Neighboring Faiths Quotes

“Example 2. Schmidt’s method began with the indisputable observation that the history of human people is a long story of innumerable migrations. So, let us imagine a geographical area occupied by two different tribes, call them A and B, and that a part of the territory occupied by tribe A bisects the territory of tribe B, as shown in Figure 1.3. Figure 1.3. Geographical layout of two hypothetical cultures It is a safe assumption that one tribe migrated into the area ahead of the other one.[21] If A arrived earlier, then B would presumably have appeared as a unified tribe, but then split up and settled on the two sides of A’s unusually narrow extension. The previously unencumbered existence of this extension would be rather unusual since B’s settlement demonstrates that both adjoining sides are capable of sustaining life. On the other hand, if B had settled there earlier, it would have existed as a geographically unified tribe for a time until it was divided by A’s invasion, a far more common occurrence. Already it would appear that the latter option is more likely, but let us propose some further data to support the conclusion. Suppose that culture A has many more cultural “forms” than culture B. By forms Schmidt meant parts of objects that do not contribute directly to their pure function, such as decorations on pottery, curved ends of hunting bows or special designs on clothes. In this theoretical example we stipulate that these and other similar items are found in A, but not in B. If A had been there first, B would have needed to subdue A in A’s former territory, and we should expect to find residual forms of A’s culture (technically called “survivals”) in B’s area, but we stipulated that forms that are popular in A are not present in B’s territory. All other things being equal, it seems pretty clear that the people of tribe A came later into this territory than those of B, and that A brought cultural innovations that B is lacking. Most probably, then, B is therefore, the older culture.”
― Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions

“Example 1. The first illustration is essentially a thought experiment. Let us begin by assuming that there are four adjoining cultures, each of which tells a slightly different version of a story. Let us label them A through D. Table 1.1 gives us the four variants of the simple story. All other things being equal, which culture is most likely to have originated that myth? A possible answer is found by looking for the culture that has the most in common with the other three, and that, therefore, is most likely the one that has the fewest innovations. We notice that each of the versions differs by exactly one detail, but there is one that has all of the details that are dispersed over the others, namely B. Thus, it makes sense to infer that B is the original, and that A, C, and D represent variations on C. Assuming one culture of origin and a direct link between it and the receptor cultures, if any of the other three cultures were the source, the transmission would have had to undergo two modifications in two of them, one of which would have been the identical change, occurring independently. This is not impossible, but the probabilities against it are much higher.”
― Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions

“The most widely held theory was not actually that religion began with mana but that it started with animism. This theory was defended forcefully by E. B. Tylor and his disciples, such as Andrew Lang. But as Lang was surveying the many anthropological reports about local cultures, specifically those coming out of Australia, he realized that while many tribes lived on an animistic level, there were some who held a belief in a single god, which could not have evolved out of animism.[18] Thus he stipulated that there could be two ways that religion could originate, either with animism, in line with Tylor’s theory, or, as he had just discovered, directly with monotheism. Lang conceded that he could not judge which of these two possibilities might have occurred earlier in time. He was able to show that the monotheism of these cultures was not the result of influence from, say, Christian or Muslim missionaries, and that it was intrinsic to the cultures, but he could not demonstrate that it was the starting point for all of religion, though he was strongly inclined that way. It was at this point that Wilhelm Schmidt put the theory of original monotheism on sound footing. He refined a method called culture-history, which had already been used by other scholars, such as Fritz Graebner (who also did not share Lang’s conclusion). The purpose of culture-history was to identify a chronological sequence among prehistorical cultures, truly an ambitious undertaking, but not an impossible one.”
― Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions

“This tendency toward magic and ritual is almost prevalent enough to be elevated to the level of a law analogous to the second law of thermodynamics, according to which randomness increases within any closed physical system: A religious culture left without strong guidance will tend toward increased ritual and magic.[25]”
― Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions

