RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE & COMMUNITY - Essay Example

Religious Community and Experience According to Robert Redfield, within each religion and culture there are two traditions - the great tradition andthe little tradition. The great tradition is the one that is sought by scholar and intellects, and tradition that is for the "literally elite," as it involves learning from books and other religious tombs. The little tradition, also known as folk religion, is the one done by the common people; it is now known as "popular culture." (Ellwood, 121-122.) The differences between the two is that in a greater religion, the practitioners have books and methods to use to reach their end in their faith, while in a little tradition, the practitioners are limited to each other and the knowledge that has been passed down from one person to another.

A prime example between the two traditions can be seen in Catholicism, the difference between the Pope and the other followers of the religion. The Pope has studied it in the sense of the greater tradition - through books, training, and practice; the other practitioners, the ones that attend the church are those that practice the little tradition. The Pope practices Catholicism the way it was intended to be practiced, yet the church-goers do what can be informally considered "second best". There are those still that do not attend a church, but practice in the ways that they were taught by others, by traditions passed down to them.

The differences lie with the clergy, the smaller groups, and the individuals. As there is very little distinction between the different ways that Catholicism can be practiced, even between the Pope and individuals of society, there is hardly a noticeable effect. Each person and each group practices how they are able to; in a way, changing the traditions is necessary, as it allows each person or each group to fully understand the finer points of their religion. Some people would not get out of books what the Pope is able to, so they work with what they have an easier time understanding.

In the same sense, the changes are good - they help to bring people closer to that religion. When a person realizes that cannot achieve something one way, they improvise with another way that they are comfortable with. Many religions are seldom what they had originally been, owing to the fact that not everyone was fortunate enough to study it in the great tradition, so they resorted to what they could.