Anthropology - Chapter 11

Prayer

Communication between people and spirits or gods People believe results depend on the spirit world rather than on actions humans perform Prayer may involve a request, a pleading, or merely praise for the deity

(Anti-Structure) Communitas

Communities in which the wealthy and the poor, the powerful and the powerless are, for a short time, equals

Characteristics of Religion

Composed of *sacred stories* that members believe are important Make extensive use of *symbols and symbolism* Propose the existence of *beings, powers, states, places, and qualities* that cannot be measured scientifically Include *rituals* and specific means of addressing the *supernatural*

Rite of Passage Phases (3)

Separation Liminal Reincorporation

Religious Practitioners

Shamans Priests Witches and sorcerers

Sacred Narratives

Stories of historical events, heroes, gods, spirits, and the origin of all things Have a sacred power that is evoked by telling them or acting them out ritually Validate or legitimize beliefs, values, and customs

Totem

An object, an animal species, or a feature of the natural world that is associated with a particular descent group Totemism is a prominent feature of the religions of the Australian aborigines

(Witchcraft) Wiccan

A member of a new religion that claims descent from pre-Christian nature worship; a modern day witch

(Religious Movements) Vitalism

A religious movement that looks toward the creation of a utopian future that does not resemble a past golden age

Divination

A religious ritual performed to find hidden objects or information

Religion

A social process that helps to order society and provide its members with meaning, unity, peace of mind, and the degree of control over events they believe is possible

Cosmology

A system of beliefs that deals with fundamental questions in the religious and social order

Ritual

Act involving the manipulation of religious symbols Certain patterns of religious behavior are extremely widespread, if not universal

(Religious Movements) Nativistic Movements

Aim to restore what its followers believe is a golden age of the past Example: The Ghost Dance

Magic

An attempt to mechanistically control supernatural forces When people do magic, they believe that their words and actions compel the spirit world to behave in certain ways

(Religion and Change) To begin a new religion or modify an existing religion, prophets must have a code with three elements:

Identify what is wrong with the world Present a vision of what a better world to come might look like Describe a method of transition from the existing world to the better world

(Religious Symbols) Example - The Christian Cross

Means life, death, love, sacrifice, identity, history, power, weakness, wealth, poverty The cross carries *so many meanings*, it has enormous emotional and intellectual power for Christians

Syncretism

Merging two or more religious traditions and hiding the beliefs, symbols, and practices of one behind similar attributes of the other Example: Santeria --> Slaves in Cuba combined African religion, Catholicism, and French spiritualism to create a new religion. They identified African deities, called orichas, with Catholic saints.

Cargo Cults

Often began with a *prophet* who announced that the world would end in catastrophe, after which God would appear and bring a paradise on earth In the United States and Latin America, millions of followers of prosperity theology, or the Word-Faith movement, believe that God wants Christians to be wealthy

(Rite of Passage) Reincorporation

Participants *return* to their community with a new status

(Rite of Passage) Separation

Participants are *removed* from their community or status

(Rite of Passage) Liminal

Participants have passed out of an old status but not yet entered a new one

Sacrifice

People try to increase their spiritual purity or the efficacy of their prayers by making offerings to gods or spirits People may sacrifice the first fruits of a harvest, animal lives or, on occasion, human lives Many Americans are familiar with giving up something for Lent, a form of sacrifice intended to help the worshipper identify with Jesus, show devotion, and increase purity

Addressing the Supernatural (4)

Prayer Sacrifice Magic Divination

Functions of Religion

Provides *meaning and order* in people's lives Gives people a *feeling of control* over their destinies Reinforces or challenges the social order by transmitting cultural values and knowledge

The Search for Order and Meaning

Religions provide a cosmology for interpreting events and experiences. This may include the creation of the universe, the origin of society, the relationship of individuals and groups to one another, and the relationship of humankind to nature.

Reducing Anxiety and Increasing Control

Religious practices, such as prayer, sacrifice, magic, and other rituals, call on the help of supernatural beings, particularly where forces appear unpredictable and risky These practices can alter the emotional state of those who practice them and reduce or increase their anxiety

Religious Symbols

Religious symbols include many different and sometimes contradictory meanings in a single word, idea, or object

Anti-Structure

Rituals and symbols that put people in a temporary state of equality and oneness

Rites of Intensification

Rituals directed toward the *welfare of the group or community* rather than the individual Structured to reinforce the *values and norms* of the community and to strengthen group identity In some groups, they are connected with totems

Witchcraft

The ability to harm others by harboring malevolent thoughts about them; the practice of sorcery. May be done unconsciously

(Religious Views) Millenarian

The belief that a catastrophe will signal the beginning of a new age and the eventual establishment of paradise

Animism

The belief that all living and non-living objects are imbued with spirit

(Magic) Contagious Magic

The belief that things once in contact with a person or object retain an invisible connection with that person or object Example: a person's hair or clothing added to a voodoo doll to make it more effective

Sorcery

The conscious and intentional use of magic with the intent of causing harm or good

(Magic) Imitative Magic

The procedure performed resembles the result desired Example: voodoo doll

(Religious Views) Messianic

This view focuses on the coming of a messiah who will usher in a utopian world

The Social Order

Through religion, dominant cultural beliefs about good and evil are reinforced Sacred stories and rituals provide a rationale for social order and give social values religious authority Religious ritual intensifies social solidarity by creating an atmosphere in which people experience their common identity in emotionally moving ways