To 376 Main Page

Calendar

Part I: Introductory Reading for Rel 376, Theology and the Social Sciences

Tues. Jan 11:
Pals 3-10-3 (7pp) on the scientific study of religion
Ques: what did Max Müller mean by a “science of religion”?
Ques: what happened after 1500 that led to this approach to religion?
1. Barnes’ intro (3 pp), on the division of theologies into inward and outward.
Ques: Explain briefly what this division is.
2. Syllabus of Errors (2pp) and
3. Schultenover (3pp), on the inward in older Catholic thought
Ques: pick an “error” in the Syllabus that you strongly support;
Ques: What future status for the Catholic Church did Leo XIII and Pius X desire.
4. Historical-critical method (8pp), Prot and Catholic, inward responses to this “scientific” approach.
Ques: identify some things that Martin thinks are wrong with the historical-critical method.
Ques: distinguish historical from literary criticism and form criticism?
5. Excerpts from infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke (1p)

Thur. Jan 13.
Hall in Baum on Christian theologians and WWI (10pp);
Ques: articulate in your own words why the theologians (some of them) went wrong.
Reimer in Baum on Hitler (13pp).
Ques: same question as for Hall’s article.

Tues. Jan 18
6. Juergensmeyer on 2 kinds of muslim theology (10pp)
7. Wright on Islam and Democracy.
Ques on both readings: Ques: give a description of two or three kinds of Muslim theology described in these pages.
.
Thur. Jan 20:
8. Cox, excerpts from The Secular City (11pp) – outward looking
Ques: what are the three forms of desacralization Cox finds in Old Testament thought
9. Milbank, excerpt from Theology and Social Theory (5pp) – inward lookin
Ques: explain why Milbank’s position can be called an inward-looking one.
Cox in Baum, recanting about secularization. (8pp)
Ques: what does Cox think is the most significant indicator of future trends in religion?

Tues. Jan. 25.
Schreiter in Baum, Ch. 13., on Vatican II . (14pp)
Ques: In what ways does Vatican II theology seem to differ from that of Pius IX and X?
Ques: How does that difference fit with the difference between “inward” and “outward” theology?
End of Introductory Readings. Take-home exam due in one week, Tues, Feb. 1

Thurs. Jan . 27. [Review intro to the course; answer questions concerning the first exam. Attendance is not required, but we will have a full class on Tues, Feb. 1, the day the exam is due.]

Exam question. In a maximum of 8 pages, with type no smaller than 10 point ariel and line spacing no smaller than 1.5 and a full one inch margin all around:
Discuss the reactions of religious leaders and thinkers to the emergence of “scientific” approaches to religion.
Include the following in your discussion: 1) the place of rationalism; 2) the general difference between inward and outward responses; 3) the nature of the historical-critical method in scripture interpretation, and reasons given in the readings why this is dangerous ; 4) the type of responses of the Popes in the late 19th and early 20th century; 5) problems from the close relation of theologians to their cultural and/or social context; 4) how similar issues appear in Muslim thought and reactions; 5) the different responses of Cox in the 1960s and Milbank in the 1990s to the secular; 6) how Vatican II and Cox in 2000 see the near future of religion in a secular world.

Part II:  Anthropology, religious studies, and theology.
Theories of the nature of religion, of primitive religion, & of the evolution of religion; with theological responses.
Basic issue throughout: can religion entirely be “reduced” to some purely natural causes?

3 Readings from Pals and excerpts from original sources. To be discussed on 3
Pals: Ch. 1 on Tylor and Frazer. You may skip pp. 21.6-23, 32-34, 39-43.
Handout excerpts from Tylor and Frazer.
RG questions re Pals ch. 1:
1. What was Max Müller’s theory of the origin of Indo-European religion?
2. What is the difference between philology and ethnology?
3. What does Tylor mean by the word “animism”? For example?
4. To Tylor what is the relation between animism and modern science?
5. How does Frazer differ from Tylor on the relation between religion and magic?
6. Does Frazer agree with Tylor on Question #4 here?
7. From the section called “Analysis” list items on which Tylor and Frazer agree.
8. From the “Critique” section describe the 3 criticisms directed against the theories of Tylor and Frazer
General assignment: do Pals’ descriptions fit well with the actual words of Tylor and Frazer?

