DOCSLIB.ORG

Religious/Spiritual Struggles and Religious Disengagement Among College Students

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Religious/Spiritual Struggles and Religious Disengagement Among College Students Pulling Away from Religion 1 Pulling Away from Religion: Religious/Spiritual Struggles and Religious Disengagement among College Students Julie Exline Case Western Reserve University Daryl R. Van Tongeren Hope College David F. Bradley Pittsburg State University Joshua A. Wilt & Nick Stauner Case Western Reserve University Kenneth I. Pargament Bowling Green State University C. Nathan DeWall University of Kentucky In press at Psychology of Religion and Spirituality Author note: We are grateful for funding support from the John Templeton Foundation (60734, 36094, and 59916). Correspondence regarding this manuscript should be directed to Dr. Julie Exline, Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-7123. E-mail: [email protected] Pulling Away from Religion 2 Abstract What types of religious and spiritual struggles do people experience when they disengage from religion? We examined college students (N = 3,598) who had pulled back from religion, either by no longer identifying as religious or spiritual (Dones) or by disengaging from organized religion while maintaining an identity as religious (Disengaged but Religious: DBR) or spiritual but not religious (Disengaged but Spiritual: DBS). Our aim was to examine the religious/spiritual struggles these students reported, both in comparison to each other and in comparison to those with more stable identities as religious (Religious) or nonreligious (Nevers). As predicted, DBS and DBR students reported higher levels of current r/s struggles than students in other groups. Specifically, DBR and DBS students scored highest on ultimate meaning struggles, interpersonal struggles, doubt struggles, and emotionally-oriented divine struggles, whereas intellectual questioning about God’s existence was highest among the DBS and Dones. DBRs scored similarly to the Religious group on struggles that correlate positively with religiousness (demonic and moral struggles), consistent with the notion of a religious residue effect. Retrospective reports of lifetime religious/spiritual struggle confirmed that the Dones reported substantial struggle in their religious history: The DBS scored highest, followed by the Dones and DBRs. Supplemental analyses of students identifying as spiritual but not religious revealed considerable diversity in terms of religious engagement and struggle. Taken together, these findings confirm that religious disengagement, either by pulling back from organized religion or shifting toward a nonreligious identity, is often associated with a wide range of religious/spiritual struggles. (250 words) Keywords: religious struggles, spiritual struggles, religious deidentification, religious disengagement, religious dones Pulling Away from Religion 3 Pulling Away from Religion: Religious/Spiritual Struggles and Religious Disengagement among College Students Many people in the U.S. are walking away from religion. Recent national polls suggest that religious affiliation is declining, and the number of religiously unaffiliated is increasing (Gallup, n.d.; Pew Research Center, 2019; see also Twenge, Sherman, Exline, & Grubbs, 2016). In fact, some estimate that the religiously unaffiliated now equal the number of Evangelicals and Catholics in the United States (CNN, 2019). The number of unaffiliated U.S. Millennials is also increasing, a phenomenon some have termed the “rise of the nones” (Newport, 2019). Some of this large-scale survey research shows trends of decreased religious engagement among younger people specifically (Twenge, Exline, Grubbs, Sastry, & Campbell, 2015; Pew Research Center, 2019). This article focuses on college students, a group who may be in a critical period for religious disengagement (e.g., Bryant, Choi, & Yasuno, 2003). Our aim was to examine how religious disengagement relates to religious/spiritual (r/s) struggles among college students. Becoming Less Religious Shifts away from religion take many forms. Some shifts occur at the level of identity, in which a person no longer self-identifies as religious. Along these lines, a recent research program has begun to examine religious “Dones,” those that have experienced religious de-identification. Studies sampling from diverse countries (Hong Kong, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the U.S.) show that even following de-identification, Dones show evidence of a religious residue, or patterns of religious thinking, feeling, and behaving resembling those of currently religious individuals more than never-religious individuals (Van Tongeren, DeWall, Chen, Bulbulia, & Sibley, 2019). This residue effect has been found for religion-relevant values (e.g., moral foundations; Van Tongeren, DeWall, Hardy, & Schwadel, 2019) and behavior (e.g., religious Pulling Away from Religion 4 consumption; DeWall & Van Tongeren, 