Religious Studies 325       1/17/04

 

I)                   Introduction

 

A)    Be able to explain the importance of each of the underlined words characterizing the word “religious”: a religion is the traditional and basic orientation of a particular people.

 

Tradition-passed down from generation to generation.  Basic Orientation – placement in the world and civilization.  Particular – Each religion is unique (orientation differs, one studies one religion at a time.

 

B)     Religion

 

1)      Explain the statement: “A person is religious by nature.”

 

Means: If you watch somebody long enough, you find them doing something religious that is essential to there existence, or “Each person has a religious dimension, and this dimension is essential to bing human.”

 

2)      If religion is non-rational, what is its relation to reason?

 

It is not irrational.  It is deeper than reason, and forms a starting pont from reason.  Reason is the way the mind functions, but reason needs axioms ( a starting point).

 

3)      What is the critical function of religion?

 

The process of self-evaluation that all religions undergo, by means of process which dead parts are discarded, and new parts added, by means of the process religion is kept vital. E.g. Amos (justice)- Hebrew sacrifice, Gaitoman Budda (meditation), Spren Kerkogard (reflect, decide to do something).

 

4)      Why is religion not merely ideas?

 

Religion is a matter of experiences, rather than mere ideas.  People are interested in experiences that give meaning to life.

 

5)      Why can’t a person revolt against his religious nature?

 

In the process of revolting against ones orientation, you have to assume another orientation. Believe that there is a significance to our lives, some desire in our lives that are not trivial.

 

C)    The sacred

 

1)      Explain the concepts, “sacred” and “profane.”

 

Sacred: Is that which gives a higher meaning to life.  Profane: Is used with regards to common everyday experience.

 

2)      How does sacred evoke awe?

 

The sacred evokes fascination and fear to evoke awe.

 

3)      Are we concerned primarily with evaluating the truth of the sacred or with merely understanding expression of the sacred in history?

 

We are concerned with understanding the experience, not whether it is true or real.

 

4)      What is religious phenomenon?

 

Religious phenomenon is when something from out of this world comes to this world.  It is when the sacred crosses to the profane.

 

5)      How does the experience of the sacred form the foundation for human life?

 

It provides a fixed center of meaning within the flux or changes of profane existence.

 

D)    Symbolization.

 

1)      Explain the process of symbolization.

 

Symbolization is what makes us different from animals, creativity, imagination.  It is when you take something profane and you use it to represent the sacred. 

 

2)      Explain 3 kinds of symbolization.

 

a)      symbols- express the sacred through persons places or things

b)      ritual- is symbolic behavior where you do something, which by doing you experience the sacred.

c)      Myth- express the sacred through symbolic communication.

 

Symbols are expressions of fundamental reasoning’s that give meaning to life.  Different religions because there are different people who give different meaning to a symbol.

 

3)  Transcend means to surpass.  Every symbol is concrete you can perceive it with your senses.  At the same time, it points to something that is beyond this world, and thing it points to is its ‘transcendant referent’.  E.g. Sacred stones (stone that are sacred) the stone never stops being a stone (concrete), but at the same time it reveals absolute existence (absolute being) which is the transcendant referent. E.g In Christian and Jewish tradition, Jerusalem is a holy city, the heavenly Jerusalem is the transcendant referent to the concrete symbol (the city)

 

6)      What is the “imperial” aspect of religion?

 

All symbols claim to be universally true.  Claim: You don’t need to accept the claim, but you do need to know that it makes the claim.  Universally: It makes the claim for all times, all places, and all people. It makes the claim absolutely.  E.g.  The cross of Christ, the crucifiction of Jesus, Is a claim to bring salvation to all people.  Universal (all people), only Christians accept the claim.  And all symbols to the same thing.

 

II)                 The phenomenological Method: Pheomenon – appear , logical- discussion.

 

A)    What are the four aspects of the phenomenological method?

 

Many traditions you find the ideas of god.  Method is complementary to the historical method.

 

1)      Empathy-  You feel your way into the phenomenon, you empathize with it, and someway become one with it.  Opposed to rational analysis, where you dissect things. E.g Friendships: Disclosure, empathize, Disclosure; get to know eachother through empathy.

2)      Formation of an ideal type (or structure):  After you have empathized with the phenomenon, you form an imaginary picture of it. E.g. After talking to a new friend you form an image of that friend, even when that person is dead the image comes to mind.

3)      Grasping the essence:  When your really beging to understand the phenomenon, you begin to grasp what it means. E.g Knowing a person, means understanding what gives this person his character.

4)      Epoche: Suspension of judgement, or patience.  You must go into the phenomenon to understand it.  Wait to capture the flower of a cactus.  When you read something, it seems a little strange (repeat with patience).

 

B)     What is the cosmogonic myth:

 

Is a story about how the gods ordered the world in the beginning of time. Made it an ordered whole, as apposed to chaos. E.g Genesis, all creation myths.  One of the most important symbols of any tradition.  Cosmogonic myth is an example of a religious phenomenon, because all religions have a theory of creation.  Eliade: Formed a model.

 

C)    The structure of the cosmos.

 

1)      What is the sacred space?

 

In traditional cultures, space is not conceved of as being homogenious, rather it is composed or regions that have different qualities.  Modern conception of space is something you can measure in meter sticks, only four centuries old.  Model: 3 planes of existence.  Upper world, Middle world, and Lower world.  Upper is spiritual. Middle is the world we live in.  Lower is deaper and more profound (cinister).  The line going through all three worlds is called the axis of the world.  Second diagram: Circular compass with directions (compass NESW).

 

2)      What is the “System of the world”?

 

Take two diagrams above.  Circle is birds eye view.  Strata is the side view.  The three dimensional figure is called the “System of the World”.  To be oriented means to know how to exploit the qualities of the different regions.

 

3)      What is sacred time?

 

In traditional cultures, time is not conceived of as homogenious, rather it is conceved of as composed of periods of different qualities, as opposed to the time of clocks.  Sacred time, is the time of myth when the world was created (a time of beginnings).  A line representing the sacred and eternal relm, creation is at the center (At creation the world is full of potential).  Cirlcle tangent to creation, represents profaine time ( a loss of potential).  The world is exhausted, when it returns to creation (which reknews it).

 

4)      How is sacred time related to sacred space?

 

Space is made sacred during sacred times.  And one way to think of it, is to say “During profaine duration, there is no communication between the strata of sacred space.  Creation allows power to flow from the upper and lower world, into the middle world.”

 

III)              The Religion of Isreal.

 

A)    The religion of Israel gave rise to which three religions?

 

—586B.C E.: Jerusalem is destroyed by the Babalonians. Execution or exile. 538B.C.  Syrus (King of Persia): Destroys Bablon.  And allows Hebrew People return to Jerusalem: Only one tribe returns to Jerusalem (other 11 are destroyed): Jew is derived from Juda.  Judaism gave rise to Christianity.  Christianity is a Jewish sect.  The Third religion derived from Judaism is Islam.

 

B)     What are the division of the Hebrew Bible?

 

Also known as the old testament.  Bible: (Collection of Books)  These books can be subdivided into three divisions. 1.Torah 2. Prophets. 3. Rightings.

 

C)    What are the books of the Torah?

 

 Torah – Pentatooch.: The five books originally ascribed to Moses.

1)      Genesis

2)      Exodus

3)      Leviticus

4)      Numbers

5)      Deutoronomy

     Not a rigid law book:  More like a divine orientation, or divine guide.

 

D)    Describe the content of the “Early Prophets.”

 

1)      Joshua

2)      Judges

3)      Samuel 1

4)      Samuel 2

5)      Kings 1

6)      Kings 2

 

Major Prophets:

1)      Ezekiel

2)      Isaiah

3)      Jerimia

4)      The Minor Prophets

a)      Amos

b)     Joel

 

A prophet: receives the word of god, and informs political figures about it; so god has an important role in politics.

