Approaches to the study of Religion

Approaches to the study of Religion We can say that there are different approaches that can be taken when studying religion. For the last four decades universities and schools have been acting in response to a constant , steady demand for courses upon the study of religion .The people who take these courses are usually involved in religion themselves ,many are involved a in religious communities or, wishing to know more and learn regarding the religious beliefs of others. Others have no clear vision upon their religious identity and are searching possible traditions, ready to meet their spiritual exploration .So they start looking for different approaches to their study ,bringing along different opinions and whatever the process and methodology is, will bring them information from which eventually they will find answers or give opinion. (Peter Connolly,pp1-2Approche to the Study of Religion,Biddles L.T.D.) The author will attempt to evaluate the strengths and weakness of two approaches to religion and try to compare the work of the two representations and their methodology .The first is Professor Ninian Smart as he wrote widely, regarding different topics in religions, with papers and articles appearing in a vast range of publication sand television worldwide developing his own vision and philosophy of human progress and spiritual evolution. The other is Sri Aurobindo who brought a change to the vision of evolution of life into the divinity of life, In his own words: Man is on a transitorily passage . He is not final. The stage from man to super being is the next which depends from the approach of the achievement on the evolution on earth. It is the logic of Natures process. The works of both Sri Aurobindo and Ninian Smart shows two drastic and completely different approaches to religion. The author as part of his degree course has studied these two vastly differing approaches. Ninian Smarts approach to religion is described in his academic literature as a completely new way to the thinking of religion. He illustrate the introduction of Phenomenology saying, a lot of opinions have been written about not only the physical interchange of races but;, also ethnical and cultural, and especially upon values, so what take place when religions and their tradition convene? Will the globalization lead to a kind of universal religion, as prediction might lead, or it will be turned in a lively variety of many different beliefs? Smart contemplated these question for many years investigating various religions in the world. He explains that such experience definitely will change positions on previous views regarding religious tradition. It may perhaps intensify your religious experience. It all depends on the person you are and the personal period of life you are going through.(Scott London ,the future of religion an Interview with Ninian Smart June 1999 issue ofThe Witne ssmagazine. ) We can confirm that the method of study that Smart used in his approach comprehend both external and internal analysis of religion, characterized by phenomenological perspectives.(James L.Cox,p.159.A guide to the Phenomenology of religion .key figure ,formative influence and subsequent debate. Continuum International publishing group .2006.)Of course the phenomenological approach employed by Smart can be interpreted as an attempt of taking into consideration the individual experience of religion a at the same time trying to separate from it. The method used was to compare the subjective experience with the intent of shaping the arrangement of religion itself from within the structure. This approach can be better understood in his ritual dimension involvement with worshipping, meditations, pilgrimages, sacrifices and healing activities .Of course doctrinal and philosophical dimension is to be taken in consideration without living behind the experimental and emotional dimension and the important ethical and legal dimension.(Ninian Smart,pp10-12,Dimension of the sacred an anatomy of the worlds beliefs ,Harper Collins Publisher 1196) We see from Smarts classifactory account The Experiential and Emotional Dimension The Narrative or Mythic Dimension The Doctrinal The Philosophical Dimension The Ethical and Legal Dimension The Social and Institutional Dimension The Material Dimension The Practical and ritual dimensions (BBC.Religion) Smarts perspective in sustaining a phenomenological perception to the methodology of approach to the study, is far different from the approach that Sri Aurobindo use. First of all we have to say that both, Smart and Aurobindo have not defined religion from objective point of view but rather to determine religion in terms of its own value. Both methods tried to avoid the phenomenological approach. Personal experience is crucial to any understanding of religion .On this particular account Aurobindo discovers the relation or union, he favours, what he identifies as spiritual psychology and integral methods, but for both he confirms that the objective is to be understood and interpreted in terms of subjective.( D P Chattopadhyaya p1integral sociology and dialectical sociology,Shri Jainedra press 1976) From its approach, we understand that Sri Aurobindo begins his work clearly within religious prospect, particularly his own relation with yoga, he explains; the practice is not for ourselves alone, but for the Divine; The intent is to find occupation of good in the world, to outcome a spiritual conversion and to bring down a divine nature and a divine life into the mental, vital and physical nature and life of humanity. Its object is not personal, although is a necessary condition of the yoga. So with Aurobindo is clear the goal is more directly mystical ,to became one with the divine .(Michael T.Mclaughlin,p96, Editrice Ponteficia Universita` Grecoriana Roma 2003)In many occasions he confirmed that he does not intend to promote any old religion or to find a new one and he strongly oppose religious particolarism. So he is proposing a mystical goal and from his yogic teachings he guides,shows and achieves that.(Stephen H.Phillips.p79,Aurobindo`s Philosophyof Brahman,E.J.Brill Leiden 1986) The strength of Smart can be seen that he does not wish to strip religion or faith down to one or two elements say belief in The Virgin Birth and the dogma of out with the church there is no salvation but his classificatory account makes it clear that it has many elements and strands. A criticism of his approach is that it is far to scientific and while starting from the experiential and emotional he soon slips back into trying to seek common themes within all religions Aurobindo did not just stick to an immanental experience of a divine being but that there must be transcendence within the individuals life which is seen in Auroville with a lived approach to ones faith rather like that which is common within Charismatic and Evangelical Churches. A criticism of Aurobindos view may be seen that it seeks to remain within religion itself, similar to that of Smart as they both emphasise the importance of the experience of religion, a personal contact with God or Gods, however within Marxism we can see a move away from this religious experience. Aurobindo offers no guidance upon other religions as his account is purely personal. So how would Aurobindo address questions upon doctrine say within the New Testament? These questions within Smarts Classifactory account would help to define a religion. For example different opinions regarding the Trinity between Roman Catholics and Jehovah Witnesses. Also we can see the beliefs, symbolim and teachings of Aurovil le fitting weel within the above detailed classifacations of Smarts dimensions of religion Can we truly compare two totally different views religion one very internal the other very visual? Is Sri Aurobindo truly internal when we have the community of Auroville and a culture around him? Can we categorize all religions within Ninian Smart definitions? We may conclude saying that maybe religions will never combine in to one global faith ,but we do think that the society is moving towards a global ideology that have a space for religion and identify the contributions of the diverse ethnicity and traditions and bring a new way in helping us to work together for the support of human values and spirituality. What may be the way forward in the teaching and definition of religion is to accept the singularity of each religion and each individuals faith and seek ways in which they can be accommodated within a safe international environment that moves away from empirical definitions.

