Geertz and Culture

«LS2»The purpose of this research is to examine, from the point of view of two different cultures, Clifford Geertz's definition of religion as a set of symbols that establish powerful moods and motivations by way of a concept of a general order of existence, clothed by an aura of factuality that makes the moods and motivations seem realistic. The plan of the research will be to set forth the ethnographic context from which the definition will be discussed, and then to explore what Geertz's definition suggests in terms of the manner in which religions change.

Perhaps the most direct way of describing the ethnographic context for Geertz's definition of religion is to suggest that it is consistent with a kind of ethnography that looks for a religious context for particular manifestations of general religious principles in the culture. Such an approach is evident in Geertz's own examination of the Balinese culture. In an essay on the tradition of the Balinese cockfight, for example, Geertz explains various connections between the fighting cock, virtually the only animal that the Balinese treat with respect and care, and the supernatural, particularly the fearful supernatural:

«IP5,5»Most demons are represented--in sculpture, dance, ritual, myth--in some real or fantastic animal form. . . . In identifying with his cock, the Balinese man is identifying not just with his ideal self, or even his penis, but a

. . .
e, where other men of the village parley with the presumed devils, then expel them in a sham fight from the assembly house. All of this symbology is intended to expel the demons that the costumed men personify. Indeed, they are quite literally "clothed" conceptions of an appropriate way of dealing with the problem of evil. The repeated reenactment of the ritual would appear to have the effect of renewing the forces of universal good over the accumulation of instances of evil in vulgar experience. Geertz's definition seems especially suited to describing religions that rely a good deal on two features: universality within a culture and a strong component of magic. The universality or hegemony of a religion contributes to strengthening explanations of a general order of existence. In cultures where there is no religious competition, there seems less likelihood that the orthodox world view could be questioned, and this would be no less true in the case of European Christianity in the Middle Ages than in the case of the Kwaio in the modern period. In such cultures, independent thought may be discouraged, but the more relevant point is that such thought is less likely, particularly if members of the culture have no particular resource
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
I9 Frazer's, Clifford Geertz's, II182-3 Frazer, Powers Darkness, Roman Catholicism, Ages Kwaio, Indians California, Antioch Review«MDNM», , geertz's definition, Armin Geertz, frazer 1981, geertz's definition religion, geertz 1974, irwin 1994, modern period, ethnographic context, aura factuality, moods motivations, primitive religion, content primitive religion, geertz «mdul»religion«mdnm» «mdul»24«mdnm», o'connor 1994,
Approximate Word count = 1321
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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