RELI 10023 IDEAS AND ISSUES

worldviews: ways of looking at the world (traditional and modern)

religion: inquiry into ultimate meaning, concern, reality; includes belief and action

where do we come from and go to, why are we here?

aims of study: pluralism--seeing global diversity and understanding others on their

terms, includes respect and appreciation, “mental migration”

leads to increased self-understanding

this is not relativism, must evaluate after understanding

studying religion vs. being religious, bias and interests inevitable

everything is a point of view, including “everything is a point of view”

worldviews are profoundly conditioned by cultural and historical context,

given when children, so simply seems true (Nacirema)

Modern academic study of religion

beginnings: Western colonialism, rise of historical and scientific study, concept of

evolution; ideas of animism (“spirits”), polytheism (objects person-alized),

totemism (symbols uniting group), and magic (utilitarian)

religion as projection, effect of socioeconomic and/or psychological forces,

functions to socialize and control, justify order, give comfort (“opium of masses”)

psychology of religion: Wm. James, Freud, Jung

sociology of religion: Marx, Durkheim, Weber

anthropology of religion: myth and ritual make sense and give meaning to a culture

history of religions: fieldwork in cultural setting, learn languages and

context, attention to historical conditions and plurality within traditions

phenomenology of religion: cross-cultural patterns/structures,

comparisons, neutral epoche

Six dimensions of worldviews:

experiential, mythic, doctrinal, ethical, ritual, social

“blocs of belief”: see Smart, pp. 36-37; also note current diaspora

nationalism: patriotism, Japanese Imperial Rescript, Pledge of Allegiance

scientific humanism: this-worldly happiness, pluralism, individualism

Christian humanism: Paul Tillich, religion as ultimate (human) concern

cosmologies: scientific, animist, theistic, monistic

experiential dimension:

numinous and shamanic experiences, theism and love relationships, strong feeling

Oracle possession, speaking in tongues, Radha and Krishna

mystical experiences: monism (all being one), Pseudo-Dionysius and Divine Dark

Plato and cave, appearance vs. reality

threefold yogic practice and four noble truths of Buddhism, mindful meditation

mythic dimension: stories making sense of existence, symbols important

cosmogonies: Genesis, Rig Veda, science

modernity and myth as “false story,” national myths