Anthropology and the study of Anthropology and the study of ReligionReligion

Sir Edward Burnett Sir Edward Burnett Tylor/ANIMISMTylor/ANIMISM

Tylor was a founder of Tylor was a founder of the anthropology of the anthropology of religionreligion

Tylor thought, religion Tylor thought, religion was born as a people was born as a people tried to understand tried to understand conditions and events conditions and events they could not explainthey could not explain

Tylor(cont)Tylor(cont)

Tylor believed that our ancestors were Tylor believed that our ancestors were particularly intrigued with death, dreaming particularly intrigued with death, dreaming and tranceand trance

Tylor believed that attempts to explain Tylor believed that attempts to explain dreams and trances led early humans to dreams and trances led early humans to believe that two entities inhabit the body, believe that two entities inhabit the body, one active during the day and the other-a one active during the day and the other-a double or soul –active during sleep and double or soul –active during sleep and trance statestrance states

Tylor named this belief “animism”Tylor named this belief “animism”

Tylor, animism and Tylor, animism and polytheismpolytheism

Animism is Animism is generally, belief generally, belief in spiritual beingsin spiritual beings

Tylor believed Tylor believed that religion had that religion had evolved through evolved through stages, beginning stages, beginning with animismwith animism

Tyler-contTyler-cont

Polytheism Polytheism Monotheism Monotheism Tylor thought Tylor thought

religion would religion would decline as science decline as science offered better offered better explanationsexplanations

Mana and TabooMana and Taboo An alternative to Tylor’s theories An alternative to Tylor’s theories

related to animism is that humans related to animism is that humans first saw the supernatural as a first saw the supernatural as a domain of impersonal power or domain of impersonal power or force(MANA), that people could force(MANA), that people could control under certain conditionscontrol under certain conditions

MANA AND TABOOMANA AND TABOO

In some places MANA was In some places MANA was attached to political officesattached to political offices

In some populations, the In some populations, the MANA of a given official MANA of a given official was so powerful that their was so powerful that their bodies were TABOO (set bodies were TABOO (set apart as sacred and off-apart as sacred and off-limits to ordinary people)limits to ordinary people)

MAGIC AND RELIGIONMAGIC AND RELIGION

MAGIC-supernatural techniques MAGIC-supernatural techniques intended to accomplish specific aimsintended to accomplish specific aims

MAGIC AND RELIGIONMAGIC AND RELIGION

TYPES OF MAGIC:TYPES OF MAGIC:

Imitative magicImitative magic

Contagious magicContagious magic

MAGIC AND RELIGIONMAGIC AND RELIGION

We find magic in cultures with We find magic in cultures with diverse religious beliefsdiverse religious beliefs

Magic can be associated with Magic can be associated with animism, polytheism and animism, polytheism and monotheismmonotheism

RELIGION AND MAGIC-RELIGION AND MAGIC- ANXIETY, CONTROL AND ANXIETY, CONTROL AND

COMFORT/SOLACECOMFORT/SOLACE Supernatural beliefs and Supernatural beliefs and

practices can help reduce practices can help reduce anxietyanxiety

Magical techniques can dispel Magical techniques can dispel doubts that arise when doubts that arise when outcomes are beyond human outcomes are beyond human controlcontrol

Supernatural beliefs help Supernatural beliefs help people face death and endure people face death and endure crisescrises

Malinowski, religion and Malinowski, religion and magicmagic Bronislaw Malinowski Bronislaw Malinowski

conducted research among the conducted research among the Trobriand IslandersTrobriand Islanders

He noted the use of magic He noted the use of magic during sailingduring sailing

He suggested that people turn He suggested that people turn to magic for matters they can’t to magic for matters they can’t control or when there is a gap control or when there is a gap in their knowledge or power in their knowledge or power while an activity/pursuit must while an activity/pursuit must be continuedbe continued

He argued that religion is born He argued that religion is born out of …”the real tragedies of out of …”the real tragedies of human life”human life”

RITES OF PASSAGERITES OF PASSAGE1.1. SeparationSeparation2.2. TransitionTransition

3.3. ReincorporationReincorporation

LIMINALITYLIMINALITYCOMMUNITASCOMMUNITAS

What is a “Ritual of What is a “Ritual of Inversion”Inversion”

TOTEMISMTOTEMISM

Totemism is a religion that Totemism is a religion that uses nature as a model for uses nature as a model for societysociety

Totems can be animals, plants Totems can be animals, plants or geographic featuresor geographic features

People relate to nature through People relate to nature through their totemic association with their totemic association with natural speciesnatural species

Totems are sacred emblems Totems are sacred emblems symbolizing common identitysymbolizing common identity

What are the categories of What are the categories of tatoos among the Shan?tatoos among the Shan?

