Comparative Religion Final Exam Review

Confucius (kongzi) was overwhelmingly and primarily concerned with creating __________ a. a peaceful, prosperous and harmonious society arising from proper relationships b. a world in which people would be saved from an horrific afterlife in hell due to their sins c. government which would enforce religious laws and beliefs upon the people d. a world in which there would no longer be any unnecessary suffering

a. a peaceful, prosperous and harmonious society arising from proper relationships

in the hindu tradition, "dharma" is best defined as __________ a. a persons duty, what he or she is defined to do in this world as a result of past lives b. sin c. good deeds d. escape from the wheel of suffering

a. a persons duty, what he or she is defined to do in this world as a result of past lives

some of the earliest evidence of humans having religious beliefs come from an archeological site in Israel dated about the year 100,000 BCE in which __________ a. a woman and her child were buried with some of their possessions b. a fragment of a book about the afterlife was found c. an ancient synagogue was found d. red hats with ancient pro-hebrews words were found meaning, "make Israel great again"

a. a woman and her child were buried with some of their possessions

according to buddhist legends, shakyamuni fought a long battle with the spirit of death named __________ a. mara b. bhikshuni c. kanye d. shaka khan

a. mara

Confucius and other teachers who followed him taught that harmony in society and peace between empires could only be achieved if everyone followed the rules of five important relationships. which is not one of the five traditional confucian relationships? between _________ a. an emperor (or any ruler) and his subjects b. a person and god c. older siblings and younger siblings d. teachers and students e. husbands and wives

b. a person and god

which of the following is not one of the "five pillars of islam" that all muslims are expected to follow? a. giving charity to the poor b. making pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in ones lifetime if at all possible c. destroying what muslims consider to be idols, such as the statues in catholic churches d. praying five times every day (women are excused if they are caring for young children)

c. destroying what muslims consider to be idols, such as the statues in catholic churches

shakyamuni (aka Gautama Siddhartha or to westerners, "the buddha") __________ a. wrote his teachings in Sanskrit, like the ancient hindu scriptures b. wrote in very difficult coded language so that only very educated people could read them c. didn't write anything at all; everything we know about him is from lateral oral traditions d. wrote in Pali, the language that most ordinary people of his time spoke and understood

c. didn't write anything at all; everything we know about him is from lateral oral traditions

scholars tend to refer to religions that have formal leadership and organization, recognized scriptures and other such attributes as __________ religions or traditions in contrast to less formal, folk traditions a. duodenal b. paradoxical c. elite d. ephemeral

c. elite

other very ancient evidence for religious beliefs among humans include all of the following except _________ a. pyramids in Egypt which were essentially elaborate burial places for kings and queens b. cave paintings is Lascaux (border of present-day France and Spain) c. the Great Wall of china d. Stonehenge, england

c. the Great Wall of china

the "three gems" of buddhism include a. the trinity (father, son and Holy Spirit) b. nirvana, samsara, dukkha c. the buddha, the dharma, the sangha d. good life, good deeds, good luck

c. the buddha, the dharma, the sangha

here is a direct quote from page 202: "early in the 20th century an American baptist minister named Walter raushenbusch argued that christianity is by nature revolutionary...this perspective inspired a new emphasis on social engagement." this idea of transforming society as Jesus would have liked it was (and still is) called ___________ a. the great society b. socialism c. the social gospel d. dadaism

c. the social gospel

after his death, many legends grew about the buddhas birth, including that he _________ a. was the savior of the world who would defeat the forces of darkness b. could lift incredibly heavy items using only mental powers c. was not conceived through normal sexual intercourse and was not born in the usual way d. turned just two bowls of rice into enough to feed 5,000 people

c. was not conceived through normal sexual intercourse and was not born in the usual way

the term "hindu" and "hinduism" _________ a. are very ancient, probably from about 1,750 BCE b. were first used by Muslims to describe the Indians they conquered in the middle ages c. were first used by the British, who conquered India in the 17th century CE d. are used in the ancient upanishads

c. were first used by the British, who conquered India in the 17th century CE

the oldest of the major buddhist sects is _________ a. pure land (also called amida) b. madyamaka c. yogacara d. theravada

