Deck 12: Religion

Question 1

The purpose of divination is to:

A)Get in contact with the divine.
B)Find water.
C)Prove that God exists.
D)Find something hidden.
E)Cast a spell on an enemy.

Answer 1

Find something hidden.

Question 2

The anthropologist Victor Turner described communitas as:

A)A state of equality and oneness.
B)The sigh of the oppressed creature,the heart of the heartless world.
C)The result of overly rigid social controls.
D)The result of the desire for increased structure in society.
E)The search for life after death.

Answer 2

A state of equality and oneness.

Question 3

Anthropologist Sara Castle has argued that Fulani parents seem indifferent to their children because:

A)They cannot conceptualize their family size.
B)Fulani society looks down on children and sees pregnancy as embarrassing.
C)In such a patriarchal society,anything having to do with women is devalued and all children are seen as associated with women rather than men.
D)They believe that showing concern for children will attract evil sorcerers or spirits.
E)They do not believe that individuals have souls until they reach puberty.

Answer 3

They believe that showing concern for children will attract evil sorcerers or spirits.

Question 4

What is mana?

A)It is a religious council that makes decisions regarding community morality.
B)It is a Hindu term for priest.
C)It is religious energy that is believed to be in certain people or objects.
D)It is the sacred text of Buddhism that explains the various laws of the religious group.
E)It is a type of food that is consumed only during Jewish ceremonies in the temple.

Question 5

A religious cosmology,or world view,functions primarily to:

A)Give meaning and order to the lives of believers.
B)Differentiate primitive from civilized societies.
C)Increase technical control over the physical environment.
D)Increase the upper class' control of the lower class.
E)Keep a society in a constant state of conflict.

Question 6

Prayer and magic are most likely to be used when:

A)People are superstitious.
B)The outcome of an event is uncertain.
C)People are not Christians.
D)The outcome of an event is certain and the success of the technique is assured.
E)People have sufficient time to carefully consider an event.

Question 7

Use of the word "myth" is problematic in anthropology because:

A)Many things we call myths are true.
B)Since "myth" is generally used to talk about ancient culture,it is more appropriate to history or archaeology.
C)We tend to use it to describe others' beliefs that we consider false but rarely apply it to our own beliefs.
D)"Myths" generally refer to origin stories but religious stories cover many subjects.
E)The central characters of "myths" are generally hero figures,but understanding these isn't very important in anthropology.

Question 8

A sorcerer who manipulates the fingernails of an intended victim to cause harm to that person is using:

A)Mythological magic.
B)Contagious magic.
C)Ecological magic.
D)Psychological reductionism.
E)Superstitious magic.

Question 9

Many Hopi origin beliefs concern:

A)A ship that came from the East.
B)An epic battle between the forces of day and night.
C)A creator god who fashioned people in his own likeness.
D)A god who took yellow and white corn meal,and fashioned four men and four women from it.
E)The digging stick and the techniques for farming blue corn.

Question 10

A material function of sacrificing cattle as part of a religious festival suggests that:

A)Cattle stand for the deviant members of society and killing them purifies society.
B)Communal feasts are an effective way of distributing meat in societies without refrigeration.
C)Meat is not an important resource in societies that practice such sacrifice.
D)People who sacrifice animals have little understanding of ecology or proper animal husbandry.
E)Only weak,sick,and elderly beasts are actually killed,thus proper management techniques are enshrined in religious ritual.

Question 11

Which of the following correctly characterizes the Hopi growing of blue corn?

A)When they farm blue corn,they live their religious understanding of the world.
B)They have mixed feelings when they grow blue corn because,though it is necessary to make traditional foods,it is associated with impurity and evil.
C)Only women can grow blue corn,because only women possess generative earth powers.
D)Hopi look down upon those who grow blue corn,because it represents both poverty and old-fashioned values.
E)Hopi spend little time growing corn but much time growing beans,because corn has little religious significance.

