We worship. As human
beings, we worship. In every culture, at every time, and in many ways, we worship. It is as if there is something in the very human spirit that seeks to worship.
But what is worship? Fundamentally, it is:
The act of, and the actions associated with, elevating another person or force to a level higher than one's own. (Instructor's own working definition)
Worship occurs when we innately accept that another person or force is greater than we are, and when we accompany that understanding with actions that express our position and theirs.
Worship can occur any place,
any time, and in many forms. Using this definition, we can observe many forms of worship in the world around us.
Worship happens at a rock concert (notice all of the arms waving in the air?). Worship happens when we
"honor" celebrities in our culture simply because they are celebrities. Worship happens when an impossibly beautiful mountain sunrise takes our breath away.
Worship and Religion
Systems of religion are, at
their cores, systems of worship. They are the means by which we organize the acts related to elevating people and forces to levels higher than our own.
Traditionally, worship has centered around actions that placed
human beings in positions that represent subjection to spiritual forces. We say that we (humans) worship God, or gods (spiritual forces). "Religions" are the systems that organize our worship.
Several kinds of
activities characterize religious worship (and secular forms of worship as well). Across various religious systems, common forms of religious worship prevail:
Sacrifice: Giving something that one owns to the object of worship
Body Movement: Dancing, waving, kneeling, writhing
Verbal Expression: Singing, chanting, speaking, non-linear expressions
Internal Awe: Sense of being in a subservient position before a superior being or thing
Specific forms of worship, although innate to a particular religion, sect, or practice, generally can be classified using one of these categories.
Some people would add to that list "symbols" or physical artifacts
that represent the object of worship. As we explore various forms of worship, we will want to note their attendant symbols. But for now, we will operate is if there are some forms of worship that are symbol-free. (As
in, "spirit and in truth" symbol-free.)
Assignment:
Using your Questia.com subscription, the course online
, and other research
materials available to you, please develop a short (3-5 page) paper devoted to the topic: "Why We Worship."Be sure to focus your paper on the human motivation for worship, and not on specific worship expressions
(which will be the topic of later assignments). For this paper, we want to understand why human beings seem to have an innate capacity for worship and even a need to worship.
Please feel free to investigate and
disagree with the basic premise: That human beings are naturally inclined to worship. If you find research or opinion that differs, and you agree with that position, feel free to bring that perspective to your paper.
Hints: For this assignment, review Questia.com, and perform search engine queries on the following: (use exact phrase matches)