 

They are a historical narration, they narrate the history of the Hebrew people.  Enterance of the Hebrew people to Palestine.  The rise of kingship.  Ends with the destruction of the kingdom. 

 

E) What do they tell us about god and history?

 

This history is a symbolic history: that gives us the key to the traditions and orientation.  In the Jewish religion,  you symbolize through political events (God and the devine are discovered through history).  The world is real, you are only religious insofar as the politics of history.

 

F)  What is the ‘secret’ of Monotheistic traditions?

 

Ordinary political activity has a deeper meaning.  They reveal the presence or activity of god.

 

G) Describe the “Writtings”

 

A Peetic Word

    1) Psalms

    2) Job

    3) Song of Songs

 

Novel like books

1)      Ruth

2)      Ester

 

Books that narrate history

1)      Chronicals

2)      Book of Ezra

 

 

H)    Why were these diverse books of the bible brought together?

 

You have this diverse collection, collected over a long period.  Final inclusion at 100 of the common erra.  Each book was included, because it demonstrates gods active concern with some aspect of human life. 

 

I)       Explain the central symbolism of the Hebrew Bible.

 

The central symbolism is the word of god.  Devar- Word, Concern, or Activity.  An expression of the experience which is deeper than reason.  God acts in human affairs, but his actions can not be predicted.  His actions are incalculable.  This is what holds the tradition together. 

 

Variation: Christianity (Christ), Islam (Koran).

 

J)       What evidence is there for the flexibility of the religion of Isreal?

 

Ages of the bible differ considerably there is 800 year span.  There are different dialects of Hebrew in the bible.  Some of the bible is not in Hebrew, but in Aramaic (e.g. the book of Daniel).  Also the wide variety for the types of literature, (poetry, prose, prayers, history, legends, laws, and prophets).  So it is not a means of fossilized rule, but a matter of movement.

 

K)    The genius of Israel can be expressed in the statement, “Ethics precedes ontologhy.” Be able to explain this statement.

 

Ethics – The concern for what is good or evil  (good or evil- is how you treat other people).

Precedes- Is more important or fundamental.

Ontology- is the concern for what is real.

 

L)     Relate this statement to the story of Exodus.

 

The decendants of Abraham are in slavery.  God does something unexpected to rectify the situation.  He calls Moses to lead the people out of slavery.  The whole theme of the story is good and evil, and goods concern with it.

 

M)   What is the point of Genisis 1?

 

It is the cosmogonic myth of Judaism.  Is the story of how god ordered the creation of the world in six days, then rested on the seventh.   And god looked at what he created, and saw that it was good.  And good looked at what he created, and saw that it was variable.  The point is, that the creation of human life is good.  The story was not a scientific description of the world, but an affirmation of goodness.  Adam and the Fall,  First murder—brings us to the world that we know, which is not all good.

 

N)    What is god’s promise to Israel?

 

God will act in human affairs, god will act in history to restore the goodness of creation.

 

O)    What is the faith of Isreal?

 

It is the human response to god’s promise, it is trust that god will keep his promise.  No matter how desperate the situation, god will help you.  The fundamentail affirmation of Israel.

 

P)     Explain the ‘desire for the infinite’.

 

The desire for the infinite is what makes us human, it is what separates us from the animals.  Needs that we have in common with animals can in principle be fulfilled.  The desire for the infinite can not be fulfilled, it can only be deepened.  The desire for the infinite is awakened when it dawns on you that there are other people that you don’t really understand.  The desire for the infinite, is the desire to understand, and thereby be just to another person.  And it is infinite because no matter how well you understand someone else, that person remains a mystery.  This desire for justice is the foundation of all knowledge (according to Israel).  The foundation of the world, the foundation of knowledge (Book, follows this tradition), speech, and what people do to one another is important.

 

IV)              A basic Assumption of Buddhism:

 

A)    What are the Three Jewels of Buddhism?

 

They are a prayer that budist make that consists of three statements.  1. I go to the Buddah for refuge. 2. I go to the Dharma for refuge. 3. I go got the Songa for refuge.

 

Budda is the founder, Dharma is what he taught, and Sanga is the group of people who follow his tradition.

 

B)     The Dharma: What is the first holy truth?

 

The holy truth of ill:  All of life is suffering…. Life in its entirety is suffering (Basic asummpiotn)

 

V)                The Comparative Method.

 

A)    What is the comparative method?

*

It is a way to use your value of judgment to go beyond the surface of things.  Two things might seem different, and beyond the surface, they are the same.  Or conversely.

 

B)     Why is comparison difficult?

 

Comparison entails an element of risk. 

 

C)    Compare Genesis I with the First Holy Truth.

 

Genesis asserts that despite evil, life is fundamentally good.  Holy truth asserts, that despite apparent pleasure, life is fundamentally suffering.

 

VI)              Religion as a Problem in the Modern World

 

A)    Why is religion a problem for most of us?

 

For most of us, our religious education has ended at the age of 12.  Usually ends with Sunday schools, confirmation, bar Mitzvas.  Understand of other things continues to grow.  What comes to mind when you think of religion is what you learned at 12, which you dismiss because it is immature.  There is a break in the world, between those who understand religion, and the majority who don’t.

 

B)     Why is the relisious di

 

The simple answer separation between church and state.  The more profound reason is the scientific revolution of the 17th century.  With that revolution the experimental sciences became the model of knowledge.  To know something you should be able to perform and experiment to prove it.  Religious documents however are not subject to scientific analysis.  You can neither prove or disprove are religious symbol scientifically.  And so religious documents are dismissed as being meaningless.

 

C)    Why do the “scientific superstitions” of our modern educational system narrow our self-understanding?

 

Our most important experiences can not be understood scientifically.  They can only be understood through religious documents and symbols.  E.g.  Everyone is worried about death, because no one wants to die.  ? How do you know that you are going to die?  You assume it, but you can’t prove it.  Biology doesn’t tell you what death is.  Religious tradition tells you how to prepare for death..  And the way you prepare for death orients your life.

 

D)    Explain Rene Descartes’ philosophy.

 

(1596-1650)    The founder of modern philosophy. “The modern world is cristalized in Descarte.”  All knowledge is a mater of clear and distinct ideas (quantitative).  Analytical Geometry- put the world to a graph.

 

E)     What did Vico emphasize about facts? Giambottista Vico (1668-1744)

 

“A Knew Kind of Science” – Cultural History.  Vico went to the origin of the word ‘fact’ (something that is made); made an epistemological assumption (to know a fact, you have to make it).  As compared to Descarte, “you need to have a clear and distinct idea of it, before it becomes a fact.”   Vico criticized Descartes by saying the only perfect, physicist or astronomer is god, because god is the one who mad the universe.  People like us have made the facts of history, and therefore history is what we should study, because history is the model of all knowledge.  There are many facts that people have made that are not subject to rigorous scientific analysis, never the less we can understand them.  This means the facts of religion (symbols) we can understand them.

 

VII)           Religious facts and Theories of Religion.

 

A)    What is a religious fact?

 

A religious fact is something that has been made by someone, and is passed down as part of a tradition.

 

B)     What is a theory of religion?

 

 A theory of a religion, is a set of ideas, developed by scholars to explain religion.  They are distinct.

 

C)    Why does understanding religion require both religious facts and theories?

 

You need something to understand (the religious documents the facts).  You also need tools to help you in your understanding, and the theories are the tools.  Studying the theories help you make consistant intperetations.

 

D)    Are theories real?

 

No, they are imaginary.

 

E)     If theories are not real, what is the proper attitude towards theories?

 

It is not the seriousness of reality, but it is not the light heartedness of play.  It is something in between.  Like sport, takes a sertain amount of danger and skill.

 

F)     What are the Criteria of a good Theory?

 

  1. The coherents of its ideas
  2. How well does it fit the facts.

VIII) Greek Theories of Religion: Exercise of theories of religion in the west.

