Shamans have long fascinated academicians, however, there has been many debates on what a shaman is. Recent studies on shamanism have not only been emerging from anthropologists, but also from scholars of religious studies and psychology. The largest debate in the academic study of shamanism is one of definition. Are new age neo-shamans authentic? Does the study of shamans need to be confined to circumpolar region? Is shamanism a technique or a religion? Can it be argued that there is academic political reasons that color scholar's decisions? There are four main camps of academic shamanistic studies; a narrow definition confining the term to the northern Arctic practices, as the oldest form of religion, as a prevalent type of indigenous practice and finally as an almost all encompassing term that includes all native and new age forms.
A narrow definition of shaman is popular with Russian and Scandinavian scholars, concentrating their study to the Arctic, Siberia and Mongolia. Fiona Bowie defines shamanism in this case as consisting of “trace, direct contact with spiritual beings and guardian spirits, and mediation in a ritual setting” (Bowie 179). Many scholar subscribing to this school of thought think that the label shaman is too widely used and by being so widely spread around, it loses meaning. Bowie quotes E. E. Evans-Pritchard stating:
One can standardize a word taken from a primitive vernacular, like totem, and use it to describe phenomena among other peoples which resemble what it refers to in its original home; but this can be the cause of great confusion, because of the resemblances many be superficial, and the phenomena in question so diversified that the term loses all meaning (Evans-Pritchard quoted by Bowie, 179).
Many other scholars would prefer to argue for a larger definition, but a strong response could come from the idea that the west built the idea of what is modern on the back of what is considered traditionally indigenous or premodern (Pigg 161). Arctic scholars are masters of spirits and normally have special social positions in their communities. They act as a healer of souls and a mediator with animal's guardian spirits in order to help the hunt. They are called to their career often through a life-changing event and are initiated then trained in their jobs. Training can take over ten years (Bowie 181-191). There are elements present in this definition of shamanism that can be found in a wider context.
Those that would argue that shamanism is a traditional indigenous practice might come from the idea that shamanism is the oldest form of religion. Scholars look back to the Stone Age, thinking that a “specialist in the human soul” but also a “mystical, priestly, and political figure” can be seen as far back as the Upper Paleolithic (Halifax quoted in Bowie, 177). It is difficult to look back into the past and make accurate statements on behavior that is not put in any context, so academicians often look towards modern small-scale cultures for the basis of their ideas regarding the origins of religion. Mircea Eliade is often said to belong to this camp of thought, describing shamanism in the most simple terms as a “technique of ecstasy” (Eliade 4). A variation on this argument is that shamans are often said to be seeking union with a Supreme Being , but this shows an ethnocentric view of the world with an Abrahamic monotheistic slant (Bowie 178).
The third academic camp, with many similarities to the second, argues that shamanism is a form of indigenous practice, common throughout the world. This is a popular approach for English-speaking and western European scholars. Bowie quotes Joan Halifax as saying that shamanism is “an ecstatic complex of particular and fixed elements with a specific ideology that has persisted though millennia and is found in many different cultural settings” (Bowie 176). Most scholars in this camp would argue that shamanism does not always form the only religious idea in a society and that shamanism can be found in any small-scale society in history. Some of these practices make little sense out of the culture they evolved in, though some common elements include an initiation ritual, ecstatic trances and the ability to mediate between the spirit and material worlds.
Can people follow a practice even outside the cultural context it originated in? If the answer is yes regarding shamanism, the argument rests on two premises: “1. Shamanism is nearly universal in scope and 2. Shamanism is primarily a technique, not a religion” (Johnson 163). In this final, broadest definition of shamanism, any one could be a shaman with some training. This approach is “both individualistic and universalizing” encompasses both traditional forms of shamanism and neo-shamanism. Kocku von Stuckard talks of Magali Demanget's work, “Instead of deciding where (real) shamanism and (imitating, colonializing) neo-shamanism differ, she pictures 'how problematic the demarcation between the two can sometimes be” (Stuckard 124). Neo-shamanism has become popular in the industrialized western in the last fifty years. Many are introduced to shamans by movies or books. A popular book is Carlos Castaneda's Don Juan which details the life of a Yaqui Indian. While derided by some as being fictional, other ethnographers argue that fictive accounts are an acceptable form of ethnography. He is considered by many as the father of neo-shamanism, but Michael Harner and his Foundation for Shamanic Studies might be more well-known today. He wrote such texts as The Elements of Shamanism and The Way of the Shaman. Harner's training was as an anthropologist and much of neo-shamanism is based on the work of anthropologists, however many think that Harner went too far outside academia. He resigned from university life and concentrates on his foundation. The foundation's website states, “Since the West overwhelmingly lost its shamanic knowledge centuries ago due to religious oppression, the Foundation’s programs in core shamanism are particularly intended for Westerners to reacquire access to their rightful spiritual heritage through quality workshops and training courses” (http://www.shamanism.org/fssinfo/index.html).
