Ashford ANT351 Week 2 Discussion (dq1+dq2) Latest

ANT351 Anthropology of Religion, Magic and Ritual

Week 2 Discussion

DQ1 Rites of Passage

Rites of Passage. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Victor Turner defines three distinct phases of a rite of passage: separation, transition, and incorporation. Even if we are not expressly religious, all of us have experienced a rite of passage at some point in our lives. Examples of secular rites of passage include graduation ceremonies, induction into the military, entering a hospital and receiving treatment, and fraternity or sorority initiations. Less secular examples include marriage, baptism, and coming of age celebrations and rituals. Describe a rite of passage that you have experienced firsthand, and discuss the three phases of a rite of passage in relation to this example. Explain the function of the rite of passage for the people who participate in it. Compare the rite of passage that you have experienced to those depicted in the required video watching from this week.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.

DQ2 Religious Specialists

Religious Specialists. 1st Post Due by Day 3. What cultural and historical circumstances allowed Shoko Asahara to gain power in Japan? How did he persuade people to follow him and stay in Aum Shinrikyo? How does this relate to the Diane Benscoter's experience as a member of the Unification Church (aka Moonies)? After leaving the Moonies, was Benscoter's role as a deprogrammer different from the role of a religious specialist who indoctrinates followers into a particular belief system? Why or why not?

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.