World Religions REL 2300 Lake-Sumter State College Foundations of Religion and Ch. 1 Religious Responses Textbook: Living Religions.

World ReligionsREL 2300 Lake-Sumter State College

Foundations of Religion and Ch. 1 Religious ResponsesTextbook: Living Religions

Now Begin to Delve into the Study of Religion

Placing these key Themes before us: Faith Universality Truth Time View of the Cosmos (heavens and earth) View of origins and purpose of human life Where are we going? (destiny/spiritual

goals) Spiritual Merit

Beginning Inquiry Questions

What is religion? What is faith? What is the relationship Of religion and culture? Why are there so many different beliefs

out there in the world or are they really that different?

How did religions arise and what were the factors that lead several of these to become “world religions?” And what are “living religions”?

Foundational Religion Questions (1)

What is the distinction between “religion” and “a religion” and “religions”?

 What are the basic characteristics of religion?

 What are the key concepts and terms in each of the religions?

Foundational Religion Questions (2)

How are religious beliefs and practices expressed?

 How do their beliefs inform their worldview?  How do their beliefs, worldview, and practices

shape their culture? What common themes are found in religion?  What concepts are unique in each religion? What are the main goals of each religion and

how does one achieve them?

The Universality of Religion

“…from the great metropolitan capitals to the least developed areas of the world, there are temples, pyramids, megaliths, & other monuments that societies have raised at tremendous expense as expressions of their religions. Even as we explore the backwaters of time in prehistoric civilizations, we find altars, cave paintings, & special burials that point to our religious nature. Indeed, no other phenomenon is so pervasive, so consistent from society to society, as is religion.” (Hopfe & Woodward p. 4)

Roles/ Practitioners in Religion

ShamansMedicine Men (or women) HealersPriestsProphetsMysticsSagesReligious TeachersScribesReligious Clerics: Rabbis, Pastors,

Bishops, Cardinals, Popes, Imams, etc.

Religion Foundations: Classifications

Classification by theism: Monotheistic Polytheistic

Non-Theistic Classification by Revelation:

Revealed Non-revealed

Foundations:Religions by Geographic

Origins (Overview of Course from Hopfe & Woodward

Religions in the World textbook)

Basic Religions (every continent) Religions originating in India Religions originating in China & Japan Religions originating in the Middle

East including Persia

Religion Foundations: Types of Religions

from cultural developmental perspective

Basic Religions: = indigenous sacred ways/traditions main characteristic: pre-literate peoples’ religions (see the characteristics for “Basic Religions” in the Ch. 2 PPT)

Developed Religions: organized, institutional

Foundations: Geographic Origins and Ultimate

Concern(see next slides)

Religions originating in India and

their Ultimate Concern Religions that originated in India:

Hinduism Jainism Buddhism, and Sikhism Ultimate concern: release from the

ongoing, endless cycle of life, death, and rebirth

Religions originating in China & Japan and

the Ultimate Source, Monism, and Inclusivism

Religions originated in China and Japan: Daoism, Confucianism, and Shinto

They have a monistic understanding of Realty including the Ultimate Source w/ the former two non-theistic and a strong tendency to an immanent view for theistic Shinto

A strong tendency to hold to inclusive views of various religious expressions, thus practicing syncretism

Religions originating in the Middle East

and the Ultimate Source, Goal, and

Exclusivism Religions originated in the Middle East:

Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Baha’i

Transcendent view of God who is Creator & Ultimate Source

Ultimate Goal is generally Heaven/ Paradise

Strong tendency to exclusive view of their religion

Religion: Attempts to Connect with the Greater

Reality Takes many forms: Organized institutions: complexes

with elements of leaders, beliefs, rituals, symbols, myths, scriptures, ethics, spiritual practices, cultural components, historical traditions, and management structures.

Simple labels such as “Buddhism” and “Christianity” are abstractions

Defining Religion (1) Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary Fisher textbook: prob. From Latin word

meaning “to tie back,” “to tie again” Hopfe & Woodward textbook: from Lat.

