SOCIO 109 Flashcards
Religion
what are beliefs
things we hold to be true associated with a supernatural power
Types of beliefs
supernaturalism
animism
naturism
theism
monotheism
polytheism
{santmp}
supernaturalism
beliefs in spirits
animisim
beliefs in clearly defined supernatural beings such as spirits or demons for good and evil
naturism
beliefs in things of nature
theism
belief in God or Gods who are seen as controlling of all humans
monotheism
belief in a single god
polytheism
belief in many gods
ritual
practices by members of a religion to maintain their relationship with their God
religious institutions
social structures and mechanisms of social order and cooperation governing the behaviour of the believers or members of the religion
functions of religious institutions
disciplinary
cohesive
revitalizing
euphoric
disciplinary function
to prepare men for social life by imposing self discipline
cohesive function
bring people together through worship
revitalizing function
reminds persons of their past and social heritage (generational transmission of values)
euphoric function
induces an immense feeling of happiness
list the religious organizations
churches
sects
cults
denominations
churches
-Large and well established.
* People are born into it; usually upper class
* Conservative; maintain close ties with the state
* Formal hierarchal structure
* Congregation plays limited role in ceremonies which are
made up of complex rituals.
* Believe they possess monopoly (Challenges authority).
* Churches do not attempt to control members
examples of churches
church of england
roman catholic church
denominations
- Do not have universal appeal as they are found in Western
societies - Members are lower and middle class; very few from upper class
- Do not identify with the state; calls for strict separation between
the church and state - Do not claim monopoly–more cordial with other religious groups
- Make no attempt to control lives of members–they advocate
moderation - Formal hierarchal structure
examples of denominations
Methodists, Moravians, Presbyterians
sects
- Smaller in size and less established.
- Emerges as split from another group
- Members attained mainly from conversions
- Members are mainly disenchanted and lower class
- Once baptized as adults, members are required to withdraw from
life outside the sect. - Sects believe they have monopoly (Only Religious Truth)
- No central authority—it lies with a single charismatic leader.
examples of sects
Pentecostals and Seventh Day Adventist
cults
- Small in size.
- No place to specific place to worship
- No well-defined rituals and no clear ethics to guide the behaviour
of their members - Members individualistic; leader charismatic (connected to God and
can help them unlock spiritual potential) - Cults attract persons from all classes, particularly the young and
wealthy.
examples of cults
People’s Temple in Guyana (1970s)–Jim Jones, The Peoples Temple,The Unification Church, The Nation of Islam
christianity emerged from the teachings of
jesus
how did christianity spread
Middle East and then to Europe and embraced
by Romans.
the teachings of christianity are based on what book
the bible
explain the two forms christianity is split into
- Catholicism: The faith, practice, and church order of the Roman Catholic Church. (The Pope)
- Protestantism: The faith, practice, and Church order of the Protestant Churches based on doctrines, bible teachings etc….
islam is a ………. religion
monotheistic
islam is based on the teachings of
the prophet muhammad
The teachings of the prophet are recorded in the
Qur’an
What is the name of the only God in Islam?
Allah
The FIVE pillars of Islam
Shahada
Salah
Siyam
Zakat
Hajj
Shahada
The Verbal Commitment and Pledge that there is no deity but Allah.
Salah
It is the duty of every Muslim to perform five prayers everyday.
Siyam
All adult, healthy Muslims are required to fast during the month of Ramadan.
Zakat
All muslims who possess money that exceeds their needs are to give to charity.
Hajj
Every Muslim who us financially and physically able to make a spiritual journey to
Mecca, the birthplace of Prophet Mahammad.
where was hinduism born
the region between the river
Ganges and the river Jamuna.
where is hinduism popular
trinidad&tobago / guyana
Primary deities that make up the Divine:
- Brahma (The Creator)
- Vishnu (The Preserver)
- Shiva (The Destroyer)
the Sacred Scriptures (Hinduism)
Vedas
700-verse Hindu
scripture
Bhagavad Gita
Hindu worship ceremonies
Pujas
Pujas are held …..
daily or weekly
Hindu priests
Pandits
hindus believe in reincarnation, what does this mean?
A doctrine in which life is seen as a constant cycle of birth, death and
rebirth- After death, a person’s soul reappear in a different bodily form.
who did durkheim observe for his view on religion?
