Anthropology Exam 2 (150 Questions) | Religion, Ritual, Mythology & Belief Systems

This document is a comprehensive and concept-driven Exam 2 study guide containing approximately 150 exam questions with correct answers, focused on the anthropological study of religion, ritual, myth, symbolism, and belief systems across cultures. It is structured in a clear question–answer format that supports efficient memorization, conceptual clarity, and exam-oriented revision for university-level anthropology courses. The material provides in-depth coverage of key anthropological concepts related to religion, including taboo, karma, mana, theodicy, collective unconscious, archetypes, prophets, spirits, deities, and supernatural forces. It explores how societies explain suffering, morality, life cycles, death, and the relationship between the natural and supernatural worlds. Major theoretical ideas such as liminality, rites of passage, calendrical rituals, prescriptive rituals, technical rituals, and anti-therapy rituals are explained with cultural context and comparative examples. A significant portion of the document examines cross-cultural rituals and belief systems, drawing on ethnographic case studies from Indigenous, African, Native American, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Abrahamic religious traditions. Topics include pilgrimages (such as the Hajj and Huichol pilgrimage), shamanism, ancestor veneration, soul beliefs, reincarnation, creation myths, apocalyptic myths, trickster figures, and ceremonial practices like sand painting, sun dances, scarification, and religious festivals. The role of altered states of consciousness, hallucinogens, healing rituals, and symbolic performance is also addressed. The content further integrates mythology and symbolism, including monomyths, culture heroes, therianthropes, angels, sacred texts, ritual sacrifice, purity laws, and moral codes such as haram. Revivalist movements, religious syncretism, colonial influence, persecution of religious practitioners, and the persistence of traditional belief systems in modern contexts are also explored, highlighting religion as a dynamic social force. This document is particularly suitable for: Students enrolled in cultural anthropology, anthropology of religion, or comparative religion courses Undergraduate students preparing for Exam 2, midterms, or cumulative assessments Anthropology, religious studies, sociology, and humanities majors Students seeking a structured review of ritual, myth, and belief systems Learners needing exam-aligned explanations of cross-cultural religious concepts Keywords: anthropology of religion, ritual, mythology, belief systems, taboo, karma, liminality, rites of passage, shamanism, pilgrimage, ancestor worship, myth, symbolism, collective unconscious, cultural anthropology