rels 272 intro unit Flashcards
theology
the study of the characteristics of god(s)
atheism and agnosticism
- atheism philosophically does not work, can’t be proven
- agnosticism philosophically defensible bc it says “I don’t know”
religion
fear or awe of the sacred
fear (within def of religion)
- overwhelming amazement, to be taken aback by something greater than you, not to be afraid
sacred 3
- something unusual, extraordinary, set apart
sacred spaces
special places one can meet with the divine
expanded def of religion
religion is a system of actions and interactions based upon culturally shared beliefs about the sacred or the supernatural
system
if you are emic to the system, you know what’s going on and why; if you’re etic, you don’t
interactions
all religions involve connections between people and people and people and the spiritual, a social and communal expiernece
culture 4 layers
core assumptions, belief, behaviour, material goods
layers of culture characteristics 4
- belief heart of culture
- material goods supports behaviour, which supports beliefs
- beliefs govern behaviour
- closer to centre = harder to change
what that governs behaviour the most
belief in who God is
the core of culture 5
- apriori assumptions: you assume a belief without thinking about it or being taught, but from what you see
- existential assumptions: is it real?
- normative assumptions: is it right?
- is one’s worldview: phil’l or theo’l beliefs that governs ones life
- includes answers to qs of origin, purpose, destiny
5 institutions of society
greep
- government - organizes seen world
- religion - organizes unseen world
- education
- economics
- family
supernatural
above or beyond the natural
structured religions 6
- institutionalized
- ritualized
- hierarchicllized
- numerically definitive
- codified
- historical
institutionalized
has set apart sacred spaces
ritualized 3
- a method and way to do things
- organized and replicated
- establishes connection with history and people
hierachicallized
everyone has a place and knows it, has orcer and authority
codified
- a scripture or book associated with it
historical 2
have date they began and a founder
unstructured religions 4
- primal
- preliterate
- animistic
- smaller, tribal
primal
means first, not primitive
preliterate
oral society, no written works
animisitic
all of nature has life and it’s all connected
what religion is 5
- the most integral, core, hard to change part of culture
- an answer to ultimate questions
- a code of conduct
- a link to the supernatural
- an invasion of the sacred into the profane/mundane
obligations
what you should do
tabus
what you should not do
mana 3
- an impersonal source of power
- not god or to be worshipped
- anthropologically used to describe that something is happening unexplainable
what religions does 5
- explains life
- validates and affirms self-identity
- provides social solidarity
- educates and enculturates
- integrates life
religion and identity 3
- how is faith orientation central to my being a participating citizen of my countries
- is God on the side of my people
- an identifier of culture, even without deep connection to it (ex Mexican catholicism)
ex of religion and social solidarity
marriage market, religion over any other criteria
religion and education
educates ab values, what’s important in life
enculturates
submerges you in culture
transgenerational transmission
from gen’n to gen’n
religion integrates life
anchor point that holds firm in waves of life
