Anthropology of religion

Anthropology of religion is the examine of practices across cultures.

Definition of religion

One major problem in the anthropology of religion is the definition of religion itself. At one time[] anthropologists believed thatreligious practices and beliefs were more or less universal to any cultures at some section in their development, such(a) as a conviction in spirits or ] According to Clifford Geertz, religion is

1 a system of symbols which acts to 2 determining powerful, pervasive, together with long-lasting moods and motivations in men by 3 formulating conceptions of a general lines of existence and 4 clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that 5 the moods and motivationsuniquely realistic."

Today, religious anthropologists debate, and reject, the cross-cultural validity of these categories often viewing them as examples of European ] Anthropologists realize considered various criteria for setting religion – such as a belief in the supernatural or the reliance on ritual – but few claim that these criteria are universally valid.

Anthony F. C. Wallace proposes four categories of religion, regarded and identified separately. subsequent rank subsuming the previous. These are, however, synthetic categories and hit non necessarily encompass any religions.