Molloy Chapter One Objectives

1
Molloy Chapter OneObjectives

• Discuss the role and function of religion in
  human life.
• Describe theories of the origin of religion.
• Describe the series of characteristics used to
  identify a religion.
• Discuss conceptions of the sacred.
• Discuss the importance of symbolism in religion.
• Explain the three patterns for comparing and
  contrasting religions.
• Know the value and benefits of studying religion.

2
1-1 The Role and Function of Religion

• Where do we come from? Where are we going?
• What/Who are we?
• Why are we here? What do we do while were here?
• Mortality
• Meaning
• Morality

3
1-2 The Role and Function of Religion

• We are not just storytellers we are
  Storydwellers
• We live in our stories. We see and
  understand our world through them
• Four main types of sacred story
• Myths of Nature - oral religions (ch. 2) and
  some new religions (ch. 12)
• Myths of Harmony - Chinese Taoism and
  Confucianism (ch. 6)
• Myths of Liberation Hinduism (3), Buddhism
  (4), and Jainism (5)
• Myths of History Judaism (8), Christianity (9),
  and Islam (10)

4
1-3 Key Theorists of Religion

• Tylor FrazierBelief in Spirits. Human appease
  or channel power of Spirits (Animism)
• JamesBrings Meaning and Vitality (healthy)
• FreudProjection of Childhood Experience
  (pathology)
• JungIndividuation Personal Development
  archtypes symbols
• OttoSense of the Holy mysterium tremendum et
  fascinans

5
1-4Key Terms

• AnimismNature filled with Spirits
• PolytheismMany Gods
• MonotheismOne God
• PantheismAll is God
• AtheismNo God or Gods (today used most often for
  the denial/rejection of God)
• NontheismA system that does not include or
  need" a God (tradl. Buddhism)
• AgnosticismCannot Know Existence of God
• TranscendentSacred is Beyond this World
• ImmanentSacred is Within this World

6
1-5 Development?

• Schmidtoriginal monotheism lesser or other gods
  and spirits later (a Biblical view?)
• Monotheism superseded Polytheism
• Evolution from Animism to Polytheism to
  Monotheism (a Christian bias?)
• Grand developmental theories risk bias and
  oversimplification
• Religious Studies today is more comparative
  considering merits of all

7
1-6 What makes Religion Religion?

• Re-ligo - to tie together, reconnect (think of
  ligament)
• Classically Religio respect or awe for the
  sacred proper observance of ceremony (cult
  care for the deities) conscientiousness
• By extension, then, religion tying ones life
  together (hub of a wheel not a spoke)

8
1-7 Can we list essential elements or
characteristics?

• Belief system provides a worldview an ordered
  way of constructing reality
• Community a social reality promotes
  cohesiveness, sense of belonging
• Central myths foundational stories
• Ritual beliefs and central stories are acted
  out (performed)
• Ethics a code of behavior oriented toward,
  often generated by the sacred
• Emotional experiences awe, dread, guilt,
  conversion, purification/liberation, devotion,
  ecstasy, peace
• Material expression art, music, sounds (bells),
  smells (incense), masks clothing
• Sacred persons, places, things

9
1-8 Symbolic Language

• Religious expression is symbolic
• Words, actions, physical objects tangible human
  experiences
• are employed to express what is ultimately
  inexpressible

10
1-9 Patterns among Religions1. Orientations

• (Patterns are not conceptual straitjackets)
• SacramentalEmphasizes Ritual
• External experiences literally symbolize sacred
  reality
• PropheticEmphasizes Belief and Morality
• More interior, cerebral
• MysticalEmphasizes Sense of Oneness with God or
  the Universe
• Focus on loss of self in the sacred immediate
  experience
• Note that these are not mutually exclusive but
  represent emphases

11
1-10 Patterns among Religions 2. Varied
Attitudes or Worldview Among Religions

• Sacred RealityTranscendent or Immanent Personal
  or Impersonal
• UniverseCreated or Eternal
• NaturePerfect or Imperfect (cf. dualism)
• TimeCyclical or Linear
• Human BeingsIndividual Important or Part of
  Nature and Society
• Words and ScripturesValuable or Inadequate
• Exclusiveness vs. Inclusiveness

12
1-11 Patterns Among Religions3. Male and Female

• Ancient importance of the feminine
• Rise of male dominance (nevertheless, feminine
  hasnt disappeared see box on p. 15)
• Renewed emphasis on female equality and new roles
  for women in society influence new consideration
  of nature of sacred and revival of ancient
  religious sensibilities

13
1-12 A Multitude of Methods

• Many angles from which to study religion
• Ours is a phenomenological method - observation
  of how humans are religious
• This is a comparative method of religion
• Seek to understand sympathetically
• Find patterns that reveal commonality
• Differentiate among religions to reveal
  uniqueness
• A warning 1) The researcher must be aware of
  her/his own presuppositions and biases. It is
  easy to impose categories on the other. 2) Can
  we ever really speak of the typical ?