My Long and Prosperous Journey as a Writer Essay

When I take a look back at my first semester here at Mount Ida College, I cannot help but wonder if my time has been well spent. Am I in the right place? If so, am I making the best of a great, and also expensive, learning experience? I still am unaware of the profession that I want to pursue in life after college, but am taking it step by step in hopes to find what I truly desire in life. Professor Cosmos has made me realize my love for English and my passion for writing. Through the assignments that she has given, I have figured out my strengths and weaknesses as a writer. First and foremost, people who can write are those who know how to view a topic and how to present a situation. And this is enough to show that they have eyes. My most excellent strength as a writer is writing about personal experiences or fond family memories. It is also my favorite part of writing. I can sit at a computer for hours on end, typing away, as my emotions effortlessly pour out of my mind, body and soul. When I write about something that I enjoy, I become more confident, independent and capable of producing clear, powerful essays with integrity. My personal goals during the course have been to strengthen my weaknesses as a writer. My weakness comes from lack of motivation. When I am required to write a lengthy paper on a subject that is boring or unimportant to me as a person, the writing process is often tedious and mind numbing. Professor Cosmos allowed us to cut through all of that by giving us articles with interesting subject matters and topics that we could actually relate to. She provided a fun learning experience for her students, something that all college professors don’t necessarily have to do. Another weakness of mine that I wanted greatly to strengthen was my inability, or lack there of, to free-write. During my high school days, if I ever needed help on a paper, my mom would sit at the computer and assist me. I won’t lie, she has done a paper or two for me in the past, but then again, who hasn’t had a parent of theirs write a paper? As I sat back and watched her work, I remember being amazed at how she could write an entire page in the course of a half-hour. She would say, â€Å"There, I did the best that I could do. Look more:  how to write a process essay Now read over it and fine-tune it if need be. † I really do think her style of writing has rubbed off on me in some way or another. Over the semester, I feel as though my writing has improved greatly. Every time I write a paper, I e-mail it to my brother, who graduated from college last year. I appreciate his experience and wisdom, and when I need advice, most times he is able to provide it for me. I have also learned to use a wider array of vocabulary ? nothing too fancy, though, as I feel it can suffocate a writing of yours if you abuse it. I have always been a good student. In high school, I got so many remarks from my peers as being â€Å"the most organized kid they have ever seen. † I would even get the occasional â€Å"overachiever† remark, but I knew I wasn’t. It only arose from the people who were lazy and often came to class unprepared. I never failed in completing an assignment. There were a lot of days that I would come home from school and sit on the computer for five hours straight, plugging away until all of my homework was done. One of my pet peeves is leaving projects unfinished; and a goal of mine was that with every paper I wrote, I would attempt to make it better. If you’ve seen the movie Coach Carter, one of Coach’s personal philosophies is â€Å"If you strive to be 1% better each day, in 100 days you will be 100% better. † When it comes to criticism, I am very appreciative. I am not the kind of person who takes offense to criticism in terms of my writing. I welcome other’s ideas with open arms. In fact, criticism is a big part of writing in a college student’s life. If you have a tutor or mentor, and you bring them a paper of yours, they’re bound to make some sort of correction. It’s how well you take it that determines your success. Most research papers that I write, I go through maybe two or three rough drafts before I finalize. I enjoy hearing other’s opinions as it not only helps me form my own opinion but strengthen it, as well. This semester, I have learned how to capitalize on my strengths and how to overcome my weaknesses as a writer. I have also learned that through perseverance, hard work and determination, you could achieve just about anything. It’s helpful to keep that in mind during tough times, especially when final examinations roll around. It helps to keep a positive attitude and it also brings about confidence, to which you’re able to produce clear, powerful essays with integrity. A reaction paper that I wrote for Professor Cosmos based off of the article, â€Å"No One’s a Mystery,† by Elizabeth Tallent, proved to be one of the best papers I have ever written. It earned me an ? A’ and a comment that said, â€Å"Very good response! The best in both sections of English 101. † Re-reading it, I love the way I interpreted things and the message that I got out of it: Life consists of very many choices that should be made through the right state of mind. Even though there is no one to look upon you all the time and guide you in the right direction, you should always be able to discover what is right from wrong.