d. theravada

the three "synoptic" (they tell basically the same story albeit with significant variations) gospels are __________ a. Peter, Paul, mary b. mark, Matthew, luke c. mark, Matthew, john d. mark, John, paul

b. mark, Matthew, luke

which of the following do hindu and buddhist traditions have in common? a. all that matters in life is that a person have faith in the right god and worship frequently b. one doesn't have too be a member of those faiths to lead a meaningful, good life c. muslims are the cause of all evil and suffering in the world tofay d. india is the best country; everywhere else is inferior

b. one doesn't have too be a member of those faiths to lead a meaningful, good life

the early christian community developed the idea that one could perform actions serving as outward, visible signs of inward and spiritual grace (such as baptism and "unction"-annointing the sick and dying). these very among churches, but they are often called ___________ a. commandments b. sacraments c. heresies d. agape (a greek word denoting unconditional love obtained through grace)

b. sacraments

the ancient "India-Europeans" or "Into-Aryans," spoke various languages, including a language that became the mother of many European and Indian languages. (that meant it is the source of the majority of European languages and many others). it is the language in which the most ancient sacred literature of India is written. that language is called _________ a. hindi b. sanskrit c. urdu d. pashtun

b. sanskrit

Muhammad, the founder of islam, lived from about ___________ a. 570 BCE to 510 BCE, during the "Axial Age" b. 20 BCE to 40 BCE, overlapping the lifetime of Jesus of nazareth c. 570 CE to 632 CE, shortly after the final demise of the western roman empire d. 1076 CE to 1162 CE, the crusades began when he was about 20 years old

c. 570 CE to 632 CE, shortly after the final demise of the western roman empire

confucianism, buddhism, jainism and Taoism all essentially began in or closet to the same century in which Indian Vedic religion transformed into hinduism. this was the __________ a. 19th century BCE (1900-2,000 BCE, when the Hebrew bible says Abraham lived) b. 9th century BCE (900-1,000 BCE, when king Solomon built a temple in Jerusalem) c. 6th century BCE (500-600 BCE, when some of the great biblical prophets lived) d. 1st century BCE (0-100 CE or "AD", when Jesus of nazareth and his first followers lived)

c. 6th century BCE (500-600 BCE, when some of the great biblical prophets lived)

the three major divisions of buddhism in the modern world are _______ a. vajrayana, Botswana, amida b. orthodox, reformed, new path c. brahmin, tantra, mahayana d. Theravada, Mahayana, vajrayana

d. Theravada, Mahayana, vajrayana

the correct Chinese name for the "yin/yang" symbol is _________ a. tai-kwan-do b. jujitsu c. taijitu (or sometimes "taijitsu") d. mai-tai (or "mai-tai-tsu")

c. taijitu (or sometimes "taijitsu")

the jaina term for their enlightened teachers who appear every 24,000 years to renew the teaching of truth in the world is, "tirhankara" which means... a. "ford finder" (a ford is a path across a river or stream) b. demons, which need to be appeased c. people who aren't Jains, and, since they touch many impure things, must be avoided d. an impure thing, such as an insect

a. "ford finder" (a ford is a path across a river or stream)

Mahayana buddhism calls itself _________ a. "the greater vehicle" b. "the lesser vehicle" c. "the peaceful vehicle" d. "the authentic vehicle"

a. "the greater vehicle"

"A.D." is an abbreviation standing for... a. Anno Domini, Latin meaning "the Year of Our Lord" b. "About the Date," meaning that we are uncertain of the exact date c. "After the Death" (of Jesus of Nazareth, whom Christians call the Christ) d. Absolutous Datimus, Latin meaning "exact date"

a. Anno Domini, Latin meaning "the Year of Our Lord"

he (Gautama Siddhartha, known to buddhists as shakyamuni) taught that _________ a. all human beings could attain enlightenment, not just the wealthy and privileged castes b. only those of the higher castes could attain enlightenment c. all men could attain enlightenment, but not women, who exist on a low spiritual plane d. enlightenment is not attainable except for those born with great karma from previous lives, but one can be happy nonetheless, knowing that one day-after other incarnations-it will be possible

a. all human beings could attain enlightenment, not just the wealthy and privileged castes

