Week 6 Lecture 1

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School

Wilfrid Laurier University *

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Course

100

Subject

Anthropology

Date

Oct 30, 2023

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pdf

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Uploaded by MasterSalamander3575

Wednesday, October 19, 2022 Slideshow Professor Anthropology of Religion Analytical Approach - Focus on practice and how belief systems intersect with other aspects of culture - Explore ritual and role of religious specialist - Worldview Set of beliefs about the nature of the universe of 'reality' that influence the way people think and act in the world - Ontology Study of "reality"- the classification and explanation of entities - For example: "What is the nature of the universe?" - Religion Beliefs and rituals pertaining to the supernatural - The multitude of ways that belief and practice are embodied and reproduced in ways that shape (and are shaped by) social life - Universality of Belief Aware of many risks and dangers - Aware of our own mortality brings feelings of existential dread and fear must be managed through belief and practice - Beliefs in supernatural important way that humans manage uncertainty - Belief is Surprising Can never be proven that supernatural powers exist, or that myths about them are true - Religious behavior may not be effective at achieving the goals that are performers have in mind - Functions- Intellectual/ Cognitive Looks for existence of human universals - Individualism in society vs communal society - Religion and supernatural beliefs help people process and explain what they don't know - Humans feel uncomfortable not knowing why - Religions help people cope, gives purpose of reassurance to suffering - The amount of different religions can't be proven and rituals like prayer aren't always effective - W6 Lecture 1: Constructing Realties- Religion and Worldview Sunday, October 23, 2022 7:02 PM

Psychological Religion helps people cope psychologically or emotionally in times of trouble and anxiety - Ritual can be reassuring even if it does not remove the cause of suffering - Social Function Enhance the social cohesion of society - People feel interdependence on one another and on their traditions which promotes social solidarity - Helps to maintain social order - All Religions have three Components Beliefs about the nature of supernatural powers (beings and forces) 1. Mythologies about the historical deeds of these powers 2. Rituals intended to influence these powers to intervene favorably on behalf of the performers 3. Supernatural Beings and Forces Beings- bodily form, personality, predictable behaviour (e.g. an ancestor spirit or ghost) - Forces- no will of their own, can be used for good or evil, can be manipulated (e.g. luck) - Mythologies Written or oral stories about the actions and deeds of supernatural powers in the past - Often accounts of how the world came to be - May also explain where people got their customs from why they live where they do, as well as how they are related to other human groups - Often tell people they should not act in certain ways and provide examples of the types of punishments that occur to people who violate those rules and norms - Rituals Intended to influence these powers to intervene favourably on behalf of the performers - Two Classifications: Conscious purpose 1. Timing 2. Supernatural Powers Often believed to: - Be responsible for the success or failure of group activities; for example hunting or trading - Be able to bring about some desired natural events; such as bringing rain, or bringing back - People feel interdependence because of rituals and traditions - This doesn't apple to religion - Ex: Thanksgiving or Canada day Simpler terms: Written stories of the past - How the world came to be - Where customs came from - How groups relate to other groups - Often talk about not acting a certain way and repercussion of it - Asking forces to look on us favourably - People pray for good health, luck, etc… - Involve definite patterns of speech, body movement, done in certain places of symbolic significance - Things like sickness are believed to be directly caused by forces -

game to a certain territory Intervene in the lives of individuals- making them sick or healing rich or poor, - Supernatural explanations of misfortunes - Explanations of Misfortune In many societies, beliefs sickness and misfortune caused by direct action of some supernatural power - Many people believe that illnesses and misfortune are caused by a human being who is using special supernatural powers against the inflicted person - Agents involved may be sorcerers or witches who are believed to have the power to harm others through mystical means - Analytical Categories in Anthropology Witchcraft- use of psychic power alone to cause harm to others - Sorcery- use of rites and spells to cause harm to others - Witchcraft and Sorcery Imitative- based on the principle that like produces like (e.g. voodoo doll) 0 - Contagious- based on the presumption that power comers from contact-- things that were once in contact with someone that were once in contract with someone can be used in rights and spells to make things happen to that person (e.g. hair, nail trimming, clothing) - Technical Terms Religion: beliefs and rituals pertaining to the supernatural - Arities of religious organization: "cults" - Individualistic Cults Each individual has a personal relationship with one or more supernatural powers that serve as his/ her/ their protectors - No formal religious specialists - No known society where their entire religion is comprised of just individualistic cults - Shamanistic Cults Some individuals (shaman) are believed to have special relationships with the supernatural that ordinary people lack - Use these powers primarily for socially valuable purposes, to help or cure others in need - They provide services when needed, often in exchange for a gift - Believed that illness and misfortune can be used by humans to curse someone - Direct contact with supernatural powers - Ability to help others in need or harm -

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Communal Cults Members of group gather periodically for the performance of rituals that are believed to benefit the group as a whole or some individual in it - No full time religious specialists - Communal rituals are help to ask supernatural powers to act on behalf of some group of people- perhaps a descent group, an age set, a village - Ecclesiastical Cults Full time religious practitioners who form a religious bureaucracy - Through most of the history of ecclesiastical cults they were directly supported and associated with formal government - Society relies on priests to keep it in proper relations with supernatural powers - Creates a feeling of spiritual dependence on the priesthood and the state apparatus the operates it - Often go through specialized training - Society relies on them to have connection to forces -