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MISSIONARY ANTHROPOLGY

MISSIONARY ANTHROPOLGY. Reality, Religion & Anthropology. Anthropology. Definition – The study of people a) The term anthropology originally referred to a branch of theology, the study of human being from a theological perspective.

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MISSIONARY ANTHROPOLGY

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  1. MISSIONARY ANTHROPOLGY Reality, Religion & Anthropology

  2. Anthropology Definition – The study of people a)The term anthropology originally referred to a branch of theology, the study of human being from a theological perspective. b)Grew out of the Society for the Abolition of Slavery and its successor, the Aborigines Protection Society which were born during the Wesleyan revivals that swept through England. c)Split occurred in 1843 with the forming of the Ethnological Society of London.

  3. Anthropology Anthropology as a Social Science – It attempts to systematically study human beings and their behavior, studying how they think and their daily activities. Anthropology is the study of human beings, their nature, societies, their past and present existence.

  4. IntroductionMissionary & Anthropology Social Science • Anthropology • Sociology • Psychology

  5. Anthropology • Characteristics of Anthropology : • Holistic – attempting to develop an overarching picture of human beings • Comparative – comparing patterns of societies • Evolutionary – how societies developed to where they are today

  6. Anthropology Traditional Sub-fields of Anthropology • Biological Anthropology • Cultural Anthropology • Linguistic Anthropology • Archaeology

  7. Anthropology Traditional Sub-fields of Anthropology Biological Anthropology - Studies human biology and similarities and differences between human beings other living organisms. - Primatologists – study nonhuman primates - Paleoanthropologists - study fossilized bone and skeletal remains of human’s early ancestors - Forensic anthropologist – investigate human remains at crime or accident sites to determine cause of death

  8. Anthropology Traditional Sub-fields of Anthropology • Cultural Anthropology • Investigates behaviors, ideas and values of cultures of humans including religious beliefs, worldviews, how they organize themselves and are shaped by their culture.

  9. Cultural Anthropology Cultural Anthropology – exploring a culture requires immersion in the culture of the people. - Fieldwork – live with and have personal experience with a specific people group (experiential discipline) - Informants – those who share cultural information about their cultures way of life - Participant-observation – means of research via interviews, censuses, surveys or statistical sampling

  10. Cultural Anthropology Cultural Anthropology – cultural anthropologist write about the culture they are exploring. - Monograph – is usually a book by an anthropologist - Ethnography (ethnographic monograph) – is a scholarly work about as specific way of life (ethnographers). - Ethnology – is a comparative study of two or more ways of life (ethnologists).

  11. Anthropology Traditional Sub-fields of Anthropology • Linguistic Anthropology • Study of human languages • Language is the main carrier of cultural information • Language is a system of vocal symbols used to encode one’s experience of the world and relate to others.

  12. Anthropology Traditional Sub-fields of Anthropology • Archaeology • Cultural Anthropology related to studying peoples of the past • Interpreting past peoples and cultures through evaluation of their cultural remains

  13. Anthropology Traditional Sub-fields of Anthropology • Applied Anthropology • It addresses contemporary problems faced in the world to develop improvements to solve problems. • Also called development anthropology

  14. Anthropology Anthropology is a Reflexive Endeavor Because the cultural identity (perspective) and personal characteristics of the fieldworkers need to be taken into account when attempting to describe a way of life (ethnographic writing) anthropologists carefully scrutinize both their own contribution to fieldwork interactions and the responses these interactions elicited from informants in order to consider the effect that they had on the people with whom they received information.

