Deck 13: Spirituality, religion, and the Supernatural

Question 1

The major difference between animism and animatism has to do with whether the supernatural force which occupies an entity is _______________.

A)personal or impersonal (a being or an impersonal force without identity)
B)natural or supernatural
C)a god or an ancestral spirit
D)a priest or a shaman
E)an example of witchcraft or of divination

Answer 1

personal or impersonal (a being or an impersonal force without identity)

Question 2

The initiation rites for male Australian aborigines include a stage when they are isolated from the rest of society and undergo a cram course in tribal lore;the trauma associated with their ordeal is part of a teaching method that ensures that they will remember what they are taught.This particular stage in the puberty ceremony would be referred to as the stage of _______________ by Arnold Van Gennep.

A)initiation
B)intensification
C)separation
D)transition
E)incorporation

Answer 2

transition

Question 3

The belief that nature is animated with spirits is called _______________.

A)animation
B)anima
C)animatism
D)animism
E)ennui

Answer 3

animism

Question 4

Three sacred mountains are shared by three religious traditions.The mountains are Mount Ararat,Mount Horeb,and Mount Moriah.The three religious traditions are _____________________________________________.

A)Christian,Jewish,and Muslim
B)Christian,Jewish and Buddhist
C)Muslim,Christian and Hindu
D)Buddhism,Jainism,and Hinduism
E)Hinduism,Christian,and ancient Greek

Question 5

A people's collection of gods and goddesses is called a _______________.

A)mana
B)shaman
C)pantheon
D)priest
E)fetish

Question 6

Which of the following is least likely to be extensively involved in formal religious beliefs and activities?

A)single women with ten children living below the poverty line,who dropped out of school at age 14
B)members of food foraging societies with limited scientific knowledge
C)peasants in a feudal society
D)members of lower classes in an urban-industrial society
E)wealthy members of urban-industrial societies with advanced scientific knowledge

Question 7

In acting as a healer,the shaman _______________.

A)provides reassurance to the community through an elaborate drama that may involve trickery
B)may use modern medical techniques
C)may be coping with his/her own problems by becoming intensely involved with the problems of others
D)may improve the patient's state of mind,which aids in recovery
E)all but b

Question 8

One of the functions of religion is control of those aspects of the universe which otherwise lie beyond the believer's control.A corollary of this statement is: the less control you have over your universe,the greater the role religion will play in your life.If we accept this assumption,we would expect to find more religious activity among which of the following?

A)the economically wealthy
B)those who live below poverty level
C)males in a patriarchal society
D)females in a patriarchal society
E)b and d

Question 9

Ceremonies such as bar mitzvahs,elaborate wedding ceremonies,baby showers,and graduation parties that help individuals make major changes in their lives are referred to as rites of _______________.

A)transition
B)intensification
C)separation
D)passage
E)incorporation

Question 10

Belief in _______________ is found in societies in which women make a major contribution to the economy and are relatively equal to men in power and authority.

A)mana
B)gods
C)goddesses
D)fetishes
E)ancestor worship

Question 11

The Inuit still preform rituals when killing animals for food to ________________________.

A)avoid a drought
B)avoid a loss of food sources
C)pray to the spirits for forgiveness
D)avoid offending the animal's spirit
E)ensure the meat is healthy

Question 12

Belief in a supreme being who controls the universe is usually associated with _______________.

A)bands
B)tribes
C)chiefdoms
D)states
E)multinational corporations

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of animism?

A)a lucky baseball bat
B)the goddess Athena in Greek mythology
C)the god Zeus
D)an ancestral spirit
E)the malevolent spirit inside your baseball who jumps erratically through the air just as you think you're about to hit a home run

Question 14

A rabbit's foot in Western culture;a warrior's strength in Melanesia,or Luke Skywalker telling Han Solo,"May the Force be with you"-all of these may be used as examples of _______________.

A) animism
B)animatism
C)pantheon
D)sympathetic magic
E)divination

Question 15

_______________ may be defined as the beliefs and patterns of behavior by which people try to control those aspects of the universe that are otherwise beyond their control.

A)Political organization
B)Government
C)Kinship
D)Common-interest associations
E)Religion

Question 16

If religious belief reflects the structure of society,in which types of society would you expect to find widespread belief in ancestral spirits?

