An Dang (011902252)
R/ST 302
Professor Pandya
April 29, 2015
Religious Practice And Boundaries
The vastly different traditions of religion forms in the United States show that how diversity of worldwide people merged into one society and formed separate traditions all while dealing boundaries between religions in America. The mystery of religious belief beyond the definition is still and will always be a much-debated topic. Regardless of whether these arguments are ever resolved, it is important to bear in mind about the powers from Albanese‘s theory, which is a system of symbols by means of which people orient themselves in a world with reference to both ordinary and extraordinary powers, meanings, and values (Albanese). She also identified
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Ordinary religion shows people how to live well within boundaries, and concern themselves with living well in this current world, not in another. Ordinary religion promotes cultures, traditions, values, and common social acts. In contrast, extraordinary religion helps people to transcend beyond their ordinary culture and concerns, crosses the borders of life as we used to know it and seeks to new better place. It is also believed that people have chance to contact God through spiritual ceremonies and get helped by supernatural power. For instance, ceremonies and rituals of baptism and circumcision for infants, and conformations for adolescents, marriage, and funerals for the dead. Through these spiritual ceremonies, people are crossing the physical boundaries and reaching something supernatural that they believe will give them power to encounter challenges and difficulties during stages of life. There are three elements in religious belief developing most religions in America, which are fundamental, ritual, and tradition. The first element is the fundamental structures which are defined with a myth, philosophy, or theology and limited by the boundaries that create the basic ways in which people, cultures and communities imagine, define, and accept how things are and what they mean. A second essential element of religion is ritual. Rituals are a representative set of …show more content…
According to Peter Van der Veer’s article on “Syncretism, multiculturalism and tolerance”, “theologian Calixtus of Helmstadt was the first to use syncretism in theological debate to mean the sinking of theological differences, at a church conference in Thorn in 1645” (Veer 197). In other words, he explained syncretism as “an attempt to sink differences and effect union between sects or philosophical schools” or more simply, a “union of different, supposedly equal, theological viewpoints” (196-197). Vietnamese Catholic can be considered as a syncretic system derived from deeply rooted African beliefs and widely spread by colonial French Catholicism. However, when I came to the United States, I’ve learned that Americans usually think that the use of Peyote was wrong and they tried converting Natives to Christianity. However, Natives counter argued that their Peyote represented the version of their savior. This created syncretism between Native American religion and European Christianity religion because Catholics eat the “body of Christ” in the form of bread, and Natives eat peyote, which symbolizes Jesus. Peter Van der Veer concluded in his article of syncretism as “a term which in comparative religion refers to a process of religious amalgamation, of blending heterogeneous beliefs and
Moore investigates the attitudes, behavior, and perception of Americans regarding their respective individual sacred and secular lives. He is interested in the roles of popular culture and religion and in addition, how popular culture affected the shift in boundaries between sacredness and secularism, particularly how these practices shape American religion. We live in a complex society and social structure that is structured with norms and values that they themselves structure the way we interpret and interact with others.
Just as there is a variety of identities involving race, gender, and class, so too are there a range of religious identities. Byzantine Catholics, Hindus, born-again Evangelicals, atheists, agnostics, and Buddhists are only a few religious identities I have encountered in America. This environment, at best, allows religious variety to be understood and embraced—and at worst, divides us. In Acts of Faith, author Eboo Patel discusses his belief that the “faith line” will define conflict and concord in the 21st century.
In all, Rome was on a collision course off the maps. Rome was turned against itself and against its surroundings. Along with the dilemma of civil wars, Rome had many emperors who had themselves put to power illegally. The United States too, is set for defeat. Rome, nothing to something eventually fell, this will be the case for the United States as well.
the deities and attempt to explain the psychological necessity of these rituals. An examination will be made of the typical forms of rituals, and cite their effects,
Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the World's Religions. 5th Edition. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2010. 320-322. Print.
