15th wave, 101146 최정운, Jeongwoon Choi
Anthropology of perfection Research Paper
Table of Contents
I. Intro
II. Religions of the Middle East
A. Common Characteristics
B. Prayer in Christianity
C. Prayer in Islam
D. Prayer in Judaism
III. Dependence on Religion
A. Prayer, and why people pray
B. Positivity of Prayer
C. Religious meaning of Prayer
IV. Conclusion: The Role of Religion in Society Today
I. Intro
Many people in Korea seem to ‘rely’ upon religion. Many people pray, or give offerings(제사), or throw a gut(굿), a rite of devotion based on Shamanist tradition. In occasions such as the KSATs, many parents can be seen in Buddhist temples and Christian churches in mass prayer – in fact these religious institutions advertize that they are holding these prayers. What makes people so dependent upon religion was my first question.
My second question was what these religions have in common. I was more interested in comparing and contrasting the 3 religions of the Middle East: Christianity, Islam and Judaism.
The final aim of this paper is to search for the proper role in of religion in society today.
I have centered this research on the act of praying. This research aims to look at religion through the religious act of praying. Derived from the knowledge I have gained from the 2 questions above, I will conclude upon the role that religion may have in society today.
II. Religions of the Middle East
A. Common Characteristics
The biggest characteristics of these religions are that they are monotheistic. This results in the elitism of some Jews, and the disputes among Christians and Muslims today. To them, their God is the only God, and His people the chosen people.
Another characteristic they share in common is the importance of prayer. This is a characteristic of religion which is central in this research paper, and therefore something which I will handle with more importance.
B. Prayer in Christianity
Prayer in Christianity is seemingly very free. Special rites, or techniques of prayer is not required – love and trust for God is all that is needed. This is much like bhakti-yoga, the way of reaching God through work (which is unlike raja-yoga, which requires special training). However, tradition and rites do exist. One is of asking saints for intercession, that is bridging their prayers to God. This is more common among Catholics than Protestants in Korea.
Another type of prayer worth noting is intercessory prayer. This is prayer done for the good of other people – for the sick, for the dead, etc. In fact, it is common for Catholics in Korea to give intercessory prayer for the dead at funerals. This function of prayer is one function which has drawn my attention.
C. Prayer in Islam
The prayer in Islam is much more rigid. It is considered as one of the “five pillars,” acts which are obligatory to believers. Prayers must be performed according to rituals five times a day. It is common for mosques in Islamic countries to announce the time for this through loudspeakers. Although there is some flexibility, there are some specific rules to be kept. Prayers are recited in Arabic, from verses in the Qu’ran.
The meaning of prayer is similar to that of Christians. Prayer, even these ritual prayers are meant to be personal communication with God, of expressing gratitude and faith – expressing love, in essence.
D. Prayer in Judaism
Jewish prayers are done three times a day traditionally. Also, Many Jews recite prayers when performing other daily actions, such as before meals, etc.
The prayers may be recited from various books, but the meaning of prayer is similar to the other religions. Prayer is a declaration of faith, gratefulness and love for their God.
One difference is that Jewish prayer, mainly Jewish prayer done in services, emphasizes communal prayer. Although prayer may be recited alone, communal prayer is preferred. Communal prayer requires a group of ten adult Jews.
III. Dependence on Religion
A. Prayer, and why people pray.
Dependence on religion in Korea can be most easily seen through praying. Many forms of prayer can be seen in Korea; whether it be the mass prayers that I mentioned above, or Shamanist rites, or just personal praying.
In my survey, I have interviewed several people on the reasons why they rely on religion, mainly by praying. In short, their answers on why they rely on religion could be summarized as:
First, the positive effect of the act of praying itself on one’s mind,
Second, the reliance on a Supreme Being in occasions where one’s own capability might not be enough,
Third is the belief that prayers can have a positive effect on one’s surroundings.
10 out of the 15 people I have interviewed said that the act of praying itself had a positive effect, or that they believed so. Regardless of their faith, whether they were Christian or Buddhist, they agreed that the very act of praying was positive, although some were skeptic about the existence of god.
12 out of 15 said that they were relying on prayer, because there were some things in life that they thought were out of their league. That is, there were things that could not be done by them alone. Therefore through prayer, they tried to rely on, or get the help of a Supreme Being.
3 out of 15 people answered that their prayers can have a positive effect not only on oneself, but also on one’s surroundings. The 3 people with this belief were all Christian, which is a fact to be given attention.
B. Positivity of Prayer
Prayer is a key concept in religion. Most religions have a kind of prayer, or a similar rite of putting out one’s devotions, or hopes to a Supreme Being.
Prayer is something one cannot prevent.
“Nothing can prevent me from having faith and seeking forgiveness of their Lord now that guidance has been revealed to them.”
-The Qu’ran
It seems only natural that people with faith pray when they are having hard times. Many of the people I have interviewed have answered so, and the Koran does, too. Praying something people naturally do, and it does seem to have a positive effect. Whether or not the prayers are answered, people still pray. The act of praying itself seems to have a positive effect, at least as a placebo.
Also, praying is one of the easiest ways for a religious person, or even a non-religious person can devote oneself to or sincerely hope for something. Praying does not require much practice. Even in Islam, where prayer is most ritualized, it is not something which requires much effort or practice, unlike practices like the Ramadan or ceremonies done by Shamans. These could be reasons to explain why people seem to depend upon religion and prayer.
C. Religious Meaning of Prayer
Prayer, seen from the research on religion, is basically a way of being thankful. It is a way of expressing love and faith, of pleading to God.. How each person prays will depend on which faith they have, but the essentials are the same.
This is probably what everyone has in mind when they are praying – thankfulness, devotion. The religions have emphasized prayer for this reason. To the faithful, praying is a positive act which brings them close to God. To the less enthusiastic, it still gives them a positive mind, whether or not they have strong faith.
In this sense, prayer is a way of purifying oneself. It is the act of cleaning one’s mind out and filling it with more good thoughts. It is a way of growing.
IV. Conclusion: The Role of Religion in Society Today
Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being full absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, man, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me- they all attained transcendental knowledge of Me.
-the Bhagavad-Gita
Prayer, at the highest level is a way of reaching perfection. It is the act of “being full absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me.” Through this, man can be purified, and earn transcendental knowledge of Me- the God-Head in the Bhagavad-Gita, or God, or Allah.
The emphasis on prayer in all three of the religions I have researched is probably also on the same belief. They aim to make their believers perfect, and prayer is an easy and effective method. The different rites they hold are all different ways of praying, their method of guidance. Christians emphasize the mentality of the prayer, saying that the rites and ceremonies is unimportant compared to one’s devotion to God when praying. Islam makes prayer mandatory, so that all believers may devote themselves to god and be purified. Communal prayer is emphasized among the Jewish, maybe because they acknowledge that salvation is not for one person alone, but a path people must walk together.
The role of religion today should be to aid people in their way to perfection – and helping people how to pray is one method. Prayer is relatively easy compared to other methods applied by religions (ex. Raja-yoga, Taoist meditation practices, etc.) which require specific teachings and rituals. By helping people to concentrate themselves, or express their gratitude more fully in prayers, they may help people grow, become purified, become perfect.