There are some differences between traditional shamans and neo-shamans. One is that traditional shamanism is restricted to a few individuals who are part of a larger community with a job to do for the community and “may be regarded as a menace as much as a blessing” (Bowie 194). In neo-shamanism, shamans are more individuals that are looking way to gain control in an overwhelming world. Almost anyone, according to most neo-shaman groups, can become a shaman. While techniques and attitudes may vary, shamans and neo-shamans are seen by this group as a way to deal with a world that is often unexplainable.
Most of the academic differences in what shamans are boil down to academic politics in defining what a shaman is. The closer the academician is to the origin of the word, the more likely they are to want to keep shaman to the original meaning of a spirit specialist in arctic regions. Western European and American scholars often want to define what shamanism is based on their own ideas of modernity and indigenous cultures. Others want to define shamanism based on the techniques it uses and not on the culture it arises from. Neo-shamanism puts an interesting spin on the debate with arguments about religious practices needing cultural support to truly make sense and the perceived selfishness in a practice that puts so much emphasis on the individual. Neo-shamanism likely owns much of it's popularity to the obsession the west has with the 'exotic other'. However shamanism is defined and delimitated, it will continue to be the subject of academic fascination among anthropologists, religious studies scholars and psychologists for years to come.
Bibliography
Bowie, Fiona. The Anthropology of Religion: An Introduction. Second Edition. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2006.
Eliade, Mircea. Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy. Princeton: Princeton Unversity Press, 1974.
Johnson, Paul C. . "Shamaniam from Ecuador to Chicago: A Case Study in New Age Ritual Appropriation." Religion. 25. (1995): 163-178.
Pigg, Stacy Leigh. "The Credible and the Credulous: The Question of "Villagers' Beliefs" in Nepal." Cultural Anthropology. 11.2 (1996): 160-201.
von Stuckrad, Kocku. "Constructions, Normativities, Identities: Recent Studies on Shamanism and Neo-Shamanism." Religious Studies Review. 31.3, 4 (2005): 123-128.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
My radicial thoughts on marriage
Let us take all marriage laws off the books.
Either marriage is sacred rite or it is a legal contract.
If it is sacred rite, marriage should not have anything to do with the law.
If it is a legal contract, marriage should be open equally to everyone.
Let us nip the argument in the bud and just take all the laws off the books.
To replace them, we should enact laws where you can go to the courthouse and file who is your 'next of kin', even if they are not kin. If two 50 year old firefighters want to make each other as their 'next of kin' even if not in a romantic relationship, there should not be any reason that it should cost them $1500+.
Either marriage is sacred rite or it is a legal contract.
If it is sacred rite, marriage should not have anything to do with the law.
If it is a legal contract, marriage should be open equally to everyone.
Let us nip the argument in the bud and just take all the laws off the books.
To replace them, we should enact laws where you can go to the courthouse and file who is your 'next of kin', even if they are not kin. If two 50 year old firefighters want to make each other as their 'next of kin' even if not in a romantic relationship, there should not be any reason that it should cost them $1500+.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Music of the Neopagan Movement: Idenity, Creativity and Commodity
Music of the Neopagan Movement:
Identity, Creativity and Commodity
I dance at the Sabbat when you dance out the Spell
I dance and sing that everyone be well
And when the dancing's over do not think that I am gone
To live is to Dance! So I dance on, and on!
~ from Lord of the Dance
An important part of constructing an unique identity for a new religious movement is creating ritual and music that is differentiated from other religions while not alienating new possible adherents. Music can be a strong factor in whether someone joins a religious movement. As a fairly new religious movement, Neopaganism is an ideal case study in how religions use music to define themselves. Defining what is Neopagan music is not always easy as Neopagan is a term that at times escapes definition itself. Issac Bonewits defines Neopaganism as, “polytheistic (or conditional monotheistic) nature religions that are based upon the older or Paleopagan religions; concentrating upon an attempt to retain the humanistic, ecological and creative aspects of these old belief systems while discarding their occasional brutal or repressive developments” (Bonewits). Sabina Magliocco refines this definition with stating Neopagan values: “a strong participatory ethic, resistance to certain forms of hierarchical esoterism and an emphasis on spontaneity, variation and creativity” (Magliocco, 101). The question that arises is how a religious movement can keep the spontaneity, variation and creativity going while creating a lasting community and religion, especially in regards to music? A brief overview of Neopagan music will help put the question in historical perspective, then the focus will examine identity and community building, creativity, and commodity in the movement.