Aware of the fact that they were surrounded by people who believe in many gods.  And try to understand where the god’s come from.  They develop a theory of rationalization; which states that the cause of religion is fear.  The idea is that people are afraid of things they don’t understand, so they invent god to explain the things that they do not understand.  It sounds modern but is really very old.

A) Rationalization

1) What is rationalization?

 

2) How is it a valid theory of religion?

It is valid in that fear is undoubtably part of religion, so there is some truth to it.

3) Criticize the theory.

The critical part is that you can’t explain all of religion by fear.  Most religious documents are very beautiful and subtle. E.g. the myth of the god judiac is very beautiful and subtle.  The critisizm is that the theory doesn’t fit many of the documents.

4) What is the "psychological projection mechanism?"

This is a mechanism by which we project our fears and anxieties on something outside of ourselves.  By means of this mechanism we maintain a psychological balance.

5) What did Sartre have to say about racial prejudice?

E.g. (john pahl sartra) anti-semite & jew – explain haulocaust with psychological projection mechanism; we project our frustrations on other people (rasicm).

6) Who was Xenophanes?

He was the first person to explain the psychological mechanism.  God’s are projections of our self image.  All the god’s of the religions are projections, aside for one real god.

B) Allegorization

1) What is allegorization?

It is the interpretation of a religious symbol as the representation (expression) of an abstract idea through concrete or material forms. 

2) How does it distort our understanding of religious facts?

It transform the expression of a religious experience into the expression of a mear idea. E.g. (Illiad), story of Trojan war, greeks vs trojans. Homer makes the god’s immoral when they are taking sides.  Plato; interprets god’s immorality through an allegory, that the fighting of the gods is represented by the struggle between good and evil that takes over the human soul.

C) Euhemerism

1) What is "proper Euhemerism?"

Attributed to Euhemerus (300bc), wrote a book about a man who found a pillar on an island that told the story of Zeus.  According to that story, Zeus was originally a great king.  In honor of his memory his decendants made stories to transform him into a good.  The cause of religion is through stories about great individuals that transform these people into gods. Proper, is when you are not using the theory to attack religion.  These individuals really where god like.  It only transforms religion.

2) What is "improper Euhemerism?"

Attributed to Euhemerus (300bc), wrote a book about a man who found a pillar on an island that told the story of Zeus.  According to that story, Zeus was originally a great king.  In honor of his memory his decendants made stories to transform him into a good.  The cause of religion is through stories about great individuals that transform these people into gods. improper, is when you are using the theory to attack religion.  These individuals really where not god like. St. Augusten attacks Greco-roman world, which was a use of improper Euhemerism.  All religions accept Christianity where false(demons).

 

3) How did Snorri Sturlasen use Euhemerism?

1300 ad Snorri Sturlasen (catholic) uses Euhemerism (living when Christianity was invading Nordic culture) separated greek, Nordic, Christian.  He writes a saga, that begins with genisis, then presents the Trojan war, the Trojan heros escape to the north (where amazing things happen) and when they die, they become the Nordic gods.

4) How did people use Euhemerism in the nineteenth century?

In the 1900th century the story telling element disappeared in the time.  Euhemerism became the foundation of an evolutionary theory.  Is that all religions have evolved from ancestor worship.

IX) The Enlightenment

A) What was the basic assumption of the Enlightenment?

The 1800th century the century of the European enlightenment.  Right after the scientific revolution, when people become modern.  The basic assumption of the enlightenment, is that reason is sufficient to guide life.  All you need is your reason to orient yourself.  You don’t need any tradition, you don’t need any authority.  E.g freedom, progress democracy.  This was a period of rejection of religion.  All other moments in time are dark ages, and religion was a symbol of their barbarism.

B) How did this assumption affect theoretical understanding?

The assumption that reason is sufficient to guide life, caused a great inflation of theory (popularization of theory).  You can understand everything in terms of clear and distinct ideas (even chaos, or our psychology).  Many theories about religion.

C) What is reductionism?

Was a theory that attempts to reduce religion to something trivial.  Always takes this form, “Religion is nothing but, ________!”  Critical words are “nothing but”, because they dismiss religion.

D) What is "natural religion?"

The religion that people from the enlightenment did like.  This was the idea that there was a religion that you can figure out for yourself using your reason.  What people were thinking of, was Newton, and how you can conceive of the universe and gods place in it.

E) What is deism?

1800th century: This world is a machine, god is the one who made the machine, but after making it and setting it in motion he has with drawn from it, and has nothing to do with it.

F) Who was Voltaire?


(1694-1778) French: He popularized enlightenment ideas, deism, “rub out the infamous one”- take out the government the authority and tradition.  Is a rebel against authority and tradition.  Also said “that if god did not exist, then he would have to be invented.”  God is an idea, but he is necessary for public morality.

 

G) Who was David Hume?

 

(1711-1776) Represents the second part of the enlightenment.  Is a sceptic of human reason.  Is against natural religion.  Because we are not able to understand something so great for us to understand.

X) Romanticism (1770-1800)-Reaction against enlightenment.

A) How did the Romantics revolt against the Enlightenment?

They revolted against the over emphasis of reason.

B) What did the Romantics consider to be real knowledge?

They assumed a second orientation.  Real knowledge was emotions, feelings, and intuition.  Real knowledge that other cultures can give you. 

C) What is meant by "a vision of the whole?"

The highest form of knowledge “the vision of the whole”: an intuition of how all the parts of something fit together into an organic unity.  How you would know a work of art.

D) Who was Schleiermacher?

Schleiermacher, is the founder of modern protestant theology, when he wrote the book, “Speechs about religion addressed to its culture despisers”  Religion to become intellectually respectable.

E) What was his theory of religion?

Three parts:  1.There is a great primordial vision of the whole.  Everything in the foundation of the world, fits together for a purpose, and if you were god, then you would be able to understand it.  2. Each religion provides a partial glimps into this vision (integrate).  3. This glimps is essential to being human (people need to understand how things fit together- worth while).

F) What is pantheism?

Pan – God, Theism-Everywhere.  God is everywhere.  God’s hand is in everything we see.  The world is devine.

G)    What did the Romantics think about India?

They were very enthusiastic about India because they thought that India was the source of all spirituality.

 

XI) Positivism

A) What was the dominant theme of the nineteenth century?

The dominant theme of the 1900th century was evolution.  When Darwin published the evolution of species in 1859.  The idea of evolution was applied to everything.  Particularly is was applied to culture, and history.  Evolutionism: is the idea that everything has a very simple beginning and then develops according to scientific laws into something that is more complex.

B) What was the evolutionary theory of August Comte?

The greatest theorist of Positivism.  His theory was that all societies evolved through three stages. First stage, was the theological stage: At this stage you need religion to understand the world.  Second culture evolves into the metaphysical stage.   At this stage you need great philosophical systems in order to understand the world.  Third stage, is the positivistic stage.  At this stage, everything is a matter of scientific facts. 

C) How did Karl Marx try to explain people?

Another great positivist was Karl Marx.  He tried to reduce people to economic needs and necessities.  We are the product of the economic world in which we live; which includes, religion.  Religion is a projection of unmet economic needs.  So if you had a just economic system, then religion would fade away.

D) What is positivism?

Positivism: is any attempt to reduce people to social or economic or political or biological necessities.  Then you can study these scientifically.  Corollary: positivism asserts that you do not need to understand religion in order to understand people. 

E) What did Kierkegaard stress as real?

One of the early critics of positivism.  Is the founder of existentialism.  This stresses the existence of the individual as the foundation; apart from the material world.  What he stressed as real was human freedom, and human choices, and respondsability.  We are human beings, and therefore we are making decisions.  What you are is the result of decisions you made, and what you will be is based on the decisions we will make.  We are what we want to be.

F) Explain the importance of Kierkegaard’s distinction between the “individual” and the “crowd.”

By the crowd Kierkegaard meant mass man, you don’t have real existence when you make decision based on what a crowd wants.  Only an individual has authentic existence, when he is making decisions before god.