Question 12

All of the following are characteristics of religion except:

A)Ritual.
B)Stories.
C)Symbols.
D)Practitioners.
E)Music.

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of a rite of passage?

A)Going to a college football game
B)Taking a mid-term exam.
C)Going to see a professor during office hours.
D)Getting married.
E)Traveling across the country to visit a relative.

Question 14

A primary function of rites of intensification is to:

A)Help an individual through a personal crisis.
B)Help a young man in his search for a guardian spirit.
C)Regulate male-female conflict within a society.
D)Reinforce the values and norms of the community and strengthen group identity.
E)Restrain the ghosts of dead people from taking revenge on the living.

Question 15

The Christian notion that reenacting the Last Supper stands for communion with God is an example of:

A)Superstition.
B)Science.
C)Prophecy.
D)Magic.
E)Symbolism.

Question 16

A critical hallmark of prayer is:

A)That it be done with reverence.
B)That it be addressed to an all-powerful god.
C)That its results depend on the will of the spirit world.
D)That it be spoken aloud.
E)That it be accompanied by some physical gesture (such as kneeling,bowing the head,clasping the hands and so on).

Question 17

To the extent that religion reinforces the social order:

A)It can be a catalyst for change.
B)It provides solace to the poor.
C)It is irrelevant in society.
D)It usually serves the interests of the wealthy and powerful.
E)The majority of people are unlikely to believe in it.

Question 18

A god is a spiritual being who:

A)Is understood to be intimately involved in the lives of those who believe in it.
B)Is a single,most powerful creator and ruler.
C)Is responsive to prayer and magic performed by human beings.
D)Created or controls some aspect of the world.
E)Rarely experiences psychological states similar to those experienced by people.

Question 19

Monkey,hyena,spider,and coyote (and sometimes bunny)are:

A)Agricultural pests.
B)Animals frequently identified with passage to an afterlife.
C)Animals frequently present as "sidekicks" of powerful gods.
D)Animals that are often identified symbolically with fertility.
E)Animals that are frequently identified with trickster gods.

Question 20

Which of the following is an example of a rite of intensification?

A)Going to a college football game.
B)Getting a driving license.
C)Getting married.
D)Taking a mid-term exam.
E)Going to see a professor during office hours.

Question 21

One thing that all fundamentalist groups seem to have in common is:

A)Women play major roles in their organization.
B)Their members view the world as a cosmic struggle of good against evil.
C)A disproportionate number of their members believe that the ends justify the means.
D)They have restrictions on what kinds of foods they can eat.
E)They seek political power but do not form political parties.

Question 22

Anthropological analyses of cargo cults have pointed out that:

A)The cults have often been effective in allowing natives to gain access to cargo.
B)The cults are largely based in the experience of people in World War II.
C)The cults are an example of the lack of direct connection between religious belief and ordinary reality.
D)The cults have been used to create a hierarchy that has subordinated natives to colonial authorities.
E)Although the cults were promoted by colonial officials,they were rarely in the best interest of believers.

Question 23

The anthropologist Walter Cannon argued that sorcery:

A)Could kill people through an "extreme stress reaction."
B)Backed the power of the wealthy in society.
C)Was an entirely anti-social force that societies must strive to eliminate.
D)Could not be effectively differentiated from witchcraft.
E)Was present in Africa but not in Europe or Asia.

Question 24

Which of the following is necessary for an individual to become a shaman?

A)The ability to experience direct contact with the supernatural.
B)A period of training and a certification by an official institution.
C)A parent or family member who is already a shaman.
D)An ability to cure people both in- and outside of the cultural group.
E)An ability to play-act and lie convincingly.

Question 25

The central tenant of prosperity theology is:

A)By giving everything to the poor,Christians will achieve great rewards in heaven.
B)Money is the root of all evil.
C)God wants Christians to be wealthy.
D)Christians should earn money through hard work but should give at least 10 percent of their wealth to the poor.
E)The personal wealth of Christians does not matter since true wealth and prosperity lies in the church.

