Reading Quiz. 2. What word or phrase best describes Durkheim's view of the function of religion? a. unity b. divide & conquer c. power d.

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1 Animism & Shamanism

2 Reading Quiz 1. Which of the following best describes a functionalist perspective of religion? a. trying to understand where religion first developed b. trying to understand all of a religion's rituals c. trying to understand what purpose a religion serves in the lives of its members d. trying to understand how different religions view the afterlife 2. What word or phrase best describes Durkheim's view of the function of religion? a. unity b. divide & conquer c. power d. freedom 3. What is the best description of a totem? a. a necklace b. a statue c. a building d. a person

3 4. How many basics functions did Malinowski believe religion had? a. one b. two c. five d. more than ten 5. Marx believed that religion was created to distract which group of people from their everyday lives? a. women b. men c. the rich d. the poor

4 Animism Name comes from the Latin word for spirit, related to word "animated" Common in hunter-gatherer societies across the world Believed to be oldest form of religion Belief that all things have a spirit, not just humans and animals Usually not a highly organized religion (no holy books, full-time priests, etc.) Usually doesn't have a lot of moral rules Worship usually takes the form of praying, visiting natural landmarks, and leaving offerings Estimated around 6% of world population (close to 500 million people)

5 Shinto Largest, most highly organized animist religion Practiced by most of the population of Japan (over 100 million people) Word for spirit is kami Shrines are located in nature - in forests, on mountains, and next to lakes and rivers Shrines always have a gate called a tori Once you pass through the tori gate, people are expected to act differently (quiet, respectful, peaceful)

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8 Shrines should only be entered by people who are pure Purity is an important part of Shinto, and becoming impure can be personal or situational (for example, if you recently killed an animal, or had a close relative die) Most common ritual is omairi (purification by washing hands & drinking water) New Year festival is very important, takes the form of huge games & parades through the streets People often leaving offerings at shrines (such as fruit, vegetables, money, certain types of plants), There are huge shrines as well as small home shrines Priests are usually older, retired men - doesn't require special vows, just performing rituals in shrines

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12 Shamanism Can be considered a type of animism, or a close relative of animism Spiritual beliefs are similar to animism - that spirits exist all around Also common around the world, particularly in Northeast Asia & among Native Americans Main difference from animism is an individual called a shaman who can directly communicate with spirits Purpose of shaman's communication with spirits is usually to benefit individuals, the tribe, or village (cure disease, bring rain, divination, etc.) To communicate with spirits, shamans usually enter a trance state - a state of mind between sleeping and waking Shamans usually enter trance states using loud, rhythmic sounds, motion (spinning, dancing) and/or the use of hallucinogenic plants (salvia & peyote cactus are common among Native American shamans; marijuana, certain mushrooms, and deadly nightshade are common in Europe, Asia, and Africa) Once they enter a trance state, two common rituals are spirit journeys (aka vision quests) in which they have visions from the spirits, and possession (where they believe spirits enter their body and make them move and speak)

13 Scientific Explanations Dreaming (because of trance state) Hallucinations (because of hallucinogenic plants) Schizophrenia

14 Exit Ticket 1. What percent of the world's population practices an animist religion? a. More than 50 % b. Around 25% c. Around 5% d. Less than 1% 2. What word best describes how a person should act when they enter a Shinto shrine? a. prideful b. scared c. focused d. peaceful 3. All of the following are common reasons someone might visit a shaman EXCEPT a. to cure an illness b. to harm an enemy c. to find out their son/daughter's future d. to bring rain to their crops

15 4. All of the following are scientific explanations for the experiences of shamans EXCEPT a. schizophrenia b. inoperable brain tumor c. ingestion of hallucinogenic plants d. altered state of mind 5. Shamanistic religions are more common among people in which geographical area? a. Southeast Asia b. Northeast Africa c. Northeast Asia d. Central Europe