RELI 1000 Exam 1 Study Guide Lectures 1 5 Lecture 1 2 Insider o A participant one with first hand experience o Positively biased in describing their religion Outsider o Detached lacks experience usually very critical prejudice Both contribute to the understanding of religion Religion o A system of symbols which acts to establish powerful pervasive long lasting motivations in people o Why are humans religious Humans are religious animals Humans possess the ability to reflect upon existential questions Humans are in search of meaning o Why study religion To understand ourselves To overcome ignorance To comprehend our culture To achieve global perspective Lecture 3 Edward Taylor o Influenced by Christian theories Charles Darwin s theory of evolution o Studied customs beliefs of the primitive o Work Primitive Culture o Influence the idea that all societies cultures evolved from primitive to civilized societies o Origin of religion came from the need to explain puzzling threatening aspects of human existence death dreams vision o Religion is the belief in spiritual beings that think act feel like human beings o Evolution of religion Nature spirits progressed towards belief in polytheism then monotheism Soul spirit Animism primal Deities many gods Polytheism Single god Monotheism Animism o Emerged from being unable to distinguish between waking sleeping the living the dead o Belief that everything has a soul or spirit o Nature spirits plants animals mountains ect o Primal form of religion James Frazer o Influenced by Taylor o Work The Golden Bough o Magic is the origin of religion with 3 stages Magical Religious Scientific o Humans want to have control over the world their destinies o Need for the control led to magic o Magic lowest form of religion Lecture 4 Karl Marx o o o o Jew who s father made them convert to Christianity to avoid the Nazis Communist advocate Work communist manifesto Argument Reality is primary Force that drives all history super structure Ideas are developed or shaped by what s happening in society History social conflict between rich poor Rich owning means of production while the poor struggle Private property dehumanization Fuels conflicts social class violence Communism is the only solution End class division o Religion Idea illusion with evil consequences Used to defend status quo justifies oppression of the poor The opium of the people Should be abolished illusion of happiness o Influence Marxism was admired embraced Russia China introduced communism banned religion Communism collapsed capitalism triumphed Latin American embraced ideas to develop liberation theology Protest economic injustices in churches Ideas linked religion to social economic life Economic decisions are influenced by religious values o Criticism Ideas are limited to Christianity Reduced religion to economics class strangle assumes that the poor think the same Sigmund Freud o Jewish during the Nazi era o Studied the human brain developed psychoanalysis o The unconscious mind Conscious effected by the unconscious which harbors ideas o Dreams Mechanism that releases repressed feelings o Personality conflict Id ego super ego o Oedipus complex Process that around the age of 9 we go through an argue to kill be in competition with our same sex parent and the desire to marry the opposite sex parent Lecture 5 Taboo o o Totem o o Incest killing or eating of a totem Origin is the sons rebelling killing fathers Special animal After sons killed fathers they felt guilty and they made the father into a god to worship Sacred o Mysterious power that evokes a mixed response which is repulsive attractive at the same time o Sacred Objects the arc of convent which disclose sacred power o Sacred space set apart for experiencing the holy for example churches and temples Axis Mundi o The center of the world where sacred profane meet