Religion Anthropology

Why is it difficult to study religion?

• People view their religion is true or truer than other

• Many anthropologists in the past were closed minded

• A and B are correct

• It's not difficult

Radcliffe Brown states that anthropologists should look for the social function religion provides. Which two questions help determine this?

• How much truth is in the religion?

• What are the interconnections between religion and culture?

• What features does religion reveal about human culture?

• How does religion effects the behavior of the group?

What principles do anthropologists need to apply when studying religion?

• Holism

• Cross-cultural

• Cultural Relativism

• All of the above

What is the meaning of religion?

• The belief of spiritual beings - E. B. Taylor

• Unified systems of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things - Durkheim

• A set of rituals rationalized by belief - Wallace

• A systems of symbols that establish long-lasting moods and motivation - Greezer

• There is no one definition

Which one is NOT a function of religion?

• Explanation

• Control/Guide

• Legitmation

• Power

Explanation of religion is?

• Explaining the origins and causes of the world, cultural issues, and why bad things happen.

• Explaining what came first the chicken or the egg?

• Explaining existence

• Explaining fortune and Misfortune

Which one is not part of the control/guide function of religion?

• Directs political and human behaviors

• Sets Rules and Standards

• Reaffirms facts

• Provides models or paradigms of behaviors

What does legitimizations mean?

• Reaffirming natural and cultural facts (Why does death exist? Why is it good and right?)

• A charter for humans to organize themselves in a particular way.

• Superior to other because the author - religious entities- created the order and thus is not corrupted by the imperfect humans.

• All of the above

• None of the above

What are the two religious entities

• Beings and Forces

• Beings and Belief

• Forces and Ritual

• Forces and Belief

• Belief and Ritual

What is the definition of beings

• Souls

• non-human spirit without a body

• non-human spirit with a body

• God

• Ghost