2019), suggesting that even after people stop identifying as religious, their once-religious schemas are still evident in their social cognitive processes. Another way to disengage would be to pull back from organized religion while still self- identifying as religious (Itzhaki, Yablon, & Itzhaky, 2018). For example, people might decrease attendance at services, reduce ritual observances, or spend less time reading sacred texts. A related alternative would be to pull back from organized religion and religious identity while still identifying as spiritual (i.e., spiritual but not religious; Fuller, 2001). We examined both of these forms of disengagement, along with decisions to abandon religion altogether (i.e., the Dones). For this project we focused on college students. Undergraduates face a developmental transition involving increased independence and exposure to diverse worldviews (Arnett, 2004; Smith & Snell, 2009), which could precipitate changes in religious engagement or identity (Bryant et al., 2003; Mueller, 2012). From a developmental perspective, college students are often working through issues related to identity and intimacy (Erikson, 1950), which could include religious identity and bonds with religious communities. We were interested in students who had pulled back from religion in some way, either by no longer identifying as religious or spiritual (Dones) or by disengaging from organized religion while maintaining an identity as religious (Disengaged but Religious: DBR) or spiritual but not religious (Disengaged but Spiritual: DBS). Our aim was to examine struggles that students in these groups reported around r/s, both in comparison to each other and in comparison to those who were more stable or consistent in their identities as religious (Religious) or nonreligious (Never Religious/Never). Religious/Spiritual (R/S) Struggles R/s struggles refer to experiences of conflict, tension, or distress around the r/s domain (for reviews, see Exline, 2013; Exline & Rose, 2013; Pargament, 2007; Pargament, Murray- Pulling Away from Religion 5 Swank, Magyar, & Ano, 2005; Stauner, Exline, & Pargament, 2016). Recent work has focused on six domains of struggle (e.g., Exline, Pargament, Grubbs, & Yali, 2014): 1) divine struggles, which include experiences of anger toward God or fear of divine punishment or abandonment; 2) demonic struggles, which focus on concerns about being attacked or tempted by the devil or evil spirits; 3) interpersonal religious struggles, which refer to conflicts, offenses, or negative emotions involving religious people or communities; 4) moral struggles, which involve difficulty following r/s rules or intense guilt about moral transgressions, 5) ultimate meaning struggles, which involve concern about a lack of deep meaning in life, and 6) doubt-related struggles, in which people are troubled by questions or doubts about their r/s beliefs. R/s struggles are linked with depression and anxiety (e.g., Abu-Raiya, Pargament, Krause, & Ironson, 2015; for reviews, see Exline & Rose, 2013; Pargament, 2007; Pargament et al., 2005; Pargament & Lomax, 2013; Wilt, Stauner, & Exline, 2018) and poor physical health (for reviews, see Exline, 2013; Stauner, Exline, & Pargament, 2016)—even higher mortality rates (Pargament, Koenig, Tarakeshwar, & Hahn, 2001). Longitudinal work shows that mental health challenges (e.g., anxiety) sometimes precede r/s struggles (e.g., Wilt, Grubbs, Lindberg, Exline, & Pargament, 2017), but r/s struggles can be primary in some cases, predicting declines in mental health (e.g., Bryant & Astin, 2008; Wortmann, Park, & Edmonson, 2012; for reviews, see Bockrath et al., 2019; Exline, 2013; Pargament & Lomax, Stauner, Exline, & Pargament, 2016). In short, many studies document links between r/s struggles, health, and well-being. R/s struggles are reported by many U.S. adults (Abu-Raiya et al., 2015; Stauner, Exline, & Pargament, 2015), including college students (e.g., Bryant & Astin, 2008; Johnson & Hayes, 2003). Prior analyses of the dataset used for the present project have shown that r/s struggles are common not only among religious students (e.g., Wilt, Hall, Pargament, & Exline, 2017) but also Pulling Away from Religion 6 among students identifying as nonreligious (Stauner, Exline, Uzdavines, & Bradley, 2015) or atheist (Bradley, Uzdavines, Pargament, & Exline, 2016; Sedlar et al., 2018). Knowing that r/s struggles can be important for many college students, it would be valuable to understand more about how their r/s struggles relate to their decisions about r/s identity and engagement. How Religious/Spiritual Struggles Might Relate to Disengagement from Religion Our overarching prediction was that students
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Fewer Americans Affiliate with Organized Religions, Belief and Practice Unchanged
