You are on page 1of 2

#1.

Religion can be seen as a system of symbols (creed, code, cultus) by the means of which people (a community) locate themselves in the world with reference to both ordinary and extraordinary powers, meanings, and values. Oglala Sioux- creed (belief) beginning of their existence, the Oglala believed in a Trickster, a shape shifter who could transform into any form they chose to which in this case was Inktomi the Spider (upper world). Though they were warned not to, the people went to the upper world and found that things were not what they seemed. Community Lakota. Code live to learn to take care of selves. Cultus rituals- ghost keeping (ceremony to keep spirit of person around for a time), sweat lodge, vision quest (sacred pipe, sweat lodge, fasting, prayer, off to wilderness), sun dance (hooks into chest and dance til fall down and hooks rip out), puberty ritual for girls, wakan (the ball thrown and who catches gets wisdom). #2. a. b. actively use Christianity in religion to express own vision. Bent christain material to native American values and beliefs. C. highly spiritual beliefs. There is no division between ordinary and extraordinary. d. Native American Church practice peyotism and now exists in the Plains of the Sioux reservation- Navajo and Pueblo peoples. Center on Peyote Way (eat this cactus and have prayer, song meditation, sacramental consumption heals/knowledge giver). #3 Albanese talks about several different forms of American Judaism. Albanese discusses about Reformed Jews, Orthodox Jews and Conservative Jews. By talking about these three forms of Judaism, it helps us understand more about what three forms of Judaism believe in. The first form of Judaism Albanese talks about is Reformed Jews. Reformed Jews have the biggest following of people practicing their religion. Reformed Jews seem to have a huge following because they have a wider range of beliefs. They also practice mystical traditions within their religion. Reformed Jews separate their religion and their ethnicity as two different things. Reformed Jews believe Judaism is religion. They also say that their ethnicity is jewishness. By doing this, they see themselves as two different things within their culture. The se cond form of Judaism Albanese talks about is orthodox jews. Orthodox jews have the third biggest following out of the three different Judaism. Orthodox jews wanted the European jewish culture for their religion. They wanted their religion to be mainly European culture, but they added spirituality to their religion. Orthodox jews were trying to stick to their beginning roots of their religion, and add some new things to the orthodox religion. The last form of Judaism Albanese talks about is conservative Judaism. Conservative Jews believe their religion and culture are together. Conservative jews were adding more mystical to their religion. Women are able to be rabbis when they are a conservative jew, but they cannot be a rabbi in the other forms of Judaism. Conservative jews seem to let women do more in their religion than the orthodox jewish tradition. All of these different forms of Judaism have something different to offer who wants to practice this religion. If you want to learn about separating religion from ethnicity than go with reformed jews tradition. You can learn about spirituality if you want to practice the orthodox religion. Also, you can learn about mystical things in your religion if you chose conservative religion. Overall, Albanese talks about reformed jews, orthodox jews and conservative jews in America. All of these different forms believe in different ways of how their relgion should be. although all of these groups have differences between them, they also have similarities within their religion. Albanese does an immense job describing all these forms of Judaism. The three major waves of immigration today are Sephardim, Ashkenazim, and Conservatives. Sephardim came from Spain, Mediterranean area, ancient tradition (Talmud- early commentary), spain expelled all jewish people, coversos- converted to chrisitanity- secretly practiced Judaism). Ashkenazim- germany, reform movement- most libral branch of judaism, didnt want to stand out and wanted to be Americans became assimilated, Yiddish language. Conservatives- after WWI many jews came from Russia and eastern Europe, orthodox jewish people strictest. #4 Sabbath is celebrated with a ritual meal eaten after sundown on Friday evening to begin the feast. The mistress of the house lit candles and spoke a blessing and the head of the house read or chanted a scriptural text and pronounced the Kiddush, or sanctification and blessed the bread. Then at sundown, on Saturday evening, the sabbath closed with another home centered ritual. The head of the household took a special candle made of two or more pieces of wax, and recited a prayer to thank God for separation of the sacred from the profane, which the Sabbath