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Anthropology of Religion - ANT 497 MW 13:15-14:30 Room 311 Professor Mark Stefanovich -E-mail: [email protected] Office Hours by appointment Room 226 Fall 2002 Syllabus Goal The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the anthropological study of religion. We will consider the theories, methods, and specific approaches to religion developed by anthropologists and look for the general patterns and differences found in the world's religions. Course Objectives: 1/ Gain a general familiarity with anthropological approaches to the study of belief systems 2/ Understand the role of belief systems in society. 3/ Be aware of and be tolerant to the variety of religious traditions that exist worldwide. Course Premises: 1/ all belief systems can be studied cross-culturally 2/ all belief systems are potential candidates for study 3/ the validity of non-empirical philosophical foundations cannot be ascertained 4/ the importance of beliefs to the believers and its role in society can be studied Required text: Religion and Culture: An Anthropological Focus Raymond Scupin editor Prentice Hall 2000 Requirements: Assignments and Due dates will be assigned in class and posted on the web. Homework: 1. Three short written commentaries/essays on specific themes developed from the text (approximately 5 pages each – 15 points each) to be assigned. (Total 45 points) 2. Major research (20-25 pages) paper on a theoretical topic to be determined in consultation with the instructor (Total 45 points) DUE last day of class 3. Participation in Class Discussion: (10%) Students are expected to participate actively in class discussion and comment on visual presentations and film questionnaires. Due to time restrictions some longer video presentations will be done at alternate times in agreement with the majority of students. GRADES: A=100%-94%; A-=93%-90% B+=89%-87%; B=86%-84%; B-=83%-80% C+=79%-77%; C=76%-74; C-=73%-70% D+=69%-67%; D=66%-64%; D-=63%-60% F=0 Synoptic Syllabus based on the required text Religion and Culture: an Anthropological Focus Week Sept 9-11 I. Introduction i. Discipline of Anthropology ii. Characteristics of Culture iii. Religion an Anthropological Definition Sept 16-18 II. Sept 23-25 III. Sept 30- Oct 2 IV. Early Anthropological Perspectives on Religion i. Rationalist Approaches ii. Antinationalist Approaches iii. Freud Contemporary Anthropological Perspectives on Religion i. F. Boas, B. Malinowski, E. E. Evans-Pritchard ii. Mary Douglas, Victor Turner, Clifford Geertz Myth and Folklore i. Issues of Myth ii. Folklore and Myth 1. Definition of Folklore 2. Legend versus Myth 3. Myth and Story iii. Review of Myth Theories 1. The Ancients 2. Medieval, Renaissance, and Enlightenment Periods 3. The Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries a. Nature Mythology 4. Early Modern Theorists a. Myth and Ritual 5. Modern Theorists a. The Psychoanalytical Approach b. Functionalist Interpretations of Myth c. The Structuralism Study of Myth: Claude Lévi Strauss iv. Myth and Science Oct. 7 V. Oct. 9, 14-16 VI. Oct. 14-16 VII. Ritual i. Defining Ritual ii. Ritual and Social Life iii. Ritual Symbolism and Cultural Meanings iv. The Ritual Process 1. Rites of Passage 2. The Social and Ritual Body v. Ritual and Performance 1. Ritual and Theater vi. Ritual and Power 1. Ritual and the Invention of Tradition 2. Ritual and Rebellion Shamanisms; Past and Present i. Defining Shamanisms ii. Explaining Shamanisms 1. Siberian Shamanisms 2. Tohono O’odham (formerly known as Papago) Christian Shamanism – Southern Arizona US 3. Shamanism, Terror, and the Putumayo of Columbia Sorcery and Witchcraft i. Traditional theories ii. Regional Perspectives iii. Witchcraft and Sorcery