Question 26

The people most likely to be attracted to a prophecy are those who:

A)Have power in society and can make the most of it.
B)Have the leisure time to pursue the learning that goes with prophecy.
C)Are looking to avoid taking responsibility for their actions.
D)Are women between the ages of 17 and 27.
E)Are most dissatisfied with the way they believe the world is.

Question 27

Why was the Ghost Dance prophesy particularly appealing to the Sioux?

A)The prophet was a Sioux.
B)It promised them great rewards but did not require them to do very much.
C)It clearly promised them equality with whites.
D)It combined elements of both traditional and modern religion.
E)Conditions on the Sioux reservation were particularly bad.

Question 28

The number of Americans who say they attend church regularly has:

A)Remained about the same since 1940.
B)Fallen steadily since 1940.
C)Increased substantially since 1940.
D)Declined,compared to the number of Europeans who say they attend church regularly.
E)Has increased since 1940 among the old but declined during the same period among the young.

Question 29

A nativistic religious movement is:

A)An attempt by an economically powerful group to maintain its control of society.
B)A religious movement that looks to the re-establishment of a past golden age.
C)A series of rituals designed to determine who is and who is not a true member of a group.
D)An ecclesiastical movement to convert nonbelievers.
E)An attempt by the state to impose state religion on its citizens.

Question 30

In general,the American reaction to the increasing religious diversity of the United States has been:

A)Tolerance.
B)An increase in acts of violence against non-Christians.
C)An increase in missionary activity,both in the United States and abroad.
D)A movement to impose religious quotas on new immigrants.
E)Calls for increased separation of church and state.

Question 31

Which of the following is a Rastafari belief?

A)The spirit of the Lord is contained in all mind-altering drugs.
B)Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.
C)Handling snakes can prove that you are one of God's chosen people.
D)Earth is a prison planet but will be liberated when most people's consciousness is raised sufficiently.
E)Haile Selassie,the former emperor of Ethiopia is the messiah.

Question 32

Which of the following correctly describes the Classical Mayan priesthood?

A)They spent their time in prayer and meditation.
B)Their key role was as healers of the sick.
C)They took vows of poverty and chastity.
D)They were not considered to be particularly important by the aristocracy.
E)They used drugs and pain rituals to reach ecstatic states.

Question 33

In anthropology,the term "priest" refers to:

A)Anyone who considers themselves a true believer in any religion.
B)A member of the Catholic clergy.
C)A religious leader who claims to be able to personally converse with God.
D)Someone who has made a life-long study of religion.
E)A person formally elected,appointed,or hired to a full-time religious office.

Question 34

The Peyote Road refers to:

A)Interstate Highway 35,because it leads to the Texas counties where peyote grows.
B)The rejection of "white values" by Native Americans.
C)The code of living by which a Native American Church member guides his life.
D)Living outside the law.
E)The spiritual path that Ghost Dancers believed would lead to the disappearance of the Whites and the return of the Buffalo.

Question 35

Among the Netsilik Inuit,a tupiliq is:

A)A shaman.
B)A chief.
C)A stone used for meditation.
D)An evil spirit.
E)A symbol that represents the group.

Question 36

The vision quest generally includes:

A)The use of hallucinogenic drugs.
B)Physical suffering.
C)A long voyage in the company of an elder.
D)A belief that only the faithful will be saved.
E)Electric shock.

Question 37

For Rastas,the use of I-centered words emphasizes:

A)The importance of the individual in the world.
B)The importance of vision as the most important of the senses.
C)The personal nature of meaning in Reggae.
D)The radical equality of all people.
E)Their history of protest against the Jamaican government.

