Intro to World Religions

Belief in >1 God even though aware of other Gods

Henotheism

shaman

I,II,III - medicine man, possessed by spirits, messenger

mana

a sacred power & unforeseen force. Considered origin of religion

Primary purpose of mystical religions

to unite with the divine

Cosmogonic myth

Creation. Cosmogonic or creation myth explains foundation of well-organized world

sacred, as a comparative

set apart from ordinary experience. Awe experiences or holy objects

Primary purpose of religious scholarship

Understand patterns.

Native North American creation myth

Emergence from Earth. Reverence of nature.

World view underlying Australian arorigines

Dreamtime. Subject of much of their art. (Dreamcatchers, etc).

trickster

engages in pranks that teach moral lessons

male rite serves all EXCEPT

introducing men to women. They are actually separated

Language of Vedas

Sanskrit

NOT a Hindu leader in 19th century?

Ghandi. He was a leader in the 20th century.

Ghandi considers great scripture(s)

I, III, IV. He was inspired by Bhagavad G--- and Ramayana.

Aryan

Eastern Europeans from Iran who came around 1600 B.C.

Central teaching of Upanishads

Soul must emerge with Brahman for liberation. Basis for Post classical Hinduism.

Hindu canonical texts

The Vedas: an extensive body of sacred hymns, chants, instructions

Hinduism: follows path of bhakti

Demonstrate great devotion to God. Means the way of devotion

Hinduism: image worship

Honoring the presence of God.

Traditional purpose of yoga

Disciplines the mind. Comes from the word yuj (to join)

Hindu practices open to women EXCEPT

Officiating in a puji at the temple

How castes are determined

Material wealth is not used for determination since these are assigned by birth

Four stages of Life EXCEPT

A child. The actual 4 stages are student, householder, forester, Sannyasi (Mendicant)

dharma includes what concepts

II, III, IV. Includes duty, order, religion

karma

Actions & consequences.

NOT Vishnu

Shankara. The real avatars incarn's are Krishna, Kurma (turtle), Kalki (horse), Matsya (fish)

Spread Buddhism in East Asia except

Pilgrimage by Buddha. Brought by traders

NOT a key figure in Japan Buddhism

Chinui. The actual 5 are Eisai, Dogen, Honen, Shinran, & Nichiren

Jataka tales

tales showing that good karma=enlightenment

Significant place in life of Buddha

Bodh Gaya. While he sat under the Bodhi tree.

Buddha's family name

Siddhartha Gautama.

When Emperor Wuzong persecuted Buddhists

845 C.E. This Tang emporor prohibited all others to promote Taoism

Anatman demonstrates

The ego is an illusion

Permitted in Buddhists ancestry worship

II & III. Without this worship, Buddhism would've ceased to exist

Buddha nature means

Essence of Buddha exists in all humans. (Zen)

NOT characteristic Ch'an Buddhism in China

Repeating name of Amida. (Pure Land) Repeating it works in Japan, though

Themes from Zen with belief in early Buddhism

Meditation is key to enlightenment

Sangha in Buddhist tradition

Monks only

Ideal relationship in lay & monks

Monks teach, Lay persons provide food

Mahayana Buddhism; bodhisattva

refers to the ideal Buddhist

Kuan Yin (Guan Yin)

Divine embodiment of compassion in Mahayana Buddhism (like Virgin Mary)

NOT Theravada Buddhist canon

Lotus Sutra. In Mahayana though.

True Lao Tzu (Laozi)

II, III. Inspiration for Taoism & maybe wrote Dao de Jing, but did NOT start church

Confucionism influence EXCEPT

Indian. Influenced China, Japan, Korea, & Vietnam though

Confucian: Analects and...

