wrbs (meanings)

• RELIGION came from the Latin verb, 'religare' meaning 'to bind to the absolute being.'
• TWO TYPES OF SOCIAL REALITY: being substantive, being functional
• BEING SUBSTANTIVE: constitutes religion, assumes the existence of God
• BEING FUNCTIONAL: concerned about the consequences of religion
• EDWARD BURNETT TAYLOR: English anthropologist who believed that religion is about the belief of spiritual beings.

  Therefore, he is being substantive.
• JAMES GEORGE FRAZER: Scottish social anthropologist who believed that religion is about the conciliation of power, and the connections of human to the supreme being.

  Therefore, he is being substantive.
• BRONISLAW KASPER MALINOWSKI: Polish anthropologist who believed that religion is about the fulfillment of the purpose.

  Therefore, he is being substantive.
• DAVID EMILE DURKHEIM: Father of sociology, who believed that religion is all about the beliefs relative to sacred things.

  Therefore, he is being functional.
• The five belief systems are: MONISM, POLYTHEISM, MONOTHEISM, ATHEISM, AGNOSTICISM.
• MONISM: no real distinction between God and the universe
• POLYTHEISM: believes in many gods
• MONOTHEISM: believes in one God
• ATHEISM: in denial of the existence of God
• AGNOSTICISM: God cannot be known
• SACRED TEXT: embodies the beliefs, rituals and doctrines
• RITUALS: refer to worship
• SPIRITUALITY: refers to faith
• THEOLOGY: the study of existence and of the supreme being, nature of divine
• 2000 BCE -- time of Abraham
• 1200 BCE -- time of Moses
• 1100 - 500 BCE -- compiled the holy text of Hindu, the Vedas
• 568 - 83 BCE -- time of Buddha
• 551 - 459 BCE -- time of Confucius
• 200 BCE -- Bhagavat Gita was written
• 2 - 4 BCE ... 32 CE -- time of Jesus Christ
• 40 - 90 CE -- New Testament was written
• 100 CE -- time of Shintoism
• 500 - 580 CE -- time of Taoism
• 570 - 632 CE -- time of Mohammad