At the beginning of religious movements, music and ritual are often borrowed from other traditions. Neopaganism is a good example of this, but by no means rare among new movements, for example, Rastafarians used Baptist and other Euro-Western church music in the first decade of the movement (Reckord, 238). In early Neopaganism, music was borrowed, often folk songs or popular songs with changes to the lyrics. Another popular source was and continues to be music from other religious traditions, sometimes with changed lyrics. This repurposed music and even a tradition of unique songs grew popular. Margot Adler recalls that during the growth of the movement, a new popular song or chant would spread throughout the U.S. quickly, achieving a type of universality to the movement. Today the movement has a smörgåsbord of musical offerings to choose from. There is the more traditional music that has a folk style, Neopagan music is also available in heavy metal, rock, pop, and jazzy flavors. Pagan rock is exploding, some of the offerings even reaching mainstream audiences. Andrea Nebel Haugen, a self-identified Pagan musician says, “It’s not about returning to the lifestyle people were living 1000 years ago. It’s about bringing the old wisdom back into our existing lives. Pagan traditions are living traditions, living wisdom that is just as important today as it was back then”. With the large variety of music available, there is certainly something that will appeal to any Neopagan, however there is a perceived lack of shared community identity with having no shared music.
While the large offerings available of Neopagan music “represents a real flowering of art and music within Paganism and Wicca”, on the other hand, it also in some ways shows a lack of community. Two groups can meet and have no songs or chants to help build common ground (Adler, 441). While many American Christians share the songs like Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art between denominations, today there is not a unifying song among Neopagans or even among the larger traditions. Many in the 1970s and 1980s were familiar with artists like Gwydion Pendderwen, but Neopaganism is currently suffering from a lack of a common voice. This can be a real problem in a world where there is a “growing importance of media for contemporary religion and spirituality” (Lynch, 482). Readily available music from the Internet can make it easier for seekers to choose to examine a new religious path, however having no common music or even rituals encompassing the Neopagan tradition can make it hard to find a place to start dialogue about the changes that being a more established tradition can mean. For a religious community to exist and thrive, it needs to define what is important to it regarding important items like music, ritual and pageantry. Helen Burger argues about changes in current Neopaganism, stating that there is a continuing trend of sharing of resources among Neopagans and that this is leading to a routinization of the movement. She further argues that much of this arises from the “need for legitimacy” (Berger, 49-52). The main criticism of this argument is that is hard to establish a set tradition, musical or otherwise, for such a diverse group. A tradition starts with a single person deciding how they want to go about doing a ritual or what music can be used in it, then teaching it to others and using it again and again. Berger argues that “creating a tradition, something to teach your children, involves a lessening of spontaneity” (Berger, 60). There is a pull from both directions, both towards an establishment of traditions and to keep spontaneity and creative juices flowing. Neopagans that are for the establishment of traditions and even set music and rituals to go with the traditions are often struggling with the dual demands of career and children, something not always present at the beginning of the movement. On the other hand, spontaneity, creativity and full group participation is what drew many Neopagans to the movement to begin with, disliking the codification of more mainstream religious practices.
Another practice under debate within the community is the commodification of practice. In most larger bookstores today, there is a large section on Neopaganism, including books, tarot cards and CDs. Rituals are being copyrighted and musicians that would have likely played for festivals for the joy of it are asking for large payments in order to attend. David Waldron wrote one of the best essays on this topic, Witchcraft for Sale! He states that,
“The development of a sense of community requires a loci or sense of focus around which a community identity is shared... [and that] the intrusion of the realm of commodity into the constructions of Witchcraft identity and community structure, has led to increasing conflicts between popularist consumer-driven models of Wtichcraft identity and Witchcraft configured as a symbolic expression of counter- modernity... in opposition to the dominant cultural matrix of capitalist and patriarchal modernity” (Waldron, 44).
The emphasis on making money has appear to change the approach some Neopagan musicians take, making them more likely to skirt closer to cultural norms and to the more popular expressions of Neopaganism. Neopagans have long seen themselves as a counterpoint to modern society, a return to something more natural and in tune with paleo-peoples. Music and ritual being seen as simply items for sale changes the dynamic of the community in ways that are only beginning to be felt.
Neopagans are in a pivotal point in their history, where they will make decisions on where they are going as a movement. Are they going to consolidate into set denominations, where each has a particular ritual and music library that they pull from or are they going to find another way to construct their community where they can keep the spontaneity and creativity that makes the movement appealing to so many? Music will continue to have a large role in the construction of identity in Neopagan communities, however common songs and chants that are freely shared might both keep the feel of the community that began as an alternative to the larger culture and establish a shared component to the tradition that will be helpful in teaching children and new members alike. Religious scholars are just beginning to focus on the impact on music on new movements and Neopaganism is at an engaging junction of change that does not present itself everyday. Christopher W. Chase states, “part of what Pagan music seeks to accomplish is the work of creating, reinforcing, and testifying to the "authenticity" and power of the religious tradition in question” (Chase, 4). Neopaganism is an area in the examination of music and its impact on religion that needs further study.
Bibliography
Adler, Margot. (1986). Drawing down the moon: witches, druids, goddess-worshippers and other pagans in America. New York: Penguin Books.
Berger, Helen A. (1995). The routinization of spontaneity. Sociology of Religion, 56(1), 49- 61.
Bonewits, Isaac. (1976). The first epistle of Isaac. The Druid Chronicles (evolved), 2(4).
Chase, Christopher W. (2009). Approaching the sacred grove: the Orphic impulse in pagan religious music. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University.
