Religion Exam 1 Study Guide

Aesthetic

The visuals and sensory you experience

Symbol

A figure that stands for something larger than itself

Ritual

A repeated sacred practice

Myth

A tale or story that holds religious significance

Ascetic

Someone who give up things or sacrifices their prized possessions. 

Three reasons for the changing of religion demographics

Fertility, Switching, Migration

What is a social structure?

A term that sorts human relationships into smaller niches

What is structural violence?

An abuse of power in a social structure

What is a social movement?

When a group or individual tries to push for a chnage

Substantive religion

Focuses on the content or substance of religious beliefs rather than their function

Functionalist Religion

The sociological perspective that views religion as a vital institution that plays crucial roles in maintaining social cohesion, control, and meaning within society.

What are the 4 C’s?

Cultis, Creed, Community, Codes

Essentialism

Summarizing religion to broader ideas. The issue with it being it doesn’t really grasp the core values of what the religion is supposed to be.

Bracketing

setting aside any personal biases to look into religions through an objective perspective

What are the two ways stated in the textbook to study religion?

devotional and non-devotional