Religions of the World Midterm (copy)

Taught by Professor Burchett at W&M. Midterm date: 10/19/2023.

Krishna Jayanti (Jamashtami)

Religious Holiday

• A Hindu holiday celebrating the birth of the god Krishna.

• (Krishna is an avatar/incarnation of Vishnu, known as the god of (theatre, child’s) play.)

• To celebrate, members fast and perform worship (pūjā).

Paryushan (Paryushan Parva)

Religious Holiday

• A Jain holiday, the most important holy day. The holiday lasts 8-10 days.

• A festival for forgiveness, self-discipline and journey of self-awareness

• (Paryushan: seeking forgiveness for all harm of all living things/creatures.)

• To celebrate, members take vows of austerity (no fresh fruit/vegetables, celibacy, etc.), perform inward reflection, and vow to purify negativity & not repeat mistakes.

Rosh Hashanah

Religious Holiday

• A Jewish holiday celebrating the Jewish New Year.

• (It is the ten day period of penitence cumulating in Yom Kippur.)

• To celebrate, members blow the shofur (ram’s horn trumpet), partake in big feasts, consume apples dipped in honey, and go to a special service on the first day.

Yom Kippur

Religious Holiday

• A Jewish holiday, it is the holiest day. It is the last of the ten days of atonement.

• Day of Atonement (Jews seek to atone/make amends for their sins and achieve reconciliation with God)

• (Highlighted themes of brotherhood and abandoning strife/jealousy.)

• To celebrate, members wear white clothing, partake in prayer services in synagogue & confess sins, participate in asceticism (fasting, no leather shoes, no bathing/washing, no anointing with perfumes/lotions, no sexual relations).

Fall Equinox

• The moment when the sun appears to cross the celestial equator (day/night are of equal length).

• Marks the end of summer, the beginning of autumn.

Mabon

Religious Holiday

• A Neopagan/Wiccan holiday celebrating the Fall Equinox.

• (“Pagan Thanksgiving.“)

• Celebrates balance/harmony of nature, and thanks for the abundance of Mother Earth.

Sukkot

Religious Holiday

• A Jewish holiday celebrating the Feast of the Tabernacles. It lasts seven days.

• Commemorating the time the Israelites spent in the wild after being free from slavery in Egypt

• (An agricultural harvest festival of thanksgiving & a commemoration of the 40-year period wherein the children of Israel wandered in the desert post-slavery in Egypt.)

• To celebrate, members enter (and may eat/reside in) a temporary booth (“tabernacle”). There are four plants in the Torah that are also used in celebrations today. Done as a memorial to the Holy Temple & an act of symbolizing a.) God’s control over the direction of the universe, b.) unity/inclusivity of the Jewish community.

Mawlid al-Nabi

Religious Holiday

• A Muslim holiday celebrating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.

• (NOTE: conservative Muslims oppose the celebration because they deem it as “too novel/new.“)

• To celebrate, members recite poems/stories/songs about Muhammad & his life.

Navratri & Dassehra

Religious Holiday

• [Navratri] A Hindu holiday celebrating the goddess Durga, specifically her history over the buffalo demon Mahishasura.

• (aaa)

• To celebrate, members worship over nine days, have stage decorations, perform legend recitations, have story enactments, and chant sacred scripture. (Durgā-pūjā: classical/folk dances, feasts & fasts.)

• [Dassehra] A Hindu holiday celebrating the god Rāma & avatar Vishnu and his defeat over 10-headed demon king Ravana.

• To celebrate, there are Ram-lila performances (…).

Axial Age

• Date: 900-200 BCE.

• In four distinct regions (China, India, Israel, Greece), greater thought & religion came into being.

  • China: Confucianism, Daoism.

  • India: Hinduism, Buddhism.

  • Israel: monotheism.

  • Greece: philosophical rationalism.

• Axial Age systems were aware of a transpersonal reality (eg: God, Dao, Brahman, and Nirvana).

