Chapter 9 - Gods and Spirits

Vocabulary practice flashcards based on Chapter 9 regarding the cross-cultural study of spirits, gods, and monotheistic traditions.

Spirits

Supernatural beings that are typically local, immediate, and tied to specific places or objects rather than distant cosmic forces.

Dani Supernatural System

An organizational structure of supernatural beings using paired contrasts such as Spirit vs. Physical, Beneficent vs. Malevolent, and Close vs. Remote.

Vision Quest

An ordeal-based tradition, such as in Ojibwa or Wind River Shoshoni cultures, where power is acquired through altered consciousness and spirit encounters.

Jinn

Conscious beings in Islamic tradition created from smokeless fire, capable of appearing in different forms but normally invisible.

Zar Possession

A long-term relationship with a possessing spirit common among women in Sudan, requiring repeated ceremonies and meeting the spirit's demands.

Angels

Messengers and intermediaries in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam who execute God's will and protect believers.

Demons

Originally good angelic beings who rebelled and were cast out; they are led by Satan and associated with harm and possession.

Anthropomorphic

A characteristic of gods where they exhibit human emotions and social relationships and can be influenced by praise.

Tricksters

Supernatural beings defined by ambiguity and transformation who break boundaries and bring technologies into the world.

Orun and Aiye

The Yoruba division of the cosmos into the spiritual realm (Orun) and the earthly realm (Aiye).

Convincers

Yoruba gods invoked to bend a person's will, allowing them to preserve face through secret payment after reaching a public refusal.

Kali

A fierce form of the divine in Hinduism whose iconography symbolizes knowledge, karma, and transformation.

Shakti

The concept of feminine creative power associated with the goddess Kali.

Isis

An Egyptian goddess referred to as "Great Mother" and "Queen of Heaven" whose mystery religion once competed with Christianity.

Trinity

The Christian doctrine resolving one divine substance into three personas.

Nones

A contemporary category of people who maintain certain beliefs but have no institutional congregation or affiliation.

U.S. Belief in God

A statistic reflecting that despite declining institutional affiliation, belief continues at a rate of approximately $70\%$.