240515 VO MM3 Anthropologies of religious belief and identity (2025S)
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Details
Language: English
Examination dates
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
- Tuesday 11.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
- Tuesday 18.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
- Thursday 20.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
- Tuesday 25.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
- Thursday 27.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
- Tuesday 01.04. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
- Thursday 03.04. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
- N Tuesday 20.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
- Thursday 22.05. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
- Tuesday 27.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
- Tuesday 03.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
- Thursday 05.06. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
- Tuesday 10.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
Assessment and permitted materials
There will be a single written examination in presence mode. Students will be offered 4 possible dates to take the exam. The first exam will be at the end of the lecture period, and the other three at the beginning, middle, and end of the following semester.
The single written examination will consist of two parts:A.) writing a review of one (1) ethnography of religion assigned by the lecturer on the day of the exam from the following 7 titles (50%):1)Bubandt N. 2014. The empty seashell: witchcraft and doubt on an Indonesian island.
2)Clark-Deces I. 2000. Religion against the self: an ethnography of Tamil rituals.
3)Fernando M.L. 2015. The republic unsettled: Muslim French and the contradictions of secularism.
4)Feuchtwang S. 2010. The anthropology of religion charisma and ghosts: Chinese lessons for adequate theory.
5)Heilman S. 1983. The people of the book: Drama, fellowship and religion.
6)Luhrmann T. 2013. When god talks back: Understanding the American evangelical relationship with god.
7)Werbner R. P. 2015. Divination's grasp: African encounters with the almost said.Students will have to hand in their seven written reviews prior to and as a condition for taking the exam (but the submissions will not be separately assessed).B.) answering four (4) open-ended theory questions on the contents of the lectures (units). The four exam questions will be randomly chosen from the list of 12 theory questions the students will have rehearsed for the exam (50%).
Both parts of the exam will have to be completed from memory and in handwriting within 90 minutes in a classroom setting. No aids (written notes, phones, or laptops) will be allowed during the written examination.
The single written examination will consist of two parts:A.) writing a review of one (1) ethnography of religion assigned by the lecturer on the day of the exam from the following 7 titles (50%):1)Bubandt N. 2014. The empty seashell: witchcraft and doubt on an Indonesian island.
2)Clark-Deces I. 2000. Religion against the self: an ethnography of Tamil rituals.
3)Fernando M.L. 2015. The republic unsettled: Muslim French and the contradictions of secularism.
4)Feuchtwang S. 2010. The anthropology of religion charisma and ghosts: Chinese lessons for adequate theory.
5)Heilman S. 1983. The people of the book: Drama, fellowship and religion.
6)Luhrmann T. 2013. When god talks back: Understanding the American evangelical relationship with god.
7)Werbner R. P. 2015. Divination's grasp: African encounters with the almost said.Students will have to hand in their seven written reviews prior to and as a condition for taking the exam (but the submissions will not be separately assessed).B.) answering four (4) open-ended theory questions on the contents of the lectures (units). The four exam questions will be randomly chosen from the list of 12 theory questions the students will have rehearsed for the exam (50%).
Both parts of the exam will have to be completed from memory and in handwriting within 90 minutes in a classroom setting. No aids (written notes, phones, or laptops) will be allowed during the written examination.
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
The overall grade results from the single written examination in presence mode. A positive evaluation requires the completion of each part of the exam (one book review, each of the four content questions) and the minimum score of 30 points for each part.The exam consists of two parts. For each part students must attain at least 30 points in order to complete the exam successfully. In total a maximum of 100 points can be attained. The maximum number of points for each open question is 12.5 points (x 4 questions = 50 points) and the maximum number for the book review is also 50 points.
The book review should
1)contain a statement of the book author's *ethnographic methods and descriptions of how religious belief is expressed in people's doings and sayings*, based on two book chapters selected for review by students (20 points)
2)assess the work's theory contribution to *an interpretation of the meaning* of, or worldview behind, the described religious doings and sayings (15 points)
3)assess the book's contribution to *an explanation of religious ethos or identity* among the people studied (15 points).
Students will not be told in advance which one out of the 7 ethnographic books they will have to review for the exam.
The same holds for the 4 open questions which will only be communicated once the exam starts. Students will be required to prepare for the total of 12 open-ended questions although they will only have to answer four of them at the exam.