G) What is the basic assumption of positivism?

The basic assumption of positivism, is that facts speak for themselves.  You can collect facts, and have objective scientific knowledge.  When you say that you are only going by the facts you are being positivistic.

H)    Why is it wrong?

It is wrong because facts do not speak for themselves.  They only come into existence after and investigator begins to ask questions.  Facts are thus created by the investigator, when he or she selects.  Both the selection of facts, and questions to ask are a matter of freedom.  E.g.  When you write a paper you ask a question, and then you select books to help, and passages in the books.  E.g.  Our own identity is created when we live a history, but we select which items are most important to our life.  In ten years, you might not know your own autobiography.  The realm of human freedom is the realm of religion.

XII) Hermeneutics: Theories of interpretation (epistemology: theories of knowledge)

A) Why must we be modest in our approach to religious documents?

***The documents we are trying to understand where made by somebody, and we need to ask questions that are appropriate to what the creators of the documents had in mind.  When the west found religious documents, from people who they thought they were superior to, they dismissed them. The second reason to deal with religious documents, is that any poet, prophet, Mystic.  Who creates religious documents and tradition.  Third: Philosopher and Theologians ; who reinterpret the document.  The don’t have as much power as the original document.  Third is the historian of religions: simply tries to understand religions.

B) Why should we avoid undue timidity in our study?

To really understand anything, you need to fill two criteria..  You need to have some passionate interest in what you are doing (love or hate it a lot).  The second criteria, is that you need to know how it is important.

C)    What are normative disciplines?

Establish a norm of view point for judging facts, they ask the question, “What should I think (about what is there)?”  E.g.  Epistemology “What should I think of as knowledge?”  Metaphysics “What should I think of as true?”  Ethics “What should I think of as good?”  Aesthetics “What should I think of as beautiful?”  Theology “Given revelation.  What should I think of human life and the purpose of existence?”

You need to decide what is important to you, and how they are interrelated to other things.

D) What are descriptive disciplines?

Descriptive disciplines: describe to you the world, and deliver to you the facts.  They ask, “what is there?”  E.g. Archeology “What is there in pre-history?”  Linguistics “What is there in human speech?”  Philology “What is there in human language, and literature?”  Socieology “What is there in human society?”  Psychology “What is there in human inner life?”  History “What is there in the overall picture of human life, and how does it change?”

E) Why is there always a tension between normative and descriptive disciplines?

There is always tension because you can never answer a normative question, with a descriptive discipline (Positivists who try to reduce the world to facts).  You can never answer a descriptive question with a normative discipline (Those who use the bible as science).  There is a space in the middle that is a part of being human, that is a part of the structure of our minds.  There is always a discrepancy between how the world is, and how we think it should be.  So the tension is necessary for our mental health., history of religion is in the center of normative and descriptive: both clash because both claim to be all true.  Imperialism is one solution, where descriptive asserts over normative (you are not very evolved), this puts one at the pinical of society.  The second alternative is relativism, this is good for me, and that is good for you (you don’t talk to anyone).  Third thing is hermeneutics, when you begin to understand the truths of some culture you can integrate it to yourself, and incorporate it into your own tradition.

F) What is hermeneutics?

Third thing is hermeneutics, when you begin to understand the truths of some culture you can integrate it to yourself, and incorporate it into your own tradition.  Comes from Hermes, the messenger.  Where normative and descriptive communicate.  Official Def:  The discipline of thought in which you try to account in the best way possible for how the descriptive and normative concerns meet.

G) What is the essence of an education?

The essence of education is not how many facts you know, it is how you integrate your knowledge.

H) Why is discussion essential for any mature understanding of anything?

You really should think of scheme as a battle ground or arena in which you clash and become more aware of your position, and you stand on your position, and learn how to defend it, thereby taking responsibility for your idea.  To have independent mind, ideas.  Rosenstock is an example because he is well rounded, and brings facts and beliefs together. 

I) What is the scheme of normative and descriptive disciplines?



XIII) What are the Three Jewels of Buddhism?

1.      I go to the Buddha for refuge. (founder)

2.      I go to the dharma for refuge. (teachings)

3.      I go to the Sangha for refuge.  (community that follows this)

Refuge from suffering.

 

1500bc-500bc Vedism (sacrifice) then Budism (no sacrifice) – (India) (500bc-500ad) then 500- now it is replaced by Hinduism.

Brahmanism: The order of the universe is a chariot wheel with 8 sections (spokes).  The second image is of a pyramid, suggesting hierarchy; top of the pyramid is sacred (Brahmin: gods, spirits, persons, animals, plants, and rocks) to profain at the bottom.  Wheel is the birds I view of the world., so the image is a cone.  The cast system.  The experience of time in traditional India, goes in cycles.  When the world is first created there is a golden age with out diseases, then there is a silver age, and then a bronz age, and an iron age (chaos is rampant, people live short lives).  Iron age is when disease first appears, and medicine is divinely revealed at this time.  (Each age is millions of years).  At the end of the iron age, the world dissolves, and becomes plane matter (disintegration).   After a while, time starts all over again.   Salvation comes to the elite; and Brahmanism forms 500bc.  Ideas: Atman (self/soul) = God..  God flows into the world as atman flows into the body (jiva).  The process of atman discarding a jiva is transmigration (it can go upwards and downwards) (cycle of life). Samsara common flow the flux of the world around us, the change the flow, there is no stopping point in life because transmigration is endless.  The completeness, motsha- is the salvation (divinity in ones self).  Many schools formed to achieve liberation.  Buddahism was one school of many brahmanist schools.

XIV) The Buddha



*A) Describe the three aspects of the Buddha.

Historical

Spiritual

Majical being

     Buddism grew out of the vedic medical tradition.  Buddhaism is a transformation of this medical tradition.  The Buddha is seen as a great human physician who has properly diagnosed human suffering, and his teaching is seen as a medicine to cure that suffering.  A Buddha can be seen as a human being (Goatoma 560-480 bc; part of nobility), and a universal spiritual principle (the term Buddha means enlightend, there were many before Goitoma and there will be man after him: the Buddha makes two vows, 1. that he will become enlightened, 2. and then you will teach people: you need 3 * 10^51 life times to become enlightened ,  while the Buddha is gaining enlightenment he is called the a buddasatva fullfil all of buddhas virtue, as a magical being, dreams about a white elephant, boy shall be a universal monarch : sick man, old man, dead man, and a monk.  Raises his son in a pleasure palace (31yrs), gods chariot, sick man; old man, dead man, then a monk.  Awakens the spiritualism that is in him.  Buddahism; materialism, then  asceticism (starvation), compromise between the two.  Sits down near the tree of enlightenment (Mara tries to stop Goitoma), meditates; open up the eye of wisdom, see past life times, and then he sees dependant origination to become enlightened.  He wants to stay near the tree and die.  He is convinced by gods that he should stay and teach, to become compassionate, and for another 40 years he stays in the world and teaches. 

*B) What ‘secret’ did Gautama discover that led to his enlightenment?

When he saw the sick man the dead man and the old man, he discovered the idea mystery of change and impermanence.

C) Describe the Buddha's glorified body.

   All of us have a magical potential.  The great saints however have actualized his potential which is the glorified body (golden body that is 18ft high, eye of wisdom, flames surrounding the body, and a haillow over his head)

 

*D) How is Buddhism atheistic? How is it theistic?

 

When westerners first discovered buddhaism they said that it was not a religion because god was not important to it.

 There is a personal creater god (Islam Jews, Christian).

 There is an impersonal experience of the sacred.

 Then there is polytheism.

Buddhism: is atheistic is not concern with who created the world, because thinking about this is a waist of time.  It is more concern alleviate suffering. 

If atheism is not caring about who created the world, then Buddhism is atheistic.  Buddhism, has the experience of the sacred (Nirvana).  Nirvana is the same as the sacred experience happening in other (Catholism) religion.  Nirvana: is permanent and stable, the incomprehensible peace.  Nirvana differs from union with god, in such that it is not equated with the creator of the world.  (Nirvana : extinction).