• During this period of intense creativity, spiritual and philosophical geniuses pioneered an entirely new kind of human experience

Polytheism as “Implicit Comparative Practice”

• Underlying polytheistic assumption of, “different people(s) worship different deities.“

• (Name, shape, function of deities.)

• While different gods had different names and forms, they usually fulfilled similar functions and thus could be compared and understood

Revolutionary Monotheism

• Capitalized “God” v.s. lowercase “gods”…

  • (Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten, who enforced a monotheistic religion around the sun god Aten; Moses and the ancient Israelites…)

  • broke with earlier systems by insisting on absolute difference, lower case gods must be rejected as a function of one’s obedience to the one true God

• “True” & “false” religions.

  • Eg: Jews & Gentiles, Christians & Pagans, Muslims & Infidels/Unbelievers.

Pantheism

• God is the universe, the universe is the manifestation of God.

• asserts all IS God

Panentheism

• God is in [the] universe; is and transcends it.

• God is greater than the universe

Orthodoxy

• (The idea of a “correct” or “proper” belief/doctrine.)

• the “true doctrine”

Orthopraxy

• (The idea of a “correct” or “proper” practice.)

Plato’s Cave Allegory

• Insider (those who have grown up in a religion) v.s. Outsider beliefs and opinions with regards to religion.

• Full allegory: “… a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall from objects passing in front of a fire behind them and give names to these shadows. The shadows are the prisoners' reality, but are not accurate representations of the real world. The shadows represent the fragment of reality that we can normally perceive through our senses, while the objects under the sun represent the true forms of objects that we can only perceive through reason […]“ -Wikipedia

• the allegory also represents the process of enlightenment and intellectual growth. It suggests that one must break free from ignorance and societal conventions to discover deeper truths

• Reflexivity

• Reflexivity often involves self-awareness and self-examination. In the allegory, the prisoner who is freed from the cave undergoes a process of self-awareness as they come to realize the limitations of their previous beliefs and perceptions.

• involves a critical examination of one's own understanding of reality and change in perspective

Expectations of World-Religions-Paradigm [WRP]

• Religions are bound/marked/discrete entities.

• Religion is primarily about belief in [a] set of principles. (believing, not doing)

• Every religion has doctrines & practices that are well-defined.

• Each religion sets out what its believers/devotees think & do.

• An outworking of a particular authoritative set of religious ideas.

Religions as “Belief Systems” (& Why Problematic?)

• Ritual (practice) > belief (doctrine)

• Beliefs are rarely systematically/coherently connected to the whole.

• People’s behavior often conflicts with their stated beliefs

• Members of traditions rarely accept all “official” beliefs/doctrines of their tradition.

• Human behavior is more often based on something other than stated beliefs.

  » forces of society => what are other people around you doing

Lived Religion (Features of this Methodology)

• From belief/texts to practice/behavior emphasis… Action v.s. thought.

• The heart should be people.

• Elite/organized institutions & systems often differ from the practice/thinking of individuals.

• religion is more about what people DO than what they think

• “Official“ beliefs/norms v.s. ACTUAL individual, everyday behaviors/attitudes.

Syncretism

• Religious hybridity/fusion/amalgamation, whether intentional or not.

• mixing and blending of religious beliefs, rituals, and deities from different faiths

Functionalism

Functionalism:

• » in the context of religion refers to a perspective that views religion as a social institution with specific functions that contribute to the stability and cohesion of society.

Martin describes the functionalism perspective, “..an approach to culture that looks for how a particular element of culture functions in a society.”

• The dynamic relationship between “divinely” appointed kings and Catholic popes. When talking about the doctrine of the divine right of kings, Martin goes in to show that this doctrine served the purpose of basically justifying a king's power over the pope and was meant to “..protect the authority of royalty and to challenge the authority of the popes.”

