Since 1960’s: people worldwide have become more “religious” than predicted

On the rise: televangelism, fundamentalisms, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Pentecostalism, Neo-paganism

Still going strong: belief in afterlife, heaven, angels, miracles, power of prayer to heal

Holistic: studying humans societies as systematic sums of their parts, as integrated wholes

Comparative: we are able to gain insight into a culture by comparing it to another

Multiple Perspectives: we look for the dominant or “hegemonic” way of thinking as well as the various counter-perspectives

5 interconnected subfields: Physical, Archaeology, Linguistics, Cultural, Applied

Started out investigating small-scale, nonwestern societies (1880’s) v. large-scale, industrialized societies

Methodology: Ethnographic = participant-observation, interviews, life histories, “deep hanging out,” field notes, photography, video, key informants, long-term collaborations

Ethnocentrism: using your own culture as the basis for interpreting and judging other cultures

* Is it possible not to be ethnocentric?

Cultural Relativism: Attempting to understand and evaluate another culture on its own terms

* When do we have the responsibility to judge?

Anthropology CAN NOT:

Verify, disprove, or judge anyone’s religious or spiritual beliefs

Anthropology CAN:

Investigate relationships among: religious traditions, doctrines, & aspects of society (economy, culture, politics, media, etc.)

Offer new insights into your own religious traditions & cultures

Blurring boundaries between social sciences & humanities

Cultures: texts to be read and interpreted

Interpretation: way people make sense of differences

Creative Process: take something that makes sense in one context and figure out its meaning in another

“Native’s Point of View”: Perspective of people you are working with

Meanings are not private or in people’s heads but public & talked about everyday

People are sophisticated interpreters of their own culture

Anthropologists seek access to stories people tell themselves about themselves

“thick description”: layers of meaning stacked on top of each other

Cultural mixing at national & community borders

Borders are everywhere: groups once defined by religion, race, class, gender, sexuality (etc.) are in contact

Relationship between Power & Culture: analyze social inequality to move toward equality

Shift from looking at cultures as consistent wholes to looking at differences within cultures—difference is more typical than sameness

Culture is emergent (always being created) & contested (always being debated)

VALUES = widely shared assumptions in a society (eg. “freedom,” “equality”)

BELIEFS = cultural conventions concerning true or false assumptions, individual variation, not subject to scientific method (eg. ghosts, omens)

WORLDVIEW = Beliefs & assumptions about the nature of reality (eg. the nature of human nature)

COSMOLOGIES = beliefs & assumptions about how we are interconnected with the universe (who are we?, where did we come from?, why are we here?)

NORMS = right or wrong behavior according to society (eg. the appropriate family)

MORES = core rules for maintaining a decent & orderly way of life; upheld by law (eg. ten commandments)

SPIRITUALITY = supernatural experience, intensely personal or private experience (how do we research this?)

A religion is a :1.System of symbols which acts to2.Establish powerful, pervasive, & long-

lasting moods and motivations in men by3.Formulating conceptions of a general

order of existence and4.Clothing these conceptions with such an

aura of factuality that5.The moods & motivations seem uniquely

realistic

Symbol = external source of information publically shared within a society

Ex. The meaning of Jesus ChristSon of God who died for our sinsHuman sufferingHuman sacrificeHopeHuman goodness

Moods = religions teach us how to feel about humanityEx. Reflecting on the crucifixion or human suffering

Motivations = religions teach us what to work towards or hope forEx. Eternal salvation, inner peace, enlightenment

Religions teach a particular worldview that helps to provide meaning or purpose in life

Religions provide us with ways to endure pain, suffering, injustice

Ex. Belief in Satan, karma, the law of 3-fold, etc.

We come to believe in metaphysical ideas about spirits, souls, revelations through participating in RITUALS

Deeper religious realities are reached through rituals

Ex. Catholic mass, Jewish Passover, Native American sweat lodges, pilgrimages to holy places, etc.

Religions teach us to experience, inhabit, or believe in an underlying spiritual reality that fulfills a purpose in our lives

Religions are based on faith & commitment, not the scientific method

Ex. Religious practice can make us feel hopeful, grounded, happy, etc.

All humans share in the “human condition”

No room for “extreme cultural relativism”: anthropologists bear the responsibility to publicize violent practices so as to protect human rights

Understanding & respecting differences in religion & culture will lead towards respect for all human beings, a perspective that will create a more peaceful & sustainable world