• Why have religion scholars tended to focus on belief? Why is this a problem?

• How might the theory of affective and cognitive belief be used to find a message in The Lion King?

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Belief!

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I wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For

thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the

Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across

Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.

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• Notetakers needed (see announcement on Sept. 5)

• New people?

➡ Welcome!

➡ Make friends, read announcements and syllabus, find out what you missed

• RLG101H: introduce you to study of religion

➡ AND to university!4

Announcements

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Malory Nye

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Reading Nye

• What to “get” from Nye?

• Key ideas (big picture)

➡ Questions at end of each chapter

• Understand some theories

➡ Be able to apply them to data

➡ Importance of theorists’ names

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Reading Nye

• Read before tutorial and after lecture

➡ Your understanding first, THEN ours

➡ Will help you learn to read difficult material

➡ Lectures not identical to readings for several reasons

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Anonymous Feedback

• Nice note from self-identified introvert

➡ Thanks!

• Length of tutorial homework?

➡ Usually a short paragraph

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Today1. Meaning of “belief”?

2. Belief + the study of religion

3. Film analysis assignment

4. Theories of belief (+ Lion King!)

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1. Meaning of “Belief”

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“Let me just go ahead and get that from ya.”

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“I believe you have my stapler.”

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“Belief”

• “I believe you have my stapler.”

• “I believe in Jesus.”

• “I believe in Big Foot.”

• “I believe in taking walks in the forest.”

• “I believe in the literal meaning of the Bible.”

“I am the gate for the sheep.”

– Jesus (in John 10:7)

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Song

• “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey (1981)Just a small town girl

Livin’ in a lonely worldShe took the midnight train

Goin’ anywhere

Just a city boyBorn and raised in South Detroit

He took the midnight trainGoin’ anywhere

“Don’t Stop Believin’”

Strangers waitingUp and down the boulevard

Their shadows searchingIn the night

Don’t stop believin’Hold on to that feeling

Streetlight peopleDon’t stop believin’

Hold on

“Don’t Stop Believin’”

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“Belief”

• “Belief” in English has different meanings

➡ Think something is true / real

➡ Know something is true / real

➡ Regard something as meaningful or important

➡ Trust in someone / yourself / god(s)

➡ Hope for a good outcome

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Survey!1. “I expect other students in this class . . .”

2. “I expect the teachers in this class . . .”

3. “You (the teacher) should expect students in this class . . .”

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Survey!1. “I believe that other students in this class

should . . .”

2. “I believe that the teachers in this class should . . .”

3. “I believe that you (the teacher) should expect students in this class . . .”

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“I expect other students in this class . . .”

• to be engaged in class and not disturb other students if they come late or leave early

• to respect everyone’s opinions and thoughts

• to help one another (e.g., missed class)

• to not talk when someone else is talking

• to speak with people in the class they don’t know (especially since many of us are shy)

2. Belief and the Study of Religion

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• Protestant Reformation (Christianity)

• Martin Luther: 95 Theses (1517)

➡ Catholic church: institution b/t person and God; “over-emphasis” on rituals

➡ New Testament (Paul): Faith over works:

“You have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

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Religion + Belief

• Tylor: Religion is belief in spiritual beings

• Why this focus?

➡ Protestant Christian view(NOT universal view)

➡ Faith over works

• Scholars of religion from Protestant cultures

Religion + Belief

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Belief?

• Problems with thinking that religion is all about belief?

1. Language issues involving “belief”

➡ Various meanings in English

➡ No word for “belief” in several languages (e.g., Arabic, Hebrew, Pali)

Religion + Belief

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• Problems with thinking that religion is all about belief?

2. Sometimes belief is not (that) important

➡ Different traditions

➡ Different people within the same traditions / communities

Religion + Belief

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Here comes the exciting second half

of the class!

