Basic Religion

Summary

Dr. Owen Anderson explores the concept of 'basic religions,' identifying common structures across various cultures. He discusses the existence of an original deity, lesser spirits guiding humans, and the importance of rituals for salvation. The video delves into the roles of priests, the presence of magic, and the quest for insight through religious experiences. Anderson also touches on reincarnation and the afterlife, comparing these elements to Christianity and examining how European Christians may have adapted their faith to align with pre-existing basic religious beliefs.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Basic religions are shared belief systems among various people groups, with a similar structure despite differences in language and cultural details.
• 👉 The concept of an original deity coexists with a beginningless material substance, which is used to form the world and everything as we know it.
• 🔮 Lesser spirits or gods are created by the original deity to shape the world and guide humans, while the original deity remains distant and often unaware of human affairs.
• 🙏 Prayers are directed towards lesser deities, spirits, or even deceased ancestors who act as spirit guides and intercessors in one's life.
• 🔄 Salvation from suffering is believed to come through the performance of rituals, which are thought to bring blessings and positive outcomes.
• 📜 The necessity of rituals leads to the existence of a priestly class, who are trained to perform these rituals and are set apart from the rest of society.
• 🧙‍♂️ Some individuals are believed to possess magical powers that can be controlled and learned, often requiring specialized training or contact with powerful entities.
• ✨ There are two types of magic described: one is an occult force that works at a distance, similar to gravity, and the other is personal magic that involves making deals with demons or other entities.
• 🌿 Insight and spiritual experiences are often sought through extreme physical stress or the use of hallucinogenic substances, which are considered more real than ordinary life.
• 🔥 Reincarnation or an afterlife is a common teaching, where the soul continues its journey, cleansed through rituals and experiences to eventually reach a higher state.
• 🏔 Beliefs about the soul's journey often include the idea of purgation or cleansing rituals to prepare for spiritual acts or to ascend to a higher spiritual plane.
• 📖 The script discusses the comparison between basic religions and Christianity, questioning how much of Christianity is a call to repent from these basic religious practices and how much it adapts to them.

Q & A

What is the concept of 'basic religion' as discussed by Dr. Owen Anderson?

The concept of 'basic religion' refers to a set of fundamental beliefs shared by numerous people groups, which may vary in details and names due to language differences but maintain a strikingly similar structure across different cultures and regions.

What is the role of the original deity in basic religions according to the transcript?

In basic religions, the original deity exists alongside a beginningless material substance, which is often considered as the deity's body. This substance is used to form the Earth and the world as we know it.

How are lesser spirits or gods related to the original deity in basic religions?

The original deity creates other spirits or gods in basic religions. These lesser beings are responsible for making the world and guiding humans, while the original deity remains distant, hidden, and often unaware of humans.

What is the significance of rituals in basic religions?

Rituals in basic religions are crucial for salvation from suffering and evils. They are believed to bring blessings when performed correctly, and thus require a priestly class trained in their duties.

How do people in basic religions interact with the spiritual world?

People in basic religions often interact with lesser deities, spirits, or even dead ancestors who take on the role of spirit guides. Prayer and rituals are common methods of interaction.

What is the role of the priestly class in basic religions?

The priestly class in basic religions is responsible for performing rituals and maintaining religious practices. They are set apart from others due to their specialized knowledge and role in connecting the community with the spiritual world.

What are the two kinds of magic mentioned in the transcript?

The two kinds of magic mentioned are an occult force that works at a distance, similar to gravity, and personal magic that involves contacting powerful forces, often requiring something in return, such as a deal with a demon.

How do special religious experiences provide insight in basic religions?

Special religious experiences, often induced by drugs or physical stress, are believed to provide true insights beyond ordinary living experiences. These experiences are considered more real and are highly valued in basic religions.

What is the concept of reincarnation or an afterlife in basic religions?

In basic religions, the concept of reincarnation or an afterlife involves the soul's journey, where it continues on after death to make up for past mistakes and be cleansed through rituals.

How does the idea of purgatory relate to the concept of cleansing rituals in basic religions?

Purgatory, as a concept, is similar to the idea of cleansing rituals in basic religions where the soul goes through a process of purgation to be cleansed of evil before it can reach a higher spiritual state.

How does Dr. Owen Anderson suggest comparing Christianity with basic religions?

