Transcript Theories of Religion - University of Mount Union

Theories of Religion
How many of them are there?
Four Men
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Edward B. Tylor
James George Frazer
F Max Muller
Lucien Levi-Bruhl
Edward B. Tylor
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http://anthro.palomar.edu/culture/images/Edward_Tylor.jpg
1832-1917
English Anthropologist
Primitive Culture
Developed a theory of
culture: it is made up of
a wide range of human
activity.
The Start
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Taylor addresses the question whether or not
“primitive” people have a concept of religion.
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Yes they do; the problem is that their concept of
religion does not correspond the “Western” notion.
What looks irreligious is actually religious.
What the scientific community needs to do is to
widen its definition.
The community needs to rely on observations and
not merely theoretical conjecture.
The Definition
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Religion among primitive people is basically
Animism
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“. . . in its full development, includes the belief in
souls and in a future state, in controlling deities
and subordinate spirits, these doctrines practically
resulting in some kind of active worship.”
The Parts
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It has two components:
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1. Souls of small creatures capable of existing
after the death of the body.
2. Other spirits including powerful deities who
control life and now and in the hereafter.
The Summary
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Since humans have souls so do animals to a
lesser degree as do trees to a lesser degree
as do inanimate objects.
Taylor wants us to remember that souls in
modern thinking is in the realm of
metaphysics and no longer used to explain
events.
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However, it is still “an animating, separable, surviving
entity, the vehicle of personal existence.”
James George Frazer
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http://www.todayinsci.com/F/Frazer_James/FrazerJamesThm.jpg
1854-1941
Scottish Anthropologist
The Golden Bough: A
Study in Comparative
Religion
Developed a theory of
religion
The Start
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He contends that magic and science have the
same element which under girds them both—
namely faith.
The scientist and the magician believe in his
or her craft.
Magic has the fatal flaw; it is the
misconception of similarity of thought and
ideals.
Magic is the bastard child of science.
The Definition
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“. . . A propitiation or conciliation of powers
superior to man which are believed to direct
and control the course of nature and of
human life.”
The Parts
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Magic consist of two parts:
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Theoretical—that is a belief in higher powers.
Practical—an attempt to propitiate or please them.
Totem is part of magic. Totem protects the
person and the person shows respect to the
totem in various ways.
The Summary
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Magic is the mistaken application of thoughts
and ideas to resemble or “to be congruous to
certain actions.”
Magic preceded religion and therefore,
modern civilization has magic in the
background.
Religion is the outgrowth of the recognition of
powers superior to humans.
Magic, Religion and Science are theories of
thought.
Friedrich Max Muller
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http://www.as.ua.edu/rel/images/aboutmuller.jpg
1823-1900
German Scholar
Introduction to the
Science of Religion
He articulated the idea
of doing a comparative
study of religion.
The Start
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Muller wants to develop the science of
religion as a way of comparing religion.
Christianity had been severely criticized. He
hopes to exonerate Christianity by showing
its superiority.
The Definition
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Religion has a deity, sacred text or words and
rituals. Religion produces a yearning for a
higher life.
It has two sides dialectic:
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Growth
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The tendency to convey ideas through words—to coalesce
the thought.
Decay
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The tendency to highlight the material instead of the
spiritual—it vacillates between the two
The Parts
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What the Science of Religion should be able
to do:
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Withstand any scrutiny
Errors of religion can be discovered
No religion is superior to others
Comparing religions leads to a greater understand
of them
The Summary
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Comparative study of religion will lead to a
greater understanding of religion.
Christianity is the best religion in this regard
because it has the kind of platform which
allows for the comparison to be made.
The problem with religion is with language.
Lucien Levi-Bruhl
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http://www.todayinsci.com/L/LevyBruhl_Lucien/LevyBruhlLucienThm.jpg
1857-1938
French Philosopher
How Natives Think
His thinking gave new
perspective on
understanding how
peoples of past cultures
think.
The Start
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People act in groups and as individuals.
For past cultures the only way you could
understand the culture was to look at the
whole culture.
The Definition
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Religion is mysticism—animism
Religion was best understood as part of the
group dynamics.
People act differently in groups than they do
as individuals.
The Parts
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As a collective group when certain things are
present, “certain qualities” exist in objects.
The objects have certain qualities present
ascribed to it by the group.
Just because we do not see it, this does not
mean that it is not present for the group.
The Summary
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“Primitive man, therefore, lives and acts in
environment of beings and objects, all of
which, in addition to the properties that we
recognize them to possess, are endured with
mystical attributes. He perceives their
objective reality mingled with another reality.”