Midterm Q&A
1. List all of your postings.
2. Attendance: How many times late?
3. First digital Film: Name & describe.
4. How much have you read?
5. Give an example of a "consilience" explenation to one specific religious phenomenon.
6. How can the theory of memetics help in understanding WHY certain religions are more succesful than others (in terms of popularity) in the USA? Be sure to explain how memes are different from genes.
7. Describe how evolutionary theory (via natural selection as first presented by Charles Darwin and later Richard Dawkins) helps in understanding human migration, cultural development, and social identity.
8. Describe the difference between Islam and Christianity. Be specific. You may wish to use an outline format and references to other websites.
9. Why is the notion of "race" biologically obsolete, yet culturally viable?
10. Susan Blackmore argues that religions serve as meaning memeplexes. Why, then, does she argue that there is no real or permanent "self"? How do her views dovetail with Buddhism?
11. Explain how a religious idea/ritual/practice gets transformed in American soil.
12. Explain Peter Berger's concept of Heretical Imparitive and explain how it applies to religious pluralism in general.
13. Take ONE new religious movement and describe its influences in North America.
14. How would Nietzsche describe the "death" of God and the rise of new religions?
15. In what ways is the Radhasoami faith a TRANS-national movement?
16.Why does religious "diversity" almost always start with its founder? Explain in detail your answer.
17. How did Eckankar evolve out of Radhasoami? In addition, please explain genealogical dissociation and how it relates to the emergence of new religious movements.
17a. Describe two religions that were founded in America but are related to the Indian spiritual movement of Radhasoami. In what ways do these religions DIFFER?
17b. Is this MIDTERM you own work?
