Download Lecture 4 Religion and Politics 2010

Week 4
Religion in Politics & Politics in Religion
Workshop
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Please support the interest of the group to
which you belong. Present a case for supporting
the status quo or changing it.
You may use a hypothetical state, or a real one
that has a policy like the scenario. Just make
sure that all group members are familiar with the
real state you use.
Three Relationships
Between State & Religion:
Government directly based on a state religion.
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Religion is separate domain, used to legitimize the ruling elite.
2.
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European Medieval divine right.
China
Religion provides underlying structures, beliefs and traditions
manipulated by aspirants to power.
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Pre-axial age states (Egypt, Judea)
Theocracies (Saudi Arabia, Morocco)
Lugbara
Christian right.
Religion can also be force of Resistance.
Sacred Legitimacy
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Shaman- Can serve as leader in egalitarian or
ranked society.
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Trance- not possession.
Shaman remains in control
 Involves drumming, music and dance.
 During the “flight” to the spirit world.
 Sometimes, altered state involves drugs
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Sacred Legitimacy
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Hunting Shamanism
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Calendrical rites to ensure success of hunting.
Nature spirits of wolf, bear eagle and plover.
 Communicated with animals, or spirits in charge of animals,
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create a pact to ensure that game lets itself be caught.
Spirit could be the “husband” or “wife” of Shaman;
often intimate or Erotic.
 Often a major advisor of where & when to hunt.
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Sacred Legitimacy
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Herding Shamanism
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Misfortune = transgression of rules by patrilineal kinsfolk;
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Cured illnesses & infertility.
Neglect of ancestors or malevolent spirits.
Protected kinsfolk from misfortune.
incest,
witchcraft etc.
Ancestors ensure fertility & well being of humans & animals.
Manipulation of Religious Symbols
Lugbara:
Uganda, Congo, Sudan
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Classic segmentary lineage system
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Local patrilineal kinship group: cluster of families.
Authority vested in age-set system.
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Junior men came into conflict with elders over land
& authority.
Lugbara
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Worked out by mystical means;
If someone fell sick & oracles showed opponent had
conjured ancestors to wreak illness, opponent gains
power
If dead invoked to gain or maintain status, accused =
witch.
Outside of minimal lineage, system didn’t work;
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usually resorted to duels or warfare.
Sorcery common accusation.
Rain Chiefs
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Kingaru: through connections with ancestors, able to
assure fertility & rain.
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Essential in agricultural society.
His power was dangerous;
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Could not plow the land;
If he touched the earth, could render it sterile.
19th century: unified different subchiefdoms under
ritual state-like structure.
His power was very circumscribed;
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chiefs on the edges had only weak alliance with him.
Sacred Grove—
Graves of old Vingaru
Kitembe (meeting house)
Open Courtyard
Kingaru’s home
Ritual area
States
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Virtually all preindustrial states claim at least
some degree of divine legitimacy.
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Secular & priestly bureaucracies kept separate.
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Priests: enormous power,
not normally expended on mundane functioning of
government.
 In charge of state sacrifices.
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Ancient Egypt
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In predynastic times-- Nomes.
Formed by union of upper (southern) & lower (northern)
kingdoms
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Kingdoms centered on Nile River, harnessing agriculture fed by periodic
floods.
Elements of Egyptian State recognizable over 1500 years.
But various dynasties, with different capitals.
Local gods often promoted to national concern.
 Many gods & goddesses personifications of natural
phenomenon.
 Ma’at- goddess of order, balance and harmony.
Personification of cosmic order.
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Ancient Egypt
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Pharaohs
Portrayed as gods.
 Cult of the living king.
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Ramses II: had elaborate statues of himself
alongside figures of gods.
Guaranteed and maintained the cosmic order
(Ma’at),
Ancient Egypt
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But subject to cosmic order
Gods were immortal; king was not.
 Incapable of working miracles
 Gods did not appear in earth, except through
statues.
 Pharaohs had to create tombs for themselves.
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Why did Egyptians believe a god could die?
Did ordinary Egyptians “buy into”
idea?
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A ruler envisioned as human/divine could
mediate between worlds.
Perhaps office was divine, but individual was
human?
Member of a divine bureaucracy.
Did ordinary Egyptians “buy into”
idea?
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Or, separation between state religion & ordinary
people’s beliefs.
Most of what we know comes texts of
rulers/priesthood.
Did ordinary Egyptians “buy into”
idea?
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Pharaoh who had access to the afterlife.
Ordinary Egyptians not so lucky?
Later dynasties: afterlife accessible to ordinary
Egyptians.
Book of the dead: collection of spells available to
members of cult groups.
Earliest spells only on rulers’ coffins or tombs
Religion is separate domain
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Legitimates Ruling Elite
Apotheosis of Former Political Dynasty.
Yoruba
 Rome
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Divine Right (Europe)
Sponsorship of Temples and Churches.
Political Philosophy (China)
Revitalization movements
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Community Crisis
A prophet
Who receives a revelation,
What is wrong with the world that they are
experiencing crisis
 Vision of a new world &
 a way to bring it about.
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Revitalization movements
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Wallace: “a conscious, deliberate effort on the part of
some members of society to create a more satisfying
culture.”
Millenarian movement: apocalyptic transformation of
the society through supernatural means.
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Messianic movement: messiah brings transformation
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Ghost dance.
Shining Path
Handsome Lake: envisioned a new faith; more adaptive to
reservation life.
Nativism & Revivalism: purge society of unwanted or
alien elements; or reinstitute a former era of happiness.
Cargo Cult:
New Guinea & Melanesia.
 Foreigners had magic
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goods consumed, but not made.
Cargo
created by ancestors;
 whites had only usurped the cargo
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New era to arrive - local people receive goods.