Lecture 4 Four Printing

8/2/2019 Lecture 4 Four Printing

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Lecture 4: Religion andReligion

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1. Introduction

In the introduction to the last lecture, we pointed out thatfamily, community (country), and worldview (religion)were three of the earliest markers in the evolution ofwhat we now call culture. We noted that these three

social organizations work in combination to transmit themost important beliefs of a culture. Having earlierexplained family and community in detail, we now turnour attention to the topic of worldview.

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2. Worldview (page 97)

There are perhaps as many definitions of worldviewasthere are definitions for the words communication and

culture.

Perhaps the most succinct and useful definition for ourpurposes is the one suggested by Walsh and Middleton:A worldview provides a model of the world which guidesits adherents in the world. (note 1)

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The appeal of this definition is found in the use of theword guide, which indicates that worldview functions asa guide to help people determine what the world lookslike and how they should function within that world:

What is the purpose of life.

Is the world ruled by law, chance, or God?

What is the right way to live?

How did the world begin?

What happens when we die?

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2.1: Forms of Worldview

Religious and nonreligious worldviews intersect on anumber of different questions, yet they often havedissimilar answers for inquiries concerning life, death,human nature, ways of knowing, and the like. Let us

pause for a moment and look at these three worldviewsin general terms before we move to a specific analysis ofeach of them.

A.

Religion as a WorldviewB. Secularism as a Worldview

C. Spirituality as a Worldview

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A. RELIGION AS A WORLDVIEW

Religion as a worldview

has been found in everyculture for thousands ofyears. As Haviland andhis colleagues specify,worldview is intricatelyintertwined with religiousbeliefs and practices.(note 2)

Put in slightly differentterms, All societies havespiritual beliefs andpractices [generallyreferred to as] religion.(note 3).

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They also take evolution as a fact, since they usuallyhold a strong belief in the centrality of science and thescientific method. They also maintain that because deathis final and there is no heaven or hell, a person shouldengage in acts that contribute to the good of humanity in

this world. In fact, the word secular is actually the Latinword for of this world.

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C. SPIRITUALITY AS A WORLDVIEW

This concept has reemerged and gained a largefollowing. Part of that appeal is that spirituality, especiallyas defined by its followers, directly relates to the value ofindividualism. This is because at the core of this

worldview is the belief that each person can use his orher individual resources to discover inner peace.

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Followers of this approach

would say that knowing yourselfwould give you a sense ofpurpose, allow you to achieveyour full potential, and connectyou to others and a higher

source. They would also saythat your spirituality can beexpressed in a host of ways,ranging from contemplation and

art to meditation, prayer, andeven traditional religiousworship.

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Spirituality attempts(1) to focus on the sacred aspects oflifeinstead of the materialistic ones. Unlike organizedreligion, spirituality seeks(2) to challenge the individualrather than the collective. In addition, (3) spirituality doesnot expect or require a distinguishing format or traditional

organization.

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2. RELIGION

The word religioncomes from the Latin wordreligare, which means to tie. (note 5) Theobvious implication is that a religion ties people towhat is sacred. Kimball makes this important

point in the following manner: For the vastmajority of people worldwide, their religioustraditionlike family, tribe, or nationanchorsthem in the world. Religious traditions providestructure, discipline, and social participation in acommunity. (note 6)

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2.1: Functions of Religion

What is intriguing about religion is that it hasbeen linking people together while creating andpreserving their cultures worldviews for

thousands of years.

Whether through institutions such as theCatholic Church, spiritual and social leaderslike the Buddha and Confucius, or theteachings of the Bible, Vedas, Koran, Torah,and I- Ching, people have always felt a need tolook outside themselves for the values they useto manage their lives.

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Perhaps religions most

enduring aspect has been its

attempt to address questionsabout mortality andimmortality, suffering, and theorigins of the universe.

As Malefijt notes, Religionprovides explanations andassigns values to otherwiseinexplicable phenomena.