Hermeneutics of Suspicion

Hermeneutics of Suspicion

• implies a skeptical or critical mode of interpreting texts, beliefs, and social phenomena.

skeptical or critical stance towards ideas, which is called hermeneutic of suspicion approach.

• There's an advantage to this approach because it trains scholars to look at religion objectively and conduct an unbiased investigation which is necessary for producing credible research about the religion being examined.

• To further defend his approach he talked about how scholars should be “equally suspicious across the board” because it is important to be critical of our own personal traditions and not just everyone else’s.

The Vedas

• Timeless divine revelation, not of human authorship.

• Composed in Sanskrit.

• Transmitted orally for 1,000 years.

• Earliest scriptural foundation of Hinduism.

• Sacred & have authority.

• The Vedas’ importance comes from their sounds, which brings/sustains an ordered universe/cosmos into being.

Renaissance Humanism

• Emphasis on the virtues of intellectual freedom & individual expression.

  »Individualism

  »interest and enjoyment of this life and this world

  »energetic creativity and willingness to defy tradition

Martin Luther

• Posts his 95 Theses on the Wittenberg Cathedral in 1517.

Protestant Reformation (1517-1648)

• Luther's 95 Theses challenged the authority of the Pope and the Church hierarchy.

• He argued that salvation was by faith alone and that individuals could have a direct relationship with God WITHOUT the need for intermediaries like priests or the purchase of indulgences.

• gained widespread support among people who were dissatisfied with the perceived corruption and abuses within the Catholic Church.

Key Ideas & Impacts of Protestant Reformation

• Key ideas…

  • “Faith/grace/scripture alone,” aka sola scriptura.

  • Luther’s arguments…

    1. God’s exclusive role in salvation.

    2. Humans’ spiritual helplessness.

    3. Moral bankruptcy of the church.

    4. Exclusive authority of scripture.

  • Challenged/threatened authority.

  • (Distinction between “religion,“ “superstition,“ and “magic.”)

  • new emphasis on the Bible .. and individual has to INTERPRET the scripture themselves bc Latin was not known among everyone

• Impacts…

  • “Religions“ in the plural, “religion“ in general.

  • Religion v.s. magic/superstition.

  • Individualism (interpretation, priests, etc.).

  • Stress on faith/belief.

  • Words deprived of power/spiritual presence.

  • Emphasis on unbiased objectivity/critical mentality.

  • Secularizing & national effects (fragmentation of unifying Holy Roman matrix…).

  • Protestant work ethic & the spirit of Capitalism.

Wars of Religion

• Date: 1524-1648.

• Birth of “religions” in the plural.

• a breakdown of understanding of whether the state, the people, or the Pope have religious authority.

  » Catholic kings fought for authority to enforce their religion on their territories, and Protestants fought to have the freedom to choose their religion for themselves.

Key Ideas of the Enlightenment

• “Age of reason,” emphasis on reason & individualism.

• Rational religion (God as a debatable hypothesis).

• Nature as self-sufficient/an impersonal machine.

• Confidence in power of reason in all human affairs.

  » using rationality, logic, and evidence to question things, not just take it on the basis it is because of tradition

David Hume

• Sought historical origins & natural causes of religion.

• Causes of religion => based in empiricist principles

• The Natural History of Religion: religion is subject to study/explanation, anthropomorphism & fetishism.

  » personify and give human qualities

  » Enlightenment Orientalism - Hume’s Work

Immanuel Kant

• Questioning, “What is Enlightenment?“

• “Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity.“

  »argued that enlightenment is the process of individuals freeing themselves from a state of immaturity or dependence on external authorities.

  »He defined immaturity as the inability to use one's understanding without guidance from others.

  » According to Kant, this immaturity is often self-imposed due to a lack of courage to think independently.

• Religion v.s. science (knowledge on the world but leaves the door open for God/religion).

  • Natural phenomena study (science) v.s. faith/morals/values/experiences (religion).