*D1)  What is upaya?

Buddhism does not try to dominate other culture, but it still tries to convert the culture.  They would try to trick the culture in saying that it is pretty good, transform other religions to make them Buddhist, being skillful in teaching. Skill and means

D)    How are we polytheistic?

The modern world is polytheistic, because we worship abstract ideas.  E.g. Democracy, progress, freedom.  We go to war for these things, essentially we treat them as diatees.

*F) Why can only a human being become a Buddha?

Only a human being can become a Buddha, because he could not have become a Buddha in heaven.  It is very difficult to have a human birth and is well situated for enlightenment, the gods are well situated to become enlightened, but there lives are so pleasant that they don’t want enlightenment.  On the other hand, the animals are miserable enough to want enlightenment, but they don’t have enough intelegence.  Only a human being is both intelligent enough to achieve enlightenment, and miserable enough to want enlightment.

XV) Common Doctrine

*A) Explain the doctrine of "not-self."

What did Goitoma think of when he became enlightened?  He created the Anatman doctrine, no-self.  There is nothing about us that ascribes to a permanent self or soul.  All suffering is derived from two concepts, that there is a self, and that things belong to you.  This goes against Brahmanism that says that a person has a soul.  There is also no such thing as a person in Buddhism.  There is no core of our existence.  The doctrine of no self, says that Buddhism is not unique.  E.g (David Hume, and William James[who doesn’t believe in soul]) .  Buddhism is uinique in the way they have made a life about this idea.  Buddhist makes no sense, because it goes against self preservation.  We can only be happy once we realize that we don’t really exist.  These ideas fit in with modern philosophy and psychology: Some say there is an empty hole at the center of our existence that results in all of our anxiety.  Buddist say that things outside of oneself should not be relied on.

*B) What are the five skandhas?

A human being is composed of five bundles or heaps.

1. Body.    2. Feelings.  3. Perceptions.  4.  Impulsions and Emotions  5. Acts of Contiousness.

All five of these give rise to the illusion of a permanent self:  You can’t be your body , or your feelings, perceptions, impulsions and emotion, or thoughts  because all of these are imperminant.  Since you are nothing that is constant, then you are nothing, there is only the illusion that you are a person.  As you overlook the illusion, you achieve Nirvana, because it is lust that gives rise to this situation.  So you can accept the death that is inevitable.

*C) What is salvation in Buddhism?

It is a kind of immortality that you experience once you overcome the illusion of having a perminant self.  So even death is an illusion, because life is an illusion.

D) Is Buddhism practical? What evidence can you give?

Buddhism is practical, and is a way of life that works.  The evidence is that it has last 2500yrs (You compare this to an empire that only lasts 300yrs).  Buddhism says that everything changes and yet it remains the same, which is a real paradox.  Explanation:  We take ourselves to seriously and in doing so we creat a lot of problems for ourselves.

D1) Compare the anatman doctrine with the basic assumption of the Jewish religion..

Basic assumption: Ethics precedes ontology.   The most important thing is how you treat other people. Anatmen doctorine: the important thing is that you realize that there are no people (that all people are illusions).

D2)  Compare the most important terms of buddaism with the most important biblical terms.

India Terms: Nirvana , Samsara, Moksha, enlightenment: have to do with knowledge and liberation from the world.

Biblical terms: Kingdom of god, Grace, Justice, redemption:  Have to do with politics and law.

*E) Explain "Dependent Origination."

Dependant origination, created budda   Is the buddaist theory of how the world is held together.  It is held together by means of a causal chain of twelve links.   Buddaism wants to break the weak link (ignorance).  Dependant origination is to buddaism as the word of god is to Christianity.  You know how things will go down in buddaism.  Ananda: says you have passed down your teachings perfectly, and cries. Buddah say:  I have never really been here.

 

1)     On ignorance depend karma. (ignorance creates carelessness)

2)     On Karma depend Contiousness.

3)     On Contiousness depend name and form (individual).

4)     On name and form depend the six organs of sense.

5)     On the six organs of sense depends contact.

6)     On contact depends sensation.

7)     On sensation depends desire.

8)     On desire depends attachment.

9)     On attachment depends existence.

10) On existence depends birth.

11) On birth depends old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, grief and despair.

12) Thus does this entire aggregation of misery arise.

XVI) The Dharma



A) What are the four Holy Truths?

The five ascetics are converted in the park.  Setting the wheel of darma in motion.

1) The holy truth of ill:  All of life is suffering. Life in its entirety is suffering.

2) The holy truth of the origination of ill:  The cause of suffering is desire, or craving.

3) The holy truth for the stopping of ill: To end suffering stop craving.

4) The holy truth of the steps which lead to the stopping of ill: Live according to the eight fold path.

Analygous to medical profession.

1. Is the illness real? Yes suffering

2. Can you find the cause of illness? Yes it is craving.

3. Can you cure the illness? Yes stop craving.

4. What is the treatment? Live the buddist way of life.

B) Describe the eight-fold path.

The Buddist way of life.  It has 8 aspects.  Critical word is ‘Right’ (Insight, knowledge required), Biblical tradition ‘Will’ (to obey commands).

1. Right Views- all of life is suffering, and there is no perminant self.

2. Right intensions- intend to put views in practice.

3. Right Speech – No angry.

4. Right conduct – live according to the five precepts No lie, steal, kill, sexual misconduct, drugs.

5. Right livelihood- You need to make your living in a way that does not violate the 5 precepts.

6. Right effort- put all efforts into achieving liberation.

7. Right mindfulness

8. Right concentration.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

*C) What are some of the ways that we hide the existence of suffering from ourselves?

Most of us will except that a lot of life is suffering.  The first holy truth is not self evident, because the budest says we don’t see the world the way it really is.  They talk about conceiled suffering (deeper).  Kind of concieled suffering.

 

1)     Something while pleasant involves the suffering of others.

2)     Something while pleasant is tied up with anxiety since we are afraid to lose it.

3)     Something while pleasant binds us still further to conditions in which a great deal of suffering is inevitable. (Connected to sensual pleasures)

4)     The pleasures derived from anything bodily are worthless to satisfy the inner most longings of our hearts.

XVII) The Sangha: (community)

House holders vs. Monks and Nuns. – Monks and Nuns are the buddist elite, responsible for the continuity of the religion.

A) What are vinaya?

The monastic rules.  Between 227 and 253 separate rules, and the monks and nuns are to live by these, they are recited every two weeks in which violations of the rules are to be confessed.  There are 13 major rules that if violated, would dismissed.  Repeatedly don’t submit to authority of senior monks.  If you lie about experience Nirvana, if You kill someone for instance.  There are 3 broad vows are  important.  1.  Thie monk is to have no private property (except: robes (rags), alms bowl (begging for food), rosary (prayor and meditation), razor (shave head), water filter (don’t inadvertently harm little bugs))

B) Why is poverty important?

It is important because you need to cut your ties to the material world to a minimum in order to have the independence needed to achieve nirvana.  Originally monks had no permanent homes, but Chinese Monks became established.  Idea is that you can have wealth if you use it compationately.

C) Why is celibacy important to the monk?

You must suppress sexuality because. 1. The primary source of evil is sensuality. 2. It is difficult to have sex with someone without becoming attached to them, which would be fatal to the attainment of nirvana.  3. That the energy used in sexual intercourse is the same energy that is used in meditation (so sexual activity is a misuse of resources).

D) Explain inoffensiveness.

IS the buddist vow to avoid harming any sentient (contious being: human or animal) being if at all possible.  Based on two principles: 1) compassion; everyone holds themselves dear, so if you try to see the world they see, you won’t harm them either. 2) Is transmigration, which makes us all related.  This has resulted in the humanism of the world.  But buddaism is not always non-violent.

XVIII) Hinayana--Old Wisdom (terabada)  Lesser vehicle – Hinayana (poor)

A) What are the grades of the Buddhist saints?

