Studying Religions

1. Philosopy & Religion 122 : Women & Religion Studying Religions Introduction to For the syllabus, deadlines and study materials, see the course website at

2. Why study world religions? 1. Pluralism: NJ has the full range of world religions. So will the places in which we work and live. 2. Conflicts often break down along lines of religion, ideology, tribe, language group etc. 3. Foreign affairs - international business 4. Personal growth: wisdom, meaning, ethics, answers 5. History: much of our present culture has religious roots. 6. Its everywhere: we cant find a culture, time or place where religion has not been a significant phenomenon.

7. Methodologies to Study Religion • Sociology & Anthropology • Philosophy • History & Archeology • Texts and stories • Theology • Symbols, rituals & customs • Artistic expressions • Psychology Religious Studies:the secular, objective study of religion as a phenomenon.

8. Religion usually sees a split-level universe Unconditioned Reality • God • Ti’an (Heaven) • Spirits • The Dao • Nirvana • Brahman Conditioned Reality: the mundane world that we experience every day Limited, finiteSource of freedom (liberating) Caveat: dualism

9. Religion as door/window Conditioned Reality Unconditioned Reality Revelations, gods, angels, saviors, prophets, prayers, trances, rituals, meditations, art, scriptures, music, dance, sacraments, ethics, theology “Practicing religion” is making the connection, entering the doorway, looking through the window in a way that affects the way one lives. It may yield new ethics, clarity, purpose, virtue, grace or better relationships with other people, one’s selfor with the Divine itself.

10. 3 Forms of Religious ExpressionJoachim Wach (1898-1955) Theoretical (what is said) Examples: beliefs, stories, theology, scripture, ethics, doctrine Practical (what is done) Examples: worship, meditation, prayer, pilgrimage, praxis, art Sociological (what groups/relationships are formed - organization) Examples: leadership, institutions, schools, sects, relationship to outsiders add: the mystical experience of some individuals

11. All 3 must be studied together to understand the full religious experience of a group

12. Why study Religions? • To understand human beings: spiritual self-transcendence seems to be built into human nature • To overcome our ignorance: of traditions other than our own • To comprehend our own culture and history. • To achieve a global perspective • To help formulate our own religious belief or philosophy of life. Studying religions inevitably leads one to evaluate one’s own values and beliefs

13. Why study Religions? Moral spin-offsEthical concepts historically have flowed from religious ideas and practices Positive ideals of what a good life is. Virtues: what traits and behaviors are positive and reinforce these Prohibitions of that seen as incompatible (vice) with a good life What is a good society, and how should people interact to create it?

14. Why study Religions?Creative spin-offs Art Music Architecture Politics Economics Science Philosophy

15. Our approach • Descriptive. Observational. • Suspend temporarily our own personal beliefs and/or personal skepticism. • Approach each religion as an outsider trying to learn what an insider of that group sees and experiences in their experience of their religion “from the inside out”. • Criticism, but with an attempt at empathy:religion impacts politics, economics, family life, relationships, legal systems and gender roles across 7 continents and thousands of years. When advancing a criticism of a religious practice try to identify what values and beliefs you are appealing to in advancing that criticism, and how other value systems, especially those of the believer, might cause the adherent to see it differently.