Theory Review Flashcards
What is a social construct?
A social construct is something that does not exist without a humans’ experience of it.
What is “emic”?
Relating to or denoting an approach to the study or description of a particular language or culture in terms of its internal elements and their functioning rather than in terms of any existing external scheme.
What is the “sacred”?
The sacred are things set apart and involving the concerns of the collective. The extraordinary, often times seen as the source of the universe.
What is the “profane”?
The profant is things relating to everyday life.
What is theism?
A belief in a sacred or sacred beings.
What is monotheism?
The belief in one sacred being.
What is polytheism?
The belief in many sacred beings.
What is monism?
The is one, but many sacred beings.
What is nontheism?
There is no creator being or beings.
What is atheism?
The rejection of the belief in dieties.
What is agnosticism?
The belief that truth claims about religion cannot be proven.
What is orthodoxy?
Following a tradition’s beliefs and practices closely and according to the authoritative norm
What is heterodoxy?
Not adhering to a tradition’s authoritce norm. What a religion decides is heterodox varies. Heterodoxy is not the same as a person or group that is labeled “heretical,: meaning false believers.
What is fundamentalism?
A more rigid interpretation where fundamentalists see themselves as the authorites on their tradition.
What is liberal?
A more fluid understanding and interpertarion of tradition
What is theology?
Theologians tend to be part of a religous tradition and focus on their own tradition. They may justify their religion’s beliefs and practice or they may challenge them. While theologians may challenge aspects of their religion, they tend to embrace its fundamental beliefs.
What is Religous Studies (religionists)?
Religionists do not promote the belief in or practice of a particular religion professionally. They try to use a value-free orintation. They try to understand the worldview of the religion(s) that they study and attempt to suspend their own personal beliefs and disbeliefs. They should be sensitive to people’s religous beliefs but also critique religion
What is method?
The “method” is the way that a person goes about collecting data.
What is theory?
“Theory” is the lens that is used to interperet these data collected from method.
What is the phenomenological?
Scholars classify religous phenomena. The focus is on studying a theme or concept in realtion to other concepts.
What is comparitive religion?
Comparitive Religion may emply one or both approaches when studying religion. The focus of comparative religion is to find continuities and differences between religous phenomena.
What are prescriptions?
Religous text are often prescriptive, meaning they tell us how to behave and they do not tell us what people actually did.
What is Andocentrism?
This means that the male norm was considered the human norm. Women were seen as objects and not actors or agents of action. The idea was that men’s religion was human’s religion. Women were ignored and not studied.
What is Etic?
It is from outside. Relating to or denoting an approach to the study or description of a particular lenguage or culture that is general, nonstructural, and objective in its persepective.
What is patriarchy?
Is a social system in which males hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilahe and control of property.
What is an ideology?
A comprehensive set of normative beliefs, conscious and unconscious ideas, that an individual, group or society has. Religion is an ideology, a cultural form distinguished from other cultural forms.
What is binary opposition?
A system by which, in language and though, two theoretical opposites are strictly defined and set off against one another. US versus THEM mentality. Example: Christianity versus Daoism.
What is anthropomorphic?
A diety that looks like a human being.
What is misogyny?
Being opressive to women
What are Myths?
Stories and story telling that allow people to make connections with their community and understand theology. (The story of Adam and Eve)
What is colonialism?
Colonialism is not colonization; colonialism is subjagating one culture to another; the idea that one people should be subjugated to another people. Can also be within a society. (Canada and indegenious communities)
What is imperialism?
A kind of neo-colonialism. The idea that one culture and one society can interfere with another government or society without actually governing that country.
What is nationalism?
A political ideology that believes in protecting a country, closing borders (actually and metophorically), believe in advancing the causes of a nation; usually violent, destructive and politically harmful. Meant to harm certain communites.
What is diachronic?
The historical approach to studying religion (through time)
What is synchronic?
The phenomenological approach to studying religion (in or with time)
What is a a cosmic war?
A conflict over the cosmos itself, not between two communites, but good and evil.
What is social imagery?
Not a model of the world, a common understanding that allows us to engage in common practices. The way we view our social exsistenxe and social practices in a moral order.
What is the historical descriptive approach?
Focus your study on a specific moment in time.
What is ritual?
A religous or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order
What is hegemony?
Leadership or domincance, especially by one country or social group over others.
Qhat is conservative?
Holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation.