“Under the model of original monotheism we can draw three basic inferences. Figure 1.4. Decay of religions First, there is one decisive change—the move away from monotheism. This change has to be seen as a falling away, perhaps best understood as decay or corruption. Human beings turn away from God to something else: other gods, spirits, nature, even themselves. Apparently the God of the sky seemed too remote. In times of personal crises—a sick child, crop failure, marital problems—people believed that they needed more immediate help. Invoking the aid of fetishes or spirits seemed more potent. Thus God receded behind other spiritual powers. In biblical terms people worshiped the creation instead of the Creator. Second, there is no clear pattern in which this departure typically takes place. Monotheism could turn into henotheism, polytheism or animism. But one thing is certain: as monotheism was left behind, ritual and magic increased. This is not to say these elements do not occur within a fairly stable monotheistic context (of course they do!). However, once human beings abandon faith in one almighty, all-knowing God, the role that they play in attempting to find their own way in a world apparently dominated by spiritual forces becomes far more central, leading to an increase in spiritual manipulation techniques, such as magic and ritual. Third, once monotheism is abandoned, change usually continues to occur. Again, there is no mandatory sequence in which things rearrange themselves, but an increase in ritual and magic is most likely to be a part of it. Every once in a while throughout history, reform movements have called a culture back to a renewed awareness of God. Zoroastrianism and Islam are clear examples of such events. When they happen, even though there may be initial enthusiasm, chances are that there will also be an increase in tension between the idealists who are promoting the return to monotheism and those who do not feel free to give up their traditional faiths. This phenomenon may give rise to a serious tension between the ideal version of the religion and how its adherents actually practice it (they usually cling to rituals and veneration of spirits). In contrast to the neat pyramid associated with the evolutionary view (fig. 1.1), monotheism carries the liability of a tendency toward magic and ritual (fig. 1.3).”
― Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions

“In almost all traditional contexts—in Africa, America, Australia, Asia or Europe—we find belief in a God located in the sky (or on a high mountain) and almost always referred to with masculine language. This God creates the world (usually directly, although in a few stories through an agent such as a son). He provides standards of behavior, which he may enforce with lightning bolts. Particularly in later cultures, he stands apart from the routine worship of other gods and spirits. The stories about him demonstrate a memory of a time when this God was worshiped regularly, but something intervened. Many (but not all) cultures that refer to this interruption explain that it happened because this God did not receive the obedience due him. Depending on the specific culture, this God now receives varying amounts of recognition. In some cultures he is called on only in times of calamity; in some he is worshiped by a special group of people only; in a number of cultures he continues to be recognized. But, to come back to Schmidt’s conclusions, among all of these traditional cultures, it was the most ancient (that is, materially least developed) cultures that featured exclusive worship of God and almost no magic. These groups include African and Filipino Pygmies, Australian Aborigines and several Native American tribes. Each group strongly believes in a Creator God and practices little or no animism or magic. Thus Schmidt concluded that there is solid evidence for an original monotheism.[22”
― Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions

“Please remember that I am giving these two examples only as simplified illustrations of how the culture-historical method of Schmidt and his colleagues worked. By the use of this method Schmidt was able to demonstrate the relative age of various cultures, even if they were in close geographic proximity to each other and therefore, ultimately, which were the oldest, manifesting the fewest cultural accretions. These cultures were, in fact, not only the materially least developed cultures but also precisely the ones that fell in line with the originally monotheistic cultures, as stipulated already by Lang.”
― Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions

“In many cultures that are primarily animistic but also recognize a supreme god, the mythologies usually refer to a time when the relationship between the high god and human beings was closer than it is today, so that the notion of the anticipation of a future development does not fit at all.”
― Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions

“However, there are two other sources that can provide evidence for an original monotheism: early scriptures of religions with roots in the ancient world and the anthropological method, the very means by which scholars had attempted to demonstrate an evolution of religion. Virtually every religious culture carries a vestige of monotheism that can be identified as a variation of the nine-point description. And the tribes that are least developed in terms of their overall material culture provide some of the strongest support for original monotheism.”
― Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions

“What did such an original monotheism look like? Genesis 4:26 refers to the origins of religion when it says, “Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD” (NASB). This verse occurs right after it is mentioned that Adam and Eve had another son, Seth, and that Seth had a son of his own called Enosh. What can we piece together about this first form of religion from the first chapters of Genesis? There is one God who has personhood (as opposed to being an impersonal force). God is referred to with masculine grammar and has masculine qualities. God apparently lives in the sky (heaven). God has great knowledge and power. God created the world. God is the author of standards of good and evil. Human beings are God’s creatures and are expected to abide by God’s standards. Human beings have become alienated from God by disobeying God’s standards. God has provided a method of overcoming the alienation. Originally this reconciliation involved sacrificing animals on an altar of uncut stone.”
― Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions

“As opposed to the previous naturalistic models of religion, original monotheism locates the beginnings of religion in God. This approach finds a home within the religious context itself. Someone who believes in the Bible or the Qur’an, for example, would hold that the reality of God preceded human awareness of God. People responded to God’s self-disclosure, and religion came into existence. Any changes in religion consist of either a closer approach to or a deviation from the divine disclosure.”
― Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions