Word Religions- Indigenous Religions

8 characteristics of religion

1. Belief system 2. Community 3. Central Myths 4. Ritual 5. Ethics 6. Characteristic Emotional Experiences 7. Material Expression 8. Sacredness

"Shaman" definition

"the one who knows"

Monotheism

the belief in one God

Theism

the belief in the divine

Pantheism

the belief that all is God.

Immanence

the closeness of the divine to creation

"Vodun" definition

God or spirit

Belief System

the minimum things that a religious tradition says its followers must affirm

Sacredness

the notion of holiness which characterizes different elements of a religious tradition.

Agnosticism

the perspective that does not know whether or not God exists

Nontheism

the perspective that doesn't ask the question of God's existence or nonexistence.

Central Myths

the stories which explain the meaning of a religious tradition.

In what region is Vodun a national religion?

Haiti

What are the 2 parts of the hybrid Sedna?

Half woman and half seal

Because of deep relationships to land and environment, many South American rituals are intended to ...

Make sure the balance of nature's cycles are preserved

Atheism

the belief that there is no god

T or F: In Native American traditions, pipe and tobacco link the earthly and spiritual worlds.

TRUE

T or F: One figure described in myths across the Pacific region is the trickster spirit, Maui.

TRUE

T or F: The purification ceremonies of the Plains People take place in or around a circular hut made of branches.

TRUE

T or F: Yanomami people believe that shamans sing and dance to rid the illness away.

TRUE

Material Expression

The physical objects which have specific meaning for a tradition

The meaning of "tabu" is...

The rules and rituals that believers follow

Community

a religion is always composed of more than one person.

Ritual

an activity which is regularly practiced and which embodies core truths of a tradition.

T or F: Mana is the sacred force present in all living things.

FALSE It is the sacred force present in all things, whether living or not.

T or F: The significance of the poles in Vodun temples is that it is where followers gather to eat.

FALSE It is where God and the spirits make contact with humans.

T or F: When Sedna is happy she takes food from hunters and fisher folk.

FALSE She provides them with food from the sea.

T or F: The term "Shaman" originates from the Native Americans of the northern areas of the Midwest

FALSE The term "shaman" originates from the Evinki people of Siberia.

for tylor, the source of religion was ____ of the power of the dead

fear

for otto, the source of religion was in experiences with "the ____

mysterious

Polytheism

the belief in multiple gods

Transcendence

the distance of the divine from creation

For Tillich, the source of religion was in the search for what concerns us ______

ultimately

Why do the chiefs of Tahiti believe they are not permitted to touch the ground?

Because their mana is so powerful that anything they touch would become sacred.

The "Dreaming" of Australian aborigines is...

Both a time and a place

Characteristic Emotional Experiences

Elements of a religion which evoke feelings within people

T or F: A minor belief of the Aborigines of Australia is something called the Dreaming.

FALSE It is the most important belief of Australian aborigines.

T or F: The orishas of african tradition are assistants of the devil who hurt human beings.

FALSE They are assistants of the Supreme Being who help human beings.

What is a shaman?

A person who can travel to and from the spirit world.

Ethics

A religion's framework for deciding what is right and wrong behavior.

Seven Sources of Religion

A. Fear of the power of the dead B. The concern to control nature C. Our childhood relationship to parents D. The effort to deal positively with psychological tensions E. Experiences with "the mysterious" F. The desire to experience personal fulfillment G. The search for what concerns us ultimately

"God is a great _______. He ______ everything that is"

ANSWERS: eye/sees

"We do not _________ the Earth from our ancestors, we _________ it from our children."

ANSWERS: inherit/borrow

What religious traditions does Vodun come from?

African and French Roman Catholic

Karadjis are distinguished by

-feathers they wear on ankles -their ability to make up new dances and songs -the contact they have with the spirit world

9 key terms regarding religion

1. transcendence 2. Immanence 3. Theism 4. Monotheism 5. Pantheism 6. Polytheism 7. Atheism 8. Agnosticism 9. Nontheism

How do the Yanomami people of Brazil compare their relationship to the spirit world to their relationship with each other?

They believe that they are the same.