(note 7)

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Religion also helps its adherents deal with issuesrelated to human conduct by serving as amechanism of social control by establishing notions

of right and wrong, transferring part of the burden ofdecision making from individuals to supernatural

powers, and reducing stress and frustration that

often leads to social conflict. (note 8)

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Nanda adds to the list of functions religion provides

when she observes that religion deals with the nature oflife and death, the creation of the universe, the origin ofsociety and groups within the society, the relationship ofindividuals and groups to one another, and the relation of

humankind to nature. (note 9)

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You will notice that the items highlighted by Nanda offercredence to the basic theme of this lecture: that the deepstructure of culture deals with issues that matter most topeople. Whether they are wondering about the firstcause of all things, or the reason for natural occurrences

such as comets, floods, lightning, thunder, drought,famine, disease, or an abundance of food, many peoplerely on religious explanations

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2.2: Religious Similarities

It should not be surprising that there are numeroussimilarities among the worlds great religions since they

all have the same major goalto make life and deathcomprehensible for their followers.

As Kimball points out, despite distinctive worldviews and

conflicting truth claims, most religious traditionsfunction in similar ways and even share some

foundational teachings. (note 10)

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Let us now look at some of these similarities:

A. Speculation

B. Sacred Scriptures

C. Rituals

D. Ethics

E. Safe Haven

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A. SPECULATION

Most people, from the

moment of birth to thetime of their death, askmany of the samequestions and face manyof the same challengesconcerningbewilderments anduncertainties about life.

As Osborne notes, Theyall express awe andhumility before themysteries of the

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From creation stories, such as the Bibles book of

Genesis, to detailed descriptions of heaven and hell, allreligions assist us in understanding where people camefrom, why they are here, what happens when they die,and why there is suffering. In short, it falls to religion to

supply the answers to these difficult and universalquestions.

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C. RITUALS

Most place a heavy emphasis on ritual. The Catholic isenjoined to attend Mass weekly. The Muslim is told topray five times daily, according to a set formula. TheHindu attends temple rituals frequently. The TheravadaBuddhist will often make a trip to the temple to pay his orher respects to the Buddha. (note 12)

Just what are these religious rituals? In their strictestform, Ritual consists of symbolic actions that representreligious meaning. (note 13)

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The function of ritual to a religion and culture isclearly spelled out by Malefijt: Ritual recalls past

events, preserving and transmitting the foundationsof society. Participants in the ritual become

identified with the sacred past, thus perpetuatingtraditions as they re-establish the principles bywhich the group lives and functions. (note 14)

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By engaging in rituals,

members not only recalland reaffirm importantbeliefs; they also feelspiritually connected totheir religion, develop a

sense of identity byincreasing social bondswith those who sharetheir views, and sense

that their life hasmeaning and structure.

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According to Haviland and colleagues,Rituals, orceremonial acts, are not all religious in nature. . . . Ritualserves to relieve social tensions and reinforce a groups

collective bonds.More than this, it provides a means ofmarking many important events and lessening the social

disruption and individual suffering of crises such asdeath. (note 15)

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Rituals take a variety of forms. They include traditionssuch as the lighting of candles or incense, the wearing ofcertain attire, and sitting, standing, or kneeling duringprayer.

There are rituals dealing with space (Muslims turningtoward Mecca when they pray) and others that callattention to events (Christians celebrating Christmas andEaster, and Jews marking the importance of Passover).

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The most common of all

rituals are rites of passagethat mark key stages in thehuman cycle of life.

According to Angrosino,

rites of passage are socialoccasions marking thetransition of members ofthe group from oneimportant life stage to the

next. Birth, puberty,marriage, and death aretransition points that areimportant in many differentcultures. (note 16)

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D. ETHICS

Religion has played a prominent role in the regulation ofhuman behavior. Almost every religious traditiondiscriminates between acceptable and unacceptableconduct.(note 17)

These ethical teachings about what is right and wrongalso have much to say about a cultures core values.(note 18) In most instances the bond between religion

and ethics can be seenin specific religious laws.

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The word reciprocityis a good description for Confucianethics. People should avoid doing to others what theywould not want done to them. They should do thosethings that they would like done to themselves. (note19)

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E. SAFE HAVEN

All religions provide their members with a sense ofsecurity. Macionis summarizes this sense of security:Religious beliefs offer the comforting sense that thevulnerable human condition serves a great purpose.

