The purpose of this assignment is to understand the different religions that have been studied throughout Unit 3. Vedic, Spirit Possession, Hindusim as well as Islam and Judaism will be evaluated. Lessons that have surrounded each of these paradigms suggest that there are considerable core concepts that can be defined throughout religion universally.
Lesson 10 on Christian Hymnody in Uganda explains an important issue relating to song contests. The way that Catholic Identity and African methods of expression have contributed towards observable comparisons in multiple ways.
India is the motherland of not only particular religions, but a unique spirit of religious identity. Whether a citizen be a Sikh, Jain, Hindu or Christian, there is a gleaming wholesomeness associated with being an Indian. The religious diversity in India greatly affects the country in numerous ways. In this paper I will focus on the implications this vast concept has on both the secular sphere and the spirit of religion itself in Hegelian terms. The first, being secular qualifies religious diversity in the practical realm while the latter adds dimension to the elements of subjective thought and cultural practice.
According to Hegel the world is that in which the spirit knows itself. This includes what spirit is conscious of and itself. Meanwhile, the religious self consciousness supposedly knows the world based on the manifestation of its own spirit. This is to say that there is a greater understanding of the world through the religious self-consciousness through the spirit. In India, this example can be illuminated through the tradition of Christmas. Christians in India will not only celebrate within the church but will distribute sweets and cakes to non-Christians in celebration of the event. This is a tradition common to Diwali or other holidays that are shared in the understanding of the social sphere.
We know that all these different forms of knowing are all spread out--
Consciousness, which is object dominated, Self-consciousness, or consciousness of the world as it exists for itself, reason, as exemplified by the categorical imperative, and spirit. All of these have their existence in the social world. They are grounded in social life itself. In turn Hegel says that social life itself is grounded in the spirit of religion.
When the social life is based on a number of virtues and religious diversity, I feel Hegel would find a slightly altered view of the spirit of religion. In India for example, all the elements of the social world are differentiated by the religious traditions of different cultures. While these religions differ in content, the fact that they are all grounded in the same spirit of religion identifies religious diversity as a contribution to the spirit as a whole. It also is a unique nuance in the understanding of the spirit of religion: that is to say that it is actually possible for there to exist a unified spirit when there are multiplicities.
Religious belief systems that are connected to daily experiences provide greater evidence in sacred transformation and operations. The way that rituals, practices and prayers are able to bridge a connection between beings and powers is another important dimension to sacred tradition. The specific ways that music relates to these elements can be seen in the Dervishes ceremony as well s in Sufi Ceremonies. The relationship between music and human aspects of sacred science are key to understanding each dimension of these traditions.
It is important to incorporate this theory when analyzing the cultural aspects as well as the fact that the religions practice may differ from the textual mandates of ancient scriptures. It is vital in such a study as we have ensued in this semester to remember the difference between physical and visible actions of the religion versus long-standing beliefs which are rooted in a society and way of life. In looking at specific religious traditions it is obvious from an outsider’s perspective that not all pursuits can be categorized as forms of ‘worship’ that are necessarily visible or held in other religions. For example, a traditional puja or worship ceremony includes an amalgamation of prayers, rituals, and festivities. This cannot be categorized as anything from a western perspective that would hold such religions as the Christian faith as a base level of understanding. There is no comparison between the spiritualities of religions or the emotions and sentiments held by its practitioners. This theory of ‘inventedness’ therefore provides some sort of encompassing rope to help tie down the sea of concepts that are brought about by a new religion to the eye of an outsider.
A) Calendrical rituals: Culture can be expressed through numerous types of events and festivals. The Clendrical aspects of seasons are determined based on symbolism and musical repertoire in multiple ways.
B) Life Cycle Ritual: These are often rituals that represent biological and sociological events in a person’s life. They establish a flow that represents rites of passage as well as transition between multiple periods in life. The establishment of these rituals as well as cultural traditions in their execution is amongst the greatest expressions.
C) Limnality: This is determined in the way that rituals take place and is the basis of a threshold. Understanding disorientation as well as the integral aspects of pre-ritual circumstances suggests that identity as well as community are based on the transition aspects of liminality.
Music has been influential in each of these areas based on the studies in this unit. Music as well as rhythms have consistently affected the way that musicologists characterize religion. The way that personal freedoms as well as distinctive features are managed throughout the American and European cultures demonstrates the complexities of cultures that can be found through ritual and tradition. African elements and instruments have contributed to themes in ritual based on musicality as well. The inclusion of cultural identity and race throughout life cycle and calendrical rituals is commonly seen and can incorporate multiple dimensions of social management ad class relations
4. Videos of Hindu ritual and religions can be seen throughout the Himalayas suggest that there are sacred aspects of energy that can be defined throughout the local celebrations. Understanding how this takes place as well as roles that are key within music and social environments allows for a multidimensional perspective on these standards. In the form of a letter that is documenting these cultural aspects there are several elements of music that would be emphasized.
In understanding the Hindu religion from multiple perspectives (those of a practioner, and those of an outsider), Marin Jaffee’s theory was astute in describing the ‘inventedness’ of a religion as a concept to help us understand it. We invented the concept of religion to label the culture and multidimensional system simply to for the purpose of study. It is an invented category or term to help study, but it does not shadow or affect the contents of this label.
As a practioner, there is a special taint to this study of religion. The relationship of an ‘insider’ and an ‘outsider’ is highly connected and almost impossibly inseperabale. As a Hindu, I always feel a certain affinity and connection to my religion no matter which perspective I am looking at it from. Having watched the videos in class of various interviews of Hindus and priests was informative as an ‘outsider’ but also nostalgic as an ‘insider’. In a culture and religion where the language, attire, and food are all connected to what Hinduism really is—a way of life, I feel that my view as an outsider has insight and my role as an insider now has foresight because of studying Hinduism the way this semester has presented it.
The purpose of making a distinction at all in this relationship I felt, was to have some form of objectivity towards the scientific field of religion that is, I assume, terribly tried and tested because of the deeply emotional nature of the subject of observation. While to an insider it may not be important to get a birds’ view of the society and inner workings fot he ultimate system the individual is in, and outsider would be interested in such a perspective and would strive to secure it if not for anything but to be able to compare it to the other mechanics of the field. In this way, the distinction between the two may be defined as motivation, or simply appeal to certain aspects of the religion. While the observations of a similar situation may draw up different emotions for both parties the distinction I feel would lie ultimately in how the individual chooses to deal with the subsequent knowledge and fortitude of information received from a study of faith.
Excluding experiential knowledge from this study, I feel, would be one of the most detrimental things any student could do. While the method of incorporating first-hand experience is important in such delicate situations of culture-shock, a student from an ‘outsider’s’ perspective should be able to receive the information from a variety of sources and take into account the displays of spiritual value which arise from only a first-hand experiential account. This is also important in understanding the depth of value a religion has on its people and how deeply its fundaments are placed in the hearts and life-styles of those who it truly influences. In any study, all values of such would not be visible in any other context and could be vital it long term, and historical knowledge of events and times.
It is important to understand multiple ways that religion as well as cultural traditions are incorporated with music. This would be the key difference amongst cultures and would influence the outcomes of each ritual. By sending information to related members of a church or other community it would be possible to establish an understanding of the similarities in ritual importance while understanding new instruments and means of relating to each religion. Musicologist studies as well as further research in the way that individuals process language and music can yield valuable results. Overall it would be important for musical understanding to be established at multiple levels in order to characterize each nation and culture independently.
