What Happens When We Practice Religion? PDF Download

Author: Robert Wuthnow
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691201277
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
An exploration of the interdisciplinary methods used to understand religious practice Religion is commonly viewed as something that people practice, whether in the presence of others or alone. But what do we mean exactly by "practice"? What approaches help to answer this question? What Happens When We Practice Religion? delves into the central concepts, arguments, and tools used to understand religion today. Throughout the past few decades, the study of religion has shifted away from essentialist arguments that grandly purport to explain what religion is and why it exists. Instead, using methods from anthropology, psychology, religious studies, and sociology, scholars now focus on what people do and say: their daily religious habits, routines, improvisations, and adaptations. Robert Wuthnow shows how four intersecting areas of inquiry—situations, intentions, feelings, and bodies—shed important light on religious practice, and he explores such topics as the role of religious experiences in sacred spaces, gendered social relationships, educational settings, the arts, meditation, and ritual. Suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses, What Happens When We Practice Religion? provides insights into the diverse ways that religion manifests in ordinary life. Summarizes the latest theories and empirical methods of religious practice Shows how the study of religion has changed Includes chapters on theory, situations, intentions, feelings, and bodies Draws from anthropology, psychology, religious studies, and sociology Accessible for undergraduate and graduate courses

Author: Robert Wuthnow
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691198586
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
He favors the use of a broad range of analytic tools drawn from multiple disciplines and approaches to the study of religion.) The five chapters of this book describe the central concepts and arguments now advancing the study of religious practice. Chapter 1, entitled "Theories", discusses the theoretical contributions associated with the aforementioned shift in religious studies to the investigation of religious practice. Chapter 2, "Situations", discusses how religious activities and experiences are shaped by the physical and temporal spaces in which social action occurs. Chapter 3, "Intentions", takes on an important topic that has proven difficult to study from a social science perspective. "Feelings" are the focus of Chapter 4, and the role of "Bodies" is addressed in Chapter 5. .

Author: Nancy Tatom Ammerman
Publisher: NYU Press
ISBN: 1479804339
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 157

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Book Description
Offers an overarching definition and framework for the study of religion as it manifests itself in everyday life Look around you as you walk down the street; somewhere, usually hidden in plain sight, there will be traces of religion. Perhaps it is the person who walks past with a Christian tattoo or a Muslim hijab. Perhaps it is the poster announcing a charity auction at the local synagogue. Or perhaps you open your Instagram feed to see what inspiring images and meditations have been posted by spiritual guides to help start the day. Studying Lived Religion examines religious practices wherever they happen—both within religious spaces and in everyday life. Although the study of lived religion has been around for over two decades, there has not been an agreed-upon definition of what it encompasses, and we have lacked a sociological theory to frame the way it is studied. This book offers a definition that expands lived religion’s geographic scope and a framework of seven dimensions around which we can analyze lived religious practice. Examples from multiple traditions and disciplines show the range of methods available for such studies, offering practical tips for how to begin. The volume opens up how we understand the category of lived religion, erasing the artificial divide between what happens in congregations and other religious institutions and what happens in other settings. Nancy Tatom Ammerman draws on examples ranging from Singapore to Accra to Chicago to show how deeply religion permeates everyday lives. In revealing the often overlooked ways that religion shapes human experience, she invites us all into new ways of seeing the world around us.

Author: Meredith B McGuire
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199709572
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 303

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Book Description
How can we grasp the complex religious lives of individuals such as Peter, an ordained Protestant minister who has little attachment to any church but centers his highly committed religious practice on peace-and-justice activism? Or Hannah, a devout Jew whose rich spiritual life revolves around her women's spirituality group and the daily practice of meditative dance? Or Laura, who identifies as Catholic but rarely attends Mass, and engages daily in Buddhist-style meditation at her home altar arranged with symbols of Mexican American popular religion? Diverse religious practices such as these have long baffled scholars, whose research often starts with the assumption that individuals commit, or refuse to commit, to an entire institutionally framed package of beliefs and practices. Meredith McGuire points the way forward toward a new way of understanding religion. She argues that scholars must study religion not as it is defined by religious organizations, but as it is actually lived in people's everyday lives. Drawing on her own extensive fieldwork, as well as recent work by others, McGuire explores the many, seemingly mundane, ways that individuals practice their religions and develop their spiritual lives. By examining the many eclectic and creative practices -- of body, mind, emotion, and spirit -- that have been invisible to researchers, she offers a fuller and more nuanced understanding of contemporary religion.

Author: Rupert Sheldrake
Publisher: Catapult
ISBN: 1640091181
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
"I have personally adopted many of the practices Rupert describes in his book and experienced more love, joy, empathy, gratitude, and equanimity as a result. We are all indebted to Rupert, who has tirelessly brought us deep insights from both science and spirituality.” ―Deepak Chopra The effects of spiritual practices are now being investigated scientifically as never before, and many studies have shown that religious and spiritual practices generally make people happier and healthier. In this pioneering book, Rupert Sheldrake shows how science helps validate seven practices on which many religions are built, and which are part of our common human heritage: meditation, gratitude, connecting with nature, relating to plants, rituals, singing and chanting, and pilgrimage and holy places. Sheldrake summarizes the latest scientific research on what happens when we take part in these practices, and suggests ways that readers can explore these fields for themselves. For those who are religious, Science and Spiritual Practices will illuminate the evolutionary origins of their own traditions and give a new appreciation of their power. For the nonreligious, this book will show how the core practices of spirituality are accessible to all. This is a book for anyone who suspects that in the drive toward radical secularism, something valuable has been left behind. Rupert Sheldrake compellingly argues that by opening ourselves to the spiritual dimension, we may find the strength to live more fulfilling lives.

