This course can be seen as an example of a scientific study of religion due to the fact that throughout this course we have examined the study of religion as social scientists examining different aspects of culture value and beliefs. The critical analysis of different religions within society is an objective scientific study that provides insight onto other cultures globally.
2. Apply Chidester’s theory that pop culture can do the work of religion (from the “Church of Baseball” chapter) and explain how we could theorize a “Church of the iPhone” using specific examples.
Chidester’s theory that popular culture can do the work of religion can be applied to many things consumed in society such as his example of “church of baseball”. One example of this could be the idea of “the church of iPhone. As Chidester’s stated in his essay, baseball presents a sense of uniformity. This can also be applied to the church of iPhone as many people may view their technology as being a part of a larger community of iPhone users who can use their apps and social networking sites within their phone to communicate.
3. After reading Deborah Root’s article, do you think Root would consider Grey Owl the kind of “white Indian” that reproduces a colonial problem?
After reading Deborah Root’s article I believe that she would consider Grey Owl as a kind of “White Indian” that reproduces a colonial problem. She perhaps would consider Grey Owl as a “wanna-be” and not as a true native. She believes that the white Indian have a sense of authority that allows them to believe that they have a right to be a part of a community they do not belong to.
4. Choose a recent film not covered in our course and briefly describe how it fits into the Monomyth.
A recent film that fits into the Monomyth could be Finding Nemo. This could be seen as a Monomyth journey as Nemo’s father departs on a journey with a goofy