By: Prof. Dr. Fazal Rehman | Last updated: August 6, 2024
What is the primary focus of the anthropology of religion?
A) The study of ancient religious texts
B) The examination of religious practices and beliefs within cultural contexts
C) The comparison of different religious doctrines
D) The statistical analysis of religious demographics
Answer: B) The examination of religious practices and beliefs within cultural contexts
Who is considered the founding figure of the anthropology of religion?
A) Bronislaw Malinowski
B) E. E. Evans-Pritchard
C) Clifford Geertz
D) Emile Durkheim
Answer: D) Emile Durkheim
Which term refers to the belief in spiritual beings and forces in the anthropology of religion?
A) Animism
B) Monotheism
C) Polytheism
D) Atheism
Answer: A) Animism
Which anthropologist is known for the concept of “collective effervescence”?
A) Clifford Geertz
B) Victor Turner
C) Emile Durkheim
D) Mary Douglas
Answer: C) Emile Durkheim
What does the term “ritual” refer to in the anthropology of religion?
A) A sacred text
B) A formalized, repeated action often performed in religious contexts
C) A belief system
D) A mythological story
Answer: B) A formalized, repeated action often performed in religious contexts
Which anthropologist introduced the idea of “symbolic anthropology”?
A) Clifford Geertz
B) Bronislaw Malinowski
C) E. E. Evans-Pritchard
D) Victor Turner
Answer: A) Clifford Geertz
What is the primary focus of Victor Turner’s work in the anthropology of religion?
A) The role of myths in religious beliefs
B) The analysis of religious rituals and their societal functions
C) The comparison of world religions
D) The statistical study of religious adherence
Answer: B) The analysis of religious rituals and their societal functions
Which term refers to the sacred stories that explain the origins and beliefs of a religion?
A) Doctrine
B) Theology
C) Myth
D) Liturgy
Answer: C) Myth
What is a “totem” in the context of the anthropology of religion?
A) A religious leader
B) A sacred animal or plant that serves as an emblem for a group of people
C) A religious text
D) A place of worship
Answer: B) A sacred animal or plant that serves as an emblem for a group of people
Which anthropologist is known for his study of the Nuer religion?
A) Clifford Geertz
B) E. E. Evans-Pritchard
C) Victor Turner
D) Bronislaw Malinowski
Answer: B) E. E. Evans-Pritchard
What does the term “shamanism” refer to?
A) The worship of multiple gods
B) A religious practice involving a practitioner reaching altered states of consciousness
C) The rejection of religious beliefs
D) The belief in a single deity
Answer: B) A religious practice involving a practitioner reaching altered states of consciousness
Which concept involves the belief that natural objects and phenomena possess a soul or spirit?
A) Polytheism
B) Monotheism
C) Animism
D) Atheism
Answer: C) Animism
What is the focus of Clifford Geertz’s definition of religion?
A) Religion as a system of social control
B) Religion as a set of symbols and meanings
C) Religion as an economic institution
D) Religion as a legal system
Answer: B) Religion as a set of symbols and meanings
Which term refers to the study of religious practices from a comparative perspective?
A) Theology
B) Comparative religion
C) Religious doctrine
D) Sectarianism
Answer: B) Comparative religion
What is the role of a “ritual specialist” in many traditional societies?
A) To lead economic activities
B) To perform and oversee religious ceremonies
C) To govern political affairs
D) To educate children
Answer: B) To perform and oversee religious ceremonies