Transmission of Ritual Knowledge in Aboriginal Religion - Assignment Example

Running Head: Religion Your name Course name Professors’ name Date Question 1: Transmission of ritual knowledge in Aboriginal religion Aboriginal religion is characterised by a god and gods who are perceived to have created man and the universe. Aboriginal people are spiritual and religious. They believe in a number of diverse deities whose image is depicted in touchable and recognisable structure. The structure can be a specific feature, image in a rock or in a plant. On the contrary, they do not believe in animism where all natural objects are thought to have a soul. One of the key aspects of Aboriginal belief is the dreaming that have continued to control the natural world. Rites of passage such as circumcision, subincision into urethra, and bloodletting among boys are channels where rituals are inevitably transferred. Girls were too subjected to decorations and partial isolation. Ritual knowledge among the aboriginal were further transmitted in a number of ways i.e. aboriginal ceremonies, songs, and visual arts. Ceremonies held among Aboriginal communities echo diversity and complexity of their cultural and spiritual practices. They have been the means of keeping Australian Aboriginal culture intact for several years. These ceremonies act as a means of transferring ritual knowledge through generations after being handed down by the dreamtime spirits. The ceremonies are part of life especially for the Northern territory, Western and Eastern desert tribes, Tiwi Islanders, and in the Kimberley tribes of Western Australia. Owing to the fact that Aboriginals did not have a written language of transferring knowledge, ceremonies played a critical role in such situations. An example is initiation ceremonies where tribal elders passed on the laws relating to their countries, spiritual beliefs, and the role and obligation they have within the society. Funeral ceremony is another occasion where rituals were performed and subsequently passed on to younger population. Narratives play an indispensable role in disseminating knowledge given that it provides listeners with a platform to learn from wisdom of others. Through oral traditions, some social structures have been maintained. McIsaac (2000) affirms that knowledge may be passed through a family set up by using oral narratives. These narratives provide a ground for local knowledge since people are connected to past experiences. In this situation, unfamiliar events are incorporated into tales from previous experiences. Language and visual arts among the Aborigines is a channel where artistically, feelings and ideas are passed on during gatherings and sacred ceremonies. Since Aborigines had several languages, sign language was a means of communication. Signs were also used to convey secret meanings and further give instructions during hunting sessions. Conversely, visual arts were an addition approach where knowledge could be stored in form of paintings and carvings. One of the greatest inspirations was from sacred life which is rich in stories of dreaming, totemic beliefs, and the world of spirits. These arts had hidden meaning and can only be understood by those who possess ritual knowledge or the experts in the field. Question 2: Ecumenical movements in Christianity Ecumenical movement in Christianity can be traced back to apostolic times and is often used to refer to Christian denominations and Christian churches that have been separated by doctrines, history, and practices. Ecumenism is therefore an idea that there should be a single Christian church (Kasper, 2009). The movement started with Catholic Church trying to reconcile with Christians who had deviated following theological issues. This movement culminated with an understanding amongst churches that notwithstanding the many differences, they still could come together with a view of changing the world. Briefly, ecumenism focuses on bringing greater Christian unity around the churches and the world religions under one roof or rather one faith. The basic concept behind the movement was to unite all churches regardless of their fundamental belief and practices. In this case, the movement focuses on uniting Roman Catholic Churches with Orthodox Church and other Christian protestant faiths. This movement has been in existence for a long time but it is now shaping the world at a very fast pace. An analysis done by Kasper (2009) confirms existence of some strengths and weaknesses following emergence of the movement. The first strength of the movement is its mission to determine and execute God’s will for the church. In this context, the movement is an expression of discipleship of Jesus where the basis is on the will of God and is demonstrated through an aspect of obedience. According to the 1982 final report of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International conversation, Christ’s will and payer is for the disciples to be one (Braaten, 2003). For this reason, unity is the backbone of the church. Secondly is the fact that ecumenical spirit has spread among so many people in different Christian communities. Bishop Stephene Neil began the movement with a clear and determined statement that people must stay together. In an encyclical letter on ecumenism, Pope John Paul II’s notes the fruits of common conversion to the Gospel brought about by ecumenical movement. The movement has therefore strengthened Christianity since it is inspired by spirit. The multi-dimensionality of the ecumenical movement has infiltrated so many critical aspects of life of church. Stockholm conference of 1925 emphasized ecumenism in the promotion of justice and peace. Moreover, the 1927 conference of Lausanne focused on the significance of faith and church for unity purposes. The strength of the movement is that it does not revolve around one isolated aspect of ecclesial life which is of interest to small group of specialist (Howard, 1998). The forth strength pertains to effort by the