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Chapter 13

Chapter 13 . Spirituality, Religion, and the Supernatural. Chapter Outline . What is religion? What are religion’s identifying features? What functions does religion serve?. Religion. Organized belief in the supernatural. Fulfill numerous social and psychological needs.

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Chapter 13

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  1. Chapter 13 Spirituality, Religion,and the Supernatural

  2. Chapter Outline • What is religion? • What are religion’s identifying features? • What functions does religion serve?

  3. Religion • Organized belief in the supernatural. • Fulfill numerous social and psychological needs. • No known group of people anywhere on the face of the earth, at any time over the past 100,000 years, have been without religion.

  4. Supernatural Beings • Major deities (gods and goddesses) • Ancestral spirits • Other sorts of spirit beings

  5. Animism • A belief in spirit beings, other than ancestors, who are believed to animate all of nature. • These spirit beings are closer to humans than gods and goddesses and are concerned with human activities. • Animism is typical of peoples who see themselves as a part of nature rather than superior to it.

  6. How A Belief in Supernatural Beings Is Perpetuated • Through what are interpreted as manifestations of power. • Supernatural beings possess attributes familiar to people. • Myths serve to rationalize religious beliefs and practices.

  7. Shamans • Skilled at contacting and manipulating supernatural beings and powers through altered states of consciousness. • Provides a focal point of attention for society and can help maintain social control. • Benefits for the shaman are prestige, wealth, and an outlet for artistic self-expression.

  8. The Shamanic Complex

  9. Rites of Passage Arnold Van Gennep rites of passage into the following: • Rites of separation • Rites of transition • Rites of incorporation

  10. Rites of Intensification • Rituals to mark occasions of crisis in the life of the group. • Functions: • Unite people. • Allay fear of the crisis. • Prompt collective action.

  11. Functions of Witchcraft • Effective way for people to explain away personal misfortune without having to shoulder any of the blame themselves. • Provides an outlet for feelings of hostility and frustration without disturbing the norms of the larger group.

  12. Functions of Religion • Sanctions a wide range of conduct by providing notions of right and wrong. • Sets standards for acceptable behavior and helps perpetuate an existing social order. • Lifts burden of decision making from individuals and places responsibility with god. • Plays a role in maintaining social solidarity.

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