Review:
The meanings we read into the world are products of an ongoing social
process of interpretation and institutionalization; they are not objective facts. As
individuals, we are naturally driven to interpret events through stories; as members of
various communities, we elevate certain stories to the status of truths through social
agreements. This human process gives our lives meaning and helps us manage the
world in which we live.
REL 150 Papers Assignment:
In your own words, explain what scholars mean when they say meaning is
socially produced. Describe how an institution’s claims of authority might be undermined
by the understanding that meaning is a human product. Describe how an individual’s
strongly held beliefs might be undermined by understanding that meaning is a human
product. Since meaning is socially produced, explain how we might best study the
meaning(s) of religious texts. Explain the existence of religious sects in terms of the
social production of meaning. Describe the benefits of carefully de-constructing (i.e.,
analyzing the origins and implications of) religious meanings. Explain why a temporary
suspension of judgment is crucial for the academic study of religion.
Source: Your own thoughts only. Do not use any outside sources for Paper #1.