movement to address factors that lead to division among the Christian communities. The movement therefore attempt to address the idea of doctrinal and structural reconciliation. An example is the view by Reformed Christians who tend to see the Church as centred upon the word while on the other hand; Catholics view the church as centred upon sacraments (Mackay, 1964). The movement provides a basis where a common understanding can be formulated to allow for diversity. On the contrary, the movement is a source of threat given the separation and even competition between various activities that promote Christian unity. Project such as the Princeton proposal of 2003 continue to demonstrate conflict between various streams of ecumenical movement. It is possible that challenges emanating from contemporary situations will threaten continuity of the people to pursue unity that Christ wills. Question 3: Key Aspects of Islam In religious terms, Islam carries a meaning of voluntary submission to God (Lewis, 2009). As a demonstration of submission to God, believers are expected to worship Him and follow His commands while rejecting polytheism. The basics of Islamic religion are entrenched in the holy book of Qur’an, considered an accurate word of God. This Qur’an is vital to Islam given that it is the media through which Muslims communicate with God. In a study by (Watton, 1993), Qur’an is the final testament after the old and the new testaments. Qur’an is subdivided into 114 suras of varying lengths and subsequently classified under Meccan or Median with reference to place and time of revelation. Muslims have a conviction that the Qur’an was verbally exposed through angel Gabriel from God to Mohammad over a period of 23 years. It is also believed that Qur’an was memorised, rehearsed and exactly written by Sahabas who was Mohammad’s companion. In Islamic terms, hadith simply refers to reports or statements of Mohammad or deeds of Mohammad in approving something. According to the Islamic schools of Jurisprudence, Hadith are essential tools to understand Qur’an. During the 8th and the 9th century, Hadith were assessed and gathered into large collections. Shi’ism and Sunnism which makes up the two major Islam denominations have varied Hadith collection. Hadith has two major aspects including text of report and chain of narrators. Essentially, the document is used to clarify Qur’an in addition to Islamic Jurisprudence. In the practice of Islamic religion, Sunnah denotes the practice of Prophet Muhammad as he taught and practiced shari’ah (Islahi, 2009). The practices are to be followed when executing religious rites, define order, and moulding life in accordance to the will of God. Sunnah of Muhammad comprises of his specific words, lifestyle, practices, and silent approvals. This is important as it addresses how an individual is supposed to deal with family, friends, and government. Where an issue is not addressed in the Qur’an, a person resorts to sunnah. Among the Muslims, Ummah simply implies a Muslim world which is made up of Believers. While referring to the constitution of Medina, Jewish and Pagan citizens of Medina were classified as members of Ummah. A study by Serjeant (1964) states clearly that the Modern Hebrew terms the word Ummah as “nation.” The other essential term used in Islam is Hijra, which means a migration of Islamic Prophet Muhammad and the supporters from Mecca to Medina in 622CE. This took place when there was a plot to assassinate Muhammad. This year was specifically marked the first year of Islamic calendar. Celebrations to mark Hijra are usually done on 1Muharram, which is the first day of Muslim year. Salat is among the five critical principles of Islam and it means to conduct prayers five times a day. The prayers are obligatory from the instance a person joins Islamic religion. As a great tenet, salat has been emphasized both in the Qur’an and sayings of Prophet Mohammad. There is no doubt that salat prayer establishes a connection between man, Creator and Benefactor. The other principle of Islam classified as the fifth pillar is hajj, which represents the pilgrimage to Mecca. It is an obligation of a Muslim believer to carryout Hajj at least once in lifetime. In a nutshell, hajj represents solidarity and submission to God. As an aspect of Islam sharia is the code of conduct and law of Muslims. Sharia deals with a range of factors stretching from social, political, and economic spheres. In the same vein ulema are scholars in various areas of Islamic religion. They are better termed as arbiters of the Islamic law. The last term to be alluded to in this paper is shia that is the second largest denomination of Islam. According to shia Islam, the Almighty has the right to choose custodian of Islam, Qur’an, ad Shariah. Reference Braaten, C., & Jensen, R.( 2003). In One Body through the Cross: The Princeton Proposal for Christian Unity. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. Howard, C. K. et al. (1998). Christianity: a Social and Cultural History. 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ.: Prentice Hall. Islahi, A. A. (2009). "Difference between Hadith and Sunnah". Lahore: Al-Mawrid. Kasper, W. (2009). Harvesting the Fruits: Aspects of Christian Faith in Ecumenical Dialogue. New York: Continuum. Lewis, B., & Churchill, B. E. (2009). Islam: The Religion and the People. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Wharton School. Mackay, J. A., Ecumenics: (1964).The Science of the Church Universal. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc. McIsaac, E. (2000). “Oral narratives as a site of resistence: Indigenous knowledge, colonialism, and Western discourse”. In. G.J. Sefa Dei, B. J. Hall, D. Goldin Rosenberg (Eds.), Indigenous Knowledges in Global Contexts. Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press. Serjeant, R. B. "The Constitution of Medina." Islamic Quarterly 8 (1964) p. 4. Watton, Victor. (1993). A student's approach to world religions: Islam. London: Hodder & Stoughton. Read More