Dr. Owen Anderson suggests examining Christianity for its similarities and differences with basic religions, particularly looking at how European Christians adapted Christianity to their prior beliefs and practices, and how it was presented to other cultures, such as by the Franciscans in the Southwest.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Basic Religions and Deities

Dr. Owen Anderson introduces the concept of basic religions, which are shared by various cultural groups despite differences in language and specific details. The structure of basic religions typically includes an original deity and a beginningless material substance from which the world is formed. Lesser spirits or gods are created by the original deity to shape the world and guide humans. The regional deity is often distant and hidden from human interaction, with rituals being performed by a priestly class to ensure blessings and salvation from suffering.

05:00

🧙‍♂️ Magic, Rituals, and Spiritual Insights

The script discusses the presence of magical powers in the world and the existence of two types of magic: one that operates like a force at a distance, similar to gravity, and another that is personal and involves making deals with powerful entities, often at the cost of one's soul. Additionally, the paragraph explores the idea of special religious experiences that provide insight, which may be induced by physical stress or the use of substances like peyote. These experiences are considered more real than ordinary life, and the paragraph also touches on the concept of reincarnation and afterlife, where the soul continues its journey and undergoes cleansing rituals.

10:01

🛐 Purgatory, Reincarnation, and Adaptation of Christianity

In this paragraph, the concept of purgatory is presented as a place of purification where the soul is cleansed before it is ready for heaven. The idea of transmigration of the soul or reincarnation is also discussed, with the ultimate goal being to escape the cycle of rebirth. The paragraph then shifts focus to the study of how Christianity has been adapted by European Christians, particularly the Franciscans and Jesuits, when they encountered indigenous peoples in the Southwest. It questions whether Christianity was presented as a call to repent from basic religions or if it was adapted to fit the existing European version of basic religion, complete with Spanish names and cultural practices.

Keywords

💡Basic Religions

Basic religions refer to a set of fundamental belief systems shared by various cultural groups, often with similar structural elements despite differences in language and specific details. In the video, Dr. Owen Anderson discusses basic religions as having a common structure that can be identified across different parts of the world, even among groups with no known contact. This concept is central to understanding the theme of the video, which explores the similarities and variations in religious beliefs and practices.

💡Original Deity

The term 'original deity' is used to describe a supreme being or god that exists alongside a beginningless material substance in basic religious belief systems. According to the script, this deity is often distant and hidden from humans, creating other spirits or gods who are more directly involved in the creation and guidance of the world and humans. The concept is used to illustrate the hierarchical structure of spiritual beings in these religions and how they relate to the creation of the world.

💡Lesser Spirits

Lesser spirits or gods are entities created by the original deity that are responsible for the actual formation of the world and the guidance of humans. In the video, they are depicted as intermediaries between humans and the distant original deity, playing a crucial role in daily human interactions and religious practices. This concept is essential for understanding the dynamics of spiritual communication and the role of various divine beings in basic religions.

💡Prayer

Prayer is a religious practice where individuals communicate with spiritual entities, such as lesser deities, spirits, or even deceased ancestors. In the context of the video, prayer is highlighted as a common feature of basic religions, where individuals seek intercession and help from these spiritual entities in their lives. The concept is used to demonstrate the active engagement of individuals with the spiritual realm in their pursuit of blessings and guidance.

💡Rituals

Rituals are formalized actions or ceremonies performed to achieve spiritual goals, such as salvation from suffering or to appease spiritual entities. The script mentions that rituals are a key component of basic religions, often requiring precise performance to ensure blessings and positive outcomes. The concept of rituals is integral to the video's exploration of how religious practices are embedded in cultural norms and expectations.

💡Priestly Class

A priestly class refers to individuals who are specially trained and set apart from the rest of society to perform religious duties, including the conduct of rituals. In the video, the priestly class is depicted as essential for the proper performance of rituals and maintaining the spiritual order. This concept is used to illustrate the social structure and division of religious labor within basic religious societies.

💡Magic

Magic, in the context of the video, is the ability to access and control supernatural powers, which can be categorized into two types: force-like magic that operates at a distance and personal magic that involves direct contact with powerful entities, often with a cost. The script discusses the role of magic in basic religions as a means for individuals to influence the world around them and interact with the spiritual realm. This concept is crucial for understanding the belief in supernatural forces and their application in everyday life.

💡Special Religious Experiences

Special religious experiences are profound encounters with the spiritual realm, often induced by extreme physical conditions or the use of psychoactive substances. The video describes these experiences as providing insights that are considered more truthful than ordinary life experiences. The concept is used to explore the value placed on altered states of consciousness and their role in accessing divine knowledge or wisdom within basic religions.