Lynch, Gordon. (2006). The role of popular music in the construction of alternative spiritual identities and ideologies. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 45(4), 481- 488.
Magliocco, Sabina. (1996). Ritual is my chosen art form: the creation of ritual as folk art among contemporary pagans. In J.R. Lewis (Ed.), Magical Religion and Modern Witchcraft (pp. 93-120). Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Pendderwen, Gwydion (Performer). (2005). Lord of the dance. On The Music of Gwydion [Medium of recording: Record] San Fransico: Serpentine Music. (1975)
Pitzl-Waters, J. and J.Z.W. Hannah (n.d). Interview with Andrea Nebel Haugen of Nebelhexe and Hagalaz’ Runedance. Retrieved from http://www.wildhunt.org/pagan/hagalaz.html
Reckord, Verena. (1998). From burra drums to reggae ridims: the evolution of rasta music. In N.S. Murrell (Ed.), Chanting down Babylon: a Rastafari reader (pp. 231-252). Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Waldron, David. (2005). Witchcraft for sale! : commodity vs. community in the neopagan movement. Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, 9(1), 32-48.
Identity, Creativity and Commodity
I dance at the Sabbat when you dance out the Spell
I dance and sing that everyone be well
And when the dancing's over do not think that I am gone
To live is to Dance! So I dance on, and on!
~ from Lord of the Dance
An important part of constructing an unique identity for a new religious movement is creating ritual and music that is differentiated from other religions while not alienating new possible adherents. Music can be a strong factor in whether someone joins a religious movement. As a fairly new religious movement, Neopaganism is an ideal case study in how religions use music to define themselves. Defining what is Neopagan music is not always easy as Neopagan is a term that at times escapes definition itself. Issac Bonewits defines Neopaganism as, “polytheistic (or conditional monotheistic) nature religions that are based upon the older or Paleopagan religions; concentrating upon an attempt to retain the humanistic, ecological and creative aspects of these old belief systems while discarding their occasional brutal or repressive developments” (Bonewits). Sabina Magliocco refines this definition with stating Neopagan values: “a strong participatory ethic, resistance to certain forms of hierarchical esoterism and an emphasis on spontaneity, variation and creativity” (Magliocco, 101). The question that arises is how a religious movement can keep the spontaneity, variation and creativity going while creating a lasting community and religion, especially in regards to music? A brief overview of Neopagan music will help put the question in historical perspective, then the focus will examine identity and community building, creativity, and commodity in the movement.
At the beginning of religious movements, music and ritual are often borrowed from other traditions. Neopaganism is a good example of this, but by no means rare among new movements, for example, Rastafarians used Baptist and other Euro-Western church music in the first decade of the movement (Reckord, 238). In early Neopaganism, music was borrowed, often folk songs or popular songs with changes to the lyrics. Another popular source was and continues to be music from other religious traditions, sometimes with changed lyrics. This repurposed music and even a tradition of unique songs grew popular. Margot Adler recalls that during the growth of the movement, a new popular song or chant would spread throughout the U.S. quickly, achieving a type of universality to the movement. Today the movement has a smörgåsbord of musical offerings to choose from. There is the more traditional music that has a folk style, Neopagan music is also available in heavy metal, rock, pop, and jazzy flavors. Pagan rock is exploding, some of the offerings even reaching mainstream audiences. Andrea Nebel Haugen, a self-identified Pagan musician says, “It’s not about returning to the lifestyle people were living 1000 years ago. It’s about bringing the old wisdom back into our existing lives. Pagan traditions are living traditions, living wisdom that is just as important today as it was back then”. With the large variety of music available, there is certainly something that will appeal to any Neopagan, however there is a perceived lack of shared community identity with having no shared music.
While the large offerings available of Neopagan music “represents a real flowering of art and music within Paganism and Wicca”, on the other hand, it also in some ways shows a lack of community. Two groups can meet and have no songs or chants to help build common ground (Adler, 441). While many American Christians share the songs like Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art between denominations, today there is not a unifying song among Neopagans or even among the larger traditions. Many in the 1970s and 1980s were familiar with artists like Gwydion Pendderwen, but Neopaganism is currently suffering from a lack of a common voice. This can be a real problem in a world where there is a “growing importance of media for contemporary religion and spirituality” (Lynch, 482). Readily available music from the Internet can make it easier for seekers to choose to examine a new religious path, however having no common music or even rituals encompassing the Neopagan tradition can make it hard to find a place to start dialogue about the changes that being a more established tradition can mean. For a religious community to exist and thrive, it needs to define what is important to it regarding important items like music, ritual and pageantry. Helen Burger argues about changes in current Neopaganism, stating that there is a continuing trend of sharing of resources among Neopagans and that this is leading to a routinization of the movement. She further argues that much of this arises from the “need for legitimacy” (Berger, 49-52). The main criticism of this argument is that is hard to establish a set tradition, musical or otherwise, for such a diverse group. A tradition starts with a single person deciding how they want to go about doing a ritual or what music can be used in it, then teaching it to others and using it again and again. Berger argues that “creating a tradition, something to teach your children, involves a lessening of spontaneity” (Berger, 60). There is a pull from both directions, both towards an establishment of traditions and to keep spontaneity and creative juices flowing. Neopagans that are for the establishment of traditions and even set music and rituals to go with the traditions are often struggling with the dual demands of career and children, something not always present at the beginning of the movement. On the other hand, spontaneity, creativity and full group participation is what drew many Neopagans to the movement to begin with, disliking the codification of more mainstream religious practices.