Psychology Department of Indiana University

Brought up with an old fashioned nature, Skinner was a celebrated American psychologist. He was born to a family wherein he has a lawyer for a father and a rather intelligent and strong willed mother. He was born on the 20th of March in the year 1904. He was a very active child who loved school a lot. One of his interests was to build things outdoors. However, there were depressing instances in his childhood as well. One of these instances involved the death of his brother at the age of 16. B. F. Skinner was born in Pennsylvania, Susquehana.He was raised to be an American, but sources say he has a trace of English in his ancestral line. He studied in New York at the Hamilton College, and attained his degree in English. He participated in a lot of extra curricular activities in school. But what could be remembered about him in that academic instituion is to have been required to attend church every day as an Atheist. One of his dreams was to become a good writer, and he tried to achie ve that by sending copies of his stories and poetry. He tried to focus on building his craft, but in the end, he finally realized that writing would no be the career for him.With this in mind, he instead hesitated with his writing lifestyle and took his masters and doctorate degrees on pschology in Harvard. He led the Psychology Department of Indiana University as the chairperson in the year 1945. He was invited to be at Harvard, where he stayed until he passed. He achieved a lot of research and application about his theories and studiies. But one remained highly significant. When he failed to become the writer he hoped himself to be, he became the scholar that will forever be remembered for his contributions to the society and to the acedeme.He was considered as the most celebrated psychologist, after Freud. He remains to be remembered to today because his passing was not yet that long ago. With that said, the impact he had on the country was well remembered and creditted for. Some of his significant sttudies was on the theory of Operant Condition. As the basis of the theories that followed this one, his theory became of the most memorable theories. This theory involves how people are merely bouncing in their own world, doing what it was doing when he was seen.He also called this operating due to the nature that it involves reaction, brought about a certain stimulus. In other terms, a person does one thing and experiences consequences. The next time he experiences a similar stimulus, he would try to evade the consequences that follows it—either by rejecting the possibility or changing certain elements. This theory began the line of other theories established under his name and study. By this, he was made famous. A lot of people got curious about his discoveries, and these in turn, were shared to a lot of other people.His knowledge is perhaps his greatest asset, without it, he would not have been able to establish himself in the manner that his theories are well taken in academic institutions. His life was not only introduced to a wide array of possibilities when he began to study psychology, but he was able to establish his mark in the history of man. He began by dreaming of becoming a writer. However, in the end, he got himself into psychology, and discovered that this would be much preferable. Reference Boeree, C. G. (2006). B. F. Skinner. Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/skinner. html.

The Exterior Of The Rosicrucian Museum Essay - 1330 Words

The exterior of the Rosicrucian Museum was beautiful — the front of the building’s pillars were so brightly colored and pristine that it really did mimic the exterior of some kind of small palace; the garden and walkway located to the side of the building was also amazing and dense with foliage. It even had a small fountain with lionheads decorating it. And even though the entirety of the building’s floorplan was surprisingly small, it managed to contain a lot of condensed information, particularly about ancient Egyptian funeraries. Reading through the abundance of the museum’s information, it is evident that the funerary practices of ancient Egypt were so wholly intricate and persistently interwoven with many other aspects of ancient Egyptian life that it is incredibly easy to see that the concepts of magic and spirituality were so strongly valued during this time. The museum’s Set of Canopic Jars, which were cited to have been built during the New Kingdom out of calcite and pigment, are said to have been created solely to hold the internal organs of the deceased within them so that they would remain preserved for eternity. Quite honestly, these jars don’t look too different from modernized urns, though modernized urns certainly don’t keep hold over organs, and instead only contain ashes. Regardless of this, it’s easy to see where the inspiration for urns could have been pulled from, as both sets of funerary jars are spectacularly intricate and detailed and seem to beShow MoreRelatedA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 Pagesand he knew how to hide himself from all so that no one could see him although he was within it.† Those of you who are scholars in Rosicrucianism know that one of the things that was always said of Rosicrucians was that they were invisible. This was how Robert Fludd proved to people he wasn’t a Rosicrucian, he’d say â€Å"you’re looking at me so how could I be one?† So, he’s in the temple but he could not be seen within it. â€Å"It was he, Hermes Trismegistus, too, who, in the East of Egypt constructed a city