4. Readings from Pals, ch. 6, on Evans-Pritchard, and an excerpt from E-P. Feb. 8
Topic: Still on the nature of religion, primitive religion, the evolution of religion.
Questions to guide your reading:
1. What is E-P’s attitude toward theories of cultural evolution? What reasons does he give?
2. How does Levy-Bruhl characterize primitive thought?
3. Describe Zande beliefs about witchcraft in some detail.
4. What does E-P think about the intelligence of the Azande?
5. What is the relation of Kwoth to other gods in Nuer beliefs?
6. Does the Nuer notion of soul fit with Tylor’s theory?
7. What is the difference between group rites and personal sacrifices?
8. How does E-P criticize reductionist and evolutionary theories of religion?
9. Analysis section: what does it mean to say that E-P shows belief in magic can be rational?
10. Critique section: How does Pals criticize E-P’s use of the “if I were a horse” argument;
and how does Pals suggest there is indeed a “primitive” mind?
Do E-P’s word in the excerpt fit with Pals’ interpretation?

5. Readings from Pals, ch. 5, on Eliade (skip pp. 171-178) + excerpt from Eliade. Feb. 10.
Topic: A “phenomenological” approach to understanding religion.
Questions to guide your reading:
1. What are Eliade’s two basic axioms? Explain what they mean.
2. In what ways does Eliade agree with Otto on the nature of religion?
3. What is an “axis mundi”?
4. What is the role of reason in the use of symbol and myth, according to Eliade?
5. What does it mean to say that Judaism made religion historical? [recall Cox].
6. What is “historicism” according to Eliade
7. Analysis section: does Eliade praise or condemn “archaic” thought? Explain.
8. Critique section: How precise and consistent is Eliade in defining “sacred”?
Does the excerpt from Eliade fit with Pals’ description of Eilade’s position?

6. Reading from Pals, Ch. 7 on Geertz. Read pp. 240.6 to263. Feb. 15
Topic: to see an anthropologist seek to avoid functionalist reductionism.
Questions to guide your reading:
1. Does Geertz entirely reject “explanation” in favor of “understanding?
2. What is the purpose for seeking a “thick description” of a culture?
3. What does it mean to say that religion is a “cultural system”?
4. What is the difference between traditional and rationalized religion?
5. What is the “scripturalist revolt” in Islam?
6. Critique: does Geertz’ approach really make anthropology unscientific?

7. Readings from Barnes, on primitive religion (problems in defining 6pp + dangers 2pp and on the evolution of religion (8pp) + page of Human Commonalities Feb. 17.
Questions to guide your reading:
1. Describe a major difference between Tylor and Levy-Bruhl on whether primitive practices are religious (from “problems in defining primitive religion”).
2. What is Barnes’ argument that primitive culture is primitive (“dangers of . . ..").
3. Describe differences among the 4 stages of cultural/religious evolution according to Barnes.
4. Give examples of each of the cognitive styles as they appear in the U.S. today.

Part III. Sociological interpretations of religion
Basic issue remains:  can religion legitimately be reduced to a fully naturalistic reality.

8. Readings from Pals, Ch. 3, on Durkheim. Read pp. 95-121. Durkheim excerpt. Feb. 22.
Topic: theories about the social origins and function of religion; theological responses.
Questions to guide your reading:
1. What is the sacred and how does it differ from the supernatural?
2. Describe fully Durkheim’s theory of the role of the totem in Australian Aboriginal society.
3. What is the “soul” according to Durkheim?
4. What is a “negative” cult, a “positive” cult and a “piacular” cult?
5. Analysis section: Why can it be said that Durkheim is a functionalist?
6. Critique section: What evidence from anthropology conflicts with Durkheim’s ideas about the sacred, supernatural, and profane? Is Durkheim’s theory reductionist about religion?
7. Do Durkheim’s own words fit well with Pals’ interpretation of Durkheim

Feb. 24. Mid-term break today and tomorrow.

9. Readings from Peter Berger, The Sacred Canopy (and finish Durkheim). March 1..
Topic: to see a broader and universalizing theory of the sociological function of religion.
Questions to guide your reading:
1. Be able to describe the major aspects of Berger’s dialectical interpretation of culture — externalization, objectification, internalization.
2. What is it about humans that makes in necessary but difficult to maintain a nomos
3. Describe the role of religion in maintaining the nomos.
4. Does Berger’s theory seem to be a functionalist reductionism? Explain.

Catch-up. Prepare for exam  March 3.

Exam #2. March 8. This exam is the most difficult because it covers both Part II and Part III.
Each of the theories covered has something to say about the origin, nature, and development of religion. Some of these theories are reductionistic (thoroughly naturalistic); some are supportive of religion, however. And in the seminar sessions some extra theological considerations have been proposed, whereby theology has responded to the theories by offering alternative ways of explaining religion without reductionism.
Exam, in two parts:
Anthropological part: explain what the various theories of cultural and religious evolution have in common and where they differ in any significant way. Explain which are thoroughly reductionistic and which are more sympathetic to religion. Describe and evaluate the evolutionary extension of Eliade’s “theological” interpretation of religion.
Sociological part: explain how Durkheim and Berger are alike and how they differ in their interpretation of the sociological function of religion. Offer a theological (non-reductionist) response to each.