Another practice under debate within the community is the commodification of practice. In most larger bookstores today, there is a large section on Neopaganism, including books, tarot cards and CDs. Rituals are being copyrighted and musicians that would have likely played for festivals for the joy of it are asking for large payments in order to attend. David Waldron wrote one of the best essays on this topic, Witchcraft for Sale! He states that,
“The development of a sense of community requires a loci or sense of focus around which a community identity is shared... [and that] the intrusion of the realm of commodity into the constructions of Witchcraft identity and community structure, has led to increasing conflicts between popularist consumer-driven models of Wtichcraft identity and Witchcraft configured as a symbolic expression of counter- modernity... in opposition to the dominant cultural matrix of capitalist and patriarchal modernity” (Waldron, 44).
The emphasis on making money has appear to change the approach some Neopagan musicians take, making them more likely to skirt closer to cultural norms and to the more popular expressions of Neopaganism. Neopagans have long seen themselves as a counterpoint to modern society, a return to something more natural and in tune with paleo-peoples. Music and ritual being seen as simply items for sale changes the dynamic of the community in ways that are only beginning to be felt.
Neopagans are in a pivotal point in their history, where they will make decisions on where they are going as a movement. Are they going to consolidate into set denominations, where each has a particular ritual and music library that they pull from or are they going to find another way to construct their community where they can keep the spontaneity and creativity that makes the movement appealing to so many? Music will continue to have a large role in the construction of identity in Neopagan communities, however common songs and chants that are freely shared might both keep the feel of the community that began as an alternative to the larger culture and establish a shared component to the tradition that will be helpful in teaching children and new members alike. Religious scholars are just beginning to focus on the impact on music on new movements and Neopaganism is at an engaging junction of change that does not present itself everyday. Christopher W. Chase states, “part of what Pagan music seeks to accomplish is the work of creating, reinforcing, and testifying to the "authenticity" and power of the religious tradition in question” (Chase, 4). Neopaganism is an area in the examination of music and its impact on religion that needs further study.
Bibliography
Adler, Margot. (1986). Drawing down the moon: witches, druids, goddess-worshippers and other pagans in America. New York: Penguin Books.
Berger, Helen A. (1995). The routinization of spontaneity. Sociology of Religion, 56(1), 49- 61.
Bonewits, Isaac. (1976). The first epistle of Isaac. The Druid Chronicles (evolved), 2(4).
Chase, Christopher W. (2009). Approaching the sacred grove: the Orphic impulse in pagan religious music. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University.
Lynch, Gordon. (2006). The role of popular music in the construction of alternative spiritual identities and ideologies. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 45(4), 481- 488.
Magliocco, Sabina. (1996). Ritual is my chosen art form: the creation of ritual as folk art among contemporary pagans. In J.R. Lewis (Ed.), Magical Religion and Modern Witchcraft (pp. 93-120). Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Pendderwen, Gwydion (Performer). (2005). Lord of the dance. On The Music of Gwydion [Medium of recording: Record] San Fransico: Serpentine Music. (1975)
Pitzl-Waters, J. and J.Z.W. Hannah (n.d). Interview with Andrea Nebel Haugen of Nebelhexe and Hagalaz’ Runedance. Retrieved from http://www.wildhunt.org/pagan/hagalaz.html
Reckord, Verena. (1998). From burra drums to reggae ridims: the evolution of rasta music. In N.S. Murrell (Ed.), Chanting down Babylon: a Rastafari reader (pp. 231-252). Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Waldron, David. (2005). Witchcraft for sale! : commodity vs. community in the neopagan movement. Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, 9(1), 32-48.
Science and Religion Paper
Science and Religion
In a recent Diane Sawyer interview of Stephen Hawking, Hawking said, "There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, [and] science, which is based on observation and reason. Science will win because it works (Heussner 2010)." Science replacing religion as the system humankind uses to make sense of the unknown is not a new thought. James Frazer thought that science was replacing magic and religion as the dominant theory of thought, but it might not even be the final resting point. He thought that science was the hope for the future, even saying “It is probably not too much to say that the hope of progress – moral and intellectual as well as material – in the future is bound up with the fortunes of science, and that every obstacle placed in the way of scientific discovery is a wrong to humanity (Frazer 2008, 105).” There are others that believe that science and religion can reconcile if both are aware that they cover different spheres of influence and leave the other's purview alone. Does religion have a place in a world that is increasing being explained by science? Annie Hardison-Moody states, “The match seems to be set: in one corner we have scientists who argue for science, reason, modernity, and progress and in the other, we have religious believers who see an intelligent design in creation and a divine plan for life. But is it really that simple? (Hardison-Moody 2010) “ If the answer was that simple, there would not be much a debate. To examine possible answers to the question of whether religion is being replaced with science, we will start at the beginning with the framing of religion and science in a religious evolution context, then examine reasons the debate rages on and conclude with possible alternatives in the theories of how the matter should be approached.