  15. Anthropology • Progression of Anthropological Reflection • Evolutionary • Structural Functional Anthropology • Symbolic or Cognitive Anthropology

  16. Anthropology • Progression of Anthropological Reflection • Evolutionary – Cultural Evolution • Influenced by biological evolution • Culture was seen as a single human creation at different stages of development • Societies were thought to progress from the simple to complex organizations • “Progress” from irrational to rational • “Progress” from magic to religion to science

  17. Anthropology • Progression of Anthropological Reflection • Structural Functional Anthropology • By 1930s, the cultural evolution theories were being replaced by “structure functional theories” • Societies seen as diverse self-contained, integrated systems • Societies have many cultural traits that help it survive • Deterministic – saw human behavior in terms of social causes and antecedents • Morality relative to the perceived need of culture • Relativism became a problem

  18. Anthropology • Progression of Anthropological Reflection • Symbolic or Cognitive Anthropology • Represented by Clifford Geertz, Mary Douglas, and Victor Turner • Sees cultures as a system of symbols which sustain society and around which they organize their thoughts, actions and forms.

  19. IntroductionMissionary & Anthropology • Reasons for Studying Anthropology in Missions • Centered on people’s life experiences • Historically has dealt with non-Western cultures • Studies cultures • Strives for a holistic view of people • Cross-cultural perspective • Focuses on communication • Deals with worldviews • Anthropological research methods are useful to missions • Anthropology deals with cultural change • Anthropology explores forms and meanings

  20. Cultural Perception and Reality What do you see?

  21. Cultural Perception and Reality

  22. Art by Bev DolittleHide and Seek

  23. Anthropology Perception and Reality • Scientific thinking – thought careful and systematic observation makes objective reality. • Perception is selective: • Limited by cultural experience • Limited by knowledge • Limited by location • Limited by abilities • Limited by how data is organized

  24. Organization of Sense Experience Paul Hiebert, Cultural Anthropology, p 6 Potential Experiences Sense Experiences Conscious Experiences THE MIND THE EXTERNAL WORLD Categories & Models Sensory Grid Attention Grid (learned from one’s culture and derived from observations) (screens out occurrences; no perceivable by the senses) (excludes occurrences not relevant to one’s immediate concerns)

  25. Cultural Perception and Reality Describe what you see?

  26. Cultural Perception and Reality Describe what you see?

  27. Christian Perception Open System vs. Closed System

  28. Cultural Perception and Reality Physical World – Closed System Analysis Deduction PREDICTION Test by Experimentation Scientific Process Cycle MODEL Synthesis by Induction OBSERVATION

  29. Cultural Perception and Reality Physical World Open System Spiritual Realm Analysis Deduction PREDICTION Test by Experimentation Knowledge Process Cycle MODEL OBSERVATION and REVELATION Synthesis by Induction

  30. Cultural Perception and Reality Potential Experiences Sense Experiences Conscious Experiences God THE MIND THE EXTERNAL WORLD Categories & Models Sensory Grid Attention Grid (learned from one’s culture and derived from observations) (screens out occurrences; no perceivable by the senses) (excludes occurrences not relevant to one’s immediate concerns)

  31. Cultural Perception and Reality Christian Perception – perceive God as the source of ultimate reality but Christians can only understand it imperfectly and with guidance from God. • Christian epistemology is informed by biblical revelation toward the spiritual and physical aspects of life. • Christian also are observers of the physical world. • We rely on God to guide us toward a closer understanding of the world in conjunction with reason. • Understanding by reason/observation and interpreting revelation is imperfect but enough to discover truth.

  32. Cultural Perception and Reality Epistemology • Realism: External world is real. Science - assumed that scientific theories were accurate descriptions of the world. Theology – one’s understanding is complete and fully accurate • Idealism: Philosophy & Religion – reality exists in the mind; material world illusionary • Critical Realism: External world is real. Science – provides a map or model that moves toward a more complete understanding of reality. Knowledge of ultimate reality is limited but can be true.

  33. Cultural Perception and Reality Epistemology • Critical Idealism: Reality exists in the mind. The external world is unknowable but order is imposed on sense experience by the mind. • Instrumentalism or Pragmatism: External world is real. Cannot know if one’s knowledge is true but if it accomplishes what one wants its usable. No claim to ultimate truth. • Determinism: External world is real. Knowledge is determined by material causes. Therefore there can be no claim to truth.