Question 38

One of the key beliefs of the Ghost Dance movement was:

A)The ancestors would return on an immense train.
B)A dance had the power to turn those who did it into spirits of immense power.
C)Native Americans could live in peace and harmony with all people.
D)If Native Americans would use only traditional weapons,they could drive the Whites from their land.
E)At the end of time,white people would turn black and black people would turn white.

Question 39

People in many societies,including the Azande of East Africa,believe in a magical witchcraft substance that is:

A)Controlled by the most powerful people in society.
B)Hidden under the central shrine of the community.
C)Part of the bodies of those who are witches.
D)Available to those who seek with a pure heart.
E)Can never be found by those who actively seek it.

Question 40

The belief systems of modern Wiccans and neopagans are derived largely from:

A)Records made during the inquisition.
B)Traditions passed in secret since before Christianity appeared in Europe.
C)The writings of 19th and 20th century European authors.
D)Traditional practices shown to be successful in curing disease.
E)Traditional African and Asian religions.

Question 41

Members of Melanesian cargo cults believe that the material wealth of whites was the result of their secret magical knowledge.

Question 42

Liminal is a state that occurs to the individual at the conclusion of a ritual sequence.

Question 43

In all religions,most fundamentalist belief calls for society to return to an earlier time that believers understand as more holy than the current era.

Question 44

In vision quest,many Native American groups used strong emotional impulse,fasting,isolation,self-mutilation,as well as other techniques.

Question 45

Totemism is a type of religion that is practiced by Native Americans.

Question 46

A cosmology includes a set of principles of belief about the nature of life and death.

Question 47

People are likely to use magic where the outcome of events is known in advance and they are sure of the success of their efforts.

Question 48

Military basic training is a good example of a rite of intensification.

Question 49

About 10 percent of the U.S.population belongs to non-Judeo-Christian religions.

Question 50

There is no scientific evidence that one individual can kill another through the use of sorcery.

Question 51

Some population experts believe that people have large families because they cannot conceptualize the number of children they have.

Question 52

Modern-day Wiccans often believe that everything they do,good or bad,returns to them three-fold.

Question 53

Religious symbols generally have a single meaning for all members of a religion.

Question 54

Most adults in any society can be considered liminal.

Question 55

Religious change is likely to occur when societies are stable and people have the time to think of new forms of religious worship.

Question 56

Some followers of the Ghost Dance religion believed that specially painted shirts would protect them from bullets.

Question 57

Return to Africa is a central theme of Rastafarian theology.

Question 58

Trickster spirits are interested in their own benefit rather than that of the people who believe in them.

Question 59

Priests are generally associated with gods believed to have great power.

Question 60

The rituals of the Native American Church are based on the revival of a peyote religion that was common throughout North America in the 17ᵗʰ and 18ᵗʰ centuries.

Question 61

Name three symbols significant to the Rastafarian movement.

Question 62

What is pharmacopoeia?

Question 63

Why is liminality considered part of anti-structure?

Question 64

What was the role of the spirit in the vision quest?

Question 65

Define a rite of passage and give two examples.

Question 66

Europeans saw the Melanesian cargo cults as irrational.But anthropologists studying them in the 1950s argued that they were rational responses.What evidence did they cite for this?

Question 67

Define divination.

Question 68

How are monotheism and polytheism alike and different?

Question 69

When someone uses the fingernails of a victim to work a spell,what kind of magic is he using?

Question 70

Why do Fulani of Mali insult their children?

Question 71

Describe the three stages of a rite of passage.

Question 72

Describe three characteristics of fundamentalism.

Question 73

What are the six characteristics of religion?

Question 74

Define religion.

Question 75

Compare and contrast witchcraft and sorcery.

Question 76

What is a millenarian movement?

Question 77

How has religious belief and practice changed in the United States since 1940?

Question 78

What do we call a cleric whose authority is based on his or her ability to achieve direct contact with the supernatural?

Question 79

Under what conditions do we expect to find the emergence of syncretic religions?

Question 80

In anthropology,what are the characteristics of prayer?