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Religious world view

Taoism

Animism

Animism
Latin “Anima” – breath, spirit, life
• Objects, places and
creatures all possess a
distinct spiritual essence
• Everything is animate
and alive

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Animism
1.Founder - There is no one person who
is considered the founder of Animism
2.Geographic Origin - Developed
worldwide in different parts of the
world. (Africa, the Americas, Asia, and
Australia)
3.Currently Practiced - World-wide, but
most common in traditional societies
of Africa, the Americas and Australia
West African Griot
North American Shaman
Animism Animism
6. Beliefs:
a. Religion that believes that each object has its own
spirit and that ancestors watch over the living.
b. Polytheistic - Spirits are found in natural objects
(living and nonliving objects)
c. There is belief in a Supreme Being and in lesser
gods.
d. Obey the gods and follow tradition and you will be
rewarded with good harvests and many healthy
children.
e. Failure to follow traditions would anger the Gods
and result in hardships, crop failure, illness and
death.
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Animism
4. Significant Writings – None, but have an
oral tradition of story-telling (oral history)
5. Significant Religious People –
a. Shaman - A person who communicates
with the spiritual world and conducts
rituals
b. Medicine Man/Woman - A healer or a
person who can treat illnesses
c. Griot - A professional storyteller in a
traditional African Animist society.
Animism
7. Practices:
a. Prayers and ceremonies keep
gods on your side
b. Use of ceremonial masks as a
way to receive what the
people want or need.
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Monotheism

Monotheism Polytheism
• Monotheism: a belief in one God
• The foundation of the Judeo-
Christian-Muslim line of religions
• began with a man named
Abraham in about 2000 BC.

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Polytheism
• Polytheism: a belief in multiple
gods
• Originated with Hinduism in about
2500 BC.
• Polytheism was also the religion of
many other ancient cultures
• Egypt, Greece and Rome
Polytheism
• Belief systems: Gods in control of all
natural events such as rainfall,
harvests and fertility
• In general, polytheistic cultures
believed in sacrifices to appease their
gods.
• The Greeks and Romans developed
polytheism into a highly structured
pantheon of gods and goddesses.

Two main categories of religion

Eastern Western
• Polytheistic • Monotheistic
• Focus: seeing • Focus:
(visual Hearing (Holy
symbolism is books are
important) important)
• Life is cyclical • Life is linear
(rebirth) (one life)