REL 2000 Lecture : Lecture
Document Summary
Pathetic fallacy: giving human characteristic to objects, feelings, or ideas, examples. Leads to: generalizations, theological conclusions(if christianity is peaceful then all violent christians are not technically christian) Academic studies: move away from debates about truth , attempts to find common elements, still had theological underpinnings, evolutionary approaches (random mutations and natural selection), tried to apply it to society but it"s supposed to be random. Ancient theories: comparative, theories of origins, ex. ) remember heroes from their past and make them a god. Judaism and christianity: shifts to exclusive claims to truth, no need to understand other traditions. Influenced enlightenment thinking: rejection of tradition- focus on the individual, diversity -> doubt (led to doubt, trade, exploration, etc. Enlightenment: religion is rational and therefore universal (people can reason, rise in deism- original religion changed over time (everyone use to share one religion, very influential idea- focus on primitive religion, praised natural religion criticized dogma.