The basis of some of the science versus religion framework is based in the idea of religious evolution. Thinkers like James Frazer and William Robertson Smith thought it was natural that human thought should progress though stages like biological evolution, from magic and animism, to religion to science (Strenski 2006, 128-134 & 143-150). There were several problems with their theories. One problem with their theories is they assumed in evolution that each change was for the better without evidence to back up the theory. Scholars of evolution, especially early ones, tend to paint a mythic version of humankind's progress as a type of hero tale (Landau 1991, x). Evolution does not always imply progress, regression is possible. Many scholars agree that the religious evolutionary model is based in thoughts of ethnocentrism, racism and the assumption that current Western thought is the best. While many scholars in the humanities have abandoned these theories there is a current still present in discussions of religion and science that science is the logical replacement of religion and just as we dismiss the superstitions of yesteryear, so soon will we dismiss religion for the more rational realm of science. What is forgotten by many when debating the topic is that science itself is based on theories building their foundations on other theories and so forth, and that at times a entire house of theories can come tumbling down based on one of the basic theories being wrong. The problem with most discussions of religion today is that the people speaking the loudest are extremists on both sides of the fence. Both religious fundamentalists and atheistic pro-progress scientists are who are most frequently sought out when a debate rears up. The more moderate heads who can imagine a world where religion and science both play a role in everyday lives are dismissed by a public more interested in a fiery debate than focusing on real issues.
Why is there such a large debate? One possible answer is that a large portion of humankind, even those that are very pro-science, seems ill at ease with the answers that science is giving. William B. Drees addresses how science affects people's self-image:
If we are nothing but neurons, or selfish genes, or molecules in motion, or atoms, what about important notions such as free will, identity, rationality and morality? The 'scientific image' of reality seems to conflict with our common-sense understanding of the world and ourselves, our 'manifest image'. Given this threat, a function of 'religion and science' might to be resolve discomfort about the scientific image of ourselves (Drees 2010, 30).
Most people, on some level, want to think of themselves as special and unique, a snowflake among snowflakes perhaps, but still like no other. Another contributing factor to the debate between science and religion is both sides' more prominent speakers. Denis R. Alexander suggests, “... Dawkins' campaign of atheism may have simulated the rise of creationism; if you keep telling people who believe in God that 'evolution equals atheism', it should be not be surprising that they become attracted to rosier creationist alternatives (Alexander 2008, 18).” The simple argument between religious creationists and atheist evolutionists is easy to put in a sound bite or write a passionate book about, but it is harder to discuss someone who thinks that the Bible and science hold truths and how the two reconcile.
Modern academics are trying out alternative, but more complex theories than a simple science versus religion model. One single model might not be the answer, but a useful one is the model of integrated complementarity. It argues that to explain the convoluted nature of human existence can be explained in slices of a cube. The cube is really one entity, but the human mind has difficulty absorbing the entirety at once, so it compartmentalizes different explanatory levels, scientific, ethical, aesthetic and religious. The largest problem with this method is that some put each section in isolation like Stephan J. Gould's Non-Overlapping Magisteria. However, with the overlap of these fields, there is movement between these levels. Just like the morality of a piece of art can be argued, so can religion and science branch into each other answering parts of the same question, like how we involved and why it happened (Alexander 2008, 18-21). Just like religion is better with explaining some things, so is science, a factor often forgotten in the modern world. Most people would not look in their religious text for explanations of cell division or wave theory, it makes sense they should not look for their faith in their biology or physics textbook.
Keith Ward says, “we should not expect one key to open every lock. We should not expect any specific type of scientific explanation to explain everything. So to say that 'science explains everything' is just the hypostatisation of an abstraction. It is not so much that it is false as that it lacks meaning (Ward 2010).” Science does a fine job of trying to explain the natural world and the phenomena found in it, but just because someone can explain how the human body functions does not make them an expert on speculating on if we have souls. However, science and religion should not be simply put neatly into separate boxes. Rather a true dialogue is needed. Drees argues, “... our primary purpose would then be to challenge nonsense and pursue truth, rather than to find a place for religion in a world seen through the sciences (Drees 2010, 6).” Pursuing truth seems like a more noble enterprise than endless debates on whether science and religion can exist together or if science is bound to replace religion as our primary system of thought. Religion and science both should have a place in our world and our goal should be to make it possible without champions of either field either being attacked or feeling like there is a struggle for the minds and souls of men.
Biography
William B. Drees http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/Z5241R.pdf
Alexander, Denis R.. The Edge of Reason? Science and Religion in Modern Society. Alex Bentley. New York: Continuum International, 2008.
