Anthropology of Religion Comparison Essay by Top Papers

This paper compares chapters six and seven of Robbins - which look at techniques pertaining to developing the moral self - and Lester's discussion on the practices by which the postulants develop a meaningful relationship with the self; in essence, this paper is a look at how each writer approaches the matter of religious rituals and practices and the relationship of these rituals/practices to the establishment of "moral selves." After carefully reading each writer, the paper draws the conclusion that the convent postulants undergo a spiritual process that involves cutting themselves off from their former lives; they also grow to confide everything in their Mother Superior. Conversely, the paper discusses how the Urapmins do not have the equivalent of the convent process and, instead, attention is focused upon the sermon as the chief didactic tool; things are not as rigidly prescriptive in this environment and the confession is not mandated as it is in the convent. In the end, the paper shows how the Urapmin approach looks to be one that stresses free will in many ways whereas the convent approach exerts complete mastery over the lives of the sisters.