💡Reincarnation

Reincarnation is the belief in the transmigration of the soul through a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. In the video, it is mentioned as a teaching about the continuation of the soul's journey, where past mistakes are made up for and the soul is cleansed. This concept is integral to the discussion of the afterlife and the spiritual progression of individuals in basic religious belief systems.

💡Cleansing Rituals

Cleansing rituals are practices performed to purify individuals in preparation for special religious acts or to set them apart from ordinary life. The script discusses these rituals as a common feature in basic religions, often involving physical stress or deprivation to achieve a state of purification. The concept is used to illustrate the importance of physical and spiritual purification in religious practices and the journey towards spiritual enlightenment or readiness for divine encounters.

💡Christianity and Basic Religions

The video explores the relationship between Christianity and basic religions, examining the extent to which Christianity calls for repentance from the practices of basic religions and the degree to which European Christians adapted Christianity to align with their pre-existing basic religious beliefs. This concept is central to the video's theme, as it delves into the syncretism and transformation of religious beliefs in the context of cultural encounters and conversions.

Highlights

Basic religions share a similar structure despite differences in details and language.

Original deity exists alongside a beginningless material substance, forming the world out of the deity's body.

Creation of lesser spirits or gods by the original deity, who then shape the world and guide humans.

Regional deity is distant and often unaware of humans, with interaction primarily with lesser spirits.

Prayer to lesser deities, spirits, or dead ancestors for intercession and help in life.

Salvation from suffering is achieved through rituals performed by a priestly class.

Rituals are necessary for blessings, such as rain, and require a specialized knowledge of religious duties.

Gifted humans can access and control magical powers, with two kinds of magic described: occult forces and personal contact with demons.

Insight through special religious experiences, often induced by drugs or physical stress.

Special religious experiences are considered more true than ordinary living experiences.

Teaching about reincarnation or an afterlife where the soul continues its journey and is cleansed.

Cleansing rituals are common to set individuals apart for special religious acts.

Belief in the transmigration of the soul and the goal to escape the cycle of reincarnation.

Studying a given religion involves identifying similarities and differences with basic religions.

Christianity's call to repent from basic religions and the adaptation of Christianity by European Christians.

The encounter of Franciscans and Jesuits with Native Americans and the adaptation of Christianity to fit a European version of basic religion.

The Spanish identity as Christian Crusaders and their influence on the interpretation of Christianity for other cultures.

The potential for Christianity to be perceived as another version of basic religions, especially in non-European contexts.

