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Religions

Religions. An introduction, animism and paganism. How to study belief systems. How do we define religion? How do we classify religions? What are their characteristics? How do they evolve? Cultural character? Shrines, stupas , cathedrals, Grottos, monasteries?

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Religions

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  1. Religions An introduction, animism and paganism

  2. How to study belief systems • How do we define religion? • How do we classify religions? • What are their characteristics? • How do they evolve? • Cultural character? • Shrines, stupas, cathedrals, Grottos, monasteries? • What is their political/social appeal? • How do they interact? • How do they travel? • Conflict • Syncretism

  3. Classification • UNIVERSALIZING RELIGION • one that attempts to appeal to all people, not only those at one location • ETHNIC RELIGION • religion with a spatially (socially or ethnically) concentrated distribution; • principles of such a religion are likely to be based on physical characteristics of a particular location • TRIBAL OR TRADITIONAL RELIGION • small size, localized culture groups

  4. Universalizing Ethnic • everywhere • Individual founder (prophet) • Message diffused widely (missionaries) • Followers distributed widely. • Holidays based on events in founder’s life. • Has meaning in particular place only. • Unknown source. • Content focused on place and landscape of origin. • Followers highly clustered. • Holidays based on local climate and agricultural practice.

  5. Tenets or teachings • Are collected in: • Books of learning • Books of Law • Are taught in/by • Monasteries • Monks • Actual foundation of the religion

  6. How it spreads Pilgrims Trade routes Geographic conduits/crossroads/ obstacles Stages Conversion or forced acceptance Diaspora

  7. Nature of Religion • Who are the leaders? • What kind of background do they have? • Degree of aggression • How are they organized? • Hierarchy • Religious Institutions and bureaucracies • Connection with political authority

  8. Sacred sites and ceremonies Meetings/ gatherings Types of structures Geographic connections to sites

  9. Tolerance for other religions • Methods used to keep the true nature of their religion • Wars • Ethnic cleansing • Marriage • Conversion • Persecution

  10. Role of Religion a symbol of group identity a cultural rallying point (like language) influences the spread of languages to new peoples and areas (Arabic, Latin) may involve prescribed patterns of behavior; prayer, special rites, obedience to doctrine

  11. Animism – the roots of religion • the belief that all objects, animals, and beings are “animated” or possess a spirit and a conscious life. • Spirits live in rocks, rivers, mountain peaks, and heavenly bodies • Each tribe has its own characteristic form of animism • Also called shamanism because of the prominence of a Shaman. • Common among hunter-gatherers • 10% of Africans follow such traditional ethnic religions. • These beliefs are losing ground to Christianity and Islam throughout Africa. Nigerian Shaman

  12. Paganism • from the Latinpaganus, meaning "country dweller", "rustic" • Refers to polytheistic religions • Europe before Christianization • Usually Greco-Roman • Also Celtic, Germanic, and Slavic • Most pagan religions build their rituals around the cycles and seasons of the earth. • No single sacred text

  13. Paganism • Gender: • Greek and Roman society were patriarchal • Greek and Roman mythology honor gods as much as goddesses • Social Class • Participation in religious rituals moral necessary for all regardless of social class • At first, priesthood only open to upper classes

  14. Paganism today • Modern scholars have begun to apply the term pagan to three separate groups of faiths:  • Historical Polytheism • Folk/ethnic/Indigenous religions • Neo-Paganism

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