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Questions and Answers
What did Rita Marley claim she saw on Haile Selassie's hand that convinced her of his divine nature?
Rastafarians primarily use marijuana for medicinal purposes.
False
According to Bruce, what are the three characteristics of secularisation?
- The importance of religious institutions in society is on the decline, 2. The social standing of religion is on the decline, and 3. People are less religious.
What dietary law do the most observant Rastafarians follow?
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What are the two distinct theories that developed over time in the process of secularisation, as indicated by Casanova?
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What is the term 'Secularisation' discussing in Study Unit 4?
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Secularisation can be categorized into how many different categories? (Select one)
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Rastafarians often refer to marijuana as the holy herb, Iley, or ________.
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What does Henotheism belief entail?
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What is left behind when religion is removed from society, as per the subtraction theory? The __ is seen as the substratum.
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Match the following Rasta colors with their symbolic meanings:
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Deism refers to the belief in a God who intervenes with humanity after creating it.
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The disappearance thesis states that religion will eventually make a comeback and regain dominance in society.
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From the Latin 'anima', Animism arose the understanding of powerful spirits residing in all things like rivers, trees, mountains, people, and animals.
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What are the three things that characterize New Religious Movements (NRM's) according to the text?
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What are the three categories in which some scholars divide NRM's?
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Haile Selassie, also known as Ras Tafari, is believed to be a direct descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of_ _ _ _ _.
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Haile Selassie's title 'Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah' is one of his official titles.
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Match the following titles with Haile Selassie's: 1. Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, 2. King of Kings, 3. Elect of God
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Study Notes
Administrative Details
- All students will be writing exams on Hatfield campus.
- The exam dates are 11 June 2024, from 15:00 to 18:00.
- The venues for the exam are Theology 1-19, Theology 1-25, Theology 1-28, and Theology 1-9.
Study Unit 3: Important Terminology
- This unit focuses on crucial terminologies and concepts in the field of religion studies.
- Themes under this unit include:
- Religious terminologies
- Religious concepts
Key Concepts
- Animism: The belief in powerful spirits living in all things, including rivers, trees, mountains, people, and animals.
- Deism: The belief in the existence of God, but not in God's intervention with humanity after creation.
- Dynamism: The belief in an impersonal power that governs the universe, which can be manipulated by humans through magic.
- Henotheism: The belief in many gods, but one god is superior to the others.
- Monotheism: The belief in one god.
- Panentheism: The understanding that the universe is a partial manifestation of the sacred being or deity.
- Pantheism: The belief that the universe is equivalent to the sacred being or deity.
- Polytheism: The belief in the existence of multiple deities.
- Theism: The belief in the existence of a deity or deities.
- Transcendent and Immanent: The distinction between the transcendent (reality exceeding human experience) and the immanent (reality within human experience).
- Theism, Atheism, and Agnosticism: Theism is the belief in a personal deity, Atheism is the denial of faith, and Agnosticism is the attitude of not taking into account the deity.
- Holy and Profane: The distinction between the sacred (holy) and the ordinary (profane).
- Revelation: A supernatural experience or event considered to be the bearer of a divine message.
- Good and Evil: The two concepts underlying every religion, with monism seeing good and evil as reconcilable and dualism seeing them as opposing forces.
- Time and History: The distinction between linear and cyclic views of time and history.
- Myth and Rite: Myth is a religious narrative explaining primordial truths, and Rite is a dramatized myth.
- Cult: A small religious group separated from the larger culture, requiring total commitment.
- Sect: A small group within a larger religious movement, refining its sense of distinctiveness.
- Founder Faiths: Faiths tracing their origins to founders, such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism.
- Pantheon: The gods and goddesses of a particular religious tradition, and their system of inter-relations.
- Totemism: The belief in a deep relationship between humans, animals, and plants.
Study Unit 4: Secularisation
- This unit focuses on secularisation, with themes including:
- Secular
- Secularism
- Secularisation
- Origin of secularisation
Key Concepts
- Secular: The concept of the secular developed within a Euro-Western-Christian framework, and its understanding differs between Western and African/Eastern worldviews.
- The three S's: Secular, Secularism, and Secularisation are distinct concepts, with Secular referring to a reconstruction of reality, Secularism referring to a worldview and ideology, and Secularisation referring to the process of declining religious influence.
- Western vs African & Eastern: The concept of the secular is present in Western understanding, but not in African and Eastern worldviews, where there is no separation between religion and everyday life.