Durkheim learnt through observation of the Aborigines’ worship of
totems about the power of religion
durkheim realizations on religion
Worshipping these objects evoke feelings of excitement hence this acts as social cement that promotes solidarity among
members
* Through worship, people are reminded of norms, values and
beliefs that help them to survive as a group and the
consequences of violating group norms
* The worship ritual has the power to develop collective
consciousness (shared beliefs, values and sentiments that are
formed to maintains social order)
* People separate things into two distinct groupings: the sacred
and the profane.
talcott parsons
Religion reinforces value consensus
* People believe that God in still in control and things will get
better so they can deal with failed promises of better standard of living, end to poverty etc…
* People who engage in immoral/illegal activities will be
punished as they will not have eternal life
* Religion provides us with values and norms that guide human behaviour (Quran/Bible are used as basis for the formulation of
laws and guide to the establishment of institutions)
bronislaw malinowki
- Agreed with Durkheim that religion promotes integration; but he stated that religion also has the ability to satisfy people’s
psychological needs - Trobriand islanders in Western Pacific–>studied how people
dealt with life crises/issues that could provoke emotions and
tensions among them. - Birth, puberty, marriage and death were viewed as life crises
- Turned to their shaman to perform rituals to help them deal with
issues and given the mental strength to go on with their lives - Religious rituals helped them deal with daily tensions (people
feared fishing so they did rituals under the shaman; rituals also
led to large harvests).
what did Marx describe religion as
opiate of the masses
what did Marx think about Christianity
Christianity was the dominant religion and he believed that the religious
ideologies taught by the church played a major role in helping the ruling
class to exercise control over the working classes
according to marx, what part of society does religion form
superstructure
how does religion go against marx’s beliefs
Religion teaches that problem solving is best dealt with at a supernatural
level(goes against Marxists’ belief that problems in capitalist societies can
only be resolved through revolutionary actions of the working classes)
what did marx mean by calling religion an opiate of the masses
He meant that religion is used in capitalist society to create illusions of
happiness among the oppressed working classes.
what do marxists believe the role of the clergy is
Marx created the impression that the clergy’s only role was to
comfort and pacify the working classes and do nothing to
materially better their lives.
weber on religion
He argued that certain religions produced ideas essential for the
development of capitalism and in the process brought radical
changes to society as a whole
feminists on religion
- Feminists, like functionalists and Marxists offer conservative
views on religion since they argue that religion helps to maintain
the status quo in society. - Argue that religion is a patriarchal institution.
- Language used in religious texts provides imagery and symbols
of male superiority over females. - Feminists draw our attention to the contrasting stereotypical
images that Christian texts associate with females. - Women have no leadership roles in the Roman Catholic Church,
Hinduism, Judaism, Islam. Similarly, in the Rastafarian
movement there is the principle of the women’s submission to
male authority.
where did the vodou religion originate from
haiti
Syncretism
blending differing religious beliefs into something new
what are leaders in the vodou religion called
Oungans and Manbos
names of the only vodou God
( Mawn-Lisa among the Fon, Olorun among the Yoruba and Bondye (or Gran Met – The Good God).
what is the name of the God of the Dead
Baron Samdi
another name for santeria is
Regla de Ocha,
santeria originated from
cuba
what is the name of the supreme creator santeria speaks about
Olorun
This supreme being has a number of deities known as …….. under his
power.(Santeria)
Orishas
what is a committed worhipper of Santeria called
Santero
what did Orishas practice
animal blood sacrifices
where did Orisha originate from
Africa/ Trinidad & Tobago
In Trinidad, the Orishas worship spirits such as
Shango, Ogun and Eshu
Spiritual Baptists are also called
Shouter Baptists
where did Spiritual Baptism originate from
This religious group is mainly associated with Trinidad but originated in
St. Vincent where it was outlaws in the 1912.
Shakerism
manner is which Spiritual Baptists members shock their
bodies from side to side during invoking feelings and spirits during
worship
They believe that members must go to the 1….. to undergo
a period of 3-7 days of fasting and mediation as a 2………
1 Mourning Gourd
2 Cleansing process
where did kumina originate from
Jamaica
Kumina followers believe in an all-powerful God name
King Zambi
(Kumina)They believe in the ancestral spirits given by God. These spirits are of three (3)
Types:
- The Sky Gods: Highest ranking deities who have strong powers.
- The Earthbound Gods: Have strong powers and many are used by the Obeah
men to do private work - The Zombies: Deceased members of families living in the area.
Rastafarians consider - to be heaven on earth
Ethiopia
Mayalism
A system of belief among West Indian blacks akin to obeah and
probably of West African origin.)
Haile Selassie
the Emperor of Ethiopia
Why is the Caribbean referred to as Babylon according to Rastafarianism
due to Slavery in the Caribbean