    Press summary March 2015 Fewer Americans Affiliate with Organized Religions, Belief and Practice Unchanged: Key Findings from the 2014 General Social Survey Michael Hout, New York University & NORC Tom W. Smith, NORC 10 March 2015 Fewer Americans Affiliate with Organized Religions, Belief and Practice Unchanged: Key Findings from the 2014 General Social Survey March 2015 Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1 Most Groups Less Religious ....................................................................................................................... 3 Changes among Denominations .................................................................................................................. 4 Conclusions and Future Work....................................................................................................................... 5 About the Data ............................................................................................................................................. 6 References ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 About the Authors .......................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Informal Religious Activity Outside Hegemonic Religions: Wild Traditions and Their Relevance to Evolutionary Models Pascal Boyera,B
    RRBB1678518 Techset Composition India (P) Ltd., Bangalore and Chennai, India 11/8/2019 RELIGION, BRAIN & BEHAVIOR https://doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2019.1678518 5 Informal religious activity outside hegemonic religions: wild traditions and their relevance to evolutionary models Pascal Boyera,b 10 Q1 aDepartment of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA; bDepartment of Psychological ¶ & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA ABSTRACT KEYWORDS Q2 Evolutionary approaches to religious representations must be grounded in Cultural evolution; 15 ¶ a precise description of the forms of religious activity that occurred before evolutionary models; the emergence of state societies and doctrinal religious organizations. religions; shamanism These informal religious activities or “wild traditions” consist of services provided by individual specialists, with no formal training or organization, who generally specialize in palliating or preventing misfortune. The anthropological and historical record show that (a) such 20 traditions are present in almost all documented human societies, (b) they have important common features, and (c) they reappear despite the political dominance of doctrinal organizations. The form of religious activity that humans spontaneously create, or re-create in the face of political suppression, comprises no stable doctrine, faith, or community Q3 of believers. In light of these facts, important corrections should be 25 ¶ made to current models of the evolutionary underpinnings of religious thought and behavior, in particular, by taking into account the great importance of political coercion and the minor role of doctrines in the QA: Coll: spread of religious concepts and practices. 30 Q4 Evolutionary perspectives in the study of religious representations aim to describe the kinds of men- ¶ tal capacities or preferences that (a) occur in human minds by virtue of natural selection and (b) influence the acquisition and transmission of what we usually call “religious” thought and behavior.
    [Show full text]
  • 15. Religious Fundamentalism, Political Power and the Colonization of Spirituality
    EMILY ANTZE 15. RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM, POLITICAL POWER AND THE COLONIZATION OF SPIRITUALITY INTRODUCTION As many of the essays in this collection indicate, spirituality is typically seen as an essential, positive part of who we are, something which unites us with our fellow people, our environment and the divine to promote peace, strength and goodness. And yet, spirituality can also be linked to conflict, exploitation and power struggles when it is mobilized to promote inequalities and private gains. In this chapter, I examine how discourses of spirituality have been employed for private economic and power gains in three contemporary examples, connecting this process metaphorically to theories of domination and colonization. Spirituality has multiple definitions, some of them centering around a personal relationship with the divine, while others remain secular, such as “the organizing story of one’s life … [which turns] around that to which we are ultimately loyal and which we trust for our fulfillment” (Bennet, 2003, p. xiii). Among the various definitions, the common elements seem to be that spirituality is something at the core of our being which defines who we are, what we value, and how we experience our relationship with the world. For those who participate in a religion or a hold a belief in a god, “spirituality” is generally accepted to be the part of them that engages in these beliefs and in the acts of ritual and worship associated with religion. The theologies of most major religions – the structures within which so many people develop and practice their spirituality – contain concepts of human one-ness and caring for fellow people (Fernandes, 2003, p.