- Compartmentalization: The process of separating the sacred and the secular, which is a characteristic of Western understanding.
- Secularisation: The process of declining religious influence, characterised by three characteristics: decline of religious institutions, decline of social standing of religion, and decline of religious beliefs and practices.
- Theories of Secularisation: Demystification of the world through rationalisation, Stadial consciousness, Subtraction theory, and Disappearance thesis.
- Theories of Secularisation (continued): Demystification of the world through rationalisation contributed to the process of secularisation, Stadial consciousness theory contributed to the most, and the Disappearance thesis predicts the eventual decline of religion.
- Theories of Secularisation (continued): Secularisation resulted from the Protestant strand of Christianity, and the process of rationalisation is a natural human tendency that suppresses the belief in magic and causes the world to become disenchanted.### Theories of Secularisation
- Subtraction Theory: Secularisation is the process of removing religion from society, leaving only the secular behind.
- This theory views secularisation as the erosion of religion, including the decline of institutional religion and the decrease in importance of religious symbols.
- People no longer identify with traditional religious institutions, instead preferring personal, subjective spiritual experiences.
- Disappearance Thesis: Secularisation is the gradual decline and eventual disappearance of religion from society.
- This theory views secularisation as a process of decline, where religion becomes less important and eventually disappears from society.
- The Protestant Reformation is seen as a starting point for this decline, leading to individualism and the erosion of religious institutions.
New Religious Movements (NRMs)
- NRM's focus on personal development, spirituality, and self-improvement.
- Characteristics of NRM's:
- Provision of something old (tradition), something new (innovation), and something borrowed (from other religions).
- Emphasis on personal development and divergence from external religious authorities.
- Often seen as alternative spiritualities, sects, or cults.
- Categories of NRM's:
- World-Affirming (accepting societal values, but offering alternative values).
- World-Renouncing (viewing the world as corrupt and offering a community separate from society).
- World-Accommodating (seeing flaws in society, but recommitting to spiritual existence).
Rastafarianism
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History of Rastafarianism:
- Originated in Jamaica in the 1930s, influenced by Marcus Garvey's Pan-Africanist movement.
- Haile Selassie I, the Ethiopian Emperor, is revered as the messiah and symbol of African unity and liberation.
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Rastafari Messiah:
- Haile Selassie I is seen as Jesus Christ incarnate, the Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, King of Kings, and Elect of God.
- Rastafarians believe Haile Selassie will lead the peoples of Africa and the African Diaspora to freedom.
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Rastafari Way of Life:
- Marijuana/ganja is used for religious and medicinal purposes, and is seen as a gift from God.
- Dreadlocks are worn as a symbol of strength, Africa, and Ethiopia, as well as a sign of African roots.
- Rastafarian diet (Ital) consists of natural, raw foods, without chemicals or preservatives.
- Rastafarians reject alcohol, coffee, and milk as unnatural and unhealthful.### Rastafari Sects and Orders
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There are three main sects or orders of Rastafari: Nyabinghi Order, Bobo Shanti, and Twelve Tribes of Israel.
Nyabinghi Order
- Named after Queen Nyabinghi of Uganda, who fought against colonialists in the 19th century.
- Focuses mainly on Haile Selassie, Ethiopia, and the eventual return to Africa.
- Overseen by an Assembly of Elders.
Bobo Shanti
- Name originates from "Bobo" meaning "black" and "Shanti" referring to the Ashanti tribe in Ghana.
- Believes Jamaican slaves are descended from the Ashanti tribe.
- Worships Prince Emmanuel as a reincarnation of Christ and embodiment of Jah.
- Emphasizes the return to Africa and demands monetary reimbursement for slavery.
- Members wear long robes and turbans tightly wrapped around their dreads.
- Live separately from Jamaican society and other Rastafarians, growing their own produce and selling straw hats and brooms.
Twelve Tribes of Israel
- Founded in 1968 by Dr Vernon 'Prophet Gad' Carrington.
- Most liberal of the Rastafarian orders, allowing members to worship in a church of their choosing.
- Members belong to one of the 12 Tribes (or Houses), determined by their birth month and represented by a color.
Rasta Expression 'I and I'
- Means that no individual is more privileged than another in terms of the basic truth of life.
- Everyone is equal, and Rastas often use 'I and me' instead of 'you and me' to emphasize this equality.
- Believes that all people are bound together by the one god, Jah.
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Description
This exam is for students on Hatfield campus, covering study units 3, 4, and 5 on religion, including important terminology, secularization, and characteristics of new religious movements.