Book of Mencius. (Analects, Mean, Learning, Mencius)

Confucian scholars accepted

Hierchical structure of society. Even though feudal systems were breaking down

Confucian: illustration of Li

Making offerings to ancestors

Compared to Buddhists, Confucians

In comparison one values death & afterlife

Confucian: chun-tzu (zhungzi)

Gentleman

Confucian: ren/jen

Benevolence or human heartedness. (inward)

Confucian: likes this more than Daoists

Scholarship

Confucian: Mandate of Heaven

With the sanction of higher powers

Confucian: I-Ching

Book of divination

Scholars debate whether Confucianism

Debating if it is a religion. More of a code of conduct

Dao de jing is best described

Spontaneous & natural.

Chinese religion is combo of Confucianism and

...and parts Buddhist & Daoist

Judaism: Most important functionaries

Priests (Kohains), then in favor of rabbis

Temple in Jerusalem built by

King Solomon built these. He's King David's son

Judaism: women rabbis

I, III, IV. Any woman can become this except for Orthodox branch

Modern state of Israel in

1948 this was deemed

Reform Judaism began

Early 19th century Germany.

Hear O Israel, the Lord Our God, The Lord is One

Shema. This is essence of Jewish faith

Judaism: 3 core ideas

God, Torah, Israel.

Moses rec'd decalogue where

Mount Sinai

Judaism, Christianity, Islam's common ancestor

Abraham

Relation btwn God & Jewish people

II, IV. Heart of Jewish religion in turn for God's care

Judaism: ritual initiation to adult status involves

Religious literacy

Judaism: the world is fundamentally

World is fundamentally good

Judaism: Exodus

Liberation from slavery in Egypt

Judaism: importance of Sabbath

Remembrance is commandedin Decalogue

Judaism: Torah

Pentateuch. Part of the Torah

Judaism: Talmad oral law because

Tradition from Moses

Christianity: 2 Gospels of Jesus's birth

I, III. Matthew & Luke

Jesus's behavior toward women?

He welcomed them

Per Paul, greatest Christian virtues

Love.

Epistles; women in Christian church were

Not permitted to preach

Christianity: official religion established b/c

Constantine dreamed it

True of Puritanism in New England?

II, IV. John Calvin

Represents change intiatiated by 2nd Vatican

English instead of Latin used

A chief cause of Lutheran Reformation

Selling of indulgences

Traditional attitude toward Old Testament

Contains the revelation of God

Per Paul, Christians attain faith by

Spirituality with Christ

Life and actions exmplified Jesus's Sermon on the Mount

II, III, IV. Compilation of His teachings

True of Christian bishops

I, II. Ordain, confirm, & lead large area

Meanings of the resurrection of Jesus prevail

I, III. Shows His power over death & grants immortal life

Orthodox Christianity icons

I, IV. Portray person or event

Nicene Creed formulated the view

The Trinity is formulated

Statements about Catholic mass

I, III, IV. Celebration of Eucharist, recreation of Last Supper.

NOT an emphasis of Protestant Fundamentalism

Trinity is not emphasized

Hijra (hegira) refers to

622 C.E. when He fled Mecca to Medina & began the start of this religion

Pre-Islamic Arabia had what religious characteristic

Polytheism

Ramadan commemorates what

First revelation of Qur'an to Muhammad

First city of Muhammad

Medina

Sunni Muslims follow the

Qur'an & early caliphs. They believe in voting for leaders, though)

Country with largest number of Muslims

Indonesia the most, then Pakistan, Bangladesh & India

Pillars of Islam EXCEPT

Modesty. They are actually faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, pilgrimage

Task of Mahdi

Lead the world into new age

Best example of sacred space in Islam

Mecca. All His followers must go there sometime in their lives

Islam: most important belief

Unity of God (Allah=the one God)

Explains Islamic support for science

Discoveries of truths about the world created by Him

Islam: most important activity in mosque

Prayer. Masjid (bowing down)

Sunni Islam is distinguished from Shi'ite how?

Imam is NOT clergyman/lecturer

shari'a

Way to live

Islam

Submission (to will of God)

Islam: Muhammad

I,IV. Religious/political leader who received Qur'an