Ordinary people can become saints, the point of conversion is called ‘entrance into the stream’ trying to get from samsara to nirvana.

They are from lowest to highest.

Stream Winner,  Once Returner, Never returner,  Arhat (experiences nirvana, body like a shell, has complete liberation now, both men and women can achieve.)  The grades for a monk in a monistary.   Characteristics ; confidence, vigor, mindfulness, concentration, and vigor.  Confidence that you can remake and structure your life, vigor is your ability to do it, a basic upright character.

*B) What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is connected with the 7th step of the 8 fold path.  Being aware of your body and its states at all times.  Goes back to a tradition Buddah says:  “if you have mastery over your body, then you have mastery over the world.”    E.g.  there is stuff of the body; then you associate this stuff with an opposite sex person that you are attracted to.  You can meditate on corps that are in different stages of decomposition.  The concentration.

C) What are the three aspects of the meditational practices of a Buddhist monk?

After you have some mastery of the body, then you need to disapline the mind.

1. The 8 Dayanas.- ekagrata, focus and steady mind, meditation

     1) Focus on an object for 30 minutes.

     2) Discoursive thought ends, spontaneously stop thinking (enterance into the stream).

     3) Even minded ness – sense of pleasure fades away, and is replaced by equanimity. (focus on vaise)

     4) Enven minded ness- have happiness same.

     5) One sees everything as boundless space.

     6) One sees everything as emptiness.

    7) One sees everything as unlimited contiousness.

    8) The stage of neither non-perception nor perception.

    9) The stage of touching Nirvana with your body.

2. The four unlimited.

3. Acquisition of power: Often used powers for exorcism.  When you are converting from one orientation to another, the world is very fluid and surreal.  The same goes for the mind.

*D) Describe the four unlimiteds?

The cultivation of the social emotions.  When one can achieve even minded ness.

1.Friendliness (toward self, and transfer that toward friend, and transfer to those you are indifferent, and finally to those you hate.)

2. Compassion. Same process.

3. Sympathetic Joy. Same process.

4. Evenmindedness. (Indifferent, friend, enemy, to self)

The whole idea is to break down the barrier between yourself and others.

 

*E) What is the "contemplation of dharmas?"

Is a meditation stated at 4th Diana.  Analyze personal experience into the interplay of inpersonal elements.  Hiniyan theory is that the world is the collision of billiard balls.  (I) (see) (apple) à (I see apple) [burning up the illusion of separate self]

*F) Describe the result of the monk's training.

It results in a nirvana.  An exhaulted tranquility.  A tranquility that boarders on bliss, and that is salvation.

XG) Compare the Hinayana and Hindu valuation of the material world.



XIX) Mahayana--New Wisdom

Separated from hinyana 200bc.

A) In what ways was the Mahayana more liberal than the Hinayana?

1. It is less strict in interpreting the disciplinary rules. 

2. You can be a householder and be a first class buddist. 

3. Is open to the spiritual possibilities of women. 

4. It allowed addition to the scriptures.  (Projna paramitra Sutra)

*B) Describe the Bodhisattva ideal.

The major change aroused by 4.  You are supposed to strive to be a Bodhisattva not an Arhat, because the Arhat doesn’t have the highest knowledge, and the Arhat is morally deficient.  A bodhisattva is a person who can enter nirvana at any time but chooses to stay in the world life time after life time so that he can bring everyone else to salvation.  Only after you have saved everyone else.  E.g Dolly Lama.

*C) Why is this ideal paradoxical?

Para-against, dox- common sense.  Againsts common sense, but true.  Bodisatva is a living symbol, who in his person combines sacred and profane.  He remains in limbo because he contains compassion (profane), he remains sacred because he has wisdom, that makes him understand that there is no one to save.  If he succeeds he must understand that he really didn’t do anything.

*D) Explain the statement, "All mental constructs are empty (sunya).

Our ideas and conceptions are not things that exist out in the world, they are merely tolls.The new and higher wisdom, in training you go up to the fourth dianna and you look into emptiness.  Emptiness: all of our statements contain distortion.  So if you say yes to something, that contains an error.  If you say no to something, that statement also contains an error.  Emptiness is an intuition of the truth in which opposite opinions coincide.

*E) According to Prajnaparamitra, what are youth and old age?

Our ideas and conceptions are not real things that exist outside in the world, they are merely useful tools, mental constructs (labels we apply to ptople).  Our minds are basically abstraction devices, so abs tract what we perceive, and we need to do that inorder to get along, but at the same time we think that our conceptions are real, that is when we get into trouble when we don’t see the world, but see our conceived ideas of it.  The new system is to criticize concepts inorder to see the distortion.  E.g.  Ask a dying monk whether illness is a part of you.  No.  Is illness separate from you. No   Systematically critize things in Nirvana, and Samsara.  The true nature of the world is that the holy and profane are the same.  There is salvation in the Mahijana.  In the world of constant change there is a world of constant bliss.

They are not real things, they are only mental constructs.  We only see young and old with relation to each other.

*F) According to Prajnaparamitra, what are life and death?

They are not real things, they are only mental constructs.  If we didn’t see dead people, we would not know that we were alive.  To see this is real salvation.  We come to terms with the life cycle.

XX) Shamanism



A) What is one of the fundamental assumptions that Native Americans hold about human nature?

People have no power but there fundamental goal in life is to acquire sacred power.

B) What is a vision quest?

It is a means by which you acquire power.  It is a ritual, where you go out to a lonely mountain or hill top, and there you fast and go through with various physical deprivation from two to 4 days.  And if you are blessed you will have a vision from a spirit, that will give you power.  The power is specific, and the spirit that gives it to you will become a part of your personality.

C) What is a Shaman?

Is an expert in visions, someone who has a talent on visions.  A shaman has visions that have visions spontaneously.  And they use the power of these visions to help their people. E.g. the Sue Indians. 

XXI) Social Organization : Winabego.

of these people live from wisconsen to Montana, and from Oklahoma to Albert
Ritual transformation,

*A) What two structural patterns of social organization did the Winnebago have in common with many North American peoples?

The clan organization, and the tribe is divided into two halfs called phratrys.  If you belong to the upper phratry, you must marry someone from the lower phratry.  They together own the entire tribe.

*B) "Those-from-above" or "upper people."

1) What functions are centered in the upper phratry?

The idea that each of the two halves embody different qualities.  The function of the upper phratry are Peace, creativity, and human reconciliation.

2) What are some of the duties of the tribal chief?

The tribal chief  (from upper phratry)is the peace chief, he never goes to war, if there is any infraction or crimes committed in tribe, he tries to reconcile victum with the perpetrator.  Even in murder, the peace chief might put himself to death to re-establish peace.  Inside his tent is asylume, even enemy can’t be harmed.

*C) "Those-from-below" or "lower people."

1) What functions are centered in the lower phratry?

Force Destruction, war and violence.

2) What are some of the duties of the chief of the "lower people?"

He is the war chief he leads the people to war.  It is in his lodge that criminals are kept before they are punished, and he supervises their punishment.

XXII) Winnebago metaphysics

*1) What fundamental question was embodied by the division of the tribe into two phratries?

Their preoccupation, fundamental question: “What is the relation of the peaceful creative human tendency to the forceful destructive human tendencies?”

3)      How is it expressed in the ways that the two chiefs deal with disease?

For the winabego, disease mean that someone has been offended.  A distruption of the community and spirits.  The peace chief will hold a fiest to resablish equilibrium.  The war chief will go on the war path, around the camp trying to offend the war spirit, and  destroy it.



*B) Human nature: How did the Winnebago see in human nature a counter-part to the tensions in human society?


Each human being has a peaceful creative tendency and a war like tendency.  The personality of each person arrises out of the tension of these two tendencies.