    [Show full text]
  • Study of Discrimination in the Matter of Religious Rights and Practice
    STUDY OF DISCRIMINATION IN THE MATTER OF RELIGIOUS RIGHTS AND PRACTICES by Arcot Krishnaswami Special Rapporteur of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities UNITED NATIONS STUDY OF DISCRIMINATION IN THE MATTER OF RELIGIOUS RIGHTS AND PRACTICES by Arcot Krishnaswami Special Rapporteur of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities UNITED NATIONS New York, 1960 Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document. E/CN.4/Sub.2/200/Rev. 1 UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Catalogue No.: 60. XIV. 2 Price: $U.S. 1.00; 7/- stg.; Sw. fr. 4.- (or equivalent in other currencies) NOTE The Study of Discrimination in the Matter of Religious Rights and Practices is the second of a series of studies undertaken by the Sub- Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities with the authorization of the Commission on Human Rights and the Economic and Social Council. A Study of Discrimination in Education, the first of the series, was published in 1957 (Catalogue No. : 57.XIV.3). The Sub-Commission is now preparing studies on discrimination in the matter of political rights, and on discrimination in respect of the right of everyone to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country. The views expressed in this study are those of the author. m / \V FOREWORD World-wide interest in ensuring the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion stems from the realization that this right is of primary importance.
    [Show full text]
  • ABC Religious Traditions
    ABC Religious Traditions If a Buddhist woman wants to marry a Christian man (or vise versa), should we encourage them? The woman has to learn and practice her husband’s tradition, and the man has to learn and practice his wife’s tradition. Instead of having just one spiritual root, they will have two spiritual roots. Both can have and learn two spiritual traditions such as Christianity and Buddhism. Both will gain their spirituality from both sides of the traditions. I would like to recommend to learn and touch the ABC Spirituality world of our three spiritual ancestors who were Abraham (Abrahamism), Buddha (Buddhism) , and Confucius (Confucianism). The ABC religious traditions cover approximately 6 billion population. I was grown up and rooted in the traditions of Buddhist and Confucius. My wife is rooted in Jewish traditions. And my children and grandchildren are rooted in the Christian traditions. Our family is rooted in the ABC traditions of multiple choice of traditions. One who respects one’s own traditions will be able to respect other people’s traditions. We learn more wisdom from other traditions and add our value of wisdom to our own traditions. Abrahamism Christianity 2.1 B Middle East Approx. Judaism 13 M Origin 3.7 Billion Islam1.6 B Buddhism Buddhism 520M, Indian Approx. Hinduism 1.1B Subcontinent 1.6 Billion Origin Confucianism Confucianism 500 M East Asia Origin Approx. Taoism 100 M 600 Million 1) Abrahamism The Abrahamism is referred toe a group of collective Semitic- originated religious communities of faith that claim descent from the practices of the ancient Israelites and the worship of the God of Abraham.
    [Show full text]
  • What Counts As Religion in Sociology?
    What Counts as Religion in Sociology? What Counts as Religion in Sociology? The problem of religiosity in sociological methodology Erika Willander Dissertation presented at Uppsala University to be publicly examined in University Main Buildning, hall IX, Biskopsgatan 3, Uppsala, Friday, 26 September 2014 at 14:15 for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The examination will be conducted in English. Faculty examiner: Professor James A Beckford (University of Warwick ). Abstract Willander, E. 2014. What Counts as Religion in Sociology? The Problem of Religiosity in Sociological Methodology. 271 pp. Uppsala: Sociologiska institutionen. ISBN 978-91-506-2409-0. This thesis aims to contribute to the ongoing critical discussion within the sociology of reli- gion by focusing on the seldom considered perspective of methodology. As such, it consists of a theoretical part that problematizes the ways in which religion has been analyzed, and an empirical part that develops how religiosity can be approached in sociological studies. The thesis seeks, in other words, to contribute to how sociologists analyze religion, and addresses a research problem that has gained new relevance in the aftermath of criticism of the seculari- zation paradigm. In the theoretical part, the assumptions underlying the ways in which reli- gion is studied are revisited, as is the impact that these have had as faras the empirical study of religion is concerned in one of the countries often assumed to be secularized – i.e. Sweden. The empirical part of the thesis is comprised of three studies based on the latest European Value Survey, qualitative interviews and the Blogosphere on religion-related content (n=220000 blog posts).
