RELIGION:WHAT’SREALLYREAL
LECTURETHEMES
ReligionandtheReal
Religion(enchantment)asalinktotheReal
Religionasalinktobeyondcultureandsociety
Religionandthesocialorder
GENESIS1
ThebiblicalstoryofthecreationoftheworldcanbereadasGodmakinganorderedworld(reality)outof
anunformedone(theReal).
“RE-LINKING”
Thisisapossibleetymologyfortheword“religion”
Re-linkingrealitytotheReal?
Differentreligionsmaybeseenasdifferentimaginariesandsymbolicsystems,aimingtorelinkwiththe
Real.
CliffordGeertz(1926-2006):Religionisaboutwhatis“reallyreal.”
THEENCHANTEDWORLD
Theenchantedworldisonethatincludessignsthatpointtoanexistencebeyondreality(thatis,the
Real).
BrunoLatoursuggeststhatevenifwedonotbelieveinanythingweunderstandas“religious,”theworld
isstillanenchantedworldtous.
“Doublebelief:”Itispossibletobothbelieve(irrationally)andnotbelieve(rationally)inenchantedthings,
suchas,forexample,theideathataphotographisactuallyidenticalwiththepersonwhoisinit.In
generalthissortof“enchantment”equatesthesignifierwiththesignified.Inthissense,itisalsopossible
tobothbelieveandnotbelieveinGod.
“IdonotbelieveinGod,butIbelieveGodisman'sgreatestidea.”–CamillePaglia
SUPERSTITION,IDOLATRY,ANDBLASPHEMY
Wrongformsofreligion:amajorconcerninAbrahamicreligions(Judaism,Christianity,andIslam)
especially.
Some19thcenturyChristians(amongothers)emphasizedthedifferencebetweenreligionand
superstition.Superstitioncanbedefinedasapractice,appealingtosomeforcebeyondstraightforward
rationality,thatwillprocureyouwhatyouwant.Butareligionwithoutabsolutelyanymechanismthatis
believedtogetyouthings(“OhLord,won’tyoubuymeaMercedesBenz+-JanisJoplin)isdifficultto
conceiveandpractice.
Idolatry:worshippingsigns(icons)ofGodasiftheywereGod.Anaccusationleveled,typicallyby
followersofAbrahamicreligionsatothers,includingbyChristianimperialistsatthe“natives”they
conqueredand“broughtreligion”to.
Blasphemy:InvokingthepresenceofGodthroughsigns(iconsorsymbols)inanunauthorizedmanner,
deemedasaninsult.Anaccusationsometimesleveledatpeoplewhopracticeadifferentreligionfromus.
WHATSOMERELIGIONSDONOTPLACEANEMPHASISON
Believing(ratherthanpracticing)
Godorgods
Theultimatevictoryofgoodoverevil(ratherthanabalancebetweenthem).Example:Balinese
“Hinduism.”IntheBalinesetrancedance,theevilspiritRangdapossessesdancerstothepointwhere
theystabthemselves,sometimesdrawingblood.Thegoodspirit,Barong,chasesRangdaawayandstops
theentranceddancersfromreallyharmingthemselves.
(Thispracticeisnot“fake”inanyeasilyunderstoodsense.Thedancersareoftenphysiologicallyintrance,
andtheirpossessionisfelttobe“real”byboththemandtheaudience.)
WHATALLRELIGIONSSEEMTODISPLAY
reachingbeyondreality(asdefinedlastweek)
reachingbeyondculture(Lambek)
extendingsocialrelationsbeyondsociety(RobinHorton–seethereading)
ritual
Theanthropologicalattitudetoreligion
Thegoalisnottojudgeortoestablishtruthorfalsehood
Recognizethenatureandroleofareligioninitsculturalandsocialcontext
Discoverwhat“religion”mightmeanasageneralcharacteristicofhumansociety
RELIGIONASASUPPORTFORTHESOCIALORDER
InancientGreekandRomansociety,participatinginrituals,includinginperformingreligiousplays,wasa
civicduty,asitisstillinBali,andasitwasinmedievalChristianplaysinEurope.
Religionoftensupportsideologicallyunequalrelationsamongpeopleinasociety.
Althoughnowmerelysymbolic,westillhaveinourmonarchysignsoftheinstitutionbeingjustifiedbythe
“divinerightofkings,”thepoliticalunderpinningofseventeenthandeighteenthcenturyabsolutism[the
ideathattheKingshouldhavepracticallyunlimitedpower).Oneexampleisthenotation“D.G.Regina”
(deigratiaregina–QueenbytheGraceofGod),foundoneveryCanadiancoin.