Religio, the fear or awe one feels in the presence of a spirit or god

New College Latin and English Dictionary entry “Religion: religio f. deorum cultus

Prof. W. Oxtoby: scholars applied assumptions based on Christian model

Spirituality: a part of religion: inner dimensions of religion

Defining Religion (2)

Frederich Streng (1933-1993) means to an ultmate transformation

Paul Tillich: of ultimate concern William James: (Variety of Religious

Experiences) a collective name-concept too large for one definition

Defining Religion (3) Common Threads that holds the

tapestry of Religion together: They all: Deal with the greater and unseen reality Have a sense of the sacred Have beliefs Have rituals with deeper meaning Have spirituality Have values Have stories that tell their sacred story,

history, and story of cosmos

Nature of Religion It deals with the ineffable, the supernatural,

God, or unseen forces throughout nature It deals with the sacred It exercises belief Genuine religious experience expressing

itself thru various rituals, rites, ceremonies Prayer, meditation, chanting/singing are

key practices It has fashioned & passed down myths

(stories) Its distinct from the affairs of the state

Religion is multifaceted

Ninian Smart distinguished seven dimensions of religion (not in Living Religions textbook; in Anthology in a little different order):

1. Ritual 2. Narrative and mythic 3. Experiential and emotional 4. Social and institutional 5. Ethical and legal 6. Doctrinal and philosophical 7. Material

Why are there religions?

Religion has been the basic foundation to life in many cultures and times

Theorists/ Scholars three basic perspectives for the reason why religion exists: Materialist, Functional, and Belief

Materialist Perspective: Humans invented Religion

Philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-1872)-

Philosopher Karl Marx (1818-1883)

Functional Perspective: Religion is Useful

Sociologist Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)

John Bowker Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud

(1856-1938) Psychoanalyst Erich Fromm (1900-

1980) Frederick Streng (1933-1993)

Small Group Discussion

In the Functional Perspective, discuss with your neighbor whether you agree or disagree with Mata Amritanandamayi’s statement and why:“Faith in God gives one the mental strength needed to confront the problems of life. Faith in the existence of God makes one feel safe and protected from all the evil influences in the world” (p. 5)

Belief Perspective (1): Ultimate Reality Exists

S. Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) philosopher and past president of India

Martin Luther (1483-1546) William James (1842-1910)

Belief Perspective (2): Mysticism, the Unseen

Reality Mysticism illustration: George W. Russell

(1867-1935) the Unseen encounters, various names: Enlightenment, realization,

illumination, satori, awakening, self-knowledge, gnosis, ecstatic communion, “coming home”

Kabir, Indian reformer & mystic Rudolf Otto (1869-1937) “Wholly Other” Joachim Wach (1898-1955)

Understandings of Sacred Reality and Comparative

Religion Terms Mircea Eliade (1907-1986)-“sacred” and “profane”

Immanent Transcendent Theistic Polytheistic Monistic Nontheistic Incarnations Exclusivist religions Universalism

The Gamut from Atheism to Agnosticism to Universalistic

Theism Atheism: Richard Dawkins, Oxford Prof. Agnosticism Secularism Maimonides (1135-1204) All religions come from 1 Divine

Source: Bede Griffiths (1906-1993)

Ritual, Symbol, and Myth

Ritual Prof. Antony Fernando of Sri Lanka Akka Mahadevi 13th cent Hindu saint Psychologist Carl Jung (1875-1961) Allegories and symbols Myths Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) 4 primary functions of myths: 1) mystical

2) cosmological 3) sociological 4) psychological

Comparative Religion Terms: Absolutist and Liberal

Interpretations Orthodox absolutists Fundamentalism Liberals Conservatives

Encounter between Science and Religion

17th century Charles Darwin (1809-1882) David Bohm (1917-1994) Metaphysics Gaia Theory Creationism Intelligent Design

Women in Religions

They are challenging: 1) patriarchal religious institutions 2) gender-exclusive language in

holy texts, authoritarian masculine images of the divine

Negative aspects of Organized Religions (1)

1)  Institutionalization of religion 2)  Charismatic leaders can dominate and

control their followers 3)  The potential for the exaggeration of

guilt 4)  Escapism 5)  When church and state are one, the

dominate national religion may be used to oppress those of other beliefs within their country

6) Dangerous politicized polarizations between religions on increase today

Negative aspects of Organized Religions (2)

Max Weber (1864-1920)-the “routinization of charisma”

Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Isma’ili Shia Muslims: real problem today is a “clash of ignorance.”

