REL S 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Neolithic, Monolatrism, Henotheism
Document Summary
According to swidler: religion is an explanation of the ultimate meaning of life and how to live accordingly based on a notion and experience of the transcendent . Religions contain 4 cs: creed: statement of belief, code: ethics and customs/laws, cult: ritual activities, community: followers. Types of religion: monolatry, monotheism, monism, polytheism, henotheism, deism, dualism, agnosticism, atheism. Religion is useful, explains things, gives meaning. Creation stories of humans, animals and god(s) explanatory mechanism: prehistoric origins, based on. Burial customs irst religious customs by the neanderthals. Neanderthals: used human cadavers as food sources, human skulls found absent of other bones with brains removed. Cro-magnons: appeared 30,000 years ago, members of the species homo sapiens, hunter gatherers. Cave paintings suggest kindship between human and animal spirits; bear cult. 10,000 bc: revolutions in agriculture, great growth in population, expansion of the idea of female divine power to include.
