pop culture

hero

s the man or woman who has been able to battle past his personal and local historical limitations to the generally valid, normally human forms. Such a [hero’s] . . . visions, ideas, and inspirations come pristine from the primary springs of human life and thought. Hence they are eloquent, not of the present, disintegrating society and psyche, but of the unquenched source through which society is reborn. The hero has died as a modern man; but as eternal man—perfected, unspecific, universal man—he has been reborn. His second solemn task and deed therefore (. . . as all the mythologies of mankind indicate) is to return then to us, transfigured, and teach the lessons he has learned of life renewed.

monomyth

a term used to describe the stages typically experienced by the hero in many stories. Despite the time frame or the culture, the hero’s journey—the hero’s adventure—is represented by these rites of passage: “separation—initiation—return: which might be named the nuclear unit of the monomyth” (Campbell 23; see Figure 2.1). This pattern is evident in many of the characters presented on the big and small screen alike, as well as in novels and comic books. We recognize heroes because they “embody our deepest hopes and fears, as well as our highest aspirations, and they can help us deal with our worst nightmares” (Loeb and Morris 11). Campbell believes that participating in the journey of the hero gives life meaning. ex: Star wars

American Monomyth

Whereas the classical monomyth seemed to reflect rites of initiation, the American monomyth derives from tales of redemption. It secularizes the Judeo-Christian dramas of community redemption . . . combining elements of the selfless servant who impassively gives his life for others and the zealous crusader who destroys evil. The supersaviours in pop culture function as replacements for the Christ figure, whose credibility was eroded by scientific rationalism. But their superhuman abilities reflect a hope for the divine, redemptive powers that science has never eradicated from the popular mind. ex: Superman

suffering servant

(a messianic figure prophesised in Isaiah, whose sacrifice atones for the sins of others) ex: Superman

apocalypse

derived from the Book of Revelation and depicting a period of catastrophic upheaval preceding the End Times and the coming of God to sit in judgement of humanity, ending with a deliverance from suffering and an age of peace ex: Buffy vampire slayer

religious multivalence

religious multivalence means that there can be multiple religious interpretations and context for a single symbol which is essentially “some modality [manifestation] of the sacred and in some moment in its [the sacred’s] history” (2). ex: superman The concept that a single symbol, text, or character is rarely one-dimensional and can simultaneously hold multiple valid religious interpretations or contexts. The meaning of a multivalent symbol changes depending on historical context and the unique experiential "lens" or filter of the audience.

hierophany

“some modality [manifestation] of the sacred and in some moment in its [the sacred’s] history”

cosmogonic myth

A sacred origin narrative that recounts how a world, universe, or society was established through the creative activities of divine or ancestral beings.

ex: adventure time with myth making text that has sacred hsitory and the creation of the land of Ooo and sepearte chatracters having their own myth

imam

Islamic leader ex Muhammad. Show little mosque on the prairie confronts islamaphobia with one as one of the main characters

Sunnis

abnrch of uslim faith

Shi’ites

branch of muslim faith

ummah

muslim community as a whole. Relevant as use to be more of a local community bow with the cration of the internet it solidified its position as a global communitt allowing htem to share experienmces worldwide - not loved by all

réveillon

French tradition of awakening that is like a mass at midnight. Tradition that snowballed into crhsitmas

Sviata

holy supper that also snowballed in christimas

Vechera

see sviata

hijab, niqab, or burqua

covers, hair, covers all of face excpet eyes, a veil covering the entire face and body with a mesh window to see out of)

anitya

Buddhist concept of impermanence

Apostle’s Creed

the oldest Christian creed outlining the central beliefs about God, Jesus, and tenets of the faith

substantive definition of religion

religion is the worship of something supernatural or otherworldly that is in fact the projection of something merely human

functional definition of religion:

religion is whatever set of beliefs and practices [that] stirs a community most deeply. By a functional definition, political ideology, nationalism, and Marxism would qualify as religions