  34. Christian and Hindu Paul Hiebert, Cultural Anthropology, p 36 AMERICAN CONCEPT OF LIFE INDIAN CONCEPT OF LIFE Brahman: only reality, unknowable to the passing world Reality Pure Spirit Illusion God, eternal, supernatural, infinite high gods lesser gods Relationship between God and man are vertical Creator demons & spirits Creation demi-gods saints & incarnations Man; natural, but with an eternal soul priests A B Relations are essentially vertical rulers Relations between people are essentially horizontal Mixed merchants craftsman caste worker castes Animals temporal service castes Plants outcastes high animals Inanimate world; lifeless low animals plants Pure Matter inanimate world

  35. Cultural Perception and Reality • Model – is “a means by which the basic structure and operation of the real world is portrayed. • Characteristics of a Model • Helps to organize ones experience in a meaningful way. • They do not attempt to explain everything • They are ways of looking at the world

  36. Religion and Anthropology • What is religion? • Universally recognized phenomena • Historically, humanity is overwhelmingly religious • People generally look beyond themselves • David Hume – “In the history of mankind there never has been a tribe of men without some form of religion.”

  37. Religion and Anthropology • The word religion • From Latin – religia • Religia – means “to unite” • Unite humanity with divine sphere (generally western) • Eastern religions look to the oneness of all being • Indigenous religions seek to live in harmony with “god-imitating” structures of tribe or ethnic group

  38. Religion and Anthropology • The word religion • In Greek – qhraskeia, thraskos (Jam. 1:26-27; Col. 2:18 worship of angels) • Etymologically may refer to conduct and practice • Acts 17:22 and 25:19 – deisidaimonious and deisidaimonias • Deidw – to fear • Daimon – demon; deity; minor deity

  39. Religion and Anthropology • Function and Direction of Religion • Religion functions to guide humans toward a purpose in life in connection with a superior power • Religion has some object of faith • Personal God • Impersonal God • Collection of supernatural beings • Ancestors • Forces within nature • Set of Values (ideology) • Whole human race

  40. Religion and Anthropology • Deity: Relational and Non-relational • Relational • Superhuman in character and power • Super sensuous or invisible but able to represent himself in material and understandable ways • Exercises rule over the natural world • Exercises rule over humanity’s welfare • Deity is responsive to humanity • Deity arouses awe, worship, and submission

  41. Religion and Anthropology • Deity: Relational and Non-relational • Non-Relational • Impersonal metaphysical being or power • Philosophical Hinduism • Taoism • Abstract principle • Unifying force of all things

  42. Religion and Anthropology • Which of these is a religion? • Seeking oneness with the universe • Service to humanity • Worship of spiritual being or beings • Communism • Fixated on Elvis • Is there a difference between being religious and being spiritual? • Religious – spirituality shown through ritual • Spiritual – belief without ritual

  43. Religion and Anthropology • Definition of Religion • Not easily defined • “Religion is a mental faculty or disposition, which independent of, nay in spite of, sense and reason, enables man to apprehend the Infinite under different names and under varying guises” (Max Muller 1882, 13 Introduction to the Science of Religion)

  44. Religion and Anthropology • Definition of Religion • “Religion is the recognition of all duties as divine command” (Immanuel Kant, Critic of Practical reason, trans. Abbott, p. 226) • “The essence of religion is the feeling of absolute dependence” (Schleiermacher, Discourse on Religion, ch. 2) • “Belief in spiritual beings” (Eerdman’s Handbook on The World’s Religions)

  45. Religion and Anthropology • Definition of Religion • “A religion is a system of beliefs and practice that provides values to give life meaning and coherence by directing the person toward transcendence” (Winfried Gorduan, Neighboring Faiths 1998, p. 21)

  46. Religion and Anthropology • Elements of Religion • Provides the core values by which life is given meaning and goals. • Directs one toward a transcendent awareness or experience • Through a supernatural means • Through metaphysical principles • Through an ideal • Through a place or an awareness • Provides a means for understanding the world

  47. Religion and Anthropology • Doctrine or Belief • Name after a particular leader • Essential practices • Incidental practices

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