Religion 102 (01)                                                                                     
Introduction to World Religions                                                                              Fall, 1997
 

 indigenous
 interrelated
 interdependent
 Supreme Being
 ancestors
 "ecological" perspective
 shaman

II.   Focus Questions:

 1. What is an indigenous religion?  What are some major obstacles to understanding these
       religions?

 2. How does the treatment of indigenous peoples by more dominant religions illustrate a "dark side" of religion?

 3. What are some of the major characteristics of native religions?

 4. Discuss the importance of the circle as a symbol for indigenous religions.  What is the
       meaning of this visual representation?

 5. How might an oral religious tradition contribute to a worldview of interconnectedness?

III. Questions while you view "Religion in Indonesia:  The Way of the Ancestors"

 1. In what ways do the Toraja integrate human beings and the natural world?
 
 

 2.  What is the role of the Tominaa(the priest of life)?  In what ways might the role change in response to Western influences?
 
 

 3.  What impact has Christianity had on the Toraja?  What contrasts do you see between the
       Christian God and the gods of the Toraja?
 
 

 4. How does the Toraja attitude toward death differ from that of the West?