I see it fit to use the same format in this essay as I did for the previous one, as they are more or less asking the same thing, just using different religious scholars. First, I’d like to address how each Clifford Geertz and Catherine Bell defined religion. After that, I’m going to do the same with their interpretations of ritual. Next, I’ll analyze if their beliefs aid or limit their ability to analyze the religious practices of other cultures, and I’ll argue whether either of their theories have any strengths that are worth noting for future use in our course.
The most important question to ask when analyzing the theories of religious scholars is this: what is their definition/interpretation of religion. Beginning with Clifford Geertz,
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In the previous paper, I argued that only one of the two religious scholars actually had the ability to understand foreign religious practices. When it comes to Geertz and Bell, I believe both of them hold the stated ability by virtue of their beliefs. Geertz suggests that symbols are the basis of human behavior, and these symbols are made by man and can change meaning over time. For example, the swastika was a symbol of good fortune and well being in ancient Hinduism, yet society today associates it with Nazism, anti-Semitism, and racism in general. Geertz emphasizes the importance of defining symbols within the context of how they’re presented. This alone proves that Gertz’s theories depend on the ability to understand outside religious interpretations and practices. This is much the same for Bell too, except with Bell’s theories, she’s talking about power relationships. Within the relationship, one must consider all factors from every angle and how it affects the power relationship. By following Bell’s ideas and closely analyzing a power relationship, one might for example be able to analyze how the power relationship between the Pope and a Christian practitioner is different from say the chief of a Native American
The Indigenous people of America are called Native Americans or often referred to as “Indians”. They make up about two percent of the population in the United States and some of them still live in reservations. They once lived freely in the wilderness without any sort of influence or exposure from the Europeans who later came in the year of 1492, and therefore their culture is very different from ours.. In the following essay we will discover some differences between the religious beliefs of the Native American Iroquois and Christianity to see if the culture and ways of living have an effect on the view of religion, but we will also get to know some similarities between them. I am going to be focusing on the Iroquois, which are the northeastern Native Americans who are historically important and powerful.
Miller-Thayer, Jennifer. “Religion and Belief Systems.”Class Lecture. Anthrology 3: Cultural Anthropology. Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga. 06 March. 2014
QUESTION: "What roles does religion play in Appiah’s analysis? How is your approach similar to or different from his? (That is, do you agree with Appiah’s analysis or disagree?)
Annemaire de Waal Malefijt, “Religion and Culture An Introduction to Anthropology of Religion” The United States of America 1989
Evans, C. Stephen. Critical Dialog in Philosophy of Religion. 1985. Downers Grove, IL. InterVarsity Press. Taken from Philosophy of Religion - Selected Readings, Fourth Edition. 2010. Oxford University Press, NY.
Clifford Geertz observes religion as a cultural system, not a social creation as some other theorists would define it.
The growth of religious ideas is environed with such intrinsic difficulties that it may never receive a perfectly satisfactory exposition. Religion deals so largely with the imaginative and emotional nature, and consequently with such an certain elements of knowledge, the all primitive religions are grotesque to some extent unintelligible. (1877:5)
The vastly different traditions of religion forms in the United States show that how diversity of worldwide people merged into one society and formed separate traditions all while dealing boundaries between religions in America. The mystery of religious belief beyond the definition is still and will always be a much-debated topic. Regardless of whether these arguments are ever resolved, it is important to bear in mind about the powers from Albanese‘s theory, which is a system of symbols by means of which people orient themselves in a world with reference to both ordinary and extraordinary powers, meanings, and values (Albanese). She also identified
Ludwig, Theodore M. The Sacred Paths: Understanding the Religions of the World (4th Edition). 4 ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2005.
Smart, Ninian. "Blackboard, Religion 100." 6 March 2014. Seven Dimensions of Religion. Electronic Document. 6 March 2014.
Religion is an ever-growing idea that has no set date of origin. Throughout history religion has served as an answer to the questions that man could not resolve. The word religion is derived from the Latin word “religio” meaning restraint in collaboration with the Greek word “relegere” which means to repeat or to read again. Religion is currently defined as an organized system of beliefs and practices revolving around, or leading to, a transcendent spiritual experience. Throughout time, there has yet to be a culture that lacks a religion of some form, whether it is a branch of paganism, a mythological based religion or mono/polytheistic religion. Many religions have been forgotten due to the fact that they were ethnic religions and globalizing religions were fighting to be recognized, annihilating these ancient and ethnic religions. Some of these faiths include: Finnish Paganism, Atenism, Minoan Religion, Mithraism, Manichaeism, Vedism, Zoroastrianism, Asatru, and the Olmec Religion. Religion is an imperative part of our contemporary world but mod...
Religion is an organized collection of beliefs and cultural systems that entail the worship of a supernatural and metaphysical being. “Religion just like other belief systems, when held onto so much, can stop one from making significant progress in life”. Together with religion come traditions that provide the people with ways to tackle life’s complexities. A subscription to the school of thought of great scholars
Hopfe, L. M., & Woodward, M. R. (2007). Religions of the World (10th ed.) New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
In placing all importance in religious symbols, Geertz does not account for any social, historical, political or economical factors which may influences one’s life, world-view and belief system. Geertz essentially argues that religious symbols create belief, but Asad denies this, arguing instead that religious symbols only serve as a catalyst for belief. Thus, because social conditions will differ from culture to culture, Asad believes it is pointless to try and find common ground between all religions. Instead he insists that looking at historical facts, which may gives us an insight into the kind of institutions and ideologies were present at the time to allow a certain way of belief to become prominent, is the preferable way of studying
Cortez, Marc. Theological Anthropology: A Guide for the Perplexed. New York: T&T Clark International, 2010. Print.