Author: Ronald Barnes
Publisher: Balboa Press
ISBN: 1504368517
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 366

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Book Description
What does it mean to be religious? Religious ethical morality is not just a Sunday set aside, or a social protocol to conform to peer group expectations, nor should religion be used as a refuge of forgiveness for negative actions that do not change. It is important to respect the religion of others even if you do not agree with their teachings. However, without a basic knowledge of other religions, there is no basis for evaluation other than hear say and ignorance, which are not rational foundations for evaluation. Because the voice of women is diminished by men who devalue the contribution of women or men who attempt to dictate and define what should be the womans role and contribution. As a result, the world lacks the moral input of women, who are considered the moral exemplar for humanity, even by many male religious leaders.

Author: Giuseppe Giordan
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9789400718197
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 201

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Book Description
The current generation of young adults, at least in the Western world, has shown a marked tendency toward a preference for describing themselves as “spiritual” as contrasted to “religious.” This book seeks to examine the possible meanings and consequences associated with this contrast in terms of the similarities and differences that affect those who use these terms with respect to the everyday practices that they themselves employ or believe should follow from being self-defined as “religious” or “spiritual” – or not. The several chapters in this volume take up the religious-spiritual contrast specifically through investigations into practice: In what ways do people who claim to be “religious” or “spiritual” define these self-images as manifest in their own lives? How on a daily basis does a person who considers himself or herself “religious” or “spiritual” live out that self-image in specific ways that she or he can describe to others, even if not share with others? Are there ways that being “spiritual” can involve religion or ways that being “religious” can involve spirituality, and if so, how do these differ from concepts in prior eras (e.g., Ignatian spirituality, Orthodox spirituality, Anglican spirituality, etc.)? We also explore if there are institutions of spiritual practice to which those who term themselves “spiritual” turn, or if the difference implied by these terms may instead be between institutionalized and de-institutionalized expressions of practice, including but not limited to self-spiritualities.

Author: Matthew E. Johnson
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1501877593
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 125

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Book Description
"While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come." (1 Timothy 4:8 CEB) Christians crave a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. The spiritual disciplines are historical practices that can guide us in our daily walk, bringing us closer to Christ. The Holy Living series brings a fresh perspective on the spiritual disciplines, enabling us to apply their practices to our current lives. Practicing these spiritual disciplines opens us to God's transforming love. So often we equate the spiritual practice of worship with the hour-long worship service we attend each week (or each month). But what happens when we no longer consider worship something we do, but a way we live? When we break the concept of worship outside the walls of a sanctuary, we find new energy for living a "Godward" life, a life of turning toward God for guidance moment by moment, day by day. Such a life is fuel for genuine worship. Living a Godward life opens us up to God's transforming love and enables us to engage in practices of worship in locations and situations we never dreamed of before. This is one of series of eight books. Each book in this series introduces a spiritual practice, suggests way of living the practice daily, and provides opportunities to grow personally and in a faith community with others who engage with the practice. Each book consists of an introduction and four chapters and includes questions for personal reflection and group discussion. Other disciplines studied: Celebration, Confession, Discernment, Neighboring, Prayer, Simplicity, and Study.

Author: Michelle Mary Lelwica
Publisher: Gurze Books
ISBN: 0936077557
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 322

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Book Description
With so many women approaching their diets, body image, and pursuit of a slender figure with slavish devotion, The Religion of Thinness is a timely addition to the discussion of our cultural obsession with weight loss. At the heart of this obsession is the belief that in order to be happy, one must be slim, and the attendant myths, rituals, images, and moral codes can leave some women with severe emotional damage. Idealized images in the media inspire devotees of this “religion” to experience guilt for behaviors that are biologically normal and necessary, and Lelwica offers two ways to combat this dangerous cultural message. Advising readers to look hard at the societal cues that cause them to obsess about their weight, and to remain mindful about their actions and needs, this book will not only help stop the cycle of guilt and shame associated with food, it will help readers to grow and accept their bodies as they are.

Author: Dr. Faith E. Hartie
Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 1098070615
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 138

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Book Description
Dr. Faith on Faith: The Realities is an inspirational read on the power and the impact of faith in the lives of everyday people and beyond. The focus is how we interact with ourselves during our "self-to-self" and our "self-to-others" life moments. The human experiences shared are compelling but still relatable and adaptable for most. The internal, invisible, and foundational faith we inherently possess ignites many psychological and physiological sentiments in us as we proceed to formulate various aspects of our global society here on earth. Numerous challenges of the social, political, economical, and emotional strata perpetuate reactions warranting expressed behaviors of love, devastation, hatred, community, struggle, apathy, empathy, sympathy, tolerance, and indulgence. The human race's prospective on faith's potency and significance in life can undoubtedly influence and or deter one's direction or chosen path of action. Your ideologies, trust, belief, conviction, and confidence serve as the fundamental pillars of your faith indoctrination. Christianity, Catholicism, Judaism, Jehovah, Hinduism, Buddhism, or Islam, the above mentioned and numerous other communities, are true believers in the Higher Power, and the generational doctrines are deeply rooted in the faith practices. Phenomenal acts of faith are recorded in history from BC to AD. Miracles and inexplicable acts that have changed the world are still occurring. Most kingdoms, countries, and continents have been affected and effected by the power and determination of faith warriors and the power of the Almighty. Men, women, boys, and girls around the world are influenced by generational faith practices, religious doctrines, and human interactions. This account of faith power is written to uphold and promote the undeniable strength, capacity, fortitude, sanctity, and gratifying spirituality that your faith provides in each and every aspect of your life. Faith rules!