B Law and humaninties Disc ***Professor Anthony ONLY****
Bigricker12
humanities_week_6_disc.docx1. THE MATERIAL DIMENSION OF MYTH
Pick one of the five major world religions. You might want to consider a religion other than your own to offer the class something new. Find a myth from that religion that you can directly connect to something in the religion’s material dimension.
Provide a link to a version of the myth and give us a very short (3-5 sentences) description of the myth.
Provide a link to the element of the material dimension that links to the myth and give us a paragraph that analyzes how the two are connected. For example: Is this an object that is part of a ritual? Is it used by believers to accomplish something? Does it teach believers something? Does it help a community express their beliefs? Is it something (like a work of visual art) that critiques the values/beliefs/practices etc. expressed by the myth, or offers a new pespective on the religion?
Offer your personal reaction to what you have found and discuss why you think it is particularly interesting.
2. THE ACADEMIC STUDY OF RELIGION
To address the following questions, consider the four approaches to religion described in the introduction to this module: exclusivism, inclusivism, pluralism and empathetic interest in other people.
Which of these four approaches do you take in your everyday life, and why?
Describe a friend, aquaintance, or relative whose approach to religion is different than yours. What approach do they take? Given your different approaches, how would you communicate with them about religion?
