ANTH 1003 Chapter : ANTH Ch 11
Document Summary
Religion- a social process that helps to order society and provide its members with meaning, unity, peace of mind, and the degree of control over events they believe is possible. Sacred narratives-myths that members believe are important creation and explanation. Proposes the existence of beings, powers, states, places, and qualities that can not be measured scientifically. Rituals and specific means of addressing the supernatural. Cosmology- system of beliefs that deals with fundamental questions in the religious and social order. Gives people a feeling of control over their destinies. Reinforces or challenges the social order by transmitting cultural values and knowledge. Religion provides a cosmology for interpreting events and experiences otherwise unexplainable. The creation of the universe, the origin of society, the relationship of individuals and groups to one another. Religious practices, such as prayer, sacrifice, magic, and other rituals, call on the help of supernatural beings, particularly where forces appear unpredictable and risky.
