© Tori M Saneda 2005-2008 Religion Note: not meant to be a comprehensive lecture on religion So many varieties of religion = hard to define; broad, general definition = beliefs and rituals concerned with supernatural beings, powers, and forces promotes sense of togetherness, unity & belonging Let’s break down the Three parts I. portray world supernaturally instead of scientifically supernatural = that which transcends the natural, observable world 1. belief in supernatural beings - animism - gods/spirits/ghosts/ancestral spirits/angels/demons 2. belief in supernatural power-animatism - mana = supernatural force or power ○ kind of like supernatural electricity ○ resides in variety of objects (rabbit’s foot, 4-leaf clover, thunderstorms, lightening, etc) ○ too much mana = illness or death ○ amount of mana can be controlled or channeled by humans then can bring luck, skill and knowledge (control thru rituals) ○ mana = sense of awe and reverence most people find in religion  holiness of ground surrounding burning bush  force behind magic  Luke Skywalker’s force II. Symbolic expression of feelings Some researchers not happy w/concept of supernatural b/c didn’t think explained enough about world religions – focused on how religion = symbolic expression of feelings e.g., Durkheim = religion system of beliefs and practices related to sacred things - sacred = things that inspire awe, respect and reverence b/c set apart or forbidden sacred things = symbolic representations for aspects of society that inspire feelings of respect and reverence e.g., indigenous group and totems – Australian aborigines  totem = sacred plant or animal – sacred to its members  totem spiritually related to members  members’ souls = same kind of kindred spirit as totem  to increase # of clan totem species; clans come together to perform rituals o reinforced social bonds = unified clans© Tori M Saneda 2005-2008 Validates people’s allegiance to society and culture Affirms a group’s worldview – provides people w/ritual settings where feel valued feelings are true even when challenged from outside groups By participating in associated ritual behaviors, people can repress any contradictions b/t way world is and how it ought to be III. Ritual Behaviors - ritual o repetitive and stereotyped behaviors; highly formalized - e.g., prayer, music, taboos, festivals, sacrifice, congregation, mfg/use of symbolic objects, etc. o intent to manipulate nature thru symbols o e.g., Catholic Maya ritual  sun = symbolizes all that is good and desirable  procession of saints images in the church run from east to west and candles from smallest to largest also from east to west o there are religious and secular rituals (e.g., lucky pen, socks, etc.) o - ritual helps achieve communitas = sense of unity - rank, status forgotten; members think of themselves as a community - ritual can also be a portrayal Influence = reenactment of myth - Can anyone think of a ritual that is a portrayal of influence? - magic – not like David Copperfield magic - believe will work b/c of virtue if the magic’s ability to coerce supernatural beings such as mana - only effective if performed correctly Magic uses a couple of principles: imitation & contagion - law of similarity - act out what you want to happen – increase likelihood that will occur - e.g., baptism = wash away sins - e.g. Pueblo Indians = whip yucca juice into frothy suds to bring the rain (clouds) - law of contagion - things that been in contact supernaturally remain supernaturally connected or that contact b/t things can be used to transfer mana from one to the other - Can anyone think of an example of this? (voodoo dolls; use lock of hair etc to establish connection) - some societies, people have 2 names (real and public – people don’t know real name, can’t be used to perform bad magic against them Other forms of magic: - divination - use of ritual to obtain answers to questions from supernatural sources - e.g., oracle bones, tea leaves, way person falls, date of birth, etc.© Tori M Saneda 2005-2008 - two main categories 1. results can be influenced by diviner 2. results cannot be influenced former = tarot cards, tea leaves, interpreting astrological sign, casting I Ching, randomly selecting Bible verse latter = casting lots, checking whether an object floats on water, flipping a coin - Spirit possession – behavior under control of one or more spirits o people may believe when is social conflict o may believe b/c sexual jealousy o may be anxiety about social role supposed to