What is religion? Each person’s definition of religion is different. Each person’s faith is different. This is a question that has been asked for centuries, and regardless of the answer given there is no right or wrong answer. Religion can be defined as a group of people who have shared beliefs who feel their life has purpose or meaning. This feeling or belief that their life has meaning can come from outside of themselves, as well as within. Taking this one step further, these shared beliefs put into action in the form of worship, can be easily identified because they happen regularly. It can be said the Primal religions were in fact not religions. Some may argue Confucianism is not a religion. Others may say Taoism is not a religion. However, one argument can be made. All three of these “religions” share “features.” Huston Smith, author of World’s Religions, says “six features of religion appear so regularly as to suggest that their seeds are in the human makeup.” These six features discussed in World’s Religions are as follows: authority, ritual, explanation, tradition, grace, and mystery (World’s, Page 67). First is authority, Smith argues religion is so complex that people will need assistance or guidance from those held in a higher light, or of a higher authority. Next is ritual, which can be happy (a wedding) or sad (a funeral), rituals are shared between people of the same religion in many forms as a sign of common beliefs. Following rituals, some explanation is required. Many of a religion’s followers ask for explanations, some ask, “What is my purpose in life?” Others may ask, “Who is God?” Depending on one’s religion, the questions or
The growth of religious ideas is environed with such intrinsic difficulties that it may never receive a perfectly satisfactory exposition. Religion deals so largely with the imaginative and emotional nature, and consequently with such an certain elements of knowledge, the all primitive religions are grotesque to some extent unintelligible. (1877:5)
Africa has served as a place of religious encounter and change. Within Africa there is a unique blend of traditional religion and Western religions such as Islam and Christianity. Even in the modern day, neither traditional nor Western religions have eliminated the other. The religions coexist harmoniously within the African mindset. However, the way these religions coexist is not simply in the blending of the two, but rather in a culture of oscillation. Religious authorities create an environment where polyontology, but not syncreticism can thrive.
Syncretic refers to the "nature of ideas, deities, and practices that derive from historically distinct traditions that become reinterpreted and transformed in situations of a cultural encounter" (Carmack 303). The cultural encounter between Mesoamericans and the Catholic Church was a natural result of mutual needs. The Indians needed protection from the cruelties inflicted by Spanish colonists, and the Church in many ways fought for their basic human rights; the Church needed land and support for their missions, and the Indians provided provisions and labor in much the same fashion as they had been giving tribute to ruling elites for thousands of years (Fash). This arrangement gave missionaries access not only to the Indians’ bodies—in the form of sweat and labor—but also their hearts and souls.
Religion used to be the separation of the sacred from the profane. The sacred refers to that which is set apart from society, and mundane life. The profane, on the other hand, is everything else, all those mundane things like jobs, bills, and chores. Through religion, the practice of maintaining the distance between the two realms of the sacred and profane world is in tact. By attending church,
When one thinks of Ancient Rome, many images may come to mind. Perhaps gladiators fighting for the glory of their emperor, or the impressive Colosseum. For many others it is simply an image of a great and powerful city. Throughout the centuries it has maintained this legacy, still thought of as one of the greatest empires to ever rule. Rome was able to go from the small Italian city to the conquering empire that it is known for today through strong leadership and consistent warfare.
The Roman Republic had an upstanding infrastructure, a stable social system, and a balanced constitution that solidified Rome’s greatness. Regardless of its achievements, however, the Roman Republic owes much of its success to classical Greek cultures. These cultures, in conjunction with the fundamental values of Roman society, certified Rome as one of the most significant powers the world has ever seen.
Christianity’s role in America has rapidly changed over the last decades. Although it is still the most popular religion in the country its power over the people has decreased significantly. However, there are still many misconceptions towards American Christianity and in order to understand the unique nature of this religiously diverse country; one must understand its history and its citizens own views on the matter.
Smart, Ninian. "Blackboard, Religion 100." 6 March 2014. Seven Dimensions of Religion. Electronic Document. 6 March 2014.
Because of the colossal impact of religion in the countries surveyed the only accurate way to peek at how these people understanding themselves and their place in the world is to first have an understanding of the major religion or religions that are at work within a given society. But that statement demands the question, how is it that through religion we define ourselves? My research relies heavily on the inte...