Introduction to Religion

Systematic study of religion has two crucial aspects
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Terms in this set (22)
Systematic study of religion has two crucial aspects
1.) views religions as systems
2.) examines the sourced information
Rudolph Otto (1869-1931)
-talked about essence of religion (what makes experiences religious)
-influenced by Schleiermacher (feeling rather than reason), absolute dependence
-differed from Schleiermacher: not just a subjective internal feeling, there has to exist an object of that feeling
Numinous
-derivative of the Latin, Numen, meaning spirit, etymologically derived from the concept of divine will and represented by a nodding of the head
-linked to the notion of wholly other
-category of value and a state of mind
Numinous can be understood through the phrase
mysterium (different from anything we have ever known) tremendum (terrifying) et fascinans and majestas (fascinating, you want more, charm)
The Sacred
-represented an apriori category of the mind
-category that is entirely unique
-consists of rational and non-rational moments and the inevitable connection between the two
The Idea of the Holy
influenced by the theologian soderblom, who used the word holiness to encapsulate the activity of being religious
-Otto speaks of the idea of the holy and not the holy itself
-our mind can not conceive the sacred without including a non-rational or numinous element
-passive experience, numinous is a hidden mystery
Functionalist definition
-what religion does for its followers
-supernaturalist definition too narrow
-functionalist definition too wide
-functionalist definition must be treated with caution (they risk letting too much)
J.M Yinger (sociologist)
said religion can be defined asa system of beliefs and practices by means of which a group of people struggles with these problems of human life
-it expresses their refusal to capitulate to death, to give up in face of frustration, to allow hostility to tear apart their human aspiration
Paul Tillich
-ideas on ultimate concern
-religion is the state of ben grasped by the ultimate concern
-ultimate concern is something outside oneself but religion is the inner response of being grasped by it
-"the ground of our being"
"The ground of our being"
it is compelling and makes demands of the believer
Ultimate concernfaith/the futurerelative concernwhat is happening right nowThe Salient Features' approachcharacteristics that are typically associated with religions, and some scholars have suggested that a system of belief and practice might count as a religion if it possessed all or most such featuresNianian smart-preferred to talk about worldview because of the difficulty of drawing a line between religion and ideologyLudwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951)family resemblanceTypologies-a theoretical framework in which to study religion, or we run the risk of collecting unrelated information for obvious purpose, without making connections or understanding the whole subject-matter.The study of religion is not the same as the study of ______religionsWhy is it important to have a theoretical framework in which to study religion?-we run the risk of collecting unrelated information for obvious purpose, without making connections or understanding the whole subject-matterA number of sociologists of religion have developed _______ _______'s Church/sect typology to accommodate the varieties of religious phenomena that can be studied.Max WeberWhat are the two types of definitions for religion?structural and functionalStudy of religionsfocuses on specific religions, examining their origins, beliefs, and practicesStudy of religionfocuses on the methods of studying