ANTH 222 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Edward Burnett Tylor, Venus Figurines, Fetal Position
Document Summary
Etymology (latin religo, to tie together or to recollect . Tend to make it more difficult to study non western traditions. Tend to assume religion has: single sacred text, hierarchy and authoritative body, formalized belief systems, trained clergy that serve lay-persons. Religion is any set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices including: cosmology (the nature of the universe, spiritual realm, rituals. Religion differs a great deal from culture to culture. Cross-cultural perspective: seeks to understand religion by comparing cultures. Holistic(this is how religion works): situates religion in the larger cultural system, including economy, politics, natural environment, social organization, etc. Participant observation: religion is studied through directly observing practice, rather than focusing on sacred texts or belief systems. Cultural relativism: the position that all religions deserve respect and each of them is a product of historical and cultural contexts (no religion is considered better, more advanced, etc. )
