Community Contexts (Asynchronous Session)
Rituals of Food: Scents and Taste in the Middle East
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Aref Rabia Abu
Nutritional anthropologists are interested in monitoring what we eat; how we eat, and why we eat what we eat. In the gradual socialization process that takes place surrounding food, the taste, the smells, and the way food is prepared become matter-of-course to one degree or another, making it difficult for the adult person to adapt to other unfamiliar cuisines. An individual develops a very strong emotional tie to his mother’s dishes to which they have become accustomed in childhood. The emotional investment and special care the mother takes in preparing the food and feeding has a great impact on the way children relate to these foods. Some of the Arab aphorisms are directly related to rites of eating and drinking practices, but many use culinary metaphors to distill social and moral principles. The aroma of a rich meat and food dish cooking, as it emanates from the house, is a sign of communication. Food and drink have ritual values, as well, and eating together of a shared meal has a bonding mechanism. The use of bread and salt, as a rite of friendship and as a symbol for the very act of eating together, is a highly developed code in daily life and behavior. The aim of this paper is to describe rituals of food (scents and taste) in the Middle East; and how modernization and urbanization affect family relations, rituals, roles and the taste of their native food.
Christ and His "Great Sin": A Maya View of the Apocalypse View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Mark Christensen
Among the extant texts from colonial Mexico are rare, Maya-authored manuscripts containing Christian texts adapted to the Maya worldview and used by the local population. Because such unofficial manuscripts were technically forbidden, they provide an important glimpse into those aspects of Christianity the Maya chose to record of their own accord. One such manuscript composed in the Yucatecan town of Teabo contains an apocalyptic text that recounts the biblical end of the world. Here, Christ’s destruction of the world becomes his “great sin.” This paper examines the Maya and European context through which the perfect Christ came to commit a great sin. In the end, this paper sheds light onto the negotiations between Maya and European worldviews that formed the colonial religion of Teabo and throughout Yucatan.
Religious Education and Public Policies: Comparative Study between the United Kingdom and Spain View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ana Gracia, Amparo Gracia Bernal, Amaya Gil Albarova
Intercultural, interethnic, or interreligious encounters taking place open many opportunities for reflection on what brings people together, separates, or confronts them. From an educational perspective, it is a priority to prepare and educate students in respect and tolerance for everyone. On the one hand, students must learn to see opportunities on diversity of perspectives. On the other hand, students need to develop criteria to build up their thoughts and beliefs. Religious education is, in such sense, a fundamental tool. It is not new, however, that religion and religious education have lost influence both individually and institutionally, leading to poor formation of new generations on religious issues. We defend that disinterest and consequent ignorance of religion could contribute to the repetition of mistakes already made in our history. The main purpose of this study is to describe and compare how religious teaching is regulated in Secondary Education in the European context in general and in Spain and the United Kingdom in particular. A comparison of the curricula of both countries has been made with the aim of identifying points of convergence and differences between them, so that discussions can be opened on the essentials, the beneficial, and what can be dispensable. We focus on a multicultural approach to religious education and on the promotion of critical thinking through the subject of religion so that, progressively, we can reduce vulnerability to ideas that could be harmful to both the individual and society.
Zen Training at Ryumonji Zen Monastery and Clouds in Water Zen Center : Re-directing Focus from Texts to the Transformations of Body and Mind View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Bishal Karna
Ryumonji Zen Monastery and Clouds in Water Zen Center both belong to the same Sōtō Zen lineage, founded by the Japanese priest Dainin Katagiri some twenty-five years ago, and are both located in the same geographical region, the American Midwest. However, they show subtle but significant differences that would remain unnoticed if Sōtō Zen in the two institutions were to be studied only textually. In this paper, based on nine months of ethnographic fieldwork, I consider the differences between Ryumonji and Clouds by analyzing their practices in terms of the transformations of body and mind the practices generate in the practitioners. Ryumonji trains its practitioners primarily through ritualization of physical postures and gestures while Clouds uses psychological postures and gestures. As a result, practitioners at Ryumonji and Clouds develop different modes of attending to and understanding the world—what I call psychophysical skills. Based on my analysis, I argue for the need to develop a holistic approach to the study of Zen Buddhism that considers the religious practitioner as an indivisible body and mind in the world.
The Ecology of Puha: Identity, Orientation, and Shifting Perceptions Reflected through Continuity and Change of the Material Culture
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Aaron Atencio
This discussion explores the assertions that changes in form, function, practice, and perceptions of puha primarily arose from the dispossession of landscapes and oppression of specific religious practices due to reservation confinement. Rather than arguing for a depravationist catalyst for change, the discussion argues that puha is an ancient concept of healing and power reflected within the archeological record that displays fluidity, adaptability, and continuity. These reflections of puha — as seen in the Dinwoody Tradition — are delineated through rock art, iconography, mythology, and ecology, which builds a hierarchy of puha attainment and transference that solidified in a distinct set of ceremonial and ritual practices manufactured in the material culture of the Eastern Shoshone.
Islamic Fundamentalism - Movement or Lifestyle? : Study of Islamic Fundamentalism among Iranian Sunnite Kurds View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Farhad Bayani
Islamic fundamentalism relates to the belief that, in order to get rid of the problems in Islamic societies and to achieve a moral and justice community, it is inevitable to return to the principles of the belief and behavior of Islam, especially in the first three centuries (golden age). In the literature, this phenomenon has been studied from three approaches; as a religious trend seeking to revival Islamic identity, as a political-social movement that responds to the political and socioeconomic challenges of Muslim societies, and finally, as an apocalyptic struggle. All reflect millennial thought, attempting to eradicate evil and spread the good throughout human history. This study considers a new aspect of Islamic fundamentalism that can help us understand it better. Our assumption in this research is that Islamic fundamentalism is perceived and experienced in a group of contemporary Muslims as a lifestyle. This research has been conducted with the grounded theory among the Sunnite Kurds in Iran. The samples were selected through purposive sampling and data collected through semi-structured interviews. The findings show, rather than extremist and military pragmatists, they try to implement Islamic extremist beliefs and practices in their personal and social life as a lifestyle. Such as the hijab of women and their daughters, avoid getting a bank loan because of its usury, very limited and controlled personal and family relationships, resistance to aspects of modern lifestyles, and so on.