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3. Film Analysis Assignment

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• 4 paragraphs in total

1. Use theories of religion to analyze “non-religious” film (3 paragraphs)

➡ Use theories of belief / ritual / text (Nye: chapters 5, 6, 7)

2. Reflect on what you learned by doing this analysis (1 paragraph)

Film Analysis

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• Theory:

➡ An idea intended to understand data

➡ Nye’s text: facts + theories

➡ Not all theories helpful for interpreting films

➡ Will provide you with lists of theories to choose from

Film Analysis

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• Film lists on course website tonight!(assignment instructions coming soon)

• Each TA has different film list!

➡ Must choose list from your TA

➡ Pick (and watch) your film by next week

• Part one due September 29

• Final analysis due October 20

Film Analysis

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• Part one:

➡ Write a paragraph analyzing a film from your TA’s list using Arnold van Gennep’s “rites of passage” theory (Nye 144-148)

➡ What is the film trying to tell us?

➡ Include citations and bibliography(Chicago Manual of Style)

Film Analysis

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Tutorials

• Homework:

➡ Write a paragraph analyzing a film from your TA’s list using Arnold van Gennep’s “rites of passage” theory (Nye 144-148)

➡ What is the film trying to tell us?

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Tutorials

• Homework:

➡ Write a paragraph analyzing a film from your TA’s list using Arnold van Gennep’s “rites of passage” theory (Nye 144-148)

➡ What is the film trying to tell us?

➡ Bring two copies

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Tutorials

• Texts:

➡ Derry, “Rites of Passage” (website: Course Texts > Indigenous Traditions)

➡ Nye, chapter 6 (“Ritual”)

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Tutorials

• Reflection:

➡ How might you use any theory of ritual from chapter 6 in Nye’s text (other than rites of passage) to understand an action that you regularly perform?

➡ Need to pick different action than the examples that Nye uses with the theory

➡ Not permitted to look at your course text or notes when writing reflections

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4. Theories of Belief

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Theories of Belief

• Cognitive vs. affective beliefs (p. 117)

• Habitus (p. 125-6)

• Reductionist theories (p. 108-9)

• Non-reductionist theories (p. 111-5)

• Belief and common sense (p. 119-123)

• Cognitive approaches (p. 109-11)

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Theories of Belief

• Cognitive vs. affective beliefs (p. 117)

• Habitus (p. 125-6)

• Reductionist theories (p. 108-9)

• Non-reductionist theories (p. 111-5)

• Belief and common sense (p. 119-123)

• Cognitive approaches (p. 109-11)

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Cognitive vs. Affective

• Richard Gombrich

➡ Cognitive: what we say/think we believe

➡ Affective: what our actions indicate we believe

➡ What is the cognitive belief of Timon and Pumbaa (and Simba)?

➡ What is the affective belief of Timon and Pumbaa (and Simba)?

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“hakuna matata!”

no worries, no responsibilities60

“we’re with you to the end”

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“we’re with you to the end”

Cognitive vs. Affective

• Analysis of Lion King:

➡ Timon, Pumbaa, and Simba say (and think) that they believe in “Hakuna Matata”

➡ Initially their behaviour also shows they believe in “Hakuna Matata”

➡ However when loved ones are in trouble their actions show that they DO believe they have responsibilities

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Cognitive vs. Affective

• Possible messages:

➡ Our affective beliefs are affected by circumstances

➡ Good to be relaxed when there are no problems

➡ However in some situations we should live up to our responsibilities

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Habitus

• Pierre Bourdieu and Catherine Bell

• Cultural context of people’s lives

➡ Impact on our beliefs

➡ (Note: individual choice/agency)

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Habitus

• Pierre Bourdieu and Catherine Bell

• Cultural context of people’s lives

➡ How specific beliefs are viewed/practiced(e.g., belief in “sanctity of life”)

➡ You

➡ Simba?

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Habitus

• Analysis of Lion King:

➡ Simba is exposed to two cultures that influence his beliefs

➡ Responsibility vs “hakuna matata”

➡ What is the film trying to tell us?

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Habitus

• Possible messages:

➡ It is better to live up to our responsibilities than to ignore problems

➡ Our beliefs our affected by our habitus but we should make our own choices (not just accept what we’re told)

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