    [Show full text]
  • And Multiple Religious Belonging
    Open Theology 2017; 3: 10–18 Multiple Religious Belonging Open Access Linda Mercadante* How Does it Fit? Multiple Religious Belonging, Spiritual but not Religious, and The Dances of Universal Peace DOI 10.1515/opth-2017-0002 Received April 30, 2016; accepted September 23, 2016 Abstract: Are people who call themselves “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR) actually practicing multiple religious belonging (MRB)? Or are “multiple religious participation” or “multiple religious involvement” better designations? This article suggests that “multiple religious orientation” fits their practices better. But a subset of the SBNR movement, The Dances of Universal Peace, is used as a case study in straddling the boundaries between MRB and SBNR. It also suggests ways to understand and locate the practices of SBNRs within the MRB discussion. Keywords: multiple religious belonging; spiritual but not religious; Dances of Universal Peace Are people who call themselves “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR) actually practicing “multiple religious belonging?” SBNRs are sometimes stereotyped as “poachers,” i.e., “wannabes” who are drawn to the exotic, the mystical, or the (to them) foreign, stealing bits and pieces of spiritual traditions and practices for their own use. In other words, SBNRs could easily be known as people who (to borrow a phrase from Alcoholics Anonymous) “take what they like and leave the rest.” But that’s not usually how they see themselves. In fact, many see their contemporary approach to spirituality as open-minded, tolerant, peace-making and often, in fact, a loftier feat than affiliating with any particular religion. 1 “Spiritual but not Religious” and Multiple Religious Belonging I’ve been studying SBNRs for many years.
    [Show full text]
  • Exiters of Religious Fundamentalism: Reconstruction of Identity, Social Relationships and Support, and Meaning Related to Well-Being
    Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses Spring 6-5-2018 Exiters of Religious Fundamentalism: Reconstruction of Identity, Social Relationships and Support, and Meaning Related to Well-Being Andreea Alexandra Nica Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the Religion Commons, Social Psychology Commons, and the Sociology Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Nica, Andreea Alexandra, "Exiters of Religious Fundamentalism: Reconstruction of Identity, Social Relationships and Support, and Meaning Related to Well-Being" (2018). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 4404. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.6288 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. Exiters of Religious Fundamentalism: Reconstruction of Identity, Social Relationships and Support, and Meaning Related to Well-Being by Andreea Alexandra Nica A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology Dissertation Committee: Melissa Thompson, Chair David Morgan Robert Liebman Kerth O’Brien Portland State University 2018 © 2018 Andreea Alexandra Nica Abstract Over the past decade, researchers have documented the steady growth of religious “nones” – those who do not affiliate with any organized religion. There is, however, limited research examining religious disaffiliation on health outcomes – that is, how the process of religious disaffiliation or exiting contributes to mental well-being. These trends and gap in the literature make it timely and it is important to consider the impact of leaving religion on the well-being of individuals experiencing this life transition.
    [Show full text]
  • Governance and the Religion Question: Voluntaryism, Disestablishment, and America's Church-State Proposition Carl H
    University of Missouri School of Law Scholarship Repository Faculty Publications 2006 Governance and the Religion Question: Voluntaryism, Disestablishment, and America's Church-State Proposition Carl H. Esbeck University of Missouri School of Law, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/facpubs Part of the Religion Law Commons Recommended Citation Carl H. Esbeck, Governance and the Religion Question: Voluntaryism, Disestablishment, and America's Church-State Proposition, 48 J. Church & St. 303 (2006) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by University of Missouri School of Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of University of Missouri School of Law Scholarship Repository. Governance and the Religion Question: Voluntaryism, Disestablishment, and America's Church-State Proposition CARL H. ESBECK The quandary over how to structure the relationship between religion and the civil state is an ancient one. From the perspective of political philosophy this is the religion question, and events over many centuries have proven that the answer is easy to get wrong. Religion, by its very definition, is the fixed point from which all else is surveyed. It is about ultimate matters, both micro and macro. Hence, religion addresses the irreducible core of personhood and its meaning, while at the same time religion embraces a worldview that transcends and encompasses everything else. Religion generates intense emotions that when acted upon can breach the peace, and religion forms deep loyalties that can rival the patriotic ties that bind citizens to their nation-state.
    [Show full text]
  • Which Countries Have State Religions?