symbolized, extinguishing the candle in a full glass of wine. In between the Sabbath, strict separation from work and everyday activity. No travel was allowed, no business transacted, no money exchanged, no writing accomplished, and no chores performed. The sabbath called for leisure activity and recreation through visiting family and friends and going on walks. Above all, it called for mental and spiritual recreation through reading and study of the torah. This is why on Sunday morning it became customary to hold a synagogue service. Rosh Hashanah (New Year), occurs during the fall, comes just before the feast of Succoth/booths. They live temporarily in huts to remind them of their desert sojourn. apples and honey, the pomegranate, a round challah, the shofar or rams horn, and fish. Apples and honey express the wish for a sweet new year. Due to the elaborate and somewhat mysterious process by which honey is created, it has the additional symbolism as the spiritual exercise of self-improvement. The pomegranate, with its many seeds, and the fish both symbolize the desire for a plentiful year. In addition, Jewish tradition likens the number of seeds in a pomegranate to the number of mitzvot (good deeds or sacred obligations) we hope to perform in the upcoming year. The round challah symbolizes the cyclical nature of life while the ram s horn serves as a wake-up call for individuals to begin the process of intense introspection. For both the New Year and Days of Atonement, (10 Tishri) they are days of religious remembrance, God is recalling the deeds of his people, while the people remember their covenant and creation with God, their choseness as his Israel, and their successes and failures in faithfulness. The horn that is blown signifies the piercing time of the new year into covenant. Both the days of atonement and new year are recollections that aspire to bring times of origin back again, they aim to destroy the work of time to bring pious Jesus in touch with the religious acts of tradition so that their imputed power can be trapped. Yom Kippur is the most solemn and introspective day on the Jewish calendar. It emphasizes personal responsibility f or ones actions. Jewish tradition teaches that to atone for deeds committed against another person you must approach that person directly and apologize. The act of atonement makes the claim that as human beings we are able to change and improve ourselves. On Yom Kippur we strive to improve our relationships both with other human beings and with God. Passover (Pesach) (15 Nisan), at the beginning of the planting seasion, which was historicized to recall the exodus from Egypt, the meal called a seder recalls the biblical account of the meal eaten on the night the Hebrews fled from Egypt led by Moses. The jews used unleavened bread (matzah) because in the biblical exodus story they had no time to wait for bread to rise, eat bitter herbs to remind them of the storys bitter journey and a mix of chopped nuts, apples, raisins, cinnamon, like the mortar they placed between bricks in the account of the slavery into Egypt. Parsley dipped in water salt, toasted egg, shank bone of a lamb, and 4 ceremonial cups of wine- recreate the story of exodus. The father tells the son that this is the night we fled the Egyptians, and if the ritual succedds the family and its guests feel a sense of renewal from connecting with the time of the exodus, they can continue their ordinary lives with the same fresh energy as at a major moment in Israels beginning. Weeks (Shavout or Pentecost) 6 Sivan), at end of barley harvest, which commemorates the giving of the Law (Torah) to Moses on Mt Sinai, Booths (Sukkot or Tabernacles) (15 Tishri), at the end of agricultural work for the year before the winter rains, which commemorates the wandering of the Jews in the desert before they entered Canan, with its theme of new hope and confidence for the future. Yom Kippor (Day of Atonement), in which Jews fast, do penance, and confess what they feel to be their sinfulness before God. Hannukah (25 Kislev) recalls the rekindling of the candelabrum in the temple of jerusalemby Judas Maccebeus and his followers. The eight day festival, lighting each evening of the candles of the menorah. The extended ritual recalls the traditional account of the hannakah miracle in which with only one days ritual oil at hand, the menorahs light continued the full eight days needed to purify th e temple. It signifies them to the right of being different. #5. Spanish Missions- Juan Ponce de Leon = Florida 1513. 8 years later = brought priests to establish missions among the Indians. St. Augustine founded missionary work began in 1595. New Mexico area= Francisco Vasquez de Coronado 1540- had 3 friars. These missions had ups and downs with rebellion by the Indians at times. Arizona=Jesuits-converted 30,000 Indians. California=Franciscan Junipero Serra missions on the main road to California. In 1821, Mexico declared independence from Spain= missions done. French Missions- encountered more hostility. First settled in Nova Scotia with protestants. Jesuits joined the groups of other faiths in Quebec later. Wanting to learn Indian languages, the Jesuits put up missions for the Huron Indians= failed in the middle of Indian attacks from the Iroquois. Later, they made peace with the French. 