Comparative Study on the Origin of Religion Essay Example for Free

Comparative Study on the Origin of Religion Essay Since the early 1800s, there had been an ample amount of skeptics trying to account for the origin of religion. The basic question on everybody’s mind was where does religion come from? Some believed that people developed religion because they didn’t understand the forces of nature around them. Others believe that religion was created as a way of restrain people. In the 19th century, people were introduced to social science and anthropologists who once studied primitive culture were exposed to several theories on the origin of religion. Edward B Tylor was one of the first who developed a theory on religion. Max Muller was a German professor at Oxford University whose interest included Indian mythology and the study of religion. Another anthropologist was George Frazer who key contributions to religious anthropology was a religious encyclopedia. There are many explanations to the origin of religion, one of the most prominent being Edward B. Tylor’s theory of animism. This theory is considered the foundation of the physical evolution of religion; two other influential religious anthropologists, Max Muller and James Frazer, also based their explanations of the origin of religion on nature. All three religious anthropologists are similar in the sense that they traced the evolution of religion in an attempt to figure out the origin of it but differ in the way they approach the concept of religion. Edward B. Tylor developed the theory of animism to help explain the most rudimentary form of religion. Animism is defined as the belief that attributes souls and spirits to humans, plants, animals and other entities. Animistic religious beliefs are well-known among primitive societies who were â€Å"so low in culture as to have no religious conceptions what so ever† (Tylor). Tylor considered animism as the most primitive phase in the development of religion. He believed that the reflection of dreams and the observation of death caused primitive people to develop the idea of souls and spirits. Tylor thought that primitive people believed that everything in nature had a soul within it. He hypothesized that a belief in animism led to the formation of a more generalized god and, eventually, the creation of monotheism. Animism ultimately led to the evolution of religion in the minds of the people. It led them to take something so simple as nature and use it to explain the natural phenomenon in their environment. A conflicting theory that uses the concept of evolution is that of Max Muller. Another theory of the origin of religion was developed by Max Muller. He believed that people first developed religion from the observation of nature. According to his theory, primitive people became aware of regularity of the seasons, the tides and the phases of the moon. Their response to these forces in nature was to personalize them†(Hopfe and Woodward). They personalized them through linguistics. Muller believed that development of religion was a cause of confusion in language (Goldsmith). There seems to be a divide between Muller and Tylor over the nature of the origin o f religion. Max Muller believed that the answer to the sole origin of religion could be found in the past and a person can trace its origin in the linguistic remnants in the Indo-European languages. Tylor thought that implementing an ethnological approach would be more successful than studying languages for answers of the origin of religion. Evolution of religion is evident in Muller’s theory because â€Å"they personified the forces of nature, created myths to describe their activities, and eventually developed pantheons and religions around them† (Hopfe and Woodward). By developing religions and pantheons from identifying the forces in nature is a clear sign of the evolution of religion in the human mind set. Even though their theories are different, the idea of evolution of religion in the human mind is evident in both Muller and Tylor’s theory. Sir James George Frazer, a fellow religious anthropologist, began developing his own theories on religion. Frazer believed that humans used magic as a way to control nature and the events around them and when that failed, they turned to religion. They used religion to control the events for a while and when religion failed they turned to science. Frazer’s theories were similar to those of Tylor. They both believed that the human mind developed in the same way as that of physical evolution.. Even though Frazer took a similar approach to Tylor in tracing the origin of religion, he modified Tylor’s theory and replaced Tylor’s theory of animism with his idea of magic. A similarity between Frazer and Tylor is that they both believed that religion began from an intentional method of describing and making sense of a strange world. Frazer replaces the idea that religion explains nature by introducing science as a substitute. Frazer’s approach to tracing the origin of religion is similar to that of Tylor and Muller since all three traced the evolution of religion in an attempt to figure out its origin. Both Muller and Frazer’s theory are similar to Tylor’s theory since both trace the origin of religion through the evolution of it but differ in the way they interpret religion. All three of them seemed to miss a vital element of religion which is that no one who practices religion is doing so to explain how the world works. People use religion for several reasons. Some use it to give meaning to their lives while others use it to enforce social order. Maybe all three anthropologists didn’t miss this key component but rather didn’t know about it due to the rapid evolution of religion.

Relationships and Love in Frosts, Wind and Window Flower Essay

Relationships and Love in Frost's, Wind and Window Flower In "Wind and Window Flower" Frost explores a love too fragile for the lovers to pursue. The lovers in this poem are enticed by one another but remain worlds apart. This tale of love is one of temptation, excitement, and disappointment. The window flower is an image of beauty and warmth. The flower is protected from the outside world and is safe inside the warm, firelit house, as is the woman. In contrast, the image of the winter breeze is cold, fierce, and impersonal. The man knows little of the things of love. The unknown is the attraction between the lovers, it is strong, and in the end will prove superficial. The wind took notice of the flower as she becomes unveiled through the frosty window. The woman's beauty is the attraction which leads the man to her. At this point little is known of her. He is unsure of how to respond to her so he passes by, only to return later. This represents his fear of the unknown, and possibly that of commitment. The man is a stranger to the ways of love. This is see...

