Modules 2-3 Flashcards
religio
to tie or bind
religio meaning
Tie or bind us to the divine; divine
relegere
obligation
relegere meaning
Obliged to care for something; heed something, or repeat a practice
symbol
any object or phenomenon from the sensory world
what symbols do
points to the Sacred; evokes participation that points to the Sacred
bio-cultural symbols
symbols from the natural world that are not human created; aspects of nature that stand as symbols
sacred
the holy
something worthy of awe and respect
places that are supposed to be treated with a great amount of care
myth
a story that is not necessarily factual, but conveys significant religious meaning
ritual
repeated practice or acted out pattern
an action that calls attention to something or someone foundational
what rituals do
brings practitioners into communion w/ the Sacred
opens up possibility for communication with the Sacred
pilgrimage
travel to a sacred place (either a built structure or a natural site or combination)
cosmology
description/explanation of universe often told in myth/story form
cosmos
universe
cosmogony
story of origins/beginnings (ex: Gensis; big bang)
transcendence
sacred/divine/Ultimate as existing BEYOND the material/phenomenal world
immanence
sacred/divine/Ultimate as existing WITHIN the material/phenomenal world
monotheism
belief in one god/God
monism
belief in oneness; an interconnected togetherness
polytheism
belief in many god/divine beings
animism
belief in spirits of ancestors & nature
agnosticism
belief that humans cannot know if God/divinity exists
atheism
belief there is no God or divinity in the universe
religious ecology
how religions conceive of Nature
what each religion teaches about humankind’s responsibility toward natural world
reinterpret various aspects of religions to emphasize elements that reveal inherent value of Earth & all creatures and how to be less anthropocentric
emphasizes what is sacred or of value about Earth
natural symbols “ground” & “orient” humans in Earth & greater cosmos
ethics
“norms of conduct” with regard to Nature’s inherent value
moral/spiritual force contributes to solutions to make things better
eco; oikos
house; home
logy; logos
word(s); rationality; logical thinking
ecology
study of how to live sustainably as part of our “Earth-home”
study of relationships
1st principle of ecology
everything is related to everything else
habitat
place wherein conditions are right for survival of a particular organism or species; if it is destroyed then organism has lost its’ ___
interrelationality
connections among organisms & their surrounding
interdependence
components depend on all other components & relationships comprising the Earth ecosystem
loss of biodiversity
clear-cutting forests
pesticides and herbicides
human overpopulation
reductionism
removing organisms from their natural environment to examine them in a lab, separately, often through method of dissection
synergy
two or more things interacting to create an effect that is greater than or more than could be predicted from examining each element in isolation
intrinsic/inherent value
nature’s value within itself
instrumental value
Nature’s value in terms of use
biosphere
the “living envelope” that surrounds & encompasses planet Earth
