STUDY NOTES FOR TEST 1

Substantive definitions: focus on” what religion is”

-> The necessary, essential features of religion

Functionalist definitions: focus on “what religion does”

-> The roles, functions, or effects of religion

Religion as classification: This approach deals with categorizing and differentiating between
various religions. It examines how different religions are defined and distinguished based on
their beliefs, practices, rituals, and historical development.
RLST investigates those aspects of the human experience associated with “religion”; e.g.:
• Ritual behaviour
• Worldviews, cosmology (the study of understanding the universe)
• Space
• Body, gender
• Socio-economics
• Material culture
• Cultural identity, family heritage, or nationhood
• Organization, categorization (e.g., space, behavior)

EB Tylor (1832-1917): An anthropologist who proposed animism: “[Religion is] the belief in
Spiritual Beings.” as the earliest form of religion. He suggested that primitive cultures believed
in spiritual beings and souls, laying the foundation for more complex religious systems.
James Frazer (1854-1941): Focused on comparative religion and mythology, highlighting the
role of magic and religion in human society. Religion is a product of magic and superstition.
Quote:
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917): Emphasized the social functions of religion in fostering group
cohesion and collective conscience. Quote: Society as Sacred: “A religion is a unified system of
beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden –
beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community called a Church, all those who
adhere to them.”
Karl Marx (1818-1883): Viewed religion as the "opiate of the masses," a tool used by ruling
classes to maintain control by providing an illusion of happiness in the afterlife. Quote:” Religion
is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless
conditions. It is the opium of the people.”

Concepts of God, god, gods: “Religion is all about god.”

1. Christianity, Monotheism: Belief in one, all-powerful God. Christianity is a major
monotheistic religion. Example: Christianity, like Judaism and Islam, is monotheistic,
believing in one omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent God.
2. Polytheism: Belief in many gods, each with different powers or aspects. Example: The
belief in multiple gods, each with specific attributes and responsibilities. Ancient Greek,
Roman, and Hindu religions are typical examples.
3. Henotheism: A belief in one primary God without denying the existence or possible
worship of other deities. This was evident in some early forms of Hebrew religion before
full-fledged monotheism.
4. Atheism: Disbelief in the existence of God or gods.
5. Non-theism: Not centered on the question of God's existence; the focus may be on
ethical, philosophical, or naturalist views.

6. Personal God 7. Impersonal God

A personal god is a deity who can be
related to as a person instead of as an
impersonal force1. This god is often
described as having human-like
characteristics, such as emotions and the
ability to form relationships1. Examples of
personal gods include:
1. Christianity: God is believed to
be a personal creator, speaking in
the first person and showing
emotions1. Jesus (or God the Son)
and God the Father are believed to
be two persons or aspects of the
same God1.
2. Islam: While Islam rejects the
notion of a personal god as
anthropomorphic, it does believe
in a personal relationship with
God1.
An impersonal god, on the other hand, is
often associated with natural forces or
abstractions that do not necessarily have a
personality2. This god is often described
as an energy or force without any personal
qualities3. Examples of impersonal gods
include:
1. Hinduism: Brahman, the supreme
reality, is often described as an
impersonal force4.
2. Greek Mythology: Gods like
Nike, the goddess of victory, or
Helios, the sun, are considered
impersonal gods2.

6. Confucianism, Heaven / tian: In Confucianism, Tian (Heaven) is a moral force; it's

about living in harmony with the cosmos.
7. Hinduism, Brahman, atman: In Hinduism, Brahman is the ultimate reality or world
soul; Atman is the individual soul.
8. Theravada vs. Mahayana conceptions of the Buddha: Theravada views Buddha more
as a teacher, while Mahayana sees him as a divine being and savior.
9. Shinto, Kami, Inari: Shinto is a Japanese religion with a focus on Kami (spiritual
beings). Inari is a popular kami associated with fertility and rice. The word “Shinto” is
derived from the Japanese words “shin”, meaning gods or spirits, and “to” or “do”, meaning
way or path12. So, “Shinto” literally translates to “the way of the gods” or "the way of the
spirits
10. Animism: Religion is the belief in Spiritual Beings. The belief that objects, places, and
creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence.
11. Syncretism: The blending of different religious beliefs and practices.
12. Dao (Taoism): A Chinese philosophy/religion centered on living in harmony with the
Dao, the fundamental principle that is the source of everything.
13. om, yin-yang: Om is a sacred sound in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Yin-Yang is a
Taoist concept highlighting the balance of opposites.
14. born Shintō, die Buddhists: Refers to the Japanese practice of following Shinto rituals
for life events but Buddhist customs for death and afterlife.
15. Shangri-la: A fictional, utopian place, often used metaphorically to denote an idyllic
hideaway or paradise.
16. Orientalism: A term used to describe the Western representation of the Eastern cultures,
often stereotyped, and distorted.