• According to Nye, is religion inherently peaceful or violent?

• What is the TRC? What did it focus on? How is it connected to religion?

• What are four ways in which some Indigenous traditions have adapted to contemporary culture?

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River Church (Tampa, FL)

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Online Course Evaluations will be available for UTM students beginning March 19 until April 3rd at midnight; be sure to check your mail.utoronto.ca accounts!

Remember, evaluation forms can also be completed using hand-held devices in many Wi-Fi enabled locations on campus.

Visit http://uoft.me/courseevaluations for more information

COMINGSOON

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COURSE EVALUATIONS BENEFIT…

STUDENTS(YOU, when choosing your courses)

INSTRUCTORS(when developing your courses)

DEANS AND CHAIRS(when making important decisions for your courses and your programs)

Don’t miss your opportunity. Go to Portal today to complete evals and later, to see results.

http://uoft.me/course-evals

Grades

• Grades to be posted by April 10:

➡ Course participation (including tutorials, discussion boards, PELS, etc.)

➡ Remaining late Film Analysis Blog Posts

➡ Remaining late Field Research Outlines

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Exam

• Will have three days to write:

➡ From April 17 at12pm to April 20 @ 12pm

➡ Exam will not be timed (take as long as you want)

➡ Will be very similar to past RLG101 exams (took most students less than 3 hours)

➡ More detailed info on Wednesday

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12.1: Contemporary Religion

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Today

• Finish: contemporary religion

1. Are people less “religious” now?

2. Contemporary religions

3. “Non-religious” culture

4. Indigenous traditions

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2. Contemporary religions

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Contemporary Religions

• Ways in which religion has an impact on the world today:

1. Religions and nationalism

2. Religions and culture

3. Religions and violence

4. New religions

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• Religions and violence (p. 198-204)

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➡ USA + Christianity (mainly Protestantism)

➡ India + Hinduism

➡ Pakistan + Islam

➡ Ireland + Catholicism

➡ Israel + Judaism

➡ Myanmar + Buddhism

Contemporary Religions Bhagavad Gita

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• Thus says the Lord of hosts . . . “Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” (Hebrew Bible, 1 Samuel 15:2-3)

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“Golden Rule”

• “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Christianity)

• “Do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.” (Hinduism)

• “Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself.” (Islam)

• “Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” (Buddhism)

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• Religions and violence (p. 198-204)

➡ Is religion inherently violent or peaceful?

➡ Focus on people (e.g., actions, words)

➡ Actions: peaceful AND violent

➡ Words: peaceful AND violent

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Contemporary Religions

• New religions (p. 204–8)

1. Recently created traditions

➡ Scientology, Jediism, etc.

2. New traditions with old connections

➡ Paganism, spirituality, etc.

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Contemporary Religions

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Iceland: Revival of Norse Traditions

3. “Non-religious” culture

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“Non-religious” Culture

• Film, literature, TV, music, art, YouTube, sports, games, award shows, protests, etc.

➡ “Religions” (=specific traditions)

➡ “Religion” (=general / universal)

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Song!

• “Good as Hell” by Lizzo (2016)

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Boss up and change your lifeYou can have it all, no sacrifice

I know he did you wrong, we can make it rightSo go and let it all hang out tonight

I do my hair tossCheck my nails

Baby how you feelin’?Feeling good as hell

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• “Religion” (= general / universal)

• Meaningful beliefs and actions that are not part of specific traditions within the film

➡ Beliefs: be kind, responsible, etc.; no worries(Hakuna Matata!)

➡ Actions: Timon and Pumbaa befriend Simba; Simba’s rite of passage

Lion King

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• “Religions” (= specific traditions)

• Beliefs and actions that are part of fictional traditions within the world of the film

➡ E.g., Rafiki’s teachings + practices

• Symbolic references to real traditions

➡ E.g., Christianity!

Lion King

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“Messiah” = “Christ” = Anointed One”

“And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of

fire and sulphur.” (Revelation 20:10)

Darkness (Rev 16:10)

River Dried Up (Rev 16:12)

And the one who was seatedon the throne said,

“See, I am making all things new.” (Rev 21:5)

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Spider-Man: Homecoming

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Platoon Rocky

Spider-Man 2 Cool Hand Luke

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Alien 3

J E S U S

They can be a great people, Kal-El. They wish to be.

They only lack the light, to show the way.

For this reason, above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you.

My only son.

Superman Returns (2006)

Man of Steel

ACTUALJESUS!

4. Indigenous Traditions

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Residential Schools

• 134 federally government funded schools

• 1830s–1996 / ca. 150,000 children

• Point was to “civilize” Indigenous people

➡ Assimilate (re: language, culture, etc.)

• Separate children from families / traditions

➡ Not permitted to speak own languages or practice their own religions

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Residential Schools

• ca. 6,000 deaths (+ more unknown)

➡ Disease (tuberculosis) + malnutrition

➡ 1906 report: 75% of children died before 18

• Abuse: physical / psychological / sexual / spiritual

• Cut hair / shaved heads

• Given numbers

• Food experiments 49

Residential Schools

• Schools run by churches

➡ Catholic (60%)

➡ Anglican (30%)

➡ United (10%)

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Egerton Ryerson

• Chief Superintendent of Education in Upper Canada (1844-1876)

“The North American Indian cannot be civilized or preserved in a state of

civilization . . . except in connection with, if not by the influence of, not only

religious instruction and sentiment but of religious feelings.” (1847)

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Apologies• Churches: Anglican (1993), Presbyterian (1994),

United (1998)

➡ Catholic: still waiting . . .

• 1998: Canadian government re: physical and sexual abuse at residential schools

• 2004: RCMP

• 2008: Canadian government re: schools overall

➡ Announced the TRC 52

Prime Minister Stephen Harper (June 2008):

“The treatment of children in Indian Residential Schools is a sad chapter in our history. . . Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great

harm, and has no place in our country.”

“The government recognizes that the absence of an apology has been an impediment to healing and

reconciliation.  Therefore, on behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, I stand before you . . . to

apologize to Aboriginal peoples for Canada’s role in the Indian Residential Schools system.”

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TRC• Truth and Reconciliation Commission

➡ Focus on Residential Schools

• June 2008 to December 2015

• Interviewed ca. 6,000 school survivors

• Reviewed schools’ records

• Reviewed government documents

• Issued 94 calls to action

➡ Many involve education / schools 54

Cat Criger: UTM Elder

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• Cayuga, of the Haudenosaunee(Iroquois)

• Training: Anishinaabe

• Indigenous people and traditions still exist!

➡ Impacted by colonialism, genocide, etc.

• Many modern forms mix old with new

➡ Maori: full moko on women

➡ Yoruba: Ogun (god of war) connected to welders, car mechanics, and chauffeurs

➡ Painting, literature, film, music

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Indigenous Traditions

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