Small Scale and World Religions

Sufi initiates—known as “Whirling Dervishes”—performing the Sema ceremony

Small-Scale Belief Systems

• Animism– Earliest form of religion– anima: Latin for soul– People have souls or spirits as well as physical

body– Natural world is imbued with spirits

Belief Systems: Magic

• Magic– The ability to manipulate supernatural forces– Why?

• Cannot control all possible outcomes in the world by natural means

• An attempt to control the uncontrollable

Belief Systems: Magic• Two Types of Magic

– Imitative Magic• Based on Law of Similarity: alike things are the same• Procedure mimics result

– Healing magic (use substances similar to the ailment or affected area to treat illness)

– Image magic (think vodou dolls)

– Contagious Magic• Things once in contact with a person will still influence

them after separation, Law of Contact– Hair, fingernails, clothing once belonging to a person can be

used against them

Belief in Magic• Why Magic works:

– We see coincidence as causation• Events happen that, looking back, are seen as magic

– Magic never appears to fail – Brings about events that naturally/eventually

happen• Rain eventually comes, for example• If it doesn’t, the ritual was probably not performed

correctly– Placebo effect

• e.g. Aboriginal bone-pointing death ritual (Kurdaicha)

Types of Supernaturals• Many concepts of supernatural beings:

– Gods/Spirits– Zoomorphic supernaturals (animal)– Anthropomorphic supernaturals– Pantheons/polytheism (many gods)– Monotheism– Ancestors

Anubis, jackal-headed Egyptian god of death

Offerings to ancestors during Chuseok: traditional Korean ceremonial harvest festival

Major World Religions

Major World Religions• Hinduism

– Mostly in India– Core texts: four Vedas– Rich polytheism, supporting Caste system– Began over 1200 years ago

• Buddhism– Began in Northern India, 6th century BC– Arose as protest against inequality of Hinduism– No single text, some groups worship the Buddha,

others do not– Many Hindu concepts kept, but all can reach nirvana

Major World Religions• Judaism

– Origin c. 500 BC– Core text: Tanakh

• The Torah, the Nevi’im, and the Ketuvim; corresponds to the Old Testament

– Early monotheism• Unusual step in ancient polytheistic past• Positives of monotheism: promotes stronger social

solidarity• Negatives of monotheism: everyone else’s belief is

wrong

Major World Religions• Christianity

– Began in 1st century, ties to Judaism– Christianity arose from the story of Jesus

• Jesus as divine Son of God established by the Church in 4th Century (Nicene Creed)

– The Trinity (God, Son, Holy Spirit) problematic for a monotheistic religion• 6th Century Creed, Trinitarian doctrine: all three are the same God• More important in Western vs. Eastern Christianity

– Texts: Old and New Testament– Three major branches: Roman Catholic (least common),

Eastern Orthodox, Protestant (most common)

Major World Religions• Islam

– Youngest, second largest world religion– Allah same as Jewish and Christian God in past– Abraham common link in all three

• Existed before Torah or Gospels, thus not specifically Judaic, Christian, or Muslim

• His sons, Isaac and Ishmael, were said to be Fathers of great nations

– Mohammad the last prophet sent by God• Moses, Jesus were previous prophets sent by God as well• Word of God revealed to Mohammad and compiled into the

Qur’an over 23 years– Major branches: Sunni, Shi’a

Religious Change• Religious Syncretism: merge traditional beliefs with new

elements– Vodou, Santería, Rastafari all syncretic

• Fundamentalism– Return to highly literal interpretations of texts– Possible with any established religion

• Cults: technically, a new, specific form of worship, a religion– Includes devotion to specific person or thing– Media use: new, dangerous, often doomsday movements– Some are dangerous

• “High-demand” religion – Extreme control/conformity

Marshall Applewhite, co –founder of Heaven’s Gate