  • both science and religion have their own domain and cannot conflict

Natural Religion

• refers to a form of religious belief or spirituality that is considered to arise from human nature and reason rather than being based on revealed texts or specific doctrines.

• It often implies a more intuitive, universal, and innate understanding of the divine or the sacred that is accessible to all people through observation of the natural world and reflection on human experience.

Romanticism

• Date: 18th-19th century.

• Artistic, literary, and cultural movement in the West/Europe.

• Displays the limitations/negative impacts of exclusive focus on rationality/science… a reaction to the Enlightenment.

• Heightened personal experience/imagination/emotion. (which was rejected by the Enlightenment)

David F. Strauss

• The idea of, “treat the Bible as literature.”

• The history in and/or of the Bible.

• According to Strauss, the Gospels should be read NOT as straightforward historical records but as products of the religious imagination of the early Christian community.

  »symbolic or mythical expressions of deeper spiritual truths.

• He sought to examine the Gospels in light of historical and literary analysis, attempting to discern the historical kernel from the layers

• critic of the Bible

Orientalism (Orientalist Stereotypes)

Orientalism:

• style of distinguishing The Orient(East) and The Occident(West)

• Western mode of dominating and having AUTHORITY over the Orient

• “The West (Occident)“

  • rational, scientific, civilized, proper religion, monotheism, secular, democratic, evolution

• “The East (Orient)“

  • irrational, primitive, superstitious, magic, polytheism, religious (dominates all aspects of their life), theocratic, backwards

  ---

• “Standard Orientalism.“

  • Irrational, primitive, uncivilized, polytheism/magic, religious, theocratic/autocratic, non-white (“impure“), feminine, barbarous, traditional.

• “Romantic Orientalism.“

  • Mystical/spiritual, family-oriented, exotic, titillating, connections to nature, meaning, “noble savage” concept.

Darwin’s Theory of Evolution (Impacts)

• natural selection

• Darwin's theory challenged the notion that humans were a separate and specially created species. Instead, it suggested that humans, like all other living beings, had evolved from common ancestors through natural selection.

• Darwin's theory contradicted a literal interpretation of the biblical account of creation in Genesis.

• Evolutionary processes provided a natural explanation for the development of complex life forms without the need for direct divine intervention.

Social Darwinism

• Justified imperialism, racism, free-market capitalism.

  • Eg: “survival of the fittest.“

  • mphasized individualism and competition as positive forces in society

Max Muller

• The founder of comparative religions, i.e. science of religions.

First World Parliament of Religions (1893)

• Date: Chicago, 1893.

• Tried to display Christianity’s superiority. Failed.

Features of Indigenous Religious Traditions

• Key features of traditions…

  • Diversity: so many federally recognized Native nations, practicing traditional life ways

  • Oral (not textual): oriented around the possibility of regular interchange with the spiritual world (ongoing revelation).

  • Practice (not belief).

  • Local: coterminous with Native collections (nations/tribes/villages/etc.), the community is the basic unit & they typically do not make universal claims (conform to particular life ways tied to particular landscapes).

  • Space (not time): fundamental relationship to lands/waters/sacred places.

Doctrine of Discovery

• European monarchs, due to their Christianity/being Christian, enjoyed absolute title to lands ““discovered.””

• At best, Native Americans had aboriginal rights of occupancy/tenancy due to a lack of Christianity and “religion.”

Animism

• The non-human world has intelligence/spirit.

  • (The entire universe is alive according to Native Americans; no distinction between “human” & “non-humans.”)

  • see entire universe as alive (plants & etc..) have intelligence and agency (ability to act)

Human/Non-Human (Human/Nature) Binary

• Human (mind/reason) v.s. nature/non-human (soft, can be gendered like Mother Nature).

  • “Science, rationality”: the natural world is mindless, meaningless, composed of material objects.

  • “Primitive, religion/Indigenous”: the natural world has agency, intelligence.

