StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Religion and Material Culture - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The author of the paper "Religion and Material Culture" is of the view that many people have defined religion differently. However, what comes out of the definitions is that religion is the belief in a supernatural being that controls the existence of the natural phenomena in the universe…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER91.6% of users find it useful
Religion and Material Culture
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Religion and Material Culture"

Religion and Material Culture Many people have defined religion differently. However, what comes out of the definitions is that religion is the belief in a supernatural being that controls the existence of the natural phenomena in the universe. Religion is common in the society where people believe their existence as an effect of powerful supernatural forces that they cannot comprehend or explain. Due to this belief, the natural being is worshiped in various ways in different societies. Consequently, there are many religions in different societies located in different regions across the globe such as Christianity, Judaism, Hindu religion and Islam. Many people are religious and have established a relationship between their social existence in the society and the unexplainable powerful force. Given that the society is made of culture and religion, it can be concluded that there is an existing relationship between material culture and religion. As examined in this article, religion might be impoverished by ignoring the material aspect of culture (Smart 1998, p. 51). Culture is used by people in the society to refer to symbols, customs and habits of a given group of people in the society. It is also used in some cases to depict things passed on from one generation to the other in the society. Material culture is a term employed in the description of the archeological artifacts of the society. Culture is identifiable to the behaviors and actions of the members of a society. For instance, the Irish culture could be said to be identified by their language accent and religion, which is Catholic. Therefore, other things in the society such as language, beliefs, norms and symbolism could also identify culture (Foucault & Carrette (1999, p. 86). Material culture involves material things and symbols used in a given society. The material things include artifacts that are archeologically identified and utilized for various purposes as identified by the society. Some of the materials culture identified with some cultures includes the homes that people live in, businesses, churches and Penticton. On the contrary, to the material culture, non-material culture may also include the values of people and morals apart from the language, norms and symbols as indicated earlier. The physical substances representing culture do not work alone and require non-material culture. For instance, seeing objects does not make meaning unless one reads and understands the meaning of the object, something facilitated using language (Smart 1998, p. 75). The examination of objects in the society helps us establish the purposes of the objects. A common example of material culture is the dress code practiced by different cultures across the world. The dress code could be used to signify different class of the society an individual is from, the purpose of the dress, the function and the era. For instance, the dress code of priests in a Christian church varies from the dress codes of the congregation. The lessons from existing material culture in the society imply that non-material culture and material culture must be integrated in the society for harmonious coexistence in the society. According to Smart (1998, p. 414), different societies and communities have integrated religious beliefs and practices with material culture. Physical objects are used for various religious purposes in the society. Religion is associated with the worship of the supernatural being and forces controlling the universe and existence of man. Just as different religions exist, there exists too different material objects associated with the religions. Buildings are some of the physical structures representing cultural aspects of religion used for specific reasons such as places of worship. The church is a common place of worship identified to Christians, a temple for the Hindu religion, a mosque for Muslims while a synagogue for the Jews. In addition, some religions use shrines. A part from the physical place of worship, religious activities are associated with things such as sacrifices that that involve material things. For instance, sacrifices in some religions require animal sacrifices while in others, things such as plant produce and money are used. According to Foucault & Carrette (1999, p. 89), the entire process of worship requires the support of material things. While the worship takes place in a specific place or building, seats are necessary in some religions such as churches while mats in others such as Islam. The official leading the worship function is required to dress in a given dress code such as robes. The altar is a common place that demarcates the center of worship and sacrifice in many religions. It is where the priest, Imam or main celebrant of the worship practice is located during worship (Smart 1998, p. 92). The official conducts the worship with the aid of some material things such as books, tables and fire. For instance, a bible is a very significant book in the Christian religion just like the Quran is in Islam. The above-mentioned material culture accompanying worship activities in different religions is void and irrelevant without the application of other non-material aspects of culture. Language is one of the most common factors in use in worship. It is presumed that through communication using a given language, the worshipers are able to communicate among themselves and the supernatural being. Symbolism is applied to every physical thing used in worship. For instance, the church is a symbol of Gods place of residence and is equated to the synagogue, temple and mosque. Different religions teach other value systems that are to be adopted by all believers. The value system and beliefs form the norms of a given society based on the society’s religion (Foucault & Carrette 1999, p. 107). From the foregoing discussion, it is evident that religion cannot be delinked from material culture. Non-material culture on its own does not make sense. For instance, a meaning must be attached to a given object, event or place. Similarly, only different objects and actions used in worship can symbolize a given thing. While language is necessary for communication, it cannot be used in religion when there nothing to refer to. Therefore, in conclusion, we can argue that religion must always be accompanied by both material and non-material cultures in order to serve the society well. List of References Foucault, F & Carrette, J 1999, Religion and culture, Manchester University Press, Manchester. Smart, N 1998, The world’s religions, 2nd edn, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“2 options will send Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words”, n.d.)
2 options will send Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1581977-2-options-will-send
(2 Options Will Send Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words)
2 Options Will Send Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words. https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1581977-2-options-will-send.
“2 Options Will Send Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1581977-2-options-will-send.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Religion and Material Culture

