List Questions 6-9

Question 1

Two ethnocentric attitudes…

Answer 1

1. Late 19th Century
   The religion of the primitive is the only superstition
2. Early Mid 20th century
   Only science can explain the natural reality

Question 2

What are two ways to understand the reality of the sacred?

Answer 2

1. We invent the reality of the sacred

2. We discover the reality of the sacred/it reveals itself to us

Question 3

What are the three ways that belief in the Sacred allows for evolutionary success?

Answer 3

1. Creates commitment to a group
2. Resolves disputes
3. The desire for divine reward and fear of divine punishment.

Question 4

What three things occur in the reality of the Sacred?

Answer 4

1. Ordinary objects become symbols (Even though objects have the same material as other objects, they become a symbol if god makes them.) Ex. Churches are built with the same material as ordinary buildings but churches are the house of God.
2. Ordinary actions become symbols Ex. Drinking wine at church is drinking the blood of Christ
3. Emotional Transcendence. (Becoming apart of something that’s larger than the everyday world) Ex. Fasting

Question 5

What are the three essential elements which define the Sacred? (Durkheim)

Answer 5

1. Supernatural reality
2. Has power
3. We can access that power

Question 6

What are the two main questions of Anthropological analysis concerning religion?

Answer 6

1. How are beliefs embedded in everyday life?

2. How are beliefs used as agents of adaptation and change?

Question 7

The Two realities of the Sacred/Profane Dichotomy.

Answer 7

1. The world of profane is the reality of the everyday.

2. The world of the Sacred is the reality beyond this world.

Question 8

Be able to explain the stages of the Hopi Snake Ceremony?

Answer 8

Three Stages of Hopi Snake Ceremony:

1. Preparation - cleaned themselves from the everyday world Ex. fast, pray, sweat, chant
2. Collection - Hunt and collect dangerous and aggressive snakes
3. Prayer - The snakes captured from the Shaman they let them go so they can access connection to their gods.

Question 9

Two reasons why people moved to San Francisco.

Answer 9

1) California Gold Rush

2) Immigration from China

Question 10

What are the four main contributions of the Sacred and Profane?

Answer 10

1) Meaning
2) Explanation of reality
3) Control over that which we have no control
4) Unity

Question 11

Besides stories, list ways that myths may be transmitted

Answer 11

1) stories
2) dance
3) art
4) music

Question 12

What are the three stages of a Flood Myth?

Answer 12

1) sin
2) punishment
3) renewal

Question 13

What are the three stages of an Origin Myth?

Answer 13

1) time before time
2) time of creation AND perfection (Primeval Reality)
3) time of corruption AND the end of time

Question 14

What three important social functions to ceremonies perform?

Answer 14

1) MARK PASSAGE OF TIME
2) MARK IMPORTANT EVENTS (HOLIDAYS)
3) RESTORE NORMALCY IN TIME OF CRISIS

Question 15

What are the four elements by which ceremonies are bound?

Answer 15

1) TIME
2) ACTION
3) SYMBOL
4) MYTH