Basic Human Religion Flashcards
Can we have a single definition of religion?
No. There has never been a universal definition of religion.
True or False: Religion has always been with us and has taken a central place in the lives of virtually all civilizations and cultures.
True
What are the oldest religions? (5)
1) Egypt (4000 BCE)
2) Phoenicia (2700 BCE)
3) Sumer (2100 BCE)
4) Greece (800 BCE)
5) Roman (c. 100 CE)
What is the fastest growing religion in North America?
the nones otherwise known as agnostic
What is Stonehenge an example of?
A human religious expression
When was Stonehenge erected?
Between 3500 to 4000 years ago
What are the few concepts, shared by virtually all human cultures, which seem fundamental to what we call religion?
- powerful gods
- sacred places
- a life of some kind after death
- the present of spirits in the physical world
Looking from the similar human religious expressions, it seems that humans around the globe have imagined the world to consist of what three levels?
sky, earth, and underworld
What was Stonehenge?
A burial site
What has the sky typically been considered?
the home of the deities
What was one contributing factor to the belief that the sky was the home of the deities?
human observation of the sun, the moon, the stars, the poor of storms
What is earth in religion?
the intermediate level where humans lived
What is the underworld in religion?
under the earth, iced the spirits or serpents manifested in various form, often associated with animals and evil power
What are sacred places?
Around the world, there are certain types of places where humans tend to feel they are in the presence of some universal power. These places are set apart from the everyday world and are treated with special respect.
What are some examples of sacred places?
mountains, hilltops (the places closest to the sky-swelling deities), rivers, waterfalls, etc.
What is the Jordan River?
Has a major significance in Christianity and Judaism. It is the site where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist; the same site where the Israelites crossed into he Promised land.
What are animal spirits?
Another common and long standing human tendency has been to attribute spirits to animal.
Where were animals spirits popular?
Animal as a guardian spirit was very common among traditional hunting societies.
What re some common expressions of death and burial?
The body was positioned with the head facing east where the sun rises, or placed in the fetal position, suggesting hope for rebirth. Graves contained “grave goods” of various kinds to help the dead in the afterlife. Where grave goods appear, grave robbery is a potential problem.
What is Sati?
From india…pious widow jumping on funeral pyre of her husband hoping she will accompany her dead husband in the afterlife. Jumping voluntarily or by force.
What are three reasons why humans are religious?
- fear of death
- the hope for a good afterlife
- the uncertainty surrounding natural events
What are the two dimensions of religion?
- religion has emotional dimension (awe, love, and hate)
- it also has intellectual dimension, such as curiosity about what causes things to happen, or about a sense or order in the universe.
