[RELS 203] - Midterm Exam Guide - Everything you need to know! (30 pages long)

• School: University of Calgary
• Department: Religious Studies
• Course: RELS 203
• Professor: James Apple

Document Summary

What is the academic study of religion: study of religion from a religious perspective is known as theology. Ea(cid:272)h religio(cid:374) has it"s own theology (the study of its own beliefs, practices, superhuman entities) An approach to learning how to practice the religion: known as comparative religion, religious studies, history of religion, or science of religion, this was a late 19th century invention. Thus it is heavily influenced by colonialism. We do(cid:374)"t (cid:449)a(cid:374)t to take a(cid:374) approa(cid:272)h that (cid:272)o(cid:373)pares religio(cid:374)s (cid:271)(cid:455) for(cid:373)i(cid:374)g a hierar(cid:272)h(cid:455), sa(cid:455)i(cid:374)g o(cid:374)e religio(cid:374) is (cid:862)(cid:271)etter(cid:863: we want a nonevaluative comparative approach. Look at history, ethnography (beliefs, institutions, practices) or a religion to determine: analysis: an explanation of religion. Look at interpretive theory: metatheory: debate and critical analysis of different theories of religion (not covered in this class). Distinguish technical and fold definitions: technical definition: the more scientific/precise definition generally used in theory, folk definition: the common understanding among a group of people, the colloquial definition.