Mecca

Sacred pilgrimage to mecca - the msot sacred shrine in Islam - star rrek conventionas sacred pilgramge round ttrip undeertaken by people wo feel their destination is sacredto a place that is not home

bodhisattva

Buddhsit highly experienced and respected monk - In jediism (star wars religion) yoda is seen as a Bodhhisattva

Tao

The way in Daoism - the natural flow of life that underlies everything in the universe - can be thought of as the force in jediism

Brahman

Ultimate bieng in Hinduism that underlies everythign in ther universe - can be thought of as the force in jediism

numinous

like supernatural almost. shopping mall can be considered an ecounter with the numinous

axis mundi

the “universal pillar . . . [that] at once connects and supports the heaven and earth and whose base is fixed in the world below” - use to be like mall?

bhakti-yoga, karma-yoga and jnana-yoga

Anatman

literally means “not self.” In contrast to the Hindu concept of atman, Buddhists do not believe that there is an essential self that moves from one body to another as we are reincarnated.

Arhat 

is a person who has achieved enlightenment, a “worthy one.” In the Theravada Buddhist tradition, to become an arhat is the goal of humanity.

Bodhisattva

 is a person who has achieved enlightenment but chooses to stay on Earth to help others reach enlightenment rather than entering nirvana. Becoming a bodhisattva is the goal of Mahayana Buddhists.

Devas

are gods who live in the highest realms of existence in Buddhism.

Dharma in Buddhism

refers generally to the teachings of the Buddha and is also the natural law that the universe follows.

Duhkha

is the Sanskrit word for suffering, which Buddhism states is the primary condition of life.

Four Noble Truth

are the essence of Buddhist dharma; they state that life is suffering; suffering is caused by desire; it is possible to end suffering; and there is a path to follow to end suffering.

Karma

in both Hinduism and Buddhism, is the effect of a person’s actions; good actions result in good karma, and bad actions create bad karma.

Mahayana

means “the great vehicle” and is a branch of Buddhism that developed after Theravada.

Mandala

in Buddhism is a geometric design symbolic of the universe, acting as a spiritual map to lead people to a world beyond suffering. 

Nirvana 

is enlightenment, the ultimate goal of Buddhism. After a Buddhist becomes enlightened, he or she reaches a state of existence in which suffering ends and the cycle of rebirth and reincarnation is broken.

Samana

 is a wandering religious beggar.

Samsara

is the wheel of time, or cycle of rebirth and re-death.

Sangha

is the name for the monastic community created by the Buddha. Although the Buddha created the order for men only, he later created a separate one for women.

Skandhas (or kandhas)

in Buddhism, are five elements that combine to form an individual.

Theravada

means “teaching of the elders” and refers to the oldest Buddhist tradition

Tripitaka

are the sacred texts of Theraveda.

Anjali

is a gesture of greeting that one makes by putting the palms together at the chest

Lama

is a “superior person” or priest in Tibetan Buddhism, with authority to teach others.

Mantra

is a sacred verbal formula repeated in prayer and meditation

Prostration

is an act of bowing down to the ground.

Tantra

is a set of instructions said to be given by the Buddha to a group of his students. These teachings are widely used in Tibetan Buddhism.

Three Jewels

of Buddhism are Buddha, dharma, and sangha.

Dao

can mean “the path” or “The Way”; it encompasses the nature of everything.

De

is virtue attained by acting in harmony with the Dao.

Divination

tells the future by showing people their place in the cosmos

Koan

is a seemingly meaningless statement meant to compel Chan followers to contemplate enlightenment

Legalism

assumes that all human beings act selfishly and need government and its laws to create a working society—in direct contradiction to both Confucianism and Daoism.

Li

denotes rituals and rites in Confucianism.

Man of humanity

nurtures others to help them become superior persons in Confucianism.

Petty person

is the lowest position on the moral hierarchy of Confucianism. A petty person often seeks to make profit.