Part IV. Psychological and political theories of religion and theological responses.

10. Reading: Pals, ch. 4, on Marx (skip 124-136, 148-152), excerpts from Feuerbach and Marx. Mar.10
Topic: religion as an expression of self-alienation based on psychological needs.
Questions to guide your reading:
1. For Marx, what is the base of any society’s moral superstructure?
2. What does “ideology” mean?
3. To what does Feuerbach attribute belief in God? (See the excerpt also.)
4. According to Marx what does religion offer to the oppressed? (See the excerpt also.)
5. What does it mean to say that religion expresses human self-alienation?
6. Analysis section: explain how Marx’s ideas are a reductionistic functionalist approach.
7. Critique section: does Marx’s theory apply to primitive religion? If not, so what?

11. Readings: Baum, ch. 5 by Sweitzer. Also Social Gospel handout. Mar 15.
Topic: various effects of Marxism in relation to theology: A Protestant instance.
Questions to guide your reading:
1. Explain what is meant by the “social gospel” and identify some major proponents. (Handout)
2. Ch. 5. What led Niebuhr to take a socialist position; what then led him to reject/modify it?
3. Ch. 5. In what way was the Canadian FCSO a response to Marx?
4. What critique did the FCSO offer of capitalist individualism?
5. How did Niebuhr and the FCSO differ on what can be hoped for in history?

12. Reading in Baum, ch. 9 by Elizondo, & Hennelly handout on Liberation Theology. Mar. 17.
Topic: other effects of Marxism on theology: Catholic liberation theologies.
Questions to guide your reading:
1. How good has the effect been of missionary activities, to the world and specifically to Latin America, according to Elizondo?
2. Sum up the impact of the Medellin conference of bishops in 1968.
3. Give an example of an issue of concern for the All India Seminar of 1969 and of an issue for the African General Synod of Evangelization of 1974.
4. Name something in religion that is distinctively “Asian” according to Elizondo.
5. What is good and what is bad about globalization, according to Elizondo? How should the Catholic Church deal with a plurality of cultures?

Easter Break March 19 through Mon. 28.

13. Reading in Pals, Ch. 2, Freud (you may skip 60-65, 74-77) and excerpts from Freud. Mar. 29
Topic: what characteristics of the human psyche might account for religion?
Questions to guide your reading:
1. Describe Freud’s explanation in Totem and Taboo of where religion originated.
2. Describe Freud’ explanation in The Future of an Illusion of why people hold on to religion.
3. How does Freud differentiate between “illusion” and “delusion”?
4. Analysis: What is Feuerbach’s analysis of religion; explain why his and Freud’s position is a functionalist reductionism.
5. Critique: What is the problem of circularity to which Pals points?

14. Readings: Reiss article; Fowler handout;; I-E-Q studies (in class) Mar 31.
Topic: some empirical studies of religion and psychology.
Questions to guide your reading:
1. Summarize Reiss’ conclusion about what motivates religiousness in people. Does this show that Freud was wrong?
2. Think of some current examples for each of the five stages of faith of Fowler.
3. Compare Fowler’s stages with the stages of cultural and religious evolution by Barnes
4. [in class: what might the I-E-Q studies imply about religiousness in people?]

15. Readings: Susan Ross in Baum; Elizabeth Johnson excerpt. April 5.
Topic: changed social consciousness concerning women has lead to a change in theology
1. According to Ross what virtue did Valerie Saiving say women needed to develop, and why?
2. Briefly list the 4 “streams” of development in theology as part of the women’s movement.
3. In what ways did the women’s movement affect “theological anthropology”?.

Review of course: inward-outward theologies [sample readings from Tracy and von Balthasar]. April 7
Fist draft of papers due today also: 2 minute summary by each of the content; exchange drafts for mutual critique.

April 12 Light day: review for exam #3.

Exam #3. Due Thur., April 14.
Both Marx and Freud interpret religion as a mistake that arises because of certain human conditions or needs. Explain the basic theories of each and show how they differ. Use the article by Reiss to show the limits of Freud’s theories. Describe the social gospel movement and liberation theologies and explain how they might be called positive responses to Marx.

April 19. Return exams. Discuss
April 21. First presentations - 15 minutes each
April 26 More presentations
April 28: Last presentations

Final version of the paper due Tues., May 3 by 5:45.

This page was last changed on Jan 7, 2004.