Myth v.s. History

• Myth: viewed as made-up, fabricated, simplistic, childish, irrational.

• History: viewed as “what really happened in the past,” constructed through archival/textual/archaeological evidence.

Insider-Outsider Dynamic

• “Who’s perspective is more important/valuable?“

  • BOTH are important…

  • (Kripal 104.)

• Insider:

  »someone raised in a particular religious tradition and or who has come to accepts its basic belief system and values

• Outsider:

  »someone who has not been raised in or acculturates into that particular tradition

Both are important/appropriate as long as their conclusions can be challenged, criticized, and developed by the other perspective

Ritual (Relationship with Beliefs/Ideas/Values)

• Ritual: ceremonial actions characterized by a self-conscious formality/traditionalism; deliberate, self-conscious “doing” of highly symbolic actions.

  • Inculcate & express certain ideas/assumptions about the world.

  • Shape how we think/act (framework).

  • Beliefs/thoughts/values produced in & through rituals/actions.

Ritual & Myth (Relationship)

• Ritual is the re-enactment of the myth that makes the world come into being, through scripted and repeated actions

  »Myth (story of religion)

  »Ritual (theatre)

• together they constitute a single performance aimed at the creative construction of a world to live in and experience as stable, secure, and real

Calendrical Rites

• They give order & social meaning to the passage of time.

  • [Seasonal]: time is ordered through periodic/predictably reoccurring rituals that often accompany a change in light/weather/labor.

  • [Commemorative]: remembering & celebrating important historical events.

  • examples: Christmas, Easter, Lent

Rites of Passage (3 Stages)/Life-Cycle Rites

• Stages: birth, coming of age, death.

• Often includes separation, liminality, and re-incorporation.

• In many religions/cultural traditions, life is structured by a series of ritual passages or obligations.

Rites of Exchange and Communion

self-explanatory?

Myths as “Telescopes” & “Microscopes”

Telescope Perspective

• When myths are viewed as "telescopes," it implies that they have the capacity to provide a broad, overarching view of the human condition and the cosmos.

• They help people make sense of the larger, universal aspects of the human experience.

• addressing fundamental questions about existence, the origins of the universe, the nature of gods, and the purpose of human life.

Microscope Perspective

• when myths are seen as "microscopes," it suggests that they can zoom in on the individual, the personal, and the intricate details of human existence.

• They delve into the microcosmic realm of the human experience, examining the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of individuals in specific contexts.

Hindu Demographics

• Approximately 1.2 billion Hindus worldwide.

• Reside largely in India & Nepal.

  • India’s population is 80% Hindu.

Dharma

• “That which upholds” the integrity of the universe.

• Each thing has its own place, contributing its dharma [ritual duties, moral obligations] to the total Dharma [Truth, Order] of the cosmos.

• The essential foundation of all things, including a.) cosmic/eternal principle, b.) human behavior in line with that principle.

Purusha Myth (Rig Veda 10.90)

• “The Man,“ ultimate reality.

• Rig Veda - oldest religious text in Indo-Euro lang

• (Purusha = Brahman… synonymous.)

  »Purusha(man/human) and Brahman(ultimate reality)

• Verse 12 & the creation of a hierarchy.

Varna (4 Varnas) - 4 classes (BKVSD)

• The social classes within the Hindu hierarchy…

  • Includes: Brahmin (priestly/scholarly), Kshatriya (warriors/nobles/rulers), Vaishya (merchants/businessmen/farmers), Shudra (manual laborers/serfss), Dalit (“untouchable“).

Jāti (caste)

• Caste; the specific form/class upon being born.

Brahman

• is the ultimate reality beyond the physical and observable world. It is the source and essence of everything that exists.

Ātman

• refers to the individual self or soul in Hinduism.

Samsāra (s→c→cycle)

• The endless cycle of birth, death, re-birth.

Karma

• The moral law of cause & effect, action & reaction.