Myth, Levi-Strauss and Myth, Levi-Strauss and structuralismstructuralism

Claude Levi-Strauss and Claude Levi-Strauss and MythMyth

Anthropology is also interested in religious Anthropology is also interested in religious and quasi-religious stories about and quasi-religious stories about supernatural entities or MYTHSsupernatural entities or MYTHS

Myths often include people’s own account Myths often include people’s own account of their creation, of the beginning of their of their creation, of the beginning of their world and the extraordinary events that world and the extraordinary events that affected ancestorsaffected ancestors

Myths tell of continuing exploits and Myths tell of continuing exploits and activites of deities or spirtis either in an activites of deities or spirtis either in an alternative world or as they come into alternative world or as they come into contact with mortalscontact with mortals

Myths express cultural beliefs and valuesMyths express cultural beliefs and values

Levi-Strauss and MythLevi-Strauss and Myth

A way of studying myth is structural A way of studying myth is structural analysis (structuralism)analysis (structuralism)

Structuralism does not attempt to Structuralism does not attempt to explain relations, themes and explain relations, themes and connections among aspects of culture connections among aspects of culture but at DISCOVERING thembut at DISCOVERING them

Structuralist method differs from Structuralist method differs from methods of gathering and interpreting methods of gathering and interpreting data ussually used in sciencesdata ussually used in sciences

Levi-Strauss and MythLevi-Strauss and Myth

Structuralism rests on the belief that Structuralism rests on the belief that human minds have certain human minds have certain characteristics which originate in characteristics which originate in features of the homo sapien brainfeatures of the homo sapien brain

These common mental structures These common mental structures lead people everywhere to think lead people everywhere to think similarly regardless of their society similarly regardless of their society or cultural backgroundor cultural background

Common features of myth and human Common features of myth and human mental structure (according to Levi-mental structure (according to Levi-

Strauss)Strauss) Need to classify:Need to classify:Need to impose order on aspects of nature, on Need to impose order on aspects of nature, on

people’s relationship to nature, and on relations people’s relationship to nature, and on relations between peoplebetween people

Binary Oppositions-although many things in our Binary Oppositions-although many things in our lives are similar, we treat them as being more lives are similar, we treat them as being more different than they are; things that are different than they are; things that are quantitatively different are made to seem quantitatively different are made to seem absolutely dissimilarabsolutely dissimilar

*there is a need to convert differences of degree *there is a need to convert differences of degree into differences of kindinto differences of kind

Application of Levi-Strauss’ Application of Levi-Strauss’ structuralismstructuralism

Myths have simple building blocks (mythems)Myths have simple building blocks (mythems) One myth can be converted to another by :One myth can be converted to another by :

1.1. Converting the positive element of a myth into Converting the positive element of a myth into its negativeits negative

2.2. Reversing the order of the elementsReversing the order of the elements

3.3. Replacing a male hero with a female heroReplacing a male hero with a female hero

4.4. Preserving or repeating certain key elementsPreserving or repeating certain key elements

Religion and cultureReligion and culture

Religions are parts of particular Religions are parts of particular cultures and cultural differnces show cultures and cultural differnces show of systematically in religious beliefs, of systematically in religious beliefs, practices and institutionspractices and institutions

Shamanic religionsShamanic religions CommunalCommunal OlympianOlympian monotheisticmonotheistic

Questions from Chapter 12Questions from Chapter 12

How do we define religion?How do we define religion? What is a “cargo cult”?What is a “cargo cult”? What is a “world religion”?What is a “world religion”?