Strengthened by such beliefs, people are less likely tocollapse in despair when confronted by lifes calamities.(note 20)

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Reminder:

Please remember that religion is but one kind of

worldview, and even a secular person who says, Thereis no God has likely found answers to the largequestions about the nature of truth, how the worldoperates, life, death, suffering, and ethical relationships.

One clear example of a secular worldview would be anextreme form of nationalism.

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According to Smart,nationalism as a worldview

has many of the sameappurtenances of areligion. (note 21) That isto say, its adherents haverituals, ethical precepts, and

the like.

The important point, asnoted by Ridenour, is torealize that everyone has a

worldview whether or nothe or she can recognize orstate it. (note 22)

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4. Conclusion

Worldview is a cultures orientation toward God,humanity, nature, the universe, life, death, sickness, andother philosophical issues concerning existence.

Although worldview is communicated in a variety of ways

(such as secularism and spirituality), religion is thepredominant element of culture from which onesworldview is derived.

Although all religions have some unique features, they

share many similarities. These include, among otherthings, speculation about the meaning of life, sacredscriptures, rituals, ethics, and a safe haven for theirmembers.

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Notes:

1. B. J. Walsh and J. R. Middleton, The Transforming Vision(Downers Grove,IL: InterVarsity Press, 1984), 32.

2. W. A. Haviland, H. E. L. Prins, D. Walrath, and B. McBride, CulturalAnthropology: The Human Challenge, 11th ed. (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth,2005), 340.

3. S. Nanda and R. L. Warms, Cultural Anthropology, 9th ed. (Belmont, CA:Wadsworth, 2007), 373.

4. S. Prothero, Religious Literacy(New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2007),222.

5. M. P. Osborne, One World, Many Religions: The Ways of Worship(NewYork: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996), vii.

6. C. Kimball, When Religion Becomes Evil(New York: HarperCollins

Publishers, 2002), 196.7. A. Malefijt, Religion and Culture: An Introduction to Anthropology of Religion

(Prospect Heights, IL: WavelandPress, 1968), 145.

8. G. Ferraro, Cultural Anthropology: An Applied Perspective, 6th ed.,(Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth,2006), 356360.

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9. S. Nanda, Cultural Anthropology, 5th ed. (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1994),

349.10. C. Kimball, When Religion Becomes Evil(New York: HarperCollins

Publishers, 2002), 22.

11. M. P. Osborne, One World, Many Religions: The Ways of Worship(NewYork: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996), iv

12. N. Smart, Worldview: Crosscultural Explorations of Human Beliefs, 3rd. ed.(Upper Saddle River, NJ: PrenticeHall, 2000), 9-10.

13. M. B. McGuire, Religion: The Social Context, 5th ed. (Belmont, CA:Wadsworth,2002), 17.

14. A. Malefijt, Religion and Culture: An Introduction to Anthropology ofReligion(Prospect Heights, IL: WavelandPress, 1968), 193

15. D. Prager and J. Telushkin, The Nine Questions People Ask AboutJudaism. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1981), 112.

16. M. V. Angrosino, The Culture of the Sacred: Exploring the Anthropology ofReligion(Prospect Heights, IL: WavelandPress, 2004), 97.

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17. T. A. Robinson and H. Rodrigus, World Religions: A Guide to Essentials

(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2006), 14.18. J. Scarborough, The Origins of Cultural Differences and Their Impact on

Management(Westport, CT: QuorumBooks, 1998), 3.

19. W. Matthews, World Religions(Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2007),91

20. J. J. Macionis, Society: The Basics, 4th ed. (Upper Saddle River, NJ:Prentice Hall, 1998), 319..

21. N. Smart, Worldview: Crosscultural Explorations of Human Beliefs, 3rd. ed.(Upper Saddle River, NJ: PrenticeHall, 2000), 23.

22. F. Ridenour, So Whats the Difference?(Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2001),7.

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Main Reference:

1. Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., McDaniel, E. R. (2009).

Communication between cultures(12th ed.). CA:Wadsworth.

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Lecture 4 Four Printing