RLG100Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Emic And Etic, Bracketing, Theism
Document Summary
19th century basic idiom very optimistic, great belief that humanity was great theme of process. Emile durkheim evolved various thesis and theories and its function in society. Observation of aboriginal people coined the term totemism. His idea was about social bonding, enabling a group or clan to articulate its sense of identity. A totem is a plant or animal a species of bird that is held to be sacred by a specific group. A totem is a symbol of a group, invested with spiritual quality, understood to be sacred. Our god is reflective of our common identity. Religion is and expression of our desires, being dependent on deeper forces. We realize very quickly we have very little power to determine our destiny. We seek religion to overcome our limitation through our imagination. We project and idealized being of power that is interested and concerned to help us. People seek in heaven and god what they can not find on earth.
