Learning Objectives

This chapter discusses the role of religion in a variety of societies. It focuses on the types of religion and the situations in which religions can change rapidly. It concludes with a discussion of secular rituals and the way in which a trip to Walt Disney World might be studied as a secular ritual.

I.

You should be able to identify and distinguish between the different forms of religious expression.

II.

You should be able to identify the different stages of religious evolution identified by Tylor.

III.

You should know what mana and taboo are, where they are found, and how they function in society.

IV.

You should be able to distinguish between the different kinds of magic.

V.

You should know what a ritual is and how rituals function in society. Specifically, you should know what a rite of passage is, the different stages that make up a rite of passage, and the roles they play in society.

VI.

You should be familiar with the case study of sacred cattle India and know why ahimsa is culturally adaptive.

VII.

You need to know how religion can be a social control. In particular, you need to know how religion acts as a leveling mechanism in many societies.

VIII.

You need to the four kinds of religion as identified by Wallace. You should be able to identify the defining feature as well as the social and cultural correlates of each type.

IX.

You should be familiar with Weber's analysis of the relationship between religious beliefs and capitalism.

X.

You need to be familiar with recent patterns of religion in North America.

XI.

You need to understand how religion can be a factor of change. In particular, you should be familiar with revitalization movements, syncretisms, and new age religions.

XII.

You need to be familiar with the ways in which a trip to Disney World is a secular ritual.

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