The Meaning Of Religion: Lectures In The Phenomenology Of Religion

THE MEANING OF RELIGION THE MEANING OF RELIGION LECTURES IN THE PHENOMENOLOG Y OF RELIGION By the late PROF. W. BREDE KRISTENSEN W itk an introduction by PROF. HENDRIK KRAEMER Translated by lOHN B. CARMAN • Springer-Science+Business Media, B.Y. 1960 Published with a grant trom the N etherlands Organization tor the Advancement ot Pure Research ISBN 978-94-017-6451-3 ISBN 978-94-017-6580-0 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-6580-0 Copyright I960 by Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht All rights reserved, including the right to translate or to reproduce this book or parts thereot in any torm Originally published by Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlands in 1960. Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover 1st edition 1960 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction by XI HENDRIK KRAEMER Translator' s Foreword XXVII I. General Introduction a. The Phenomenology of Religion b. The 'Holy' c. The Two Types of Religious Orientation PART I. 1 15 18 COSMOLOGY 2. Introduction to Cosmology a. The Meaning of 'Cosmos' b. Particular Religious Conceptions of Cosmic Order c. The Worship of Nature (Nature Religion) 3. The Worship qf the Sky and qf Celestial Bodies a. The Heavens (The Sky) b. Heavenly Bodies c. The 'Seven Planets' (Sun, Moon, Venus, ]upiter, Mars, Mercury, Satum) The Religious Basis of Astrological Views, 52. d. The Sun e. The Moon 4. The Worship qf Earth Gods a. The Sacred Earth Determination of F ate by Gods of the Earth, 101. b. Tree Gods and Plant Gods c. Gods of the Water d. Sacred Fire 27 27 29 34 40 40 51 52 62 77 88 88 110 119 134 VIII TABLE OF CONTENTS 5. Particular Gods and Gods Personifying Concepts a. Particular Gods b. Momentary Gods c. Gods Personifying Attributes or Concepts 145 145 149 149 6. The Worship of Animals 152 7. Totemism 164 8. Animistic and Dynamistic Ideas 173 PART 11. ANTHROPOLOGY 9. Man's Origin 189 10. Man' s 'Vital Principle' 194 11. The Soul 203 12. Attributes and Capacities of Man 216 13. Similarity and Difference Between Man and God a. Similarity to God b. Difference from God 239 239 253 14. Religious Speculation Concerning Man' s Essence 260 15. Man's Law of Lift a. General Remarks b. The Religio-Ethical Law of Life (a Phenomenological Description) c. The Conflict Between Heteronomy and Autonomy d. The Demonic God e. Conc1uding Remarks 267 267 16. The Course of The Individual' s Lift a. Birth b. Baptism and Infant Baptism c. Transition to Adulthood d. The Wedding e. Death 304 306 312 316 320 326 17. Lift in Society 342 272 280 290 297 TABLE OF CONTENTS IX PART 111. CULTUS A. CONCRETE OBJECTIFICATIONS 18. Introduction 19. Sacred Places a. Places Naturally Sacred b. Sacred Cities and Countries c. Temples as Sacred Places d. The Throne of Kings and Gods 20. Sacred Times 21. Sacred Images a. The Religious Meaning of the Image b. The Relation of the Sacred Image to Art c. Religious Symbols d. Immaterial Images The Shadow, 410. The Name, 411. B. 355 357 357 362 368 375 377 389 389 396 400 410 CULTIC ACTS 22. Prayer 417 23. The Oatk and the Curse 427 a. The Oath 427 b. The Curse 435 24. Ordeals 437 25. Ritual Purification 444 26. Sacraments 453 27. Sacrifice 458 a. The Offering 461 b. The Altar and the Sacrificial Implements 469 The Basin for Libations, 476. The Sacrificial Basket, 478. c. The Sacrificial Act 480 d. The Aim of Sacrifice 483 Sacrifices with Positive Effect, 483. Sacrifices with Negative Effect