Lenses for Studying Religions

Historical Sociological Psychological Anthropological Theological Political Economic Feminist perspectives Phenomenological

Back to the Beginning Themes

Relate to Elements/ Characteristics of Religion List from Slide 2: Faith, Universality, Truth,

Time, View of the Cosmos (heavens and earth), View of origins and purpose of human life, Where are we going? (destiny/spiritual goals), and Spiritual Merit

To this list, add: Piety (one factor of spiritual machinations, the engine the drives religion)

Relate to Smart’s Dimensions & Eliade’s Sacred and Profane

For the basic elements/characteristics of Religion, go the Ch. 2 Indigenous Sacred Ways PPT

Ch. 1 Terms/ Concepts (1) Religion Spirituality Comparative Religion Sacred Profane Secularism Ritual Symbol Myth Allegory Theism/Theistic Monotheistic Polytheistic Monistic Immanent Transcendent

Incarnations Atheism Agnosticism Gnosis Scientific Materialism Metaphysics Absolutist Exclusivism Fundamentalism Dogma Orthodox Institutional religion Liberal Hermeneutics Redaction Creationism Intelligent Design Enlightenment Illumination Awakening Realization Satori “coming home” Ecstatic communion Self-knowledge Mysticism Phenomenology Charisma Universalism

Ch. 1 Terms: Theorists, Analysts, Philosophers, Scholars, & Religious

Leaders (1) Ninian Smart Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-1872) Karl Marx (1818-1883) Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) John Bowker Sigmund Freud (1856-1938) Erich Fromm (1900-1980) Frederick Streng (1933-1993) S. Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Ch. 1 Terms: Theorists, Analysts, Philosophers, Scholars, & Religious

Leaders (2) George W. Russell (1867-1935) Rudolf Otto (1869-1937) Joachim Wach (1898-1955) Mircea Eliade (1907-1986) Richard Dawkins Maimonides (1135-1204) Bede Griffiths (1906-1993) Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) David Bohm (1917-1994) Max Weber (1864-1920)

Review Questions

In what ways has the term “religion” been defined?

What are some of he different perspectives available for understanding religion?

What are some of he different perspectives available for understanding religion?

Describe absolutist and liberal interpretations of religious traditions

Discussion Questions

What relationship does spirituality have to institutional religion?

The following slides are material from the

Overview chapter of Hopfe and Woodward

Religions of the WorldFor students reference; you will not be tested on

this material

Theories of the Origin of Religions:

Overview (1) Animistic Theories:         Edward Burnett Tylor (1832-1917)         Bishop R.H. Codrington (1830-1922)  The Nature-Worship Theory         Max Muller (1823-1900)         Muller’s mythology basis  The Theory of Original Monotheism         Wilhelm Schmidt (1868-1954)         Schmidt’s theory High God and lesser

deities

Theories of the Origin of Religions:

Overview (2) The Magic Theory         Sir James George Frazier (1854-1941)

Theories of Religion as Projections of Human Needs

• Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-1872)• Karl Marx (1818-1883)• Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

Animistic Theories

Tylor maintained that “primitive” people developed a sense of other and soul from experience w/ death and dreams.

(Lat. Anima lit. means “soul,” spirit)found not only in people but in all of

nature: in stones, trees, rivers, mountains… The entire world including air seen as being alive with spirits of all kinds.

Codrington: mana: supernatural power that belonged to the region of the unseen.

The Nature-Worship Theory M. Muller-personification of the forces

in nature: sky, sun, moon, etc.), and tales that eventually became mythology; the key to the origin of all religions.

The Theory of Original Monotheism

Wilhelm Schmidt--originally, “primitive” societies were monotheistic, but because the worship of one god was difficult, religion corrupted into polytheism.

The Magic Theory• G. Frazier defined a linear

development of the human mind: first phase: Magic, peoples attempted to control the world through magic. When humanity realized that nature could not be coerced through magic, it turned to the second phase: religion.

Theories of Religion as Projections of Human Needs (1)

L. Feuerbach--religions were essentially projections of the wishes and needs of humanity

Karl Marx socialized Feuerbach’s theory: saw the origin & development of religion in terms of view of history as economic and social struggle between classes

Sigmund Freud: religion is a result of the projection of human needs out on the comic canvas; the Oedipus Myth/ Syndrome

Religion and Violence

Hopfe and Woodward Textbook has plenty of discuss of religion and violence

It states 3 basic varieties of “religious violence”

It explains why religious violence is particularly pernicious