in Early Modern Europe: 1450-1750 iv. Gender and witchcraft v. Sorcery, Witchcraft, and Social Change in the non-Western World vi. Some Contemporary Approaches to the Study of the Occult vii. Contemporary Witchcraft Oct 21-23 Fall Break Begins October 25-November 3, 02 VIII. Aboriginal Religions i. Native American Religions 1. Colonialism and religious Change Among the Inuit ii. Traditional religion Among the Iroquois iii. Religion Among the Plains Indians 1. The Plains Indians and Revitalization Movements 2. The Peyote Cult iv. Native Peoples of the Pacific 1. Traditional Religion among the Aborigines 2. Colonialism and religious Change for indigenous Australians v. Traditional Melanesian Religion 1. Revitalization Movements Among the Melanesian Islanders vi. Traditional Chiefdoms: Traditional Hawaiian Religion 1. Colonialism and religious Change Among Hawaiians 2. Religious revitalization in Hawaii Nov. 4 IX. African Religions i. Agents of African Religions ii. Ritual in African Religions iii. Religious Specialists iv. Healing in African religions v. Christianity and New religious Movements in Africa Nov. 6 X. Classical Religions of the Old World i. Egyptian Religion ii. Syro-Mesopotamian iii. Greek and Roman Religion Nov. 11 XI. New World Religions of Mesoamerica and North America i. Maya Religion ii. Teotihuacán Religion iii. Aztec Religion iv. Chaco Canyon and Missippiian Cultures Nov. 13-18 XII. Vedic and Hindu Traditions i. Representing Hinduism: Scholarship and Stereotypes ii. South Asian Civilizations: beginning points iii. Indo-Aryans and the Vedas iv. Rig Veda v. Brahmanas and Ritual Sacrifice 1. The Upanishads and Challenges to Brahmanical Authority 2. The Emergence of Classical Hinduism 3. Temple Worship 4. Foreign Rulers in India 5. Being a Hindu in Modern India 6. Caste Identity and Modern Hinduism 7. Woman and the Practice of Hinduism 8. Hinduism and National Political Identity Nov. 20-25 XIII. Buddhism i. Origins of Buddhism ii. Emergence of the Sangha iii. Doctrine 1. Nature and cause of suffering 2. Transcendence of Suffering 3. Canonization of the Doctrine iv. Schisms within the order and the Spread of Buddhism 1. Vajrayana Buddhism 2. Decline of Buddhism in India v. Anthropology of Buddhism vi. Buddhism and Animism vii. Himalayan Buddhism viii. Buddhism, House holding and Hierarchy ix. Monastic Solutions to problems of Succession and Status x. Buddhism and Shamanisms xi. Buddhism and Nationalism Nov 27-Dec 2 XIV. Judaism i. Central Beliefs ii. Texts iii. Orthodox, Reform and conservative Judaism iv. Religion or Ethnicity v. Hebrew Calendar and the Ritual Cycle vi. Life Cycle and Rites of Passage vii. Holocaust and Israel Dec 4 XV. Protestantism i. Beliefs ii. Development of Protestantism iii. Dimensions of Diversity iv. Relation to the Temporal World v. Governance vi. Biblical Literalism vii. The Supernatural viii. Anthropology of Protestantism ix. Protestantism and Economic behavior x. Protestantism and Social Action xi. Protestantism and Anthropological Theory xii. Protestantism and Power xiii. Protestantism and Gender roles xiv. Protestantism and Secularization Dec. 9-11 December 11 last day of class XVI. Islam i. Religious Texts of Islam ii. Spread of Islamic Civilization iii. Diversity within Islam The West and the Islamic World iv. Reformist, Nationalist, and Islamic Movements v. The Anthropology of Islam vi. Family and Marriage in Islamic Countries vii. The Veil and Seclusion viii. Islamic Revitalization XVII. New Age and Related Forms of Contemporary Spirituality i. Historical Background ii. Case Studies 1. Channeling 2. Harmonic Convergence 3. Neo-paganism 4. Scientology iii. The new Age as Postmodern Religion XVIII. Future Trends in Religion Assignments: Date Topic and readings