Shape-Changers the Chronicles of the Cheysuli

Book Report Trevor Mendham While i was in the library with the class. Shape-Changers the Chronicles of the Cheysuli written by Jennifer Roberson had caught my interest. This book was published in 1984 while the author was living in a castle. Jennifer Roberson has said that the eight book series had been inspired by the castle in Wales. Although this book is part of a large series, I strongly believe this book is about the choices that we make. The main character Alix has the choice to play it safe or to take a risk and truly find the answers she seeks. I personally would enjoy continue reading this series. Although the book was very short and left quite a few lose ends for the next book. This book set in the land of Cheysuli within the Kingdom of Homana. Alix the daughter of a man who was a religion leader whom resigned after the war on shape-changers started. After this he started running a under-croft, where dead body are displayed for the public viewing, taking a major reduction in wage and honourable work. Alix has fallen for the prince named Carillon a childhood friend, from the fathers previous profession. Soon after they are captured while walking in the woods by the shape-changers. Alix finds that she is half blooded shape-changer and has to decide to accept who she is, and lose the love of price Carillon and be at war with his race. This story was very odd but was a good book. The fiction of this story is tied to reality in a very unique way, that is very effective in making the story not feel very fantasy. This feature made the book truly more enjoyable. Other writing techniques like not having any foreshadowing. The book keeps you guessing until the very end. Even within the story parts that I had never seen coming, Like releasing the prince. Allowing Alix to run away and eventually return on curiosity. I would recommend anyone who wants a quick read of a quality story. Overall I would give this story eight out of ten stars without reading the rest of the series.

Theme Of Empathy In The Grapes Of Wrath - 1096 Words

Crashing, banging, and screaming echo from the upstairs neighbors as the tv flashes through different channels.The screaming continues on and on until nothing, everything had ended in a large thud. The thought of calling the police or doing nothing swirls through the thoughts of all that could hear the commotion. The idea of helping others in their time of need is caused by the empathy people feel about the situation and will determine if police will show up or not. In the novel The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, the same ideas circulate through characters littered throughout the book. The dustbowl is in full effect with thousands of people kicked off their land, which causes them to all search for jobs in California. The people†¦show more content†¦The words â€Å"To build a wall†(150) are emphasized by Steinbeck to show how people reacted to the loss of empathy by restraining it in a closed corner of the mind in order to fill the requisite of what is needed fro m occupations. In the end, Steinbeck had the owner men adapt to their jobs and block the flow of empathy or resist, but lose your job in the process. Individuals come from different perspectives on a situation and will have a difficult time reasoning with others due to the misunderstandings of the other’s thought process. Tom was talking to a gas station owner whose â€Å"tryin’ to get along†(126) but doesnt understand the reason for everyone moving west. The gas station owner is part of the glass bubble that in unable to fathom the reasoning of moving West in unsanitary conditions and vice versa can be said about Tom who does not understand the gas station owner’s perspective. Steinbeck describes the gas station owners perspective by him seeing â€Å"any them big new cars stops here?†(126) to further develop empathy for the gas station owner. The confrontation between Tom and the gas station owner further illustrates how difficult interactions with others who have foreign perspectives. The gas station owner mostly observes people who â€Å"steal stuff†(126) from his store and they  "got no money†(126), so they revert to begging in search for some empathy. Over time, the gas station owner becomes deprived of empathy because he gives and gives,Show MoreRelatedComparing The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck and To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee1327 Words   |  6 Pagesbeing killed in a ditch and covered with quicklime, watch the mountains of oranges slop down to a putrefying ooze; and in the eyes of the people there is a failure; and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath† (Steinbeck 349). John Steinbeck, the author of The Grapes of Wrath, portrays the migrant’s resentment of the California land owners and their way of life and illustrates that the vagrants from Oklahoma are yearning for labor, provisions, and human decency. 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John Steinbeck, the author of The Grapes of Wrath, portrays the migrant’s resentment of the California land owners and their way of life and illustrates that the vagrants from Oklahoma are yearning for labor, p rovisions, and human decency. Similarly in To Kill a MockingbirdRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1967 Words   |  8 PagesThe Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is the story which takes place in a time where opportunity is nil and desperation has overtaken American en masse. The story is told several viewpoints with majority of them being witnessed from Tom Joad and his family while others are from minor characters who share a similar circumstance or actively benefiting from the misfortunes of others. Larger businesses are overtaking others and placing profits above people. 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This example of Daniel Radosh and his son is just one of many cases where censorship affected a literary work. There is a wide-range of books that are challenged per year by patrons and parents. Books areRead MoreLooking Back. At The Beginning Of The Semester I Can Honestly1800 Words   |  8 Pagesasked to write about it was somewhat of a challenge for me at first. I have never taken the time to get somethin g on paper they way that I had. I found it to be both enlightening and enjoyable. I was also surprised how much I enjoyed reading Grapes of Wrath. Aside from being an excellent story, I also enjoyed learning about the history behind it. I have always been a history lover, and have social studies as part of my degree. Being able to relate the occurrences in the text to what is happening