XXIII) Winnebago Mythology  (Medicine Right)

A) The Ordering of the Cosmos

The story:  Father earth, moves, tears formed bodies of water.  Stretched out thrown down earth.  Put hair and grass.  Stop spinning.  Sent a tree. Make beings. Stones and rocks.

*1) What is the foundation of the world?

The tears of god.  For the Winebago there is something sacred about tears and not speech.

*2) How does Earthmaker propose to continue his creation?

Through his thoughts.  There is something magical and sacred about certain kinds of thoughts.

*3) With what problem is Earthmaker confronted in the cosmogonic myth?

Instability:  The earth keeps spinning around.  God wants the earth to stop spinning.  The earth is an island floating on the tears of god.  Beings (Water Spirit[evil], and Serpant [good]).  Puts rocks [female beings].  The people the last, and therefore the weakest.

B) Hare Saves Mankind: What is the "primordial" condition of human beings?

That is the condition is sacred time.  They are the weakest of earth makers creatures and are being attacked by evil spirits.

C) Death Comes to the World

1) What is an etiological myth?

Is a story that takes place after the creation, but it is a story about how some prominent feature of life is created.  E.G.  Adam and Eve’s story,  or Story about the exisitance of mountans.   There is a story about how death comes into the world:  Earth maker sends down cultural heros to help people.  1. Trixter: kid who doesn’t help.  2. Turtle: war like, who makes wars, but doesn’t help. 3. Bladder: doesn’t help.  4. He who wares human heads as earings: fierce. 5. Hare (rabbit): helps people and is successful. 

2) How did Hare bring death to humans?

   Grandmother earth comes and Hare and her go for a walk; and after he looks behind him, people beggin to die.  Hare tries to restore immortality, but he goes to spirits trying to restore people to immortality.  So the rabbit dies, and fierce creature revives him.  Earth maker.

*3) What consolation does Earthmaker give to humans when Hare failed at giving them immortality?

He gave them the medicine right.  The gift god gave to people in consulation that they have to die.



D) The Ritual Model Presented in the Myth

*1) After Hare and his friends bless Grandmother, what does she offer to humans?

After Hare and friends are together they bless her, and she offers people tobacco and corn.

*2) What is the importance of tobacco to spirits and man?

Spirits have a great deal of power and no tobacco, and the spirits are addicted to tobacco.  In the ritual, you offer the spirits tobacco, and they give you power.

*3) How did Hare and his friends begin the tradition of the medicine rite?

The built the first medicine lodge : model of cosmos.  Each figure 1-4 has a seat at the corner of the world, and Hare is transendant.  They offer a place to 4 winabego clans, and the clans pass on the medicine right as tradition.

*4) What is the order of life for men ?

Hare gets at the center of room.  Turns around and becomes older and older and older, and establishes order.

*5) How is the order of life for women established?

Grandmother earth does the same thing for women, and establishes the order of life for women.

*6) How do the participants of the medicine rite greet each other?

They great each other as impersonators of the cultural heros who first performed the medicine right.

*E) What is the central symbolism of the cosmogonic myth?

The tears of god.  Is the central symbolism.

*F) How is the "truth" of the imagery ironic or paradoxical?

The medicine rights is performed at the death a clan member, but in that grieving you are imitating what god did at the beginning of time.  The paradox of this symbol is the tears of grief of the death of a medicine right member coincide with the tears of god that create new life.  That is the fundamental assumption of the Winnebago.

XXIV) Winnebago Religion

Important thing is to renew life and recite the comosgonic myth; this gives a renewel to life

*A) In general, what distinguishes the "exoteric" and "esoteric" understanding of Winnebago religion?

Exoteric-means a secret knowledge, it for the ordinary people.  Hard headed and practical

Esoteric-Higher class people (priest people) are more poetic and philosophical

B) What is the "exoteric" view of the primary deities?

The view was that the primary deities were indifferent to people, but powerful,

 

C) What is the "esoteric" view?

Was that the primary deities were concerned with people, a fundamental concern.

 

D) How did the priest-thinker seek to bring more order into the various functions of the deities?

Developed a moral idea of the universe and in this image they make the primary deities subject to morality that was more powerful than any of the deities.

 

E) Why was the "exoteric" attitude to the deities ambiguous?

Because you delt with the deities by challenging them and coerce power from them and you never knew what you were going to get from them. You might of ask and get the rwrong thing.

 

F) What is the "exoteric" understanding of the use of tobacco?

You use tabacco to coerce power  from the deities by exploiting their weakness of nicotine

 

*G) What was the "exoteric" attitude towards life?

IT was one of tragedy. You could challenge the deities but someday you are going to lose and someday you will suffer a tragedy at their hands.

 

*H) What was the "esoteric" attitude?

IT was optimistic there were certain things you could expect. You could expect a good life if you were moral.

*I) The "socialization" of people and the gods.



1) How did the priest-thinker try to solve the problem of disorder and evil?

By developing an image of people that gave people some of the attributes of god.

2) How did he use the concept of immortality?

They identified conscience with an immortal soul. 

3) How did he use the concept of reincarnation?

You could be immortal but see that people die. So there was the idea that you body will die but you conscience will be reincarnated so this will give you more stability.

4) Why was magic feared?

For the winnebegal Shamisim was used to kill people.  Specifically shooting magic bear claws into someone would kill them.

5) How did the Medicine Rite "socialize" magic?

Made the acquisition of magical powers subject to moral.  You could only acquire magical powers through being moral, social.

6) How did it "socialize" the deities?

It made the deities subject to morality.  If you were mortal the Gods would have to give you power.

*J) Religion and the Two Fundamental Attitudes of Winnebago Culture.



1) Why did some reject this "socialization?"

They thought the proper attitude towards the deities was being a warrior.  To challenge them.

2) How does religion reflect the fundamental tension of the Winnebago social order?

TO EXOTERIC ATTIDUTE CORRESPONDS TO THE WAR LIkE TENDENCY OF THE LOWER PEOPLE> THE ESOTERIC ATTITUDE CORRESPONDS TO THE PEACE TENDENCY OF THE UPPER PEOPLE>



XXV) The Medicine Rite

*A) What were the purposes of the Medicine Rite?

To assure a long and happy life and assure and provide reincarnation.

*B) Explain the magical and symbolic aspect of the Medicine Rite.

It entailed a ritual in which your killed and brought back to life over and over again. And then when your real physical death comes you have already prepared for it. SO it is training for it.

*C) How did the Medicine Rite transform Shamanistic magical ritual?

Changed from Shamanistic magical ritual was used to kill people in the medicine right it is the same ritual but now it is to give them life.

*D) What was the ethical-philosophical aspect?

A moral code that medicine right members lived byThe Medicine right member lived according to a specific ethical right code.

*E) How did admission for the rite initiate one into a new way of life?

It entailed a conversion experience.

F) Why was one initiated into the medicine rite around forty?

That is about the time when physical limitations first become very strong. 

XXVI) Outline of the Medicine Rite

The Winnebago were at war with surrounding tribes and cultures were coming under attack under French. A century or so they were using the war life tendency to preserve themselves and the medicine Rite is an attempt to preserve their culture using the peaceful tendency.  It is a secret society but everybody knows that when you are initiated to the medicine right you are killed.

A) Part One: The Ritual of Tears 4 clans meet seperatly and takes four days

*1) What is the Ritual of Tears?

It is a funeral for morning a dead medicine right member

*2) How is it related to the cosmogonic myth?

In two ways 1) the (imitating god )cosmogonic myth is recited during the ritual

2) The members of the rite imitate god during the ritual.

3) How are symbols Apolyinterpretable?@

Many interpretations.  They always have at least two levels of meanings.  A literal level and then various symbolic levels.

 

B) Part Two: The Ritual of Purification 4 clans meet in a clearing at dawn 1 day

 

1) Explain the symbolic use of shells.

The senior member tells the story that two men planted shells in him,  One in his heart and one in his stomach.  Then he coughs up the shell and spits it out to hand or pouch and shows it to people and this is a sacred object that is suppose to be awesome. Shell is not in stomach but under tongue. SO kind of faking it.