A)those in which descent groups play a major role in social organization
B)those which have a disproportionately large number of old people
C)those which have a disproportionately large number of young people
D)those in which neolocal marital residence is the rule
E)those with egocentric systems such as the kindred

Question 17

_______________ is viewed most simply as organized belief in the supernatural,and all fulfill numerous social and psychological needs.

A)Curanderismo
B)Magic
C)Shamanism
D)Voodoo
E)Religion

Question 18

Which choice below best fills in the following blank? A good example of animism exists among Inuit of Artic Canada.They believe that nature is animated by supernatural beings separable from the ________________________ they inhabit.

A)glacier
B)animal used for food
C)human being
D)physical body or material substance
E)priest

Question 19

The anthropologist Arnold Van Gennep analyzed ceremonies that help individuals through crucial stages of their life cycles.He said that each ceremony may be analytically divided into three stages,_______________,transition,and incorporation.

A)inculcation
B)separation
C)revitalization
D)intensification
E)initiation

Question 20

A rite of _______________ serves to help groups get through crises such as drought or some other external threat to the survival of the group.

A)separation
B)revolution
C)rebellion
D)passage
E)intensification

Question 21

Magic involves the manipulation of powers for good or evil,whereas witchcraft involves the possession of an innate power which is used for _______________.

A)religious purposes
B)scientific reasons
C)evil
D)traditional societies
E)societies that lack religion

Question 22

According to Chan monastics,what causes people to have different life circumstances,some poor and some rich?

A)laziness
B)overpowering emotions and attachments
C)atheism (disbelief of a spiritual force)
D)their transformation from animal to human selves
E)karma accrued in previous lives

Question 23

_______________ magic is based on the assumption that things that are like each other somehow have a connection with each other;and thus if you do something to one,it will affect the other.

A)Scientific
B)Pseudo-
C)Imitative
D)Compulsive
E)Contagious

Question 24

_______________,like other early pastoral nomadic tribes of the Middle East,described their deity in masculine,authoritarian terms.

A)Sunni
B)Shiite
C)Israelites
D)Bakhtiari
E)Nuer

Question 25

_______________ is an explanation of misfortune based on the belief that certain individuals possess an innate,psychic power capable of causing harm,including sickness and death.

A)Imitative magic
B)Contagious magic
C)Witchcraft
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 26

Which of the following statements about revitalization movements is incorrect?

A)The purpose of revitalization movements is to reform society.
B)Revitalization movements always fail because they require too much change to be tolerated.
C)All known major religions,including Judaism,Christianity,and Islam,began as revitalization movements.
D)Revitalization movements may be completely unrealistic.
E)Revitalization movements may be adaptive and give rise to long-lasting religions.

Question 27

Witchcraft serves psychological as well as social functions.The Navajo are said to be a peaceful people whose culture emphasizes the importance of harmonious social and spiritual relationships.What would you expect the incidence of witchcraft to be in traditional Navajo society as compared with its incidence in another Native American Indian society that required its members to engage in periodic expressions of fighting with each other?

A)a higher incidence of witchcraft in Navajo society
B)a lower incidence of witchcraft in Navajo society
C)about the same incidence of witchcraft in both societies
D)impossible to predict
E)a higher incidence of witchcraft among the Navajo only in those social relationships in which hostility and enmity are allowed to be expressed

Question 28

Ju/'hoansi healers possess the powerful healing force called n/um.N/um generally remains dormant in a healer until an effort is made to activate.Among the ways to activate n/um are _______________.

A)solo singing
B)trance dance
C)medicinal curing ceremony
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 29

A _______________ is a deliberate effort by members of a society to construct a more satisfying culture.

A)divination
B)rite of intensification
C)fetish
D)segmentary lineage system
E)revitalization movement

Question 30

Many magical incantations require the use of fingernail clippings of the intended victim.This is an example of _______________.

A)imitative magic
B)contagious magic
C)witch magic
D)nightmare magic
E)scientific thinking

Question 31

Islamic fundamentalism is having a strong resurgence in which of the following countries?

A)Albania
B)Iran
C)Algeria
D)Afghanistan
E)all but a

Question 32

Which of the following is not a change that affects women who become a Chan monastic?

A)they devote themselves to their families unselfishly
B)they begin to refer to each other as "brother"
C)they reduce their attachment to worldly things,such as music
D)they eat sparsely and lose weight
E)they shave their heads

Question 33

Religion,magic,and witchcraft are all similar in which of the following ways?

