Religion and Ritual Terms Flashcards
Cultural Materialism
a theoretical approach that emphasis ways in which humans adapt to the material conditions in which they live
fettish
an item thought to carry spiritual power
Initiation Rituals
rites of passage that move a person from childhood to adulthood
Liminal Period
the second phase of a rite of passage, placing the initiate in a space that is “betwixt and between” the old identity and the new identity
Magic
ritual practices that are believed to have effects on particular situations
-unintentional
Myth
any story with sacred significance
Reintegration
the third stage of a rite of passage in which the initiate is welcomed back to the community in his or her new identity
Religion
a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men and women by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic
Rite of Affliction
rituals directed at alleviating suffering or resolving a problem
Rites of Intensification
rituals in which elements of society, belief, values, or behaviors are made more dramatic, intense, or real than in normal life
Rites of Passage (life-cycle rituals)
rituals that transform a person or people from one life stage to another
Ritual
any patterned, repeated, predictable action
Separation
the first phase of a rite of passage, involving symbolically or physically separating those going through the transition from their old identities
Sorcery
evil done by a person who intended for it to happen
Symbol
an object, sound, action, or idea to which people assign arbitrary meaning
that is, there is no necessary relationship between the symbol and its meaning