*2) Why are there two shells implanted in the Medicine Rite members?

The medicine right always goes on different levels.  The literal level is the shell hidden underneath his tongue.  The symbolic level is the shell planted in his heart.

C) Describe the Ritual of Expectations.

, occurs in one day… Here the clans meet and then in order of seniority the oldest member of the right cough up the shell puts it into his bird skin pouch points at the next oldest member and pretends like he is shooting him.  He falls down and pretends as if dead and then he gets up coughs up his shell and then magically shoots the next.  SO this process continues until all the members have shot each other and come back to life.

D) The Ritual of Rewards

This is dawn, clearing one day, this begins the initiations process. He is going to take the place of the guy that just died.  And they tell them the new life that he will be living with is called the road of life and death. 

 

*2) What are some of the important experiences in the life cycle that the Road of Life and

Death describes?

 Travel on the road and you’ll come to a ravine.  That symbolizes the death of one of your children.  Then you could sit down and morn on this side of the ravine and if you do that you yourself will die but what you need to do is cross over the ravine and then you’ll discover new life on the other side, you’ll be strengthened then you will come across a fire along the ravine, that symbolized the death of your wife of husband.  And again you could stay on this side and grieve and if you do you will die but what you must do is cross through the fire and then you’ll see many people before you that means you are a junior member of the Rite, a little latter you’ll see a few people before you and many behind you and then you’ll be a senior member of the Rite and then you’ll see many behind you … Then you’ll see a ravine, cross over and continue up to earth makers lodge and then you can be reincartneted into a new life, after a while. 

Death of children, Death of spouse, being a younger member, senior member, oldest member, and your own death

*3) What is the fundamental pattern or structure of these experiences?

In each crisis point of life you plunge (over come death) through death to discover new life on the other side. 

 

*4) How is this pattern related to the cosmogonic myth?

It has the same structure, the cosmogonic myth and life cycle, encounters with death and coincides with new life.

In the tears of god, death coincides with new life

5) How is this pattern related to Frankl?

Victor Frankl is a man that survived Nazi concentration camps and wrote a biography and talk about how it was possible and how could life be menaningful, 2 things

1) that which does not kill me makes me stronger___ Nethizhe, He realized that he could survive anything after concentration

2) HE who has a reason to live will find a way to him---

3) those people that lost reason to live they lost their faith in the future, that person would die in about 3-4 days and usually they would die because their resistance would fall so what the

Winnebago discovered was the same, that adversity could be resolved if you could find some reason or meaning to it.

*6) What "secret" does the initiate learn about ritual killing?

This is when they become initiated, is that you don’t really die. … THAT YOU DON’T DIE. There is a rumor that you are going to be killed but they say this is how they really do it, a joke.

XXVII) The Ritual of Life, Death and Rebirth

Takes place at dawn in a clearing

1) Describe the ethical code given to the initiate.

IT is simply simple rules to live by.  Love everyone, never steal, never fight, keep a good conscience, take care of your own people, Take care of your spouse, and don’t drink and don’t shot tobacco.

*2) What is the central event of this ritual?

The initiated are killed and brought back to life the first time.  He falls down in a blanket and after a while comes back to life. 

B) Secrecy in the Medicine Rite

 

*1) What is enculturation?

It is a process by which you internalized the values of your cultures. You make them a part of your personality. Process of enculturation Above all it is an enculturation

*2) How is the Medicine Rite fraudulent?

That on a literal level you don’t really die, it is a joke

*3) How is it true?

On the symbolic level it entails a conversion from an exoteric view of the world to an esoteric view of the world.  And this conversion is a symbolic death and rebirth. SO after you have been initiated you are someone different

C) How does the myth of the Medicine Rite allow one to discover meaning in the life

cycle?

IT Teaches you to coupe and find new life and renewel in inevititable counters of death that will occur in your life


XXVIII) Summary and Conclusions to the Course

A) What is symbolization?

Process of throwing things to get, for no obvious practical purposes.  It has to do with how people orient themselves

B) Are all religions the same?

No the way people symbolize differs

Religion always has concern for the total view of existence.

C) Do religions stay the same?

No they constantly renew themselves

D) Why is this matter of orientation so difficult to understand?

Symbols form the bassis of life and have many shades of meaning, and it is impossible to directly translate the symbol of one culture to another.

E) Do scholars change the way they understand religion?

Yes they way they understand culture changes and is determined by the spirit of the times in which they live.

F) What does positivism assert about the study of religion?

You don’t need to understand religion in order to understand people.

F)     Why study religion?

G2) What is religion? 

1) What do biology, politics, economics and sociology study?

They study fragments of human existence.

 

2) What is religion?

Religion characterized by the process of symbolization can be defined as any of the human traditions that preserves the inner necessity for a total view of existence.

 

3) What is the relation of religion to any serious understanding of any fragment of human existence?

A total view of existence is a precondition for any serious understanding or apprehension of any fragment of human existence. 

H) Religion and human freedom

1) What is religion (definition two)?

2) What is human freedom?

3) What is the relation of symbols to human freedom?

 XXVIII) Summary and Conclusions to the Course

A)* What is symbolization?

A process of throwing things together for no obvious practical purpose but it has to do with how people orientate themselves.

B)* Are all religions the same?

NO, The way people symbolize differs

Ex. In the religion of isreal people symbolize through politics, in Buddhism it is images of medicine and in the Winnebago it is images from ____ and when we think of our culture is because we symbolize through myth and very little riches, all this means is that different people have different orientation. 

D)    *Do religions stay the same?

No they constantly renew themselves.   Ex.  The religion of Israel breaks up into Christianity Islam, and Judaism.  Buddhism changes from the old wisdom Inhyana to the mahayat.  And the Winnebago, the medicine rite itself is a renewal, to try to renew their culture. 

E)     *Why is this matter of orientation so difficult to understand?

Because symbols from the basis of life and they have many shades of meaning.  Ex.. That if in the religion of India terms such as nirvana liberation. They are important.. Isreal_rightousness…. They are important.. It is difficult to translate one set of terms into the other. In our secular culture, terms such as freedom are difficult to define. 

E)* Do scholars change the way they understand religion?

Yes,  The theory and questions that scholars ask of a religion are determined by the spirit of the age in which they live.  Ex. 18 century the idea was Clear and distinct, reason and progress,  then in 19th there was more of a sense of intuition.

 

F)* What does positivism assert about the study of religion?

It asserts that you don’t need to understand religion in order to understand people

 

G) Why study religion?

1)* What do biology, politics, economics and sociology study?

They study fragments of human existence. Now, religion is never a study of the fragment of human existence, in the process of symbolization you take something from beyond this world and in some inexplicable manner you bring it into this world to from a totality and religion always shows this concern for totality. (total view of existence)

2)* What is religion?

 

Religion, characterized by the process of symbolization can be defined as any of the human traditions that preserve the inner necessity for a total view of existence.

 

3)* What is the relation of religion to any serious understanding of any fragment of human existence?

A total view of existence is a precondition for any serious understanding or apprehension of any fragment of human existence.

You can’t understand the biological dimension and to understand you need to put in a biological context to understand religion dimension you have to place it in a religion context.

H) Religion and human freedom

 

1) *What is religion (definition two)?

Emanuel Levinas (philosopher) states the basic thing that makes us human is the desire for the invisible, beyond or ordinary senses and reason.

2)* What is human freedom?

According to Levinas, freedom is consciences that freedom is endanger and that at any moment we are on the brink of sinking into bestiality of becoming less than human. What preserves us from this is the desire to be invisible, the religious desire.

3)* What is the relation of symbols to human?

 Its religious symbols that preserve the desire for the invisible.  By preserving a total view of existence religious symbols preserve and give concrete expression to human freedom.  Allow to remain human even in the worst physical necessity or limitations.  The limitations imposed upon us by our biological nature, can’t escape it but somehow we could transcend it.