Transcripts

welcome this is Dr Owen Anderson and

we're talking about basic religions

this assumes that we already know what

religion is that religion's a set of

basic beliefs that we use to give

meaning to our experiences and so we

want to look at basic religion or basic

religions as sort of religions that

numerous people groups sharing comments

even though some of the details and

obviously the names because of the

language differences those things are

different there's a very strikingly

similar structure

I want to get to know what that is so

that when we encounter it in one area of

the world and then we encounter it in a

completely separate area of the world

that's not in contact with the first one

uh we could say yeah that's that's basic

religion they have that in common

even though it didn't seem to have a

contact that we know of

so some features of this

one the original deity

exists

alongside

a beginningless

material substance

so two things

or is that substance

such as uh the deity

and his body

so that the world is formed

the Earth and as we now know it

out of this substance or the body of God

I'll say the deity because we're going

to use the word god differently

so this deity

creates

other spirits

or gods

who then are the ones who make this

world and guide humans

the regional deity

is now distant

hidden

unaware of us

some version of that

so we'll see that when we look at what

are called The hohokum Chronicles

where the world is made out of the stuff

of the world is made out of the original

deity's body

but then lesser Spirits are created to

form that stuff into what we now see

around us

and so human interaction is almost

always just with these other Spirits or

gods

you don't you don't have any interaction

with that original deity or very little

second

prayer

to these lesser deities

or spirits

or dead ancestors

because the dead often take on that role

of one of these Spirit guides also

so you pray to a dead relative

for intercession

to help you in this life

very common and that the dead may

require rituals out of you that's the

next one salvation

from suffering

is through

suffering and evils is through rituals

you have to perform certain rituals

exactly right

and if you do that then the blessing

happens like rain comes

and so this requires

performance of rituals

requires a Priestly class

trained in their

duties

so you have to have priests who are

especially religious they're set apart

from everyone else

and they know the rituals and you don't

so you better make sure the priests

don't get unhappy with you

or it goes the other way too if the

priests are doing their work but they're

not doing the outcome that your culture

wants

then the culture can get mad at the

priests and and execute them and sorrow

new priests

so you have um

gifted humans

who can access

magical powers in the world

and learn to control these

so there are magical powers in the world

and

you want to learn to control them

I'm going to say two kinds of magic here

you want to learn to control them and so

you might have to send your kid to uh

training school

to learn how to become a witch and use a

wand and and uh say spells

people really like that kind of story

and only special people can do that the

ordinary people you can even have a term

for the ordinary people can't do it

and there's two kinds of magic what I

mean by that is sometimes magic is a

force not unlike gravity

it's called Uh I put a parenthesis

within a parenthesis an occult Force

at a distance

so

just like gravity you might say without

touching the Moon

Earth keeps gravity in its orbit

gravity seems to work at a distance like

that

so there's this kind of magic where

I don't have to push your shoulder I can

say some word and go like this and

across the room you get pushed away

right

Abracadabra boom and you fly over there

that's just a force you just got to know

the right words and it happens but then

there's also magic that's personal

where you contact something often called

a demon and you say look if I promise my

soul can I please get a girlfriend

and they'll say yeah sure sign right

here in your blood and you get a

girlfriend so that's not the same as the

first kind but that's another view of

magic is that you're you're contacting

powerful forces

they can do things for you

and they often want something in return

so gifted humans

who can access those things

then there's um insight

through

special religious experiences

often brought on by drugs

or physical stress

you uh distress your body

maybe you get super dehydrated

super tired and super hungry you don't

eat you don't sleep and you don't drink

water

and you go wandering in the desert and

in that condition a spirit talks to you

and gives you some insights

or you use peyote

or Soma

you throw the Soma in a fire

and as it burns and you're inhaling the

smoke you're dancing around it which is

also making your body exhausted

and dehydrated and the combination of

breathing in the Soma fumes and being

dehydrated again you're spoken to by a

spirit

and you get insights so the idea is that

these special religious experiences

are more true

than our ordinary living experience

rather than the other side you might go

the other way and say well obviously

that's a hallucination right there's

nothing to do with reality I was tired

and breathing in Soma

this is reality my normal experiences

but in these religions they invert that

and say no this is when you're actually

in touch with reality

some teaching about reincarnation

or an afterlife

where you continue on your Soul's

Journey

and make up for past mistakes

your soul has to be cleansed I should

put this up here real quick

through rituals

very common are cleansing rituals to set

you apart for special religious Acts

and I put that up there cleansing

rituals to set you apart for specialist

acts first you go through the cleansing

ritual then you go on your your uh

Journey

we're dehydrated et cetera you have the

special related screen so that comes

down here this is a continuation of

of uh cleansing

or purgation

of your soul

so you'll find that in the Roman Church

the teaching of this exact word

purgatory

you're not stuck in hell forever but

you're not good you're not ready for

heaven so you go somewhere else where

evil is burned off of you

you go through purgation

so you're ready

to climb the mountain

and and view God

who's distant

to climb a mountain to get to God

so some belief about that the

transmigration of the Soul

reincarnation usually means I was in

another body now I'm in this one then

I'll be in another one but usually in

any reincarnation system the goal is to

get out of your body

to go on this kind of Journey

you don't just want to reincarnate

forever

then eight

I said that's seven that's why I have

seven I'm gonna say um

so when we're studying

a given religion we can see

similarities

with this basic religion

there's gonna be differences but there's

I would argue more similarities

and so in our case we want to look at

ways where Christianity

how much is Christianity a call to

repent from this religion

and how much did European Christians

adapt Christianity

to their uh prior

European version

of

basic religion

you understand the difference between

those that's

uh

to what extent is Christianity saying

repent

from idolatry

and return to the Living God

versus when we encounter Christians

let's say the franciscans in the

Southwest

and when they're explaining Christianity

to the Pueblo

the way they're explaining it sound just

like another one of the basic religions

the European version with European names

particularly Spanish names

the Spanish at that time had been in a

long uh conflict with Islam

they had just

retake in the Iberian Peninsula from

Islam

right before Columbus sailed

and so they view the sailing of Columbus

as another part of the Crusades against

Islam

and so they're very set on their

identity as Spanish Christians

so then they encounter other peoples and

we're going to look in the details of

you know what did the franciscans first

and then Jesuits tell

the Native Americans the Southwest

and to what extent was that another

version of the basic religions versus

biblical Christianity

so basic religions and we could do that

in numerous parts of the world

not just the Southwest that's one area

of research right now for me but we can

look at that in other areas as well

so basic religions

not every basic religion has all of

these but they have most of these in

some variation