FSCN 3615 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Viking Age, God In Hinduism, Starch
21 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Food and Religion
● What is the function of religion?
○ To explain the inexplicable
○ Tries to answer: what happens when we die?
○ Provides humans with a sense of control over nature
○ Provides an answer to death
○ Provides a means for socialization
○ Provides a reason to be nice to others
○ For some, it provides a sense of community
○ Some just believe in a greater power
● Religion is culture bound: what does that mean?
○ Throughout time people have believed in Gods, what happens to Gods when people no longer
believe in them?
■ Neanderthals
■ Cro-magnons
■ Egyptians
■ Greeks
■ Romans
■ Vikings/Norses
● Prehistoric times: 33,000 to 20,000 BC; created by Cro-Magnon humans living in Europe
● Ancient Egyptians (31000 BC to 2600 BC)
● Egyptian Gods:
○ Gods and Goddesses were well-toned and slim, youthful; many had animal heads and other human
heads
● Greek Era: 5th century BC
○ Greek Gods of old
○ Gods and Goddesses
● Roman (753 BC-27 BC and 64 AD-1453 AD)
○ Gods and Goddesses
○ Neptune, the God of water and the sea
○ Venus, the Goddess of love
○ Crossover with Greek
● Norse/Viking Gods
○ Loki, thor and Odin
○ Viking Era: 8th to 11th century
Religions
● In the west:
○ Judaism
○ Christianity
○ Islam
● In the east:
○ Hinduism
○ Buddhism
● What do western religions have in common?
○ Monotheistic
○ Abrahamic tradition- origin stories similar
○ Worship a single God and God is male
○ God is to command humans are to obey
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Provides humans with a sense of control over nature. Provides a reason to be nice to others. For some, it provides a sense of community. Some just believe in a greater power. Prehistoric times: 33,000 to 20,000 bc; created by cro-magnon humans living in europe. Ancient egyptians (31000 bc to 2600 bc) Gods and goddesses were well-toned and slim, youthful; many had animal heads and other human heads. Roman (753 bc-27 bc and 64 ad-1453 ad) Neptune, the god of water and the sea. Worship a single god and god is male. God is to command humans are to obey. Life is a time for testing and a preparation for life everlasting. Humans will be held accountable to god for their actions (provides moral compass) Principal goal is deliverance or liberation of the human soul from the bondage of the body. Emphasis may or may not be on deities.
