ANTHRCUL 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Syncretism, Religious Symbolism, Melanesians

• School: U of M
• Department: Anthropology, Cultural
• Course: ANTHRCUL 101
• Professor: Holly Peters- Golden

Document Summary

Most religions focus on the realms of the natural and the supernatural. Religion: belief and ritual concerned with supernatural beings, powers and forces. How this distinguish (what is natural and what is supernatural) differs among different people. Supernatural things are things that work outside of nature. Every society has some set of beliefs and practices that center on the relationship between the people and the supernatural forces. Courts are now using other religious texts or eliminating religious objects overall when new judges and officials are being entered into the judicial system (before they used to swear on the bible) The business of the state does in cooperate exclusively religions tenants, usually from one particular religion, christianity. Intellectual/cognitive function: human beings find explanations for the world around them. Search for order and meaning; helps to explain things. Religion can offer answers for huge concepts such as the formation of the universe and the origin of people.