The open-ended questions (12.4 points x 4 questions = 50 points) should be answered in full sentences (no lists) and present the essential aspects of the four theories of religious belief referred to in the unit lectures and demonstrate a knowledge of the analytical concepts involved.
The weighting of the overall grade is as follows:
91-100 points = 1 (very good)
81-90 points = 2 (good)
71-80 points = 3 (satisfactory)
61-70 points = 4 (sufficient)
0-60 points = 5 (not enough)
The book review should
1)contain a statement of the book author's *ethnographic methods and descriptions of how religious belief is expressed in people's doings and sayings*, based on two book chapters selected for review by students (20 points)
2)assess the work's theory contribution to *an interpretation of the meaning* of, or worldview behind, the described religious doings and sayings (15 points)
3)assess the book's contribution to *an explanation of religious ethos or identity* among the people studied (15 points).
Students will not be told in advance which one out of the 7 ethnographic books they will have to review for the exam.
The same holds for the 4 open questions which will only be communicated once the exam starts. Students will be required to prepare for the total of 12 open-ended questions although they will only have to answer four of them at the exam.
The open-ended questions (12.4 points x 4 questions = 50 points) should be answered in full sentences (no lists) and present the essential aspects of the four theories of religious belief referred to in the unit lectures and demonstrate a knowledge of the analytical concepts involved.
The weighting of the overall grade is as follows:
91-100 points = 1 (very good)
81-90 points = 2 (good)
71-80 points = 3 (satisfactory)
61-70 points = 4 (sufficient)
0-60 points = 5 (not enough)
Examination topics
A.) Ethnographies of religious identity to be reviewed by students as preparation for the exam (only one title will be randomly assigned for review on the day of the exam):1)Bubandt N. 2014. The empty seashell: witchcraft and doubt on an Indonesian island.
2)Clark-Deces I. 2000. Religion against the self: an ethnography of Tamil rituals.
3)Fernando M.L. 2015. The republic unsettled: Muslim French and the contradictions of secularism.
4)Feuchtwang S. 2010. The anthropology of religion charisma and ghosts: Chinese lessons for adequate theory.
5)Heilman S. 1983. The people of the book: Drama, fellowship and religion.
6)Luhrmann T. 2013. When god talks back: Understanding the American evangelical relationship with god.
7)Werbner R. P. 2015. Divination's grasp: African encounters with the almost said.The reviews should focus on two selected chapters of each title, summarize the ethnography and discuss the implications for a theory of religion, as well as belief and identity. The seven reviews must be submitted prior to the written exam but will not be assessed separately.B.) A sample of 4 (out of 12) open-ended questions will be assigned on the day of exam. Students will not be informed in advance which 4 questions will be tested but instead ought to memorize in advance and demonstrate a sufficient command of the entire course materials.
Below is the full list of 11 open-ended questions concerning religious beliefs (one topic for each lecture starting from unit 3 to 11) students ought to study for and learn to answer in preparation for the written exam:False or incommensurable beliefs
-->>belief content is either asserted, brought about by declaration, or tacitly presupposed by other statements and shielded from contrary evidence that might challenge it.
3) explaining the world (intellectualism),
4) motivating actions meant to bring about desired states of affairs (performativity)
5) being blocked from falsifiability by secondary elaborations (literalism).Symbolic beliefs
--->>the religious symbol's (real) referent is known to the observer but misunderstood (not known) by the religious believer, or the (apparent) referent is known to be symbolic (conventional metaphor) by believer and observer alike, or the symbol's referent is indeterminate (absent , inexistent) and without meaning.
6) hidden meaning (speaker is mystified, symbol's referent misunderstood)
7) metaphorical meaning (speaker knows the symbolism, referent understood)
8) absent or indeterminate meaning (symbol has no referent).Intuitive or emotionally salient beliefs
--> certain cultural representations (such as religious beliefs) are capable of colonizing the minds of a population whereas other representations fail to be selected and transmitted.