    Which Countries Have State Religions? The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Barro, Robert J., and Rachel M. McCleary. 2005. Which countries have state religions? Quarterly Journal of Economics 120 (4): 1331-1370. Published Version http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/003355305775097515 Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:3710663 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA WHICH COUNTRIES HAVE STATE RELIGIONS?* ROBERT J. BARRO AND RACHEL M. MCCLEARY Among 188 countries, 72 had no state religion in 2000, 1970, and 1900; 58 had a state religion throughout; and 58 had 1 or 2 transitions. We use a Hotelling spatial competition model to analyze the likelihood that the religion market would be monopolized. Similar forces influence a government’s decision to establish a state religion. Consistent with the model, the probability of state religion in 1970 and 2000 is increasing with the adherence rate to the main religion, has a nonlinear relation with population, and has little relation with per capita GDP. The probability of state religion decreases sharply under Communism, but lagged Communism has only a weak effect. With costly adjustment for institutions, the probability of state religion in 1970 or 2000 depends substantially on the status in 1900. This persistence is much stronger for countries with no major regime change than for countries with such a change.
    [Show full text]
  • The Culture of the Sacred: Exploring the Anthropology of Religion, by Michael V. Angrosino. Waveland Press, 2004. 246Pp., Pb., $29.95
    [IR 15.2 (2012) 245–246] Implicit Religion (print) ISSN 1463-9955 doi:10.1558/imre.v15i2.245 Implicit Religion (online) ISSN 1743-1697 The Culture of the Sacred: Exploring the Anthropology of Religion, by Michael V. Angrosino. Waveland Press, 2004. 246pp., Pb., $29.95. ISBN–13: 9781577662938. Reviewed by Jennifer Davis, [email protected] Keywords religion, anthropology, ethics, sacred, research Michael Angrosino, professor emeritus of the University of South Florida, has a wide and extensive teaching and research history, which includes cultural anthropology, magic and religion, organized religion, symbolic interactionism and psychological anthropology. Though not the latest in his long series of publications, The Culture of the Sacred continues to be worthy of serious consideration, both for undergraduate instruction and as a general resource tool for others interested in symbolic anthropology. Indeed, such a study follows Edith Turner’s suggestion that religion be openly apprehended and engaged, in order to be understood. Angrosino comments that the study of religion has been taken up by wide-ranging academic disciplines and, despite increasing secularism, the significance of religion in the modern world continues to endure. (xi) The layout of this text is intended to teach systematically the key con- cepts included in each chapter. They are clearly identified with the oppor- tunity to review and apply them in constructive study. For example, chap- ter one, Overview and Basic Concepts (1–23), begins with a discussion of the idea of culture and religion, before listing the pertinent concepts, such as sacred, symbol, holism, religion, culture and fieldwork, and before leading into suggested research explorations.
    [Show full text]
  • ANTH 4751 the Supernatural: Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion Spring 2019
    ANTH 4751 The Supernatural: Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion Spring 2019 Table of Contents Contact Information………………1 Assignments………………………2 Course Description.………………1 Grading Scale…………………......2 Required Texts……………………1 Policies……………………………2 Learning Objectives………………1 Schedule…………………………..4 Skills Development……………….2 Contact Information Professor: Dr. Adam Dunstan Instructional Assistant: Email: [email protected] Email: Phone: (940) 565-2170 Office: 330 Chilton Hall Office: 330G Chilton Hall Office Hours: Office Hours: T/Th 11AM-Noon, and by appt. Class Sessions: T/Th 9:30-10:50 AM, Th 121 Course Description This course is devoted to the study of the supernatural as a social and cultural phenomenon: how the practices and beliefs that we categorize by the term “religion” are practiced among human groups, and how these affect other aspects of human life, from social identities to environmental sustainability. An estimated 5 in 6 humans are affiliated with a religion (with a significant number of the remaining holding supernatural beliefs) and supernatural worldviews profoundly shape both world events and daily realities for many humans. As such, an understanding of the diversity, forms, and impacts of religiosity is a valuable element in any education. In this course, we take an anthropological approach toward understanding religion. Rather than a simple survey of the largest religions, we will survey both extremely large, and extremely small, religions; we will explore the public rituals of “organized religion” and also practices such as magic, shamanism, and witchcraft, which also constitute important elements in the tapestry of human approaches to the supernatural. We will cover supernatural practices from every inhabited continent.
    [Show full text]