A)They all disappear once modern education and scientific training expand.
B)They all share the common goal of improving social relationships within a community.
C)They are all associated with morose nonconformists who try to destroy society.
D)They provide explanation of events and are mechanisms of social control.
E)They are all morally neutral.

Question 34

Which of the following represent the social functions of religion?

A)initiation rites among the Australian aborigines that teach tribal lore
B)rituals of garden magic among the Trobrianders that keep everyone working systematically at the dull,routine job of garden maintenance
C)myths that define divinely sanctioned roles for males and females
D)rites of passage that mark the transition from one life stage to another
E)All of the above

Question 35

Which of the following illustrate the psychological functions of religion?

A)Among the Holy Ghost People of the United States,handling snakes and drinking strychnine is a common feature of their worship;one explanation of this behavior is that by confronting the possibility of death,they achieve a sense of awe and transcendence.
B)An Islamic judge who orders the hand of a thief cut off can sleep soundly at night because he thinks of himself as merely the agent of divinely inspired justice.
C)The Tewa Indian origin myth provides every Tewa with a sense of his place in an orderly universe.
D)A Catholic person's guilt for committing certain acts is assuaged after confession to a priest.
E)All of the above

Question 36

In southern Africa's Swaziland all types of illnesses are generally thought to be caused by _______________ or _______________.

A)viruses/bacteria
B)negative kharma/negative attitude
C)sorcery/loss of ancestral protection
D)poor hygiene/poverty
E)none of the above

Question 37

Chan monastics are in the country of _______________.

A)Thailand
B)India
C)Nepal
D)United States
E)Taiwan

Question 38

After the death of a famous movie star,auctions may be held of their personal belongings.Only a few years ago,the sale of a popular actor's pillow almost caused a riot among teenage girls who were bidding for it.The assumption that sleeping with one's head on a dead person's pillow somehow puts you in touch with him could be used as an example of _______________.

A)puberty
B)insanity
C)imitative magic
D)witchcraft
E)contagious magic

Question 39

Which of the following have the Swazi not traditionally relied upon for treatment of disease?

A)herbalists
B)diviner mediums
C)Christian faith healers
D)general practitioners
E)they rely on all of the above

Question 40

The widespread occurrence of shamanism and the remarkable similarities between shamanistic traditions wherever found are consequences of _______________.

A)culture
B)universal neurological inheritance
C)similar ecclesiastical organization
D)diffusion
E)hallucinatory drugs

Question 41

The collective body of ideas,beliefs,ideals,and values that members of a culture share concerning reality is known as their _______________________________.

A)religion
B)faith
C)tradition
D)worldview
E)spirituality

Question 42

The Ibibio make a distinction between which two practitioners?

A)sorcerers and magicians
B)witches and sorcerers
C)magicians and witches
D)shamans and magicians
E)witches and shamans

Question 43

Today in the U.S.there are 3-5 million followers of _______________.

A)Islam
B)Buddhism
C)Hinduism
D)"New Age" beliefs
E)Judaism

Question 44

_______________ is typical of peoples who see themselves as a part of nature rather than superior to it.

A)Christianity
B)Judaism
C)Islam
D)Animism
E)Animatism

Question 45

In one of anthropology's classic works,_______________ analyzed the rites of passage that help individuals through the crucial crises of their lives.

A)Erik Erikson
B)Hilda Kuper
C)Carlos Castaneda
D)Arnold Van Gennep
E)Sir James Frazer

Question 46

The ______________________ tradition is a mystical Muslim movement that emerged in the late 10th century,borrowing ideas from Buddhism,Christianity,and Neoplatonism,which emphasizes the surrender of individual ego and attachment to worldly things in order to be receptive to God's grace.

A)Shite
B)Sunni
C)Sufi
D)Cargo cult
E)Buddhist

Question 47

A ___________________________is a spiritual movement in reaction to disruptive contact with Western capitalism.

A)revitalization movement
B)cargo cult
C)sema
D)dervish
E)animata

Question 48

Just 16% of the world's population claim to be _______________.

A)Catholic
B)Muslim
C)Jewish
D)Protestant
E)non-religious

Question 49

What is unique about the Mongolian shaman's drum?

A)it is multi-colored and bright
B)it is filled with water
C)it is made from a tree struck by lightening
D)it is made from yak hide
E)it is played only at night

Question 50

_______________ forms part of a cultural system's superstructure,which comprises a society's worldview.

A)Political philosophy
B)Economic organization
C)Social structure
D)Religion
E)The arts

Question 51

Which of the following nature-oriented religions has 310,000 adherents today in the United States?