Moksha

• Liberation/salvation from samsāra.

  » Examples: renunciation, asceticism, & yoga/meditation

The Upanishads

The Upanishads are a genre of philosophical texts that explore the nature of reality, the self, and the ultimate truth.

• aka the Vedanta → end of the Vedas

• yoga/mediation, asceticism/renuncition, moksha

Bhagavad Gītā

• A resolution, act (do dharmic duty) without attachment to or a selfish desire for the fruits of action(s).

• a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the Indian epic Mahabharata. It consists of a conversation between Prince Arjuna and the god Krishna, who serves as his charioteer.

Three Yogas (of Bh. Gītā)

• Karma Yoga (action).

  • Selfless actions.

• Jnana Yoga (knowledge).

  • Meditation to realize the divine self within (i.e. Atman).

• Bhakti Yoga (devotion).

  • Self-surrender in personal divine relationship.

Rāmāyana

• The Ramayana is an ancient Indian epic that narrates the life of Prince Rama, his wife Sita, and his loyal companion Hanuman.

• It follows Rama's quest to rescue Sita from the demon king Ravana, emphasizing themes of duty, righteousness, and the triumph of good over evil.

• The epic is attributed to the sage Valmiki and is a significant cultural and religious text in Hinduism.

Three Main Streams of Theistic Devotional Worship: Vishnu, Shiva, & Devi/Shakti

Vishnu (God of Preservation) → Vaishnava

Shiva (God of Destruction) → Shaiva

Devi (Goddess of feminine energy)→ Shakta

Rāma

• “The ideal man.“

• Truth, public duty > emotions, personal concerns.

• Hindu nationalist symbol

Krishna

• Krishna is the eighth avatar (or incarnation) of Vishnu.

• He was deified in the 5th century and since then has also been worshiped as the supreme god himself.

• Krishna is the Hindu god of compassion, protection, and love.

Pūjā

• Hindu worship.

Murti

• A form/image of a deity.

Darshan

• Seeing (and/or making eye contact with) the divine.

Aarti

• Honoring a deity with light.

Prasād

• A food offering to a deity, received back as a blessing

Tanakh

• The anthology of books that comprise the Hebrew Bible.

• Tells origin of Jewish peoplehood; their call into being by God, their trials and tribulations, and their covenant with God

Torah (Written & Oral)

• Written Torah: Pentateuch, Nevi’im, Ketuvim.

  • These are sacrosanct scriptures. They do not change.

• Oral Torah: Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash.

  • These are used to guide the practice of the Judaic religion; rabbis especially use them. They are more “flexible.”

Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)

• The first five books attributed to Moses.

Mitzvah (Mitzvot)

• means good deed

• he word mitzvah refers to a deed performed in order to fulfill such a commandment.

• As such, the term mitzvah has also come to express an individual act of human kindness in keeping with the law.

Covenant (Berith)

• an agreement between God and his people, in which God makes promises to his people and, usually, requires certain conduct from them

Adam & Eve and Israelites (how are their respective stories similar and different)

Similarities

1. Divine Covenant: Both stories involve a covenant or agreement between God and humanity.

2. Themes of Sin and Redemption: Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden brings sin into the world, and the Israelites' repeated disobedience in the wilderness and during their history also necessitates divine redemption.

3. Consequences of Disobedience: In both stories, disobedience leads to negative consequences. Adam and Eve's disobedience results in the expulsion from Eden, and the Israelites' disobedience leads to difficulties and divine punishments in their journey to the Promised Land.

Differences:

1. Narrative Focus: The Adam and Eve story is centered on the creation of humanity, their disobedience, and the consequences for all of humanity. The Israelite story, on the other hand, follows a specific group of people, their journey from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land, and their relationship with God as a chosen people.

