1. Chapter 14
Supernatural Beliefs

2. What We Will Learn What is religion?
What functions does religion perform for the individual and the society as a whole?
What different forms does religion take among the societies of the world?
What role does religion play in the process of culture change?

3. Defining Religion
A set of beliefs in supernatural forces directed at helping people make sense of the world and solve problems.
All forms of religion are founded on a belief in the supernatural.

4. Religion in Societies All societies have:
religious rituals that appease supernatural forces
sets of beliefs concerning what we would call the soul
notions about life after death.

5. Origins of Religion
Tools, weapons, and artifacts found in Neanderthal graves led anthropologists to conclude that they believed in an afterlife.
Paleolithic art includes religious symbols that may have appeared as early as 200,000 to 300,000 years ago.

6. Religion and Magic Similarities:
Both are systems of supernatural belief and cannot be empirically demonstrated.
Both must be accepted as a matter of faith.
Both are practiced as a way of coping with the anxieties, ambiguities, and frustrations of everyday life.

7. Religion and Magic Differences:
Religion deals with the major issues of human existence: the meaning of life, death, and one’s spiritual relationship with deities.
Magic is directed toward specific immediate problems: curing an illness, bringing rain, or ensuring safety on a long journey.

8. Religion and Magic Differences:
Religion uses prayer and sacrifices to appeal to supernatural powers for assistance.
Magic attempts to manipulate nature or other people by their own efforts.
Religion tends to be a group activity; magic is more individually oriented.

9. Religion and Magic Differences:
Religion is practiced at a specified time, magic is practiced in response to specific and immediate problems.
Religion usually involves officially recognized functionaries such as priests.
Magic may be performed by practitioners who may not be recognized as having supernatural powers.

10. Myths Sacred literature that states certain religious truths.
Include stories of the gods, their origins, their activities, and the moral injunctions they teach.
A culture’s mythology is closely connected to its moral and social order.

11. Social Functions of Religion
Social control
Conflict resolution
Intensifying group solidarity

12. Psychological Functions of Religion
Cognitive
provides an intellectual framework for explaining parts of our world that we do not understand.
Emotional
helps reduce anxiety by prescribing straightforward ways of coping with stress.

13. Classifying Religions: Anthony Wallace
Based on level of specialization of the religious personnel who conduct rituals and ceremonies.
Cult refers to forms of religion that have their own beliefs, rituals, and goals:
Individualistic cults
Shamanistic Cults
Communal Cults
Ecclesiastical Cults

14. Characteristics of Different Religious Organizations
Role Specialization
Subsistence Pattern
Example
Individualistic
No role specialization
Food collector
Crow vision quest
Shamanistic
Part-time specialization
Food collector Pastoralism
Tungus shamanism

15. Characteristics of Different Religious Organizations
Role Specialization
Subsistence Pattern
Example
Communal
Groups perform rites for community
Horticulture
Totemistic rituals
Ecclesiastical
Full-time specialization in hierarchy
Horticulture/ Pastoralism
Christianity and Buddhism

16. Religion in the U.S.
Roman Catholicism is the largest with 24% of the adult population.
Anglicans, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant comprising 220 denominations, represent 36% of the adult population.
Approximately 1.5% of the population is Jewish.
Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the U.S. with 1% of the adult population.

17. Religious “Outlook” for Americans
3 out of 4 Americans claim their general “outlook” is religious or somewhat religious.
16% claim to have a secular or somewhat secular outlook.
Women (42%) are more likely than men (31%) to describe their outlook as religious.
Older adults are more likely than younger adults to describe their outlook as religious.

18. Religion and Social Change
When societies experience high stress, new religions may create social change.
These include:
Nativistic movements, found among American Indians.
Cargo cults, found in Melanesia.
Millenarian movements found in Christian areas of the world.

19. Revitalization Movements
Aim to add new life and purpose into the society.
Tend to occur during times of cultural stress brought about by:
rapid change
foreign domination
perceived deprivation

20. Revitalization Movements: Process
A society is pushed out of equilibrium by such forces as conquest and social domination.
People become disillusioned, the culture becomes disorganized
Revitalization movements promise an effort to bring about a more satisfying society.
Some call for a return to the better days of the past; others seek to establish a completely new social order.

21. Quick Quiz

22. ______ is a set of beliefs in supernatural beings and forces directed at helping people make sense of the world and solve important problems.
Belief
Religion
Ritual
Superstition

23. Answer: b
Religion is a set of beliefs in supernatural beings and forces directed at helping people make sense of the world and solve important problems.

24. 2. _______ involves the manipulation of supernatural forces for the purpose of intervening in a wide range of human activities and natural events.
Magic
Witchcraft
Sorcery
Religion

25. Answer: a
Magic involves the manipulation of supernatural forces for the purpose of intervening in a wide range of human activities and natural events.

26. 3. Unlike magic or witchcraft, ________, stories of a culture's gods, their origins, and such, serve to explain the large questions surrounding human existence.
legends
myths
religion
tales

27. Answer: b
Unlike magic or witchcraft, myths, stories of a culture's gods, their origins, and such, serve to explain the large questions surrounding human existence.

28. 4. By helping individuals cope with the anxieties often accompanying deaths, accidents, illnesses and other misfortunes, religion serves a/an:
group identity function.
cognitive function.
positive function.
emotional function.

29. correct: d
By helping individuals cope with the anxieties often accompanying deaths, accidents, illnesses and other misfortunes, religion serves a/an emotional function.

30. 5. The most complex form of religion is the ________, which is commonly found in societies with state systems of government.
individual cult
communal cult
ecclesiastical cult
shamanistic cult

31. Answer: c
The most complex form of religion is the ecclesiastical cult, which is commonly found in societies with state systems of government.