A)Lutheran
B)Buddhism
C)Shintoism
D)Wicca
E)Holy Rollers

Question 52

The Heaven's Gate cult led by Marshall Herf Applewhite,a group that advocated cultural reform,was a _______________.

A)mainstream religion
B)fundamentalist movement
C)movie directed by George Lucas
D)revitalization movement
E)part of the religious right

Question 53

The practice of ritual ____________ in Islam serves to purify thought and build restraint for the sake of Allah.

A)washing
B)bathing
C)corporate worship
D)fasting
E)marriage

Question 54

The month of ____________________________,the Islamic month of fasting,is when Muslims refrain from eating,smoking,and sexual activities from sunrise to sunset.

A)Ramadan
B)Celebes
C)Bugis
D)Sulawesi
E)Korate

Question 55

A Sufi prayer dance is called a ____________________.

A)Shoka
B)Sema
C)Dervish
D)Mevlevi
E)Rumi

Question 56

_______________,with its often dramatic rituals,promotes a release of tension among individuals in a society.

A)Exercise
B)Exorcism
C)Shamanism
D)Animism
E)Witchcraft

Question 57

According to Clyde Kluckhohn,Navajo witchcraft serves to channel _______________.

A)punishments for outsiders and those not living on the reservation
B)illness and sorcery caused by fellow tribal members
C)anxieties and frustrations caused by pressures from Euramerican society
D)feelings of euphoria and joy related to having lots of material possessions
E)needs caused by high rates of alcoholism and drug addiction

Question 58

The European scientific and intellectual tradition of the 19th century gave rise to the idea that as science provided explanations,__________________________ would be replaced by science.

A)worldview
B)animism
C)animata
D)denominationalism
E)religion

Question 59

_______________ has 1.28 million adherents in the U.S.today.

A)Islam
B)Buddhism
C)Hinduism
D)Judaism
E)"New Age" religion

Question 60

In the 19ᵗʰ century _______________,author of one of the most widely read anthropological books of all time,The Golden Bough,made a strong distinction between religion and magic.

A)Sir James G. Frazer
B)Sir Edward Tylor
C)Arnold Van Gennep
D)Sir Richard Attenborough
E)Sir Richard Burton

Question 61

Among the Ju/'hoansi about half of the men and a third of the older women are shamans.

Question 62

The word "shaman" originated among the Penobscot Indians.

Question 63

_________________________________ has the largest Jewish population in the world.

A)Los Angeles
B)Jerusalem
C)Buenos Aires
D)New York
E)London

Question 64

Trauma seems to be part of the learning experience in Australian aboriginal initiation rites.

Question 65

The early Israelites defined their deity in feminine terms.

Question 66

Since strict rules and regulations guided religious consciousness,only the elite among Penobscot men could become shamans.

Question 67

According to Sir James Frazer,magic is a kind of science based on misconceptions of how the world really works.

Question 68

______________________________ spirituality is on the rise.

A)Animistic
B)Cargo cult
C)Ancestor veneration
D)Chinese traditional
E)Nondenominational

Question 69

Interest in horoscopes,witchcraft,and other kinds of occult or supernatural phenomena have increased in the West recently.

Question 70

Numerous mountains worldwide are considered "sacred places."

Question 71

Faith healers and many other evangelists among fundamentalist Christians share most of the characteristics of shamanism.

Question 72

The belief in scientific communities of the 19th century was that as science began to answer more questions,people would turn away from a belief in God and religious practices.Today,___________________________ trend prevails.

A)the opposite
B)that exact expected
C)that belief persists
D)the same
E)all answers except a

Question 73

The shaman has a relationship with the patient and the community.

Question 74

Among the Ibibio,witches are always women who are older and single.

Question 75

The nineteenth-century prediction that religion would decline and ultimately disappear as science became more prominent has been shown to be correct.

Question 76

Anthropology examines spirituality and religion in terms of the society's ______________________.

A)traditions
B)expectations
C)worldview
D)belief systems
E)sacred places

Question 77

Animatism is the belief that nature is animated by distinct spirits.

Question 78

Religion is viewed most simply as organized belief in the supernatural,and all fulfill numerous social and psychological needs.

Question 79

Among food-foragers,religion tends to be inseparable from daily life.

Question 80

Shamans are fairly common in modern,industrial societies in the form of faith healers and evangelists.