9) beliefs that express minimally counterintuitive ideas
10) beliefs that represent plain facts (perceptual beliefs) or that represent other beliefs (reflective or representational beliefs)
11) beliefs with semi-propositional content (whose meaning is indeterminate because they are not fully interpreted).Ritualized & normative beliefs
--> belief is normative and identity-based. religious symbols and acts have determinate meanings irrespective of what individual subjects understand or know because people jointly
12) defer to authoritative opinions assumed to be true without necessarily understanding them.
13) accept responsibility for ultimate postulates (and entailments thereof) as indicated in public performances no matter what they believe privately.
2)Clark-Deces I. 2000. Religion against the self: an ethnography of Tamil rituals.
3)Fernando M.L. 2015. The republic unsettled: Muslim French and the contradictions of secularism.
4)Feuchtwang S. 2010. The anthropology of religion charisma and ghosts: Chinese lessons for adequate theory.
5)Heilman S. 1983. The people of the book: Drama, fellowship and religion.
6)Luhrmann T. 2013. When god talks back: Understanding the American evangelical relationship with god.
7)Werbner R. P. 2015. Divination's grasp: African encounters with the almost said.The reviews should focus on two selected chapters of each title, summarize the ethnography and discuss the implications for a theory of religion, as well as belief and identity. The seven reviews must be submitted prior to the written exam but will not be assessed separately.B.) A sample of 4 (out of 12) open-ended questions will be assigned on the day of exam. Students will not be informed in advance which 4 questions will be tested but instead ought to memorize in advance and demonstrate a sufficient command of the entire course materials.
Below is the full list of 11 open-ended questions concerning religious beliefs (one topic for each lecture starting from unit 3 to 11) students ought to study for and learn to answer in preparation for the written exam:False or incommensurable beliefs
-->>belief content is either asserted, brought about by declaration, or tacitly presupposed by other statements and shielded from contrary evidence that might challenge it.
3) explaining the world (intellectualism),
4) motivating actions meant to bring about desired states of affairs (performativity)
5) being blocked from falsifiability by secondary elaborations (literalism).Symbolic beliefs
--->>the religious symbol's (real) referent is known to the observer but misunderstood (not known) by the religious believer, or the (apparent) referent is known to be symbolic (conventional metaphor) by believer and observer alike, or the symbol's referent is indeterminate (absent , inexistent) and without meaning.
6) hidden meaning (speaker is mystified, symbol's referent misunderstood)
7) metaphorical meaning (speaker knows the symbolism, referent understood)
8) absent or indeterminate meaning (symbol has no referent).Intuitive or emotionally salient beliefs
--> certain cultural representations (such as religious beliefs) are capable of colonizing the minds of a population whereas other representations fail to be selected and transmitted.
9) beliefs that express minimally counterintuitive ideas
10) beliefs that represent plain facts (perceptual beliefs) or that represent other beliefs (reflective or representational beliefs)
11) beliefs with semi-propositional content (whose meaning is indeterminate because they are not fully interpreted).Ritualized & normative beliefs
--> belief is normative and identity-based. religious symbols and acts have determinate meanings irrespective of what individual subjects understand or know because people jointly
12) defer to authoritative opinions assumed to be true without necessarily understanding them.
13) accept responsibility for ultimate postulates (and entailments thereof) as indicated in public performances no matter what they believe privately.