Islam in Higher Education in United States

Individuals can be encouraged to learn more about religion and spirituality through an intercultural framework that includes textbook, video, and other course materials in the plan.... Research Paper: Exploring Diversity Part I - Abstract: Islam as a religion dates to the year 610 A.... During the course of history, the religion has spread throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas to create distinct social and cultural institutions that have contributed to world heritage in many important ways....
17 Pages (4250 words) Research Paper

Superstition vs Religion

While it is certainly true to say that we live in an increasingly secular world, one way or another religion and, to a certain extent, superstition still have a degree of influence on our culture.... While it is certainly true to say that we live in an increasingly secular world, one way or another religion and, to a certain extent, superstition still have a degree of influence on our culture.... In previous times, culture was often seen in terms of opposition to nature....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Cultures. African Culture

Just like other human culture, the African religion and folklore represents different aspects of social issues within the African community (Namulundah 21).... religion and culture share space and deeply rooted in the African cultures.... A culture refers to the characteristics of a group of people within the community.... culture is a characteristic of aspects such as religion, language, food, social conducts, music, and sculptures....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

Ultimate Reality According to Cobb, Avicenna, Wainright or Reuther

religion however has attempted to find answers leading to ultimate reality.... In trying to give us a new concept of God through world religion, Cobb tries to integrate two renowned traditions – Mysticism and Morality.... The paper "Ultimate Reality According to Cobb, Avicenna, Wainright or Reuther" states that in philosophy 'ultimate reality refers to the absolute nature of things around us....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Strategy Planning of Telmarket

This report "Strategy Planning of Telmarket" analyzes the strategies applied by Telmarket in China and looks into the impact of cultural differences on strategic marketing planning.... The company is a marketing planning and consultancy firm having its base in London.... ... ... ... Chinese language is quite different from that of English....
8 Pages (2000 words) Report

Material and Non-material Cultures

ociologists have for a long time been trying to differentiate between nonmaterial culture, which is the intangible developments of human society such as languages and religion, and material culture, which is the physical products of the human community.... The immaterial and material culture is then combined to create the mirror through which human beings are able to comprehend and analyze what is happening around them.... The material culture depicts not only the values that society has but it is also inclusive of technology....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Buddhism and Chinese Culture

The paper "Buddhism and Chinese culture" indicates the origin of Buddhism was an effort to go beyond the limits of Hinduism and to answer the questions related to human life.... Thesis statement: Within Chinese cultural scenario, Buddhism amalgamated into Chinese culture by exerting positive influence on other religious beliefs, Chinese philosophy, Chinese literature, and social life in China as a whole.... To be specific, the Indian culture developed through ages, owing to the great Vedic civilizations originated in the Northern parts of the nation....
8 Pages (2000 words) Literature review

Designing a Course to Educate About Religion and Culture

The main goal of the present assignment is to develop a project proposal for an educational course aimed towards spreading awareness against social discrimination on the basis of religion and culture.... For many years, the people of the world have co-existed irrespective of different believes surrounding religion and culture.... These are vital elements of life that directs how people live, behave and perceive the material universe.... religion is basically the most powerful tool in the world today....
8 Pages (2000 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us