Qi

is matter or energy that comes from the Dao and is in perpetual motion.

Sage

leads many people to self-cultivation and higher moral positions and spreads harmony among multitudes of people. It is the highest level that a human being can attain in the Confucian moral hierarchy.

Shen

are spirits of ancestors in traditional China.

Shu

complements zhou and represents the Confucian concept of empathy or reciprocity.

Superior person

rises above a petty person and seeks, through self-cultivation, The Way, rather than personal profit; this term is used in Confucianism.

Trigrams

are symbols of three lines each that show how yin and yang interact in the world.

Wu wei

is a Daoist concept that describes “action without effort” in Chinese. By practicing wu wei, we reflect nature rather than act against it

Yang

together with yin, makes up qi. Yang is active energy and cannot exist without yin.

Yin

is passive energy and makes up a part of qi. Yin cannot exist without yang.

Zhong

is loyalty, an important part of self-development, according to Confucius.

Acupuncture

uses tiny needles to remove blockages of qi in the body.

Alchemy

is the ancient practice of transforming one matter into another. In East Asia, alchemists focused on the transformation of the human body.

Falun Gong

combines a system of exercise and movement with a spiritual emphasis on self-improvement

Feng shui

focuses on the flow of qi in a specific place (often a room or building).

Bar/bat mitzvah

 means “son/daughter of the commandment” and refers to a Jewish boy or girl reaching the age of a religious adult. A boy becomes a bar mitzvah at age 13, and a girl attains the status at age 12. Bar/bat mitzvah is also the name of the ceremony often held to celebrate this event.

Diaspora

refers to Jews exiled from Israel to live around the world

Ethical monotheism

 is a foundational principle of Judaism that encapsulates three main ideas: the need to recognize only one God, the need to act appropriately toward God, and the need to act appropriately toward other people.

Gentiles

are non-Jews.

Hasidim

are members of a mystical and pietistic group in Judaism.

Haskalah

 is the Hebrew word for the Jewish Enlightenment.

Midrash

interprets the Torah with an emphasis on everyday life.

Mishnah

is a compendium of opinions and teachings on the Talmud.

Mitzvot

are the commandments of God found in the Torah.

Rabbi 

is a Jewish religious leader. The term literally means “teacher” or “scholar.”

Talmud

also called the “oral Torah,” is a historical collection of rabbinical writings and commentaries on the Torah.

Tanakh

refers to three sets of religious texts—“the Law” (Torah), “the Prophets,” and “the Writings” that constitute the Hebrew Bible.

Torah

 meaning “the Law,” refers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. However, the word can also be used to denote all Jewish religious texts and all Jewish law. 

Amidah

is a Jewish prayer made up of 19 sections and includes praise, request, and thanksgiving.

Eruv

is a symbolically contained space within which observant Jews may move about, even on the Sabbath; plural: eruvin.

Hekhsher

is a kosher certification symbol.

Kabbalah

refers to a tradition that offers mystical insight into Judaism.

Kaddish

is a Jewish prayer used to express the hope that the world will become holy and that God’s will may be done.

Kashrut 

 is a set of Jewish dietarylaws.

Kosher 

 refers to the appropriate kind of food to be consumed according to Jewish dietary laws.

Minyan

is made up of 10 adult Jews, which is the minimum number of people required for congregational prayer.

Pogroms

were anti-Semitic riots that occurred in early 20th-century Russia.

Seder 

n Judaism, is a ritual meal eaten at Passover.

Sefirot

are 10 attributes through which God is revealed; singular: sefirah.

Shabbat

is the Hebrew word for the Sabbath, the day of rest.

Shema

 is a prayer that reminds Jews to remember God and the commandments at all times. 

Tikkun

 means “repair” in Hebrew, either of one’s soul or the whole world.

Tikkun olam,

meaning “repairing the world,” refers to the need for Jews to act ethically in every part of their lives—family, home, job, and politics.