Frazer, James. From the “Golden Bough”.Thinking About Religion: A Reader. 2 ed. Ivan Strenski. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2008.
Hardison-Moody, Annie. "Religion and Science: Busting Assumptions ." August 18, 2010.http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/science/3104/religion_and_science%3A_busting_assumptions .
Heussner, Ki Mae. "Stephen Hawking on Religion: 'Science Will Win'." June 7, 2010. http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Technology/stephen-hawking-religion-science-win/story?id=10830164&page=1 .
Landau, Misia. Narratives of Human Evolution. New Haven: Yale Unversity Press, 1991.
Strenski, Ivan. Thinking About Religion: An Historical Introduction to Theories of Religion. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2006.
Ward, Keith. "The parts science cannot reach." July 16, 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/jul/16/science-religion-philosophy
In a recent Diane Sawyer interview of Stephen Hawking, Hawking said, "There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, [and] science, which is based on observation and reason. Science will win because it works (Heussner 2010)." Science replacing religion as the system humankind uses to make sense of the unknown is not a new thought. James Frazer thought that science was replacing magic and religion as the dominant theory of thought, but it might not even be the final resting point. He thought that science was the hope for the future, even saying “It is probably not too much to say that the hope of progress – moral and intellectual as well as material – in the future is bound up with the fortunes of science, and that every obstacle placed in the way of scientific discovery is a wrong to humanity (Frazer 2008, 105).” There are others that believe that science and religion can reconcile if both are aware that they cover different spheres of influence and leave the other's purview alone. Does religion have a place in a world that is increasing being explained by science? Annie Hardison-Moody states, “The match seems to be set: in one corner we have scientists who argue for science, reason, modernity, and progress and in the other, we have religious believers who see an intelligent design in creation and a divine plan for life. But is it really that simple? (Hardison-Moody 2010) “ If the answer was that simple, there would not be much a debate. To examine possible answers to the question of whether religion is being replaced with science, we will start at the beginning with the framing of religion and science in a religious evolution context, then examine reasons the debate rages on and conclude with possible alternatives in the theories of how the matter should be approached.
The basis of some of the science versus religion framework is based in the idea of religious evolution. Thinkers like James Frazer and William Robertson Smith thought it was natural that human thought should progress though stages like biological evolution, from magic and animism, to religion to science (Strenski 2006, 128-134 & 143-150). There were several problems with their theories. One problem with their theories is they assumed in evolution that each change was for the better without evidence to back up the theory. Scholars of evolution, especially early ones, tend to paint a mythic version of humankind's progress as a type of hero tale (Landau 1991, x). Evolution does not always imply progress, regression is possible. Many scholars agree that the religious evolutionary model is based in thoughts of ethnocentrism, racism and the assumption that current Western thought is the best. While many scholars in the humanities have abandoned these theories there is a current still present in discussions of religion and science that science is the logical replacement of religion and just as we dismiss the superstitions of yesteryear, so soon will we dismiss religion for the more rational realm of science. What is forgotten by many when debating the topic is that science itself is based on theories building their foundations on other theories and so forth, and that at times a entire house of theories can come tumbling down based on one of the basic theories being wrong. The problem with most discussions of religion today is that the people speaking the loudest are extremists on both sides of the fence. Both religious fundamentalists and atheistic pro-progress scientists are who are most frequently sought out when a debate rears up. The more moderate heads who can imagine a world where religion and science both play a role in everyday lives are dismissed by a public more interested in a fiery debate than focusing on real issues.
Why is there such a large debate? One possible answer is that a large portion of humankind, even those that are very pro-science, seems ill at ease with the answers that science is giving. William B. Drees addresses how science affects people's self-image:
If we are nothing but neurons, or selfish genes, or molecules in motion, or atoms, what about important notions such as free will, identity, rationality and morality? The 'scientific image' of reality seems to conflict with our common-sense understanding of the world and ourselves, our 'manifest image'. Given this threat, a function of 'religion and science' might to be resolve discomfort about the scientific image of ourselves (Drees 2010, 30).
Most people, on some level, want to think of themselves as special and unique, a snowflake among snowflakes perhaps, but still like no other. Another contributing factor to the debate between science and religion is both sides' more prominent speakers. Denis R. Alexander suggests, “... Dawkins' campaign of atheism may have simulated the rise of creationism; if you keep telling people who believe in God that 'evolution equals atheism', it should be not be surprising that they become attracted to rosier creationist alternatives (Alexander 2008, 18).” The simple argument between religious creationists and atheist evolutionists is easy to put in a sound bite or write a passionate book about, but it is harder to discuss someone who thinks that the Bible and science hold truths and how the two reconcile.
