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Religions. An introduction, animism and paganism. How to study belief systems. How do we define religion? How do we classify religions? What are their characteristics? How do they evolve? Cultural character? Shrines, stupas , cathedrals, Grottos, monasteries? - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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AN INTRODUCTION, ANIMISM AND PAGANISM
Religions
How to study belief systems
How do we define religion?How do we classify religions?
What are their characteristics? How do they evolve?
Cultural character? Shrines, stupas, cathedrals, Grottos,
monasteries?What is their political/social appeal?How do they interact?
How do they travel? Conflict Syncretism
Classification
UNIVERSALIZING RELIGION one that attempts to appeal to
all people, not only those at one location
ETHNIC RELIGION religion with a spatially
(socially or ethnically) concentrated distribution;
principles of such a religion are likely to be based on physical characteristics of a particular location
TRIBAL OR TRADITIONAL RELIGION small size, localized culture
groups
Universalizing Ethnic
• everywhere• Individual founder
(prophet)• Message diffused
widely (missionaries)• Followers distributed
widely.• Holidays based on
events in founder’s life.
• Has meaning in particular place only.
• Unknown source.• Content focused on place
and landscape of origin.• Followers highly
clustered.• Holidays based on local
climate and agricultural practice.
Tenets or teachings
Are collected in: Books of learning Books of Law
Are taught in/by Monasteries Monks
Actual foundation of the religion
How it spreadsPilgrims
Trade routes
Geographic conduits/crossroads/ obstacles
Stages
Conversion or forced acceptance
Diaspora
Nature of Religion
Who are the leaders? What kind of background
do they have?Degree of aggressionHow are they
organized? Hierarchy Religious Institutions
and bureaucraciesConnection with
political authority
Sacred sites and ceremoniesMeetings/
gatherings
Types of structures
Geographic connections to sites
Tolerance for other religions
Methods used to keep the true nature of their religion Wars Ethnic cleansing Marriage Conversion Persecution
Role of Religiona symbol of group
identity
a cultural rallying point (like language)
influences the spread of languages to new peoples and areas (Arabic, Latin)
may involve prescribed patterns of behavior; prayer, special rites, obedience to doctrine
Animism – the roots of religion
• the belief that all objects, animals, and beings are “animated” or possess a spirit and a conscious life. • Spirits live in rocks, rivers,
mountain peaks, and heavenly bodies
• Each tribe has its own characteristic form of animism
•Also called shamanism because of the prominence of a Shaman.• Common among hunter-gatherers• 10% of Africans follow such traditional ethnic religions.• These beliefs are losing ground to Christianity and Islam throughout Africa.
Nigerian Shaman
Paganism
from the Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller", "rustic"
Refers to polytheistic religions Europe before
Christianization Usually Greco-Roman Also Celtic, Germanic, and
SlavicMost pagan religions
build their rituals around the cycles and seasons of the earth.
No single sacred text
Paganism
Gender: Greek and Roman
society were patriarchal
Greek and Roman mythology honor gods as much as goddesses
Social Class Participation in
religious rituals moral necessary for all regardless of social class
At first, priesthood only open to upper classes
Paganism today
Modern scholars have begun to apply the term pagan to three separate groups of faiths: Historical Polytheism Folk/ethnic/Indigenous
religions Neo-Paganism