social anthropology- What defines ‘religion’ as an anthropological field of study?

Essay Question: What defines ‘religion’ as an anthropological field of study?

Please write 2,000 words!!! no more no less, 10 percent leeway- more important information on how to write the essay linked in files, please read all of it

Please use Chicago style citation and use it throughout the entire essay when citing evidence, which should be A LOT because this is a research based and analytical essay and please create a bibliography at the end of the essay with all the sources cited in Chicago style citation

This essay is extremely research and analytical based… PLEASE READ ALL OF THIS!!! very important information Important notes on how to write the essay: This is a research essay which means it is extremely research based, factual, and analytical.

please do not start writing the essay until you have throughoughly done all of the research. please use the research and cite it thoroughly throughout the entire essay and use it A LOT and cite it at the end of the essay in a bibliography in Chicago style citation format IMPORTANT!!!- the essay should be written in proper format, using a thesis statements, topic sentences for each paragraph, transitions, introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion, it should flow together seamlessly. do not use titles for each paragraph, use transitions and introduction sentences. please use some ethnographic examples and citations please!!!

Helpful readings for this question:
• Asad, T. 1993. “The Construction of Religion as an Anthropological Category” in Geneaologies of Religion: Discipline and Reasons of Power in Christianity and Islam. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press.
• Bloch, M. 1974. “Symbols, Song, Dance and Features of Articulation: Is religion an extreme form of traditional authority?” European Journal of Sociology 15 (1): 55-81.
• Cannell, F. 2005. “The Christianity of Anthropology.” The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 11(2): 335-356.
• Geertz, C. 1966. “Religion as a Cultural System.” In Anthropological Approaches to the Study of Religion ed. Michael Banton. London: Tavistock.
• Mair, J. 2013. “Cultures of belief.” Anthropological Theory 12 (4): 448-466.

Answer & Explanation

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In anthropology, religion is typically defined as a set of beliefs, practices, and symbols that relate to the supernatural or sacred. It is a cultural phenomenon that varies widely across different societies and historical periods, and encompasses a wide range of practices such as rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices, prayers, and mythologies.

As an anthropological field of study, religion is approached through the lens of cultural relativ

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Step-by-step explanation

ism, which means that anthropologists seek to understand and interpret religious practices and beliefs in their specific cultural contexts. Anthropologists may examine how religious beliefs and practices intersect with other aspects of social life, such as politics, economics, gender, and kinship.

Anthropologists may also explore how religion shapes people’s worldviews, values, and identities, and how it serves to create and reinforce social cohesion and order within societies. Additionally, they may analyze how religion changes over time and how it is adapted to new cultural contexts or influences from other religions.

In sum, religion is an important anthropological field of study because it provides insights into the diverse ways that humans understand and interact with the supernatural, as well as how these beliefs and practices shape social and cultural life.

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