Reading list
Anthropologies of religious belief and identity – Calendar with readings by lectureTuesday 11.03.13:15 - 14:45
Unit 1 – Belief: its role in religion
Geertz, Religion as a cultural system (chapter 4, The interpretation of cultures)
Jong, Belief in spiritual beingsTuesday 18.03.13:15 - 14:45
Unit 2 – Worldview and ethos, religious belief and identity
Asad, The construction of religion as anthropological category (chapter 1, Genealogies)
Schilbrack, Are we through with Geertz
Sahlins, The new science of the enchanted universe, IntroductionThursday 20.03.15:00 - 16:30
Unit 3 – Factual literal belief: explaining and controlling the world
Jong, Belief in spiritual beings
Levine, Intellectualist and symbolist accounts of religious belief and meaning
*Feuchtwang 2010, Chinese Lessons, underlined sections of chapters 2 and 4
*Werbner 2015, Divination’s Grasp, chapter 2, In praise of the moral imaginationTuesday 25.03.13:15 - 14:45
Unit 4 – Performative literal belief: conventional acts bring about conventional results
Rappaport, Enactments of meaning
*Clark-Deces 2000, Religion against the self
*Fernando 2014 (Muslim French, secularism)Thursday 27.03.15:00 - 16:30
Unit 5 – Nonfalsifiable literal belief: ultimate postulates and tacit assumptions
Morris, Deconstruction’s doubt (Review of Bubandt)
*Bubandt 2015 (Witchcraft and doubt)Tuesday 01.04.13:15 - 14:45
Unit 6 – Symbolic meaning: hidden from the religious agent
Levine, intellectualist and symbolist accounts
Sperber, Apparently irrational beliefs
*Fernando 2014 (Muslim French, secularism)Thursday 03.04.15:00 - 16:30
Unit 7 – Symbolic meaning: understood by the religious agent (conventional metaphor)
Sperber, Apparently irrational beliefs
*Clark-Deces 2000 (Tamil rituals, religion against the self)
*Heilman 1983 (People of the book)Tuesday 20.05.13:15 - 14:45
Unit 8 – Symbolic meaning: interpretations indeterminate or absent
Sperber, Apparently irrational beliefs
*Fernando 2014 (Muslim French, secularism)
*Werbner 2015 (Divination’s Grasp)Thursday 22.05.15:00 - 16:30
Unit 9 – Religious ideas: intuitive or minimally counter-intuitive
Jong, Belief in spiritual beings
Guthrie, A cognitive theory of religionTuesday 27.05.13:15 - 14:45
Unit 10 – Perceptual beliefs: basic or reflective
Sperber, Apparently irrational beliefs
Boyer, Why ‘belief’ is hard work (Review of Luhrmann 2012)
*Luhrmann 2012 (When god talks back)Tuesday 03.06.13:15 - 14:45
Unit 11 – Ritual performance as mental conditioning (of perception)
Boyer, Why ‘belief’ is hard work (Review of Luhrmann 2012)
*Luhrmann 2012 (When god talks back)Thursday 05.06.15:00 - 16:30
Unit 12 – Ritual deference and (not) understanding
Bloch, Deference
*Feuchtwang 2010 (Chinese Lessons)
*Luhrmann 2012 (When god talks back)Tuesday 10.06.13:15-16:30
Unit 13 – Ritual acceptance without belief
Rappaport, Enactments of meaning
Morris, Deconstruction’s doubt (Review of Bubandt 2015)
*Bubandt 2015 (Witchcraft and doubt)
*Heilman 1983 (People of the book)Thursday 12.06. 13:15-16:30
Written Exam
Association in the course directory
Last modified: Sa 19.04.2025 12:26
With this contrast in mind, the course aims to familiarize students with four major anthropological theories of religious belief. The assigned readings will bear on selected chapters from recent book length ethnographies of religious identity to illustrate these four approaches indirectly. The first theory holds that religious belief involves either mistakes or radical alterity. "False beliefs" or "incommensurable ontology" explain the world as seen by religious agents (intellectualism, unit 3), motivate rituals performed to bring about desired states of affairs (performativity, unit 4), and are defended against contrary evidence by secondary elaborations (literalism, unit 5). The second theory of religious belief is symbolist. The symbolic meaning of religious beliefs is either hidden (when the believer is mystified, unit 6), metaphorical (when the believer understands the symbolism, unit 7) or absent (when the symbol is indeterminate or has no referent, unit 8). The third theory explains religious belief in terms of an epidemiology of representations. It argues that certain categories of cultural representations (including religious beliefs) are capable of colonizing the minds of a population whereas other kinds of representations fail to be selected and transmitted. Individual units will discuss
the notion that religion deploys 'minimally counterintuitive ideas' (unit 9), the contrast between 'basic' and 'reflective' beliefs (unit 10), and the implications of religious beliefs having 'semi-propositional content' (unit 11). The fourth theory of religious belief is normative (i.e. collectively intentional) and identity-based. The idea is that religious symbols and acts have determinate, publicly shared meanings regardless of the individual agent's understandings or commitments. Religious belief thus is equated either with deference to authoritative opinions taken to be true without (fully) understanding them (unit 12) or with public acceptance of (and hence accountability for) ultimate postulates signaled by ritual performances irrespective of private belief (unit 13).