RLST MIDDY 1

religion

belief that there is an unseen order, our supreme good lies in harmoniously adjusting ourselves thereto - william james

oceanic feeling

freud - feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself

religion comes from oceanic feeling

myth

story describing unseen of universe

not speaking to horisticity

primacy of possibility (POP)

idea that derives from oceanic idea

speculates about primordial realm

ritual

behavior designed to help one feel unseen of the universe

reenactment of mythological time

gravitas - weight

religion is forum that points to gravity of world - why it matters

therapeutic

therapies of commitment vs release

helps people stay present in moment vs help release emotional pain

stages of rituals

pre liminal

liminal - neither in real world

post liminal - when back in daily life, not same as you were before

transitioning from pre liminal to post liminal (ritual)

ritual examples

wedding, funeral, bar mitzvah

enlightenment

cultural and intellectual movement in 18th century europe

reason, science, and individualism

questioning of traditional authority

immanuel kant

human mind could understand moral truths through reason and individuals had duty to follow conscience

rejected that morality was based on external authority

church of england controversy

whether church and state in virginia should be separated

became official church - punishments for not showing up

revolutionary war

60s - 70s - independence meant overthrow of church and state

feared bishops were too powerful politically

chandler appeal

church of england clergymen

argues bishops should reside in colonies

in his mind, to deny bishops was to deny religious liberty

taxed all churches —> money for England church

bishops

only who could let in converts

necessary for success of church of england

william livingston

challenged chandler and argued against bishops

ezra stiles/end of controversy

against bishops because violates religious liberty

if church of england could tax Americans, could establish political foothold

everyone said no to bishops

jefferson bill for establishing religious freedom

religious freedom was more about freedom of conscience

bill was tabled

true religion could only be propagated by conscience, not force

patrick henry

church of england should not enjoy privilege but there should be special advantage to all Christian churches

never went to vote - passed jeffersons bill in 1789

bill of rights first amendment

congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting free exercise thereof (establishment and free exercise clause)

religious marketplace

freedom of religion opens door for competition between religious traditions

tax exemption

IRS decides who gets tax exemption in US

language is very Christian

native american religion

3 types of religious traditions

hunter

agriculture

urban settlement

hunter gatherer

small nomadic societies

variety of tools and resources

connection between spiritual and natural world

many rituals performed to honor spirits of natural world

vision quests

guided by shaman - reorder unbalance between spiritual and physical world

agricultural

woodland - some of first to have permanent homes

grander funeral practices

totems that were most sacred animal for clan - intermediary

priests had access to mounds

cultivation of specific type of corn

ohio fairgrounds circle

large circular earthwork

maybe ceremonial/astronomical significance

gathering place for religious ceremonies

circle shape itself may have meaning

earth diver story

world was covered by water

mythical animal dives into primordial waters

retrieves mud - expands miraculously

aztecs

tenochtitlan

city was sacred - god specified where to be built

25 major pyramids

human sacrifices were part of religious rituals

ghost dance

central ritual for sioux tribe

spread quickly over plains tribes

wovoka share with kicking bear, prominent sioux leader

each tribe used different variation of dance - gov feared it was a war dance

grant’s peace policy

felt it was easier to convert indians than conquer them

handed over reservations to christian denominations

government supported christianization of reservations

focus on children

religious crimes code

government works alongside christian denominations to forbade native american religious activities

unique for gov to ban a religion

general allotment act/dawes act

break up reservation, give each person land

bring civilization/break up tribes

ghost dance myth

wovoka has vision on eclipse

wovoka needs to teach god will bring all natives back to life and free from white people

will dance after - ghost dance is to provoke prophecy to occur

wounded knee massacre

war department brought 3k troops to stop dancing by force

shot is fired and most NA men are killed

ghost dance of sioux came to an end

marks federal squashing of religious ritual

sun dance

lodge represents man and universes’s relationship to great spirit

sense of suffering in thirst, heat, hunger

3 worlds - spiritual, physical, perfect

contact pole where can connect with creator

sweat lodge is to purify body and mind

yearly

touches 5 senses - oceanic and therapeutic

exodus

key mythic narrative in Bible tradition

God rescuing ancient Israelites from Egypt

typically ruling class has relationship with God - now enslaved does

both white christians and african americans were using exodus myth

ezra stiles

emphasis on america’s deserving nature - opposed to Winthrop

celebratory - america is fulfilling its destiny

african american exodus

see themselves as israelites - america as egypt

contradicts white christians exodus narrative

the shout

reenacted exodus narrative in dance form

early form of AA preaching and singing

emancipation was same as God freeing his people

being oppressed is a mark of God’s favor

yakub

yakub was black scientist born in mecca

exiled after causing trouble

on island of patmos, creates white people over 600 yrs (devil race)

experiments during creation of white people led to them being prone to violence, corruption, deception

white peoples exiled and given 6000 years to have dominion over earth - expiring in 1900s

moses was to bring discipline to whites → they would rule the world

nation of islam (NOI)

rejected exodus, they are agents with own civilization, not passive recipients

bible had been corrupted by white people to keep enslaved

nationalistic

very ordered, replace last names with X