RELS-344
Engels
-Christian church = model of communism -not what stand in the way of it -early church: no private property, help the poor -capitalism is the opposite
Gutierrez
-Latin America = most catholic and most poor -1) Christian message always oriented around poor -2) bible = story of liberation -3) structural sin - society is sinful, not individual -4) theology of action -5) salvation begins on earth
Joseph Campbell
-Masks of God -each religion has own mask
Durkheim
-desire to be apart of a group = religion -concert example -look at religion in the nude -Totems - Austrialian Aboriginals -collective representation - something outside you represents the group - Koala -togetherness and bond = Holy Spirit
Mueller
-disease of language -human language falls short in describing experiences -we created a story to remember what happened but lost the true meaning -lost sight of meaning of symbols -can't conceive the inconceivable -Ex: God = He
Malinowski
-functionalism -all things should be understood in full context -7 functions of religion -nutrition, reproduction, bodily comfort, safety, relationships, movement, growth
Foucault
-if you control what is normal/natural you have true power -religion = tool for those who want to define the basics by which we go through the world
Freud
-longed to feel protected - God = exalted father -fear = source of religion -religious people = neurotic -rels = illusion - derived from strength of our wishes, can't be disproved -rels = escape from conflict of mind
function of the brain
-mystic, psychedelics, psychosis -thalamus, dIPEC, temporal lobe
Esalen
-nobody captures the flag -rels = competitive -nobody wins - all respond in own way
Gramsci
-not enough to have Christian communist society -must stand against oppressors -rail against exploitative nature -have an obligation
Otto
-profound unexplainable spiritual experience = root of all religion -Numinous -systematization and rationalization of the experience with the numinous -double rainbow
Marx
-religion = tool to keep proletariat from revolting -justify exploitation -1) world is how it should be -2) promise of better after life -3) perfect God leads to lowly man -rels = symptom of economic disease
Tylor
-religion evolved from savage philosopher trying to figure it out (dreams, seeing dead) -Animism: everything has a spirit, make spirits do things -Polytheism: grouping of spirits, believe they will help -Monotheism: pic a fav god - "my god is the only god" -survivals - Christmas trees, saying bless you
Burger
-religion helps legitimate natural law -way we make sense of the world -provides the "why" -nomos = normal -humans make values and pass them down -don't want to realize that norms are a result of norms
Frazier
-religion in the context of getting what you want -Magic: contagious, sympathetic -Religion: up to higher power -Science: reliable, consistent
Eliade
-religion is the human response to the sacred -look at archaic people - by nature humans are religious -sacred time, place, action -symbols/myths = tools
Spiegelberg
-religion of no religion -go back to source -reimagine tradition religion
JZ Smith
-religion was a concept invented by 19th century scholars -helps us make sense of something -construct in our minds -analytic purpose -only "religion" were monks -HUMAN QUEST TO MAKE MEANING THROUGH SYMBOLS -meaning making part of society
Mary Douglas
-sacred = designated by humans -nothing inherently sacred -dirt is matter out of place -society dictates
Feuerbach
God = projection of the highest in humans -without God = bad people