1668= the Jesuits in control of upper New York. Until the English came into the area, the French stayed and worked with the Iroquois. The Jesuits began teaching in the Illinois area and established missions there. English Colonies- catholics entered America to settle not to convert (different from the other two). Mayland law guaranteed religious liberty to all but catholics (minority). puritans took over= outlawed Catholicism = paying taxes in support of the Church of England. not allowed to worship freely until after the revolution. EthnicityIrish refugees from potato famine. Poor, settled in eastern city slums. Knew English but lack of literacy and work skills hampered them. Remained loyal to their religious leaders. Encouraged children to serve the church as priests and nuns. Dominated hierarchy of church (because of enrollment into service). Nuns became in charge of schools and education.German- present from colonial times. More affluent and better educated than irish. Moved to Cincinnati, st. Louis, and milwalkee. Deeply attached to traditions and language and wanted parished organized based on nationality. Love native music and relaxed observance of Sabbath. Often at odds with irish.Italians- from Italy and sicily. Poor and illiterate. Settled in eastern seacoast cities. Large extended families, religion and culture intermingled. Preference for family over church because of church and state relations in Italy. Did not want to give children up to be nuns or priests and were reluctant to give money to fund schools or shrines. Poles- intensely devoted to the institutional church. Came from peasant backgrounds, many became farmers. Settled in Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Cleveland. Joined nationalism to their religion and sought to maintain distinct national ethos. Preserved language in church and school. Struggled between clergy and laity over finances. Gave sons and daughters to the churchLatinos- tend to be anticlerical. Many have left church for other faiths. Those who remain catholic bring a strong emphasis on spirit filled religion. Religious expression distinctive. Devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe- traditional women keep an alter to her and bring their family concerns to her. Celebrate the Day of the Dead, All Souls Day on November 2, public ritual activites and private cemetery visits signal a family network thats beyond the grave. Predominate in texas California and the southwest. #6: Catholicism experiences the word as grace- full. It is not afraid to say that all the creatures of the earth and all the experiences o f human life are hints of what God is like. The word grace-full is sacramental in the sense that it is a metaphor for God- it gives us a hint of what God is like and who he is. Catholics experience God and his creations of the world. A sacrament in any religion is a scared sign- a person, place, object, or action that is regarded as holy. A sacrament is a place where a divine world is experienced as breaking into the human one. Catholic sacramentalism has taught that the material world reflects the spiritual one so closely that it can both enclose and disclose the sacred reality that transcends the world. The Catholic experience is of a world filled with God, and Catholic imagery tends to be sacramental. God is everywhere, revealing goodness and live. Catholic imagery says that God is like fire and water, birth, eating and drinking, the moon, the sun, the stars, the human body, and sexual love. Some may think these are strange ways of thinking and because of the risk of idolatry, but to Catholics they are wonderful hints of what life means by the one who created everything in it. The church says that some events are Sacraments with a capital S because they are extremely powerful hints of what God is like. Thus, the Eucha rist, a common meal eaten with friends, does not make all family meals holy. Rather it is holy and Jesus comes to us in a special way in the reenactment of his last meal wit h his followers because all family meals are potentially graceful and hints that our relationship with God is familial. The fact that the Church has declared marriage a Sacrament does not make human sexual passion holy. Rather, it is precisely because human sexual love between permanently committed partners is a hint of Gods passion for us and hence enormo usly holy that it becomes a Sacrament. Everything is holy. Some things become especially holy because Jesus has confirmed their holiness and made them rich and deep sources of grace. This is why birth (Baptism), life cycle (Confirmation, Ordination, Sacrament of the Sick), and reconciliation (Confession, or the Sacrament of Reconciliation, as it is now called) complete the list of Catholicisms seven Sacraments. Baptism represents the new life and cleansing power that is available through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Baptism frees people from the stain of original sin and allows them to receive scarifying grace. Confirmation is a sacrament of initiation that welcomes a Catholic into a deeper level of understanding and celebrates the training and knowledge he or she has attained. Confirmation honors the roll of the Holy Spirit in building a strong faith. Catholics believe that the Eucharist, or communion meal, is the real presence of Christ and not merely symbolic or a memorial of the Last Supper. When Catholics eat the bread, they believe it is miraculously transformed into the physical body of Jesus Christ, and that the wine is transformed into the physical blood of Jesus Christ. Reconciliation is made possible when Catholics confess their sins in person to a priest and feel genuine sorrow. The priest offers absolution, or an assurance of Gods forgiveness. Ordination is when men take special vows to be deacons, priests, or

bishops in the Church. They must be ordained before they can perform the mass, baptize a baby, or preside over other sacraments. Anointing of the Sick is the sacrament that imparts a special grace to soothe the spirit of an ill person, and also absolves unconfessed sin. Marriage serves as a remin der of Gods faithfulness and his commitments to humanity. For Catholics, marriage is a vocation, or an opportunity to serve God. Just as sacramentalism has expressed the Catholic consecration of space, the liturgical cycle has expressed its consecration of time. The consecrated holidays during the liturgical in Roman Catholicism are Advent, Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Palm Sunday, holy week, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension, & Pentecost. Advent is in December and it is when believers await the coming of Jesus. Then on Christmas day, Catholics commemorate his historical birth into the world as well as his spiritual birth in human hearts. The season that follows is punctuated with feasts that recall events recorded in the gospels, the remembrance of holy innocents. Then, beginning with Ash Wednesday, Catholics keep a 40 day period of prayer and fasting called Lent. It recalls the 40 days that in the gospel accounts Jesus spent in the desert before inaugurating his public ministry, and it culminates in the observance of holy week to commemorate the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. As holy week opens, on the Sunday before Easter, known as Palm Sunday, Catholics receive blessed palms and process around their churches to relive the biblical account of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem before his passion and death. On holy Thursday, catholics commemorate the last supper of Jesus with his disciples and the institution of the eucharist. This is the day in which the oils to be used ritually during the coming year are blessed, and also the day in which the priest washes the feet of laypeople to imitate the last supper account of how Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. Good Friday is the only day of the year that catholics cannot be present at mass. The service resembles the Eucharistic action of the mass, but the priest does not consecrate bread and wine. Instead, communion service uses the reserved sacrament, kept on a side altar after the holy Thursday mass. The most sacred day of the church year for catholics is Easter, which proclaims the resurrection of Jesus. A long vigil service held the previous evening ends with a mass at midnight filled with the symbolism of new birth and life- lighting a new fire from flint, blessing a huge new Easter candle to represent Jesus, blessing baptismal water for coming year, solemnly repeating baptismal vows as a congregation. In the mass that follows, the scriptural texts are sprinkled with alleluias, expressing joy in the belief that Christ has risen and remains with his people. 40 days after Easter, celebrate the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, where believed he reigns with the father. 10 days after, they feast for Pentecost- their own transformation of the jewish feast that honors the divine gift of the torah. They commemorate the coming of the holy spirit. The remainder of the liturgical year is a long series of Sundays after Pentecost, with aspects and life teachings Jesus considered. At Christmas, Jesus is presented as if born during the week of solstice, like the ray of sun that conquered darkness. Lent brings fasting during the last days of winter, while Easter- the Catholic feast of new life- comes on the Sunday following the first full moon after the spring Equinox.

You might also like