The Spectrum of Philosophies among the Earth's Religions....

The profundity of human thought through moving sight and sound

Edited by Dr. James K. Powell II – Introduction

I. Shamanism and the universality of philosophy and religion

Topic One: Shamanism: The Core Perspective of All Peoples of the World and the three families of religions

Readings

It is expected you will have read the texts below by week two of class and watched the accompanying videos. The answers to the online quiz can be found among the texts and the documentaries below, not all is found in lectures in class.

Textbook: Overview

Definitional readings:

Religion: Just What is it and Who is Religious?

The Shaman in Theory and Practice

In-depth Reading:

Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy

by one of the twentieth century's most renowned scholars of religion, Mircea Eliade, (Princeton University, Bollingen Series LXXVI) 1964

Primary Sources:

"Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Nether World." The very first creation story in history, from Sumer (Iraq) ca. 2,300 BCE Commentary and translation of the original by noted Sumerologist S. N. Kramer

The Prophecy of Black Elk

The Oldest God in the World? Ngai of Mt. Kenya

To the Kikuyu, Bantu-speaking people who migrated to the foothills of Mount Kenya in the 1500s, the mountain is a sacred place and a central part of their creation myth. According to tribal legend, their god Ngai created Kirinyaga (Mount Kenya), “the mountain of brightness,” as an earthly dwelling place from which to survey his creation and bestow blessings and punishment upon his people. He granted Gikuyu, the founder of the Kikuyu tribe, a share of the rich land below the mountain and took him to the top to survey it. Ngai instructed Gikuyu that if he was ever in need, he should make a sacrifice and raise his hands toward Kirinyaga, and Ngai would come to his aid. He also pointed out a grove of fig trees, which Kikuyu today regard as sacred, and commanded him to establish a homestead there. When Gikuyu arrived at the spot, he found that Ngai had provided him with a wife, Mumbi. The couple produced nine daughters but no sons, so, following Ngai’s command, they made a sacrifice toward Kirinyaga and were granted nine young men to marry their daughters and perpetuate the Kikuyu tribes.

The Abode of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain Gods: Mt. Kailash
Mt. Sinai, the Residence of Jehovah (alias Yahweh, or God among the Western Family of Religion
The Sacred Mountains of Daoism (Taoism)