Abraham

• According to the Hebrew Bible, in this covenant, God promised to make Abraham the father of a great nation and to give his descendants the land of Canaan (the Promised Land). This covenant forms the foundation of the relationship between the Jewish people and God

• Abraham is often lauded for his unwavering faith and obedience to God. The story of his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac (the Akedah) is a prime example of his faith and submission to God's will, and it serves as a model of faith for Jewish believers

Moses

• Moses is considered one of the greatest prophets in Judaism. He was chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and to guide them through their wanderings in the wilderness.

The Exodus Story

• Moses is most well-known for leading the Israelites in their liberation from Egyptian bondage. The story of the Exodus, including the parting of the Red Sea, the Ten Plagues, and the receiving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, is one of the most important narratives in Jewish history. It symbolizes God's providence, redemption, and the covenant with the Jewish people.

Ten Commandments

self-explanatory

Passover / Passover Seder

Passover Seder

• The Passover Seder is a time for Jewish families and communities to come together, retell the Exodus story, and celebrate the themes of freedom, deliverance, and redemption.

First Temple

• Who built: King Solomon.

• When, who destroyed: 586 BCE, Babylonians.

• What after: Persians conquer, then let them go.

Second Temple

• When built: 500 BCE.

• When, who destroyed: 70 CE, Romans.

• What after: scattering of Jews, the Holy Land is lost.

Rabbinic Judaism

• Rabbis are “master(s) of interpreting the Torah.”

Talmud

• The central text that Rabbis use.

Jewish Demographics

• In U.S.A., ~50% of Jews consider themselves religious and/or affiliated with a synagogue.

  • (Jewish ≠ Judaic.)

  • 16 milliion Jews world pop

  • 75% live in Israel or US

Shema Yisrael

• A morning prayer in synagogue, it highlights themes of creation, revelation, redemption.

• (Deuteronomy 6:4.)

The Amidah

• The core of every worship service.

• 19 blessings total, it includes praise, request (personal, communal, acceptance of prayer), and thanksgiving.

• (Silent in conservative/orthodox settings, spoken or chanted aloud in reform/reconstructionist.)

Charisma

• “A certain quality of an individual’s personality by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities.“ -Max Weber

Strategies for Institutionalizing Charisma

• Role, office

  »(gets authority bc socially recognized.. Hindu talking to a priest over God..Catholic pope possess more of charisma)

• Scripture

• Religious Law

  »Sharia Law(Islam) and Halakah (Rabbinic law)

  »referring back to God’s commandments, how we apply it in our everyday lives

• Symbolic Forms Materiality

  » sacred buildings and relics

Max Weber’s Ideal Types of Religious Leaders

• Magicians: charisma, no definite revelation (from divine)

• Prophets: religious doctrine, divine commandment; reformer or new former of [a] religion.

• Priests: cult; doctrine & ethics; systematize man’s relation to the divine based on man’s proper ethical behavior

Routinization (of Charisma)

• The process in which original charisma fades (with the absence of its source), and is incorporated into a system of tradition.

  • I.e. leader death leads to succession issues, which can be solved by a.) charismatic qualification, b.) consecration of another with that charisma, c.) the belief in hereditary charisma.

Meister Eckhart

• Eckhart is best known for his mystical and philosophical writings, which explore the relationship between the human soul and God. His works include sermons, treatises, and written reflections on spirituality and theology.

The Church v.s. the Mystic (types of religiosity)

• Spectrum of religion… Individual <–> institutionalized community.

• Church: authoritative institution, instills a particular worldview through public rituals/doctrines.

• Mystic: direct/personal encounter(s) with God & the sacred; fails in organizing into tight, well-formed communities.

St. Joseph of Copertino

• Despite his extraordinary experiences, St. Joseph of Cupertino was known for his humility, simplicity, and a deep sense of devotion to God. He viewed his gifts of levitation and ecstasies as manifestations of God's grace and not a source of personal pride.

Miracles

• A story of the transcendent breaking into history that gives witness to the truth of religious tradition.

Daniel Dunglas (D.D.) Home

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