The Culture of Experience

...

Clifford Geertz a Cultural System

Geertz’s definition of religion implies that many others have employed, borrowed, and adapted in studying religion. Geertz's definition conveys a starting place for one’s understanding of religion in this social scientific approach. It submits that every group, every individual, might may have a religion, even if they do not believe in a god or an afterlife or any of the more customary aspects of established religion. According to Geertz, religion is " (1) a system of symbols (2) which acts to establish powerful, pervasive and long-lasting moods and motivations in men (3) by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and (4) clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that (5) the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic." He explains each of these five points:

- Religion is a structure of symbols: Symbols can be images; they may also be objects, acts, relationships, events, or whatever else that expresses some significance to someone. The familiar silhouette of Mickey Mouse is a symbol. So is a new Cadillac, and a trash can, and the American flag, and a hug. These symbols all carry a significance: they suggest some idea to one about the character of this world; they teach one to appreciate or understand this world in a unique way; they influence one’s experiences. Fundamentally, they convey something about one’s worldview - a visualization of how things are in the world. These symbols also give one a meaning about how to react to one’s experience. They suggest how we live, or how we should live. They reveal something about one’s ethos – one’s principles, morals, and way of living.

Do these show god example of religious symbols? According to Geertz, religious symbols accomplish a unique purpose: they encourage one that there is a precise correlation between one’s worldview (how the world is) and one’s ethos (how one lives or should live). Religious symbols tell one that one should live a particular way because the world is a specific way. In religious symbols, worldview and ethos - the way one views the world and the way one lives in it - appears to mesh together seamlessly, so each strengthens the other.

- Religion is a system of symbols which works to establish formidable, pervasive enduring moods and motivations: Moods are the way one responds to and feels about the world. Motives are things one desires; the values one holds. These two collectively make up one’s way of life or ethos. Consequently, religious symbols tell one that, since reality is composed in a particular way, one should feel a defined way and intend to satisfy certain values. They also tell one that, because reality is fashioned in a way, those specific feelings are extremely rewarding and those values can be accomplished.

For example, one of the most recognizable symbols, the Christian cross. The cross can convey many significances. For many Christians, it is a fundamental element about how the world works: crucifixion is the requirement for resurrection. Fundamentally, there can be no re-birth without a prior death; for things to get better they first must get worse. This worldview indicates a certain value and way of living: allowing oneself to be "crucified," putting aside one's own needs to meet the needs of others. For other Christians, the cross has represented the belief that a self-disciplined way of life will lead to supreme happiness or self-actualization strictly because of the way the world works - because death guides one to a new life. So, seeing a cross may inspire Christians to embrace self-disciplined moods and behaviors. It can also make those moods and behaviors feel exclusively valuable. Therefore, it can give encouraging significance to incidents of having one's own desires denied.

- Religion formulates conceptions of a general order of existence: Religious symbols are intended to persuade one that there is a skillful match between the nature of reality and the way one lives. Therefore, they intend reassure one that both reality and one’s lives make sense - that there is some consequential harmony rather than mere chaos in one’s lives., most of the time one takes this for granted. However, each of individual grapples with times of crisis, when the world frankly doesn't make sense. These crises frequently arise when one must withstand suffering (and eventually death), particularly when that suffering appears undeserved or unfair. Religious symbols do not give clear explanations or take the pain away during these such crises. However, they do render the pain manageable because they support that there are answers, even if one will never recognize them.

The Christian cross is good example here again. The cross can give Christians encouragement that even the harshest suffering eventually has an optimistic importance, for every kind of suffering may be inferred as dipicting the sufferings of Christ, which lead to Christ’s resurrection. The cross may not justify why the suffering occurs at this time or takes on this particular form. But it may make the suffering tolerable by maintaining that all suffering has a divine objective.

- Religion clothes its conceptions of order with an aura of factuality: Typically, people do not originally face crises and then acquire a religious symbol to deal with them. The procedure normally works in reverse: to withstand the crisis without breaking, one must first adopt the symbol. One must believe that the symbol does signify and portray their deep belief in what the symbol stands for. Therefore, one must also trust that the lifestyle inferred (or required) by the symbol is solely the true way to live, regardless of how painful life becomes. To instill and emphasize such belief, each culture forms their own rituals. It is a manner of conducting oneself that is intended to display the genuine characteristics of the world and the authentic way to live, and to demonstrate how the two mesh seamlessly together. Ritual is also intended to demonstrate that the group can undergo this dedicated reality in its group behavior.

Conclusion

Each theorist claims to understand the theories they have delved into, they have proven that they believe in their theories and that they are factual in their beliefs. It is up to everyone to decide for themselves if the theorists have created reasonable doubt where religion is concerned and to delve further into these beliefs as well as their own to make their determination. If one is slavishly committed to the facts, one will miss the true meaning of what religion can truly mean for one. Truth is not only what can be proven beforehand, it is a religious