Introduction to the Study of Religion
Midterm
Gregory Hite
New College of Florida
Fall 2006
 
• You have three (3) hours to complete this exam. 
• When you are done, please email it back to me IN THE BODY of the email and NOT as an attachment.
• The exam must be completed by 5pm.  Note: the doors to Cook Hall will close at 5pm. NO EXCEPTIONS.
• The exam is CLOSED BOOK and NOTE.
• Make sure your NAME is on the exam.
 
Section 1: Identifications
 
Please identify and note the significance of five (5) of the following.  Your answers should NOT exceed two (2) sentences per response.
 
1. Leviticus
2. Superstition
3. Paul Tillich
4. Illud tempus
5. Western Bias
6. Aplogetic
7. Critical Tolerance
8. Genesis
9. Essentialist Definition
10. Theophany
 
Section 2: Short Essays

Answer two (2) of the following short essays.  Be specific.  Four to five (4-5) paragraphs per essay should be sufficient. 
 
A. Eliade argues that the appearance of the divine orients man to the undifferentiated universe.  Space and time in effect are not definitive categories, instead they can be altered and  molded to meet the needs of men and women.  Describe the process whereby sacred space is created and/or recreated.  Give examples from the readings and films to support your position.
 
B. Max Weber argues that the sociological structures, e.g. political bodies, economies and religious bodies, are an important means by which individuals navigate the world around them and that affinities between these structures in the face of crisis and challenges are the impetus for radical social change.  How might Weber’s interpret the ancient Babylonian myth of Marduk and Tiamat?  Kessler notes that the myth appears at the same time as the rise of the city-state.  What are the groups and structures involved here according to Weber, and what exactly is the radical change that is occurring?
 
C. Discuss the various rationalizations for Jewish dietary law Mary Douglas DISMISSES in her chapter on The Abominations of Leviticus.  What are they and on what grounds does she argue that they are insufficient explanations of Jewish practice?  What does she argue is an appropriate explanation for these practices?