Chapter 12 Religion
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The current anthropological definition of religion says that it is __________.
A) the way that people view the world and their place in it
B) organized beliefs about God
C) beliefs and behavior concerning supernatural beings and powers
D) a set of ethics (guidelines about proper group behavior)
2. If someone were to collect bits of your hair and nail clippings to use in a magical ritual, this person would be
practicing __________.
A) contagious magic
B) a rite of passage
C) imitative magic
D) divination
3. Magic is __________.
A) most likely to be practiced in situations of uncertainty
B) no longer practiced in any society
C) more associated with horticultural societies than agricultural societies
D) more associated with male gender roles in religion than female gender roles
4. Expressing religious beliefs through explicit and direct statements is termed __________.
A) doctrine
B) religious pluralism
C) myths
D) song
5. A cultural materialist interpretation of Klamath and Modoc Indian myths supports the idea that they __________.
A) help people deal with philosophical issues such as life and death
B) store and transmit information for managing economic crises
C) express core beliefs
D) teach morality
6. The indirect expression of religious beliefs through stories about supernatural beings and forces is referred to as
__________.
A) magic
B) animatism
C) myth
D) ritual of inversion
7. A religion with many zoomorphic supernaturals is __________.
A) Islam
B) Hinduism
C) Christianity
D) Judaism
8. Among the Hopi, the link between living humans and the spiritual world is through the ritual sacrifice of
__________.
A) sheep
B) dogs
C) foxes
D) golden eagles
9. About __________ people live on the Hopi reservation.
A) 500
B) 7,000
C) 25,000
D) 50,000
10. An example of a life-cycle ritual is __________.
A) Thanksgiving in the United Sates
B) the annual fall harvest
C) a rain dance during a severe drought
D) a coming–of-age ceremony for young men or women
11. The three universal phases of life-cycle rituals, according to Victor Turner, are __________.
A) separation, transition, reintegration
B) separation, ritual death, reincarnation
C) separation, pain, pleasure
D) separation, sacrifice, recovery
12. Where is Hindmarsh Island?
A) southeastern Australia
B) northeastern United States
C) Wales
D) western Canada
13. While the dominant religion in Italy is Roman Catholicism, recent immigration patterns have substantially
increased the number of __________.
A) Muslims
B) animists
C) Buddhists
D) Hindus
14. Carnival is an example of a __________.
A) life-cycle ritual
B) secular ritual
C) ritual of inversion
D) universal ritual
15. The cultural materialist interpretation of Aztec human sacrifice and cannibalism emphasizes __________.
A) that only a few sacrificial victims were actually eaten
B) that the major function of the system was population control
C) strengthening the role of the elite by demonstrating their power and providing food to the people
D) emic views of the symbolic meaning of the practices
16. As opposed to a shaman or shamanka, a priest or priestess tends to __________.
A) be understood to have a direct relationship with a supernatural
B) live in state-level societies
C) have leadership responsibilities within the local political system
D) be in a position that is not hereditary, but is open to all who demonstrate aptitude
17. An anthropologist encounters a culture and finds that some of the population follows indigenous beliefs related
to forces in nature. A second part of the culture is made up of Christians, who work to convert those adhering to
local beliefs. Which term best describes this situation?
A) religious pluralism
B) religious syncretism
C) world religion
D) revitalization movement
18. Shan tattooing in Thailand is an example of __________.
A) religious pluralism
B) religious syncretism
C) a ritual of inversion
D) animism
19. The Hindu term for fate or destiny is __________.
A) darshan
B) karma
C) nirvana
D) siddur
20. The sense of collective unity that develops out of individual diversity is called __________.
A) communitas
B) syncretism
C) relativism
D) reversal
21. The comparative analysis of Islam’s Feast of the Sacrifice in Morocco and Sumatra shows that __________.
A) the Moroccan ritual receives far more public fanfare
B) Islamic ritual practices are standardized cross-culturally
C) the requirement to sacrifice an animal is optional in Sumatra
D) local variations reinforce a patriarchal system in different ways
22. The major items that the Hui Muslims of Xi’an, China, believe to be impure are __________.
A) pork and beef
B) pork, beef, and alcohol
C) pork and mutton
D) pork and alcohol
23. Which of the following is a general feature of African religions?
A) They require pilgrimages to certain sites on other continents.
B) They are not pluralistic.
C) They involve elaborate initiation rituals.
D) They prohibit elements of syncretism with other religions.
24. The region in which cargo cults emerged is __________.
A) southern Africa
B) Melanesia
C) the Mediterranean
D) the Northwest Coast region of Canada and the United States
25. Sites in the Old City of Jerusalem are sacred to which three religions?
A) Judaism, Islam, and Shintoism
B) Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
C) Christianity, Islam, and Taoism
D) Hinduism, Islam, and Shintoism
TRUE/FALSE
26. Magic is most likely to be practiced by people in situations of greatest uncertainty.
27. A people’s worldview always includes a religious element.
28. Compared to a myth, a religious doctrine is more likely to be unwritten.
29. The Klamath and Modoc Indians live in Canada.
30. According to Claude Lévi-Strauss, myths help people think about contradictions in life.
31. Sacrifice is probably the oldest form of ritual.
32. Religious syncretism refers to the merging of a religious belief or practice from one religion with another.
33. The two world religions that emphasize proselytizing are Christianity and Judaism.
34. A structurist interpretation of handling poisonous snakes in religious ceremonies in “Holiness-type” churches in
the United States explains this phenomenon as related to economic insecurity.
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35. Tourism is an important aspect of the economy of the Hui Muslims of Xi’an, China.
ESSAY
36. Discuss the context of and Hopi perspective on ritual sacrifice and how their cultural heritage conflicts with
mainstream U.S. interests in protecting endangered species.
37. Define ritual of inversion and describe an example. Summarize one functionalist interpretation of this category
of ritual.
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38. Summarize the differences between the anthropological definition of shaman/shamanka and priest/priestess and
identify with what type of culture, in terms of scale, each of these is associated.
39. Describe two ways a world religion has adapted to a new local context.
40. Define religious syncretism and religious pluralism and give an example of each.
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41. Summarize the practice of tattooing in Shan culture, and explain how this is an example of syncretism using two
specific examples.
42. Analyze some of the major issues facing the Hui Muslins of Xi’an, China today.
43. Summarize three of the common characteristics of African religions described in the text. How does
Rastafarianism fit into this category?
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44. Summarize the history of the Ghost Dance movement and describe its characteristics.
45. Summarize the history of cargo cults and identify one way the cultures in which they emerged changed as a
result of them.