Name of Religion____native spirituality__________
Era ________________
Most elders deny that native people engaged in “religion. ” Their whole culture and social
structure was infused with spirituality.
Worldview _______cosmocentric________
-nature is the most important thing – the centre of all
Historical Context
Belief Narrative
Identity- Description of Ultimate Reality
Animism How do humans relate to Ultimate Reality?
Describe their concept of time
Describe the human and/or the soul.
-
Hope
What do they hope for in this life?
Hope
What do they hope for in the afterlife?
Conflict
What makes it difficult to achieve that which
they hope for?
Resolution
How should one live their life in order to
achieve what they hope for?
Much of this will be covered in the Seven
Dimensions, but summarize the main idea.
Seven Dimensions of Religion
1.
Practical and
p. 78 – sacredness of every action, types of prayer,
Ritual
p. 79 - smudging
2.
Experiential
and
Emotional
3.
Narrative
pg. 80 sweat lodge,
81- vision quest
No texts
/Mythological
Pg 79 – oral tradition
87 – trickster
4.
Doctrinal and
pg. 88 – oral teachings, shaman, medicine wheel
Philosophical
5.
Ethical
6.
Institutional
p. 89
none
7.
Material
Pg 71 – petroforms and petroglyphs
p. 76 – eagle feather
p. 89 – drums
p. 89 - circle
Seven Dimensions of Religion
Ninian Smart proposed that all religions include the following elements.
1. Practical and Ritual
Worship, Praying, Regular Gatherings, Rites of Passage
2. Experiential and Emotional
People react when they have encountered something which they believe is very profound. Includes
religious experiences such as visions, revelations, enlightenment, and general religious ecstasy. The
acute and earth-shaking, as well as the gentler, more mundane religious feelings.
3. Narrative / Mythical
Stories which explain and inspire. Includes written as well as oral tales, formal as well as informal
teachings, alternative histories, predictions, etc
4. Doctrinal and Philosophical
This is the official, formal teachings which underpin the narrative/mythic parts of a religion. Provides
rational for many of the practices and ideas of the religion. Doctrine doesn't necessarily predate the
narrative.
In Christianity, for instance, it was the existence of a cult following the life of Jesus, and their stories
and rituals, which led to the formation of the Christian doctrine. Note that very few doctrines are
actually unchanging over time, though their authors usually like them to appear so.
5. Ethical
The ideas and laws that shape behavior. Ex: Laws of Manu, 5 Precepts, Ten Commandments,
Beatitudes
6. Institutional Social outgrowth of religious experience. Ex: Church, Synagogue, Sangha
7. Material - An outgrowth of religious experience/encounter.
a) Music
b) Art
c) Symbol
d) Architecture