Religion Flashcard Study Gui

Anthropology of Religion Flashcard Study Guide

1. Religion Definition

  • Religion: Recognition of an unseen and unknown, a sense of subordination to it, and rituals to propitiate it.

2. Shaman

  • Shaman: A bridge between the ordinary world and the unseen. The earliest form of religious specialist.

  • Shaman (Tungus word): "One who knows" (plural: shamans, not shamen).

3. Origins of Religion

  • Western Religions: Belief in direct revelation by a god or gods.

  • Eastern Religions: Emphasize introspective thought, not direct revelation.

  • Edward Tylor: Animism and dreams of the dead as origins.

  • Emile Durkheim: Religion as an external projection of an immortal society.

  • Sigmund Freud: Religion as an invention due to certainty of death and savior figures.

4. The Eternal Questions

  • How and why was the world created?

  • How and why did humanity come into being?

  • What am I? Why am I here?

  • How did death and misfortune arise, and how can they be overcome?

5. Science vs. Religion

  • Science answers the how questions in complex terms.

  • Religion answers the why questions in simple, comprehensible terms.

6. Nature-Supernature Dichotomy

  • The distinction between natural and supernatural phenomena began around the 1600s.

7. Myths and Rituals

  • Myths: Traditional narratives considered truthful accounts explaining the origins of the world and humanity.

  • Rituals: Repetitive behaviors that reenact myths (e.g., Christmas, Catholic Mass).

8. National Creation Myths

  • National Myths: Rituals and symbols representing national identity (e.g., national anthem, 4th of July fireworks).

9. Religion and Society

  • As below, so above: A society’s social structure influences its beliefs about the other world.

10. Religious Structure by Society Type

  • Egalitarian Bands (Hunters & Gatherers):

    • Polytheism: Plurality of deities.

    • Animism: Animals, plants, and features of nature have spirits.

    • Animatism: Inanimate objects imbued with power (e.g., good luck charms).

  • Ranked Tribes & Chiefdoms (Horticulturalists & Pastoralists):

    • Totemism: Group’s god increases with group’s wealth and power.

  • Stratified States (Intensive Agriculturalists & Industrial Societies):

    • Monolatry: Belief in one god as the most powerful, but others are accepted.

    • All-seeing, all-knowing god.

    • Sacred texts claim divine authorship and access to ultimate truth.

11. Magic in Religion

  • Magic: Used when outcomes are uncertain. Cause → Effect.

12. Religion and Power

  • Subordination to gods mirrors social hierarchies in society.

  • Corporations: Proselytization and expansion as religious-like behaviors.

13. Religious Authority and Texts

  • Religious texts: Considered divinely inspired and a means to access truth and salvation.

14. Religious Diversity and Ethnocentrism

  • Ethnocentrism: Viewing one’s own religion as superior and others as inferior.