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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