Modern academics are trying out alternative, but more complex theories than a simple science versus religion model. One single model might not be the answer, but a useful one is the model of integrated complementarity. It argues that to explain the convoluted nature of human existence can be explained in slices of a cube. The cube is really one entity, but the human mind has difficulty absorbing the entirety at once, so it compartmentalizes different explanatory levels, scientific, ethical, aesthetic and religious. The largest problem with this method is that some put each section in isolation like Stephan J. Gould's Non-Overlapping Magisteria. However, with the overlap of these fields, there is movement between these levels. Just like the morality of a piece of art can be argued, so can religion and science branch into each other answering parts of the same question, like how we involved and why it happened (Alexander 2008, 18-21). Just like religion is better with explaining some things, so is science, a factor often forgotten in the modern world. Most people would not look in their religious text for explanations of cell division or wave theory, it makes sense they should not look for their faith in their biology or physics textbook.
Keith Ward says, “we should not expect one key to open every lock. We should not expect any specific type of scientific explanation to explain everything. So to say that 'science explains everything' is just the hypostatisation of an abstraction. It is not so much that it is false as that it lacks meaning (Ward 2010).” Science does a fine job of trying to explain the natural world and the phenomena found in it, but just because someone can explain how the human body functions does not make them an expert on speculating on if we have souls. However, science and religion should not be simply put neatly into separate boxes. Rather a true dialogue is needed. Drees argues, “... our primary purpose would then be to challenge nonsense and pursue truth, rather than to find a place for religion in a world seen through the sciences (Drees 2010, 6).” Pursuing truth seems like a more noble enterprise than endless debates on whether science and religion can exist together or if science is bound to replace religion as our primary system of thought. Religion and science both should have a place in our world and our goal should be to make it possible without champions of either field either being attacked or feeling like there is a struggle for the minds and souls of men.
Biography
William B. Drees http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/Z5241R.pdf
Alexander, Denis R.. The Edge of Reason? Science and Religion in Modern Society. Alex Bentley. New York: Continuum International, 2008.
Frazer, James. From the “Golden Bough”.Thinking About Religion: A Reader. 2 ed. Ivan Strenski. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2008.
Hardison-Moody, Annie. "Religion and Science: Busting Assumptions ." August 18, 2010.http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/science/3104/religion_and_science%3A_busting_assumptions .
Heussner, Ki Mae. "Stephen Hawking on Religion: 'Science Will Win'." June 7, 2010. http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Technology/stephen-hawking-religion-science-win/story?id=10830164&page=1 .
Landau, Misia. Narratives of Human Evolution. New Haven: Yale Unversity Press, 1991.
Strenski, Ivan. Thinking About Religion: An Historical Introduction to Theories of Religion. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2006.
Ward, Keith. "The parts science cannot reach." July 16, 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/jul/16/science-religion-philosophy
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Oil in the Gulf
Oil in the Gulf
Looking up figures for the BP Deepwater spill in the Gulf of Mexico, found this widget.
Looking up figures for the BP Deepwater spill in the Gulf of Mexico, found this widget.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Sound and Music in Religion
**Note: updated 3/29/2011 so all links would work.
I'm taking a Sound and Music in Religion seminar class this semester and we've got a class wiki going about music. I asked my friends for good music that moved them religiously and got a TON of responses. Instead of just keeping them to my classmates, I figured I'd share them here too. And yes, I've listened to them all.
Please feel free to comment about your favs.
So, in no particular order, besides people with multi-entries last:
From DT
Recommends Pagan Radio
Below: This group has friends of DT in it.
From EB This is Sacred Harp Singing.
From TH
From MH
From TP Heard this song in a class and liked it.
From CT
From KG Non-religious person, but likes this
From PJ Couldn't find straight links to the music, but poked around here, like some of it.
Red Mountain Music
Indeliable Grace Music
From JJ
The Remnants, a band
From MW A really eclectic blend.
From a random friend This friend would be prefer to be anonymous, not because she/he/it is shy about his/her/its beliefs, but because of other reasons. I admit I only took a handful from the original list.
I'm taking a Sound and Music in Religion seminar class this semester and we've got a class wiki going about music. I asked my friends for good music that moved them religiously and got a TON of responses. Instead of just keeping them to my classmates, I figured I'd share them here too. And yes, I've listened to them all.
Please feel free to comment about your favs.
So, in no particular order, besides people with multi-entries last:
From DT
Recommends Pagan Radio
Below: This group has friends of DT in it.
From EB This is Sacred Harp Singing.
From TH
From MH
From TP Heard this song in a class and liked it.
From CT
From KG Non-religious person, but likes this
From PJ Couldn't find straight links to the music, but poked around here, like some of it.
Red Mountain Music
Indeliable Grace Music
From JJ
The Remnants, a band
From MW A really eclectic blend.
From a random friend This friend would be prefer to be anonymous, not because she/he/it is shy about his/her/its beliefs, but because of other reasons. I admit I only took a handful from the original list.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
What's going on
Okay, last summer I took a museum class, so blogged mainly about museums for a while. I've been in the mood to blog again, but don't see much sense in creating a new one. So this is new mood break, anything after this will be a new chain of thought. However, I reserve the right to still talk about cool museums.
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