McIsaac (2000) affirms that knowledge may be passed through a family set up by using oral narratives. These narratives provide a ground for local knowledge since people are connected to past experiences. In this situation, unfamiliar events are incorporated into tales from previous experiences. Language and visual arts among the Aborigines is a channel where artistically, feelings and ideas are passed on during gatherings and sacred ceremonies. Since Aborigines had several languages, sign language was a means of communication.

Signs were also used to convey secret meanings and further give instructions during hunting sessions. Conversely, visual arts were an addition approach where knowledge could be stored in form of paintings and carvings. One of the greatest inspirations was from sacred life which is rich in stories of dreaming, totemic beliefs, and the world of spirits. These arts had hidden meaning and can only be understood by those who possess ritual knowledge or the experts in the field. Question 2: Ecumenical movements in Christianity Ecumenical movement in Christianity can be traced back to apostolic times and is often used to refer to Christian denominations and Christian churches that have been separated by doctrines, history, and practices.

Ecumenism is therefore an idea that there should be a single Christian church (Kasper, 2009). The movement started with Catholic Church trying to reconcile with Christians who had deviated following theological issues. This movement culminated with an understanding amongst churches that notwithstanding the many differences, they still could come together with a view of changing the world. Briefly, ecumenism focuses on bringing greater Christian unity around the churches and the world religions under one roof or rather one faith.

The basic concept behind the movement was to unite all churches regardless of their fundamental belief and practices. In this case, the movement focuses on uniting Roman Catholic Churches with Orthodox Church and other Christian protestant faiths. This movement has been in existence for a long time but it is now shaping the world at a very fast pace. An analysis done by Kasper (2009) confirms existence of some strengths and weaknesses following emergence of the movement. The first strength of the movement is its mission to determine and execute God’s will for the church.

In this context, the movement is an expression of discipleship of Jesus where the basis is on the will of God and is demonstrated through an aspect of obedience. According to the 1982 final report of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International conversation, Christ’s will and payer is for the disciples to be one (Braaten, 2003). For this reason, unity is the backbone of the church. Secondly is the fact that ecumenical spirit has spread among so many people in different Christian communities. Bishop Stephene Neil began the movement with a clear and determined statement that people must stay together.

In an encyclical letter on ecumenism, Pope John Paul II’s notes the fruits of common conversion to the Gospel brought about by ecumenical movement. The movement has therefore strengthened Christianity since it is inspired by spirit. The multi-dimensionality of the ecumenical movement has infiltrated so many critical aspects of life of church. Stockholm conference of 1925 emphasized ecumenism in the promotion of justice and peace. Moreover, the 1927 conference of Lausanne focused on the significance of faith and church for unity purposes.

The strength of the movement is that it does not revolve around one isolated aspect of ecclesial life which is of interest to small group of specialist (Howard, 1998). The forth strength pertains to effort by the movement to address factors that lead to division among the Christian communities. The movement therefore attempt to address the idea of doctrinal and structural reconciliation. An example is the view by Reformed Christians who tend to see the Church as centred upon the word while on the other hand; Catholics view the church as centred upon sacraments (Mackay, 1964).

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