm" - Is this good? Is this bad? Normative mindset • Goal is to understand who evaluating - people argue that we should not evaluate religious (good religion, bad religion, etc) bracketing → evaluations from ourselves & try to set them aside. • Prejudice = judging before understanding (avoid this!) •Studying religion foreign making foreign familiar & the familiar