Chapter 24
Spirituality, Religion, and the
Supernatural
Chapter Preview
What Are Religion and Spirituality?
 What Are the Identifying Features of
Religion and Spirituality?
 What Functions Do Religion and
Spirituality Serve?

Religion & Spirituality
Both spirituality and religion are
considered to be apart of a cultures
superstructure.
 A cultures religion and spirituality can
be examined in light of their
worldview- the collective body of
ideas that members of a culture
generally share concerning the
ultimate shape and substance of their
reality.

Religion
It is important to begin with a solid
definition of religion and spirituality.
 Religion is best defined in
anthropology as an:

Organized system of ideas about the
spiritual sphere or the supernatural.
 Often has associated ceremonial
practices by which people try to
interpret or influence aspects of their
universe.

Spirituality

Similar to religion, spirituality is
concerned with the supernatural as
well.
 It is distinguished from material
matters.
 Often individual as opposed to
religion which is collective in nature.
 Does not require organization.
Purpose of Religion and
Spirituality


The most recognized purpose of
religion and/or spiritual practices are to
fulfill numerous social and
psychological needs.
It’s importance is held by the fact that
no known group of people anywhere on
the earth, at any time over the past
100,000 years, have been without
religion.
Major Religions of the World
Do any of these
statistics surprise
you? Why or Why
not?
Supernatural Beings and
Powers

Common to all religions is the belief in
some supernatural being or force.
Gods and Goddesses
 Ancestral spirits
 Sacred Places
 Animism
 Animatism

Polytheism



Polytheism, the oldest known religious
belief pattern is the belief in several
gods and/or goddesses. This is
opposed to monotheism or the belief
in one god or goddess.
The best example of polytheism is the
Greek Mythological Pantheon
Pantheon
 The several gods and goddesses of
a people.
Ancestral Spirits




A belief in spirits brings about a deeper belief in
the flesh body actually consisting of two entities.
This might often be referred to as a soul.
The belief in ancestral spirits is commonly found
around the world most often with unilineal
descent patterns.
Ancestors might be worshipped, be thought to
bring good or poor fortune, and make major
decisions in the lives of the living.
Animism




A belief that nature is animated (energized) by a
distinct personalized spirit beings separable from
bodies.
Thought to be the first form of religion.
These spirit beings are closer to humans than
gods and goddesses and are concerned with
human activities.
Animism is typical of peoples who see
themselves as a part of nature rather than
superior to it.
Animatism



Animatism is a belief that the world is
animated by impersonal supernatural
powers.
Not to be confused with animism, here the
form of power is ambiguous it does not take
a particular shape, emotion, etc.
Often found in similar cultures where
animism is found.
Sacred Places



Not only can entities be worshipped but also
places in the natural world.
Thousands of people make pilgrimage to
sights for religious purposes. One of the
largest being Mecca of the Islamic faith.
Geographical places usually hold significant
meaning in the religion as an ancestral sight
where an important event took place.
Religious Specialists



All human societies include individuals who guide
and supplement the religious practices of others.
Religious specialists hold specific rights to
contact and influence supernatural beings and
manipulate supernatural forces.
They will have undergone special training and
may display certain distinctive personality traits
that make them particularly well suited to perform
these tasks as determined by other group
members.
Priests and Priestesses



These are full-time specialists who have
been formally recognized for their role in the
guiding of religious practices for others.
He or she is the socially initiated,
ceremonially inducted member of a religious
organization.
Examples include: priest, minister, imam,
lama, rabbi, etc.3
Shamans




This is a part-time specialist who may
enter into an altered state of consciousness
at will.
Skilled at contacting and manipulating
supernatural beings and powers through
altered states of consciousness.
Provides a focal point of attention for
society and can help maintain social control.
Benefits for the shaman are prestige,
wealth, and an outlet for artistic selfexpression.
Rites of Purification



In many societies people follow certain
culturally prescribed rules about what they
can or cannot eat or drink, touch, or talk
about. The violation of such a taboo is
looked down upon.
Taboo’s or a prohibition, which, if not
observed, leads to a penalty inflicted by
magic, spiritual force, or religion.
When a taboo is violated, believers expect
supernatural punishment will follow.
Rites of Passage



Among all human groups worldwide are
rites of passage that individuals may enter
at differing times in their lives. These ritual
stages mark important periods in ones life
such as birth, marriage, and death.
Important to note that men and women may
have differing rites of passages.
It is useful to examine rites of passage by
breaking them down into three stages.



Separation
Transition
Incorporation
Rites of Passage



Separation- the ritual removal of the
individual from society.
Transition- isolation of the individual
following separation and prior to
incorporation into society.
Incorporation- reincorporation of the
individual into society in his or her new
status.
Rites of Intensification


Unlike rites of passage there are also rites
of intensification which is a ritual that
takes place during a crisis in the life of the
group and serves to bind individuals
together.
An example could be a funeral among the
Melanesians. They would eat the flesh of
the deceased - this depicts an ambiguous
attitude towards death, while also
maintaining the desire to hold onto the lost
loved one.
Magic


Magic is the belief that supernatural powers
can be compelled to act in certain ways for
good or evil purposes by recourse to certain
specified formulas.
A possible way to gain control over
uncontrollable situations; weather, love,
fertility, animals, and illness to name a few.
Magic

Imitative magic

Magic based on the principle that like
produces like. Sometimes called
sympathetic magic.
• The use of voodoo dolls would be an example
of this.

Contagious magic

Magic based on the principle that things or
persons once in contact can influence each
other after the contact is broken.
• The usage of fingernail clippings or hair would
be examples of this.
Witchcraft



An explanation of events based on the
belief that certain individuals possess an
innate psychic power capable of causing
harm, including sickness and death.
Certainly found worldwide but used to
varying degrees.
Divination- a magical procedure for
determining the cause of a particular event,
such as illness, or foretelling the future.
Functions of Witchcraft



Serves to offer an explanation for events
that can not otherwise be explained by the
logic of the group.
Effective way for people to explain away
personal misfortune without having to
shoulder any of the blame themselves.
Provides an outlet for feelings of hostility
and frustration without disturbing the norms
of the larger group.
Functions of Religion




Sets guidelines for acceptable individual
behavior.
Lifts burden of responsibility of societal
members and put to god.
Serves as a social function to educate
members of society.
Above all, helps individuals reach a specific
personal goal.
Revitalization Movements


Although religions may appear long standing and
unchanging this is far from the truth. Religions as
reflections of culture, or vise versa, can change
and do so- albeit slowly.
Revitalization movements are great examples
of religious change. They are characterized by
social movements, often of a religious nature,
with the purpose of totally reforming a society.
Revitalization Movements



These movements can be in response
to a widespread social disruption.
Often radical in nature they collect the
societies feelings of stress and despair.
Surprisingly can be quite effective in
the drastic change of the religion and
the culture.
Cargo Cult


One type of revitalization movement is
a cargo cult- spiritual movements in
reaction to disruptive contact with
Western capitalism promising
resurrection of deceased relatives,
destruction or enslavement of white
foreigners, and the magical coming of
utopian riches.
Common to indigenous areas where
the explanation of western (white)
power is not easily understood.