which country invaded Tibet in the 1950s and has overwhelmed its native people with a huge forced immigration of settlers in an attempt to eradicate Tibetan culture and religion? a. china b. india c. iran d. pakistan

a. china

a term that denotes an attempt for all christians to work together for common goals and to overcome their historical divisions is called ___________ a. ecumenism b. soul work c. the missionary movement d. the circle of life

a. ecumenism

a goal in zen practice is to __________ a. empty ones mind completely of extraneous thoughts b. master ones bodily functions so as to become proficient in martial arts c. make pilgrimage to the birthplaces of famous bodhisattvas d. lose weight and stop smoking

a. empty ones mind completely of extraneous thoughts

the jain tradition of sallekhana is practiced by only a small group, usually of older men (and sometimes younger women in an attempt to help their families). it involves _________ a. fasting until one dies b. hiking from the northern to the southern border of India while whipping themselves c. challenging muslim clerics to physical fights in order to demonstrate jain superiority d. forcing a mans widow to jump onto the funeral pyre (large fire) on which he is cremated

a. fasting until one dies

one of the highest values in sikhism is __________ a. humility and service to other people b. vegetarianism and kindness two animals c. destroying idols replacing them with Sikh symbols d. converting non-sikhs to the true path of sikhism

a. humility and service to other people

which statement about buddhism is historically true? (all the others are not true) a. it began in northern India but became far more popular in other parts of asia b. it began and took root in northern India and remains the majority religion of india c. buddhists believe that buddhism has always existed and thus had no beginning d. it began in china and spread throughout Asia, and only then came into india

a. it began in northern India but became far more popular in other parts of asia

even before Muhammad, there was an ancient shrine in the middle of Mecca that originally wa a tent in which there were hundreds of idols from all the Arabian tribes. after Muhammad and his muslim soldiers conquered the city they emptied our the ideals and rebuilt the tent as a large black cubical stone building to which muslims to this day go on pilgrimage. this most holy sites in islam is called the ____________ a. ka'bah b. al-aksa mosque c. kasbar d. great temple of muhammad

a. ka'bah

most sikh mates have the same surname (family name), Singh, which means... a. lion b. gods favorite c. true believer d. dagger carrier

a. lion

which best summarizes the teachings of the Dalai Lama? a. live a moral life according to your own traditions and seek happiness b. the only way to be truly content is to become a buddhist monk like he is c. nothing really matters; live your life for as much pleasure as you can d. become a buddhist or you will spend eternity in hell, tortured by satan

a. live a moral life according to your own traditions and seek happiness

which of the following is true? (only one is true, the others are not) a. most Arabs are muslims, but the majority of muslims are not arabs b. muslims worship Muhammad and consider him to be the son of god (as christians view Jesus) c. one of the five "pillars of islam" is that every adult male muslim must kill at least one infidel (unbeliever) in his lifetime d. muslims are forbidden to read anything other than the Qur'an (koran)

a. most Arabs are muslims, but the majority of muslims are not arabs

one unusual jaina practice is that in one of the two major sects (the digambara) the men __________ a. never wear any clothes and spend their entire lives naked b. wear all red clothing c. spend most of their days fencing (fighting with swords) d. shave all their bodily hair so that bad karma can't cling to them

a. never wear any clothes and spend their entire lives naked

Gautama Siddhartha attracted a group of devotees who became the original _______ a. sangha b. simba c. shangrila d. sangria

a. sangha

all the following are true of Muhammads wife, Khadijah except __________ a. she produced many sons for muhammad b. she became the first convert to islam, Muhammads new religion c. she was 15 years older than muhammad d. she was a very wealthy merchant, and at first, Muhammad worked for her

a. she produced many sons for muhammad

in the United States, John Wesley (1783-91) and Jonathan Edwards (1703-58) were part of a major religious movement within protestant christianity known as ___________ a. the first great awakening b. the great adventure c. burning man I d. the spiritual crusade

a. the first great awakening

who is credited with teaching, "there is no hindu, there is no muslim?" a. the founder of sikhism b. the founder of jainism c. the first buddha d. muhammad

a. the founder of sikhism

the apostle Paul, though he never met Jesus personally, seem to share a major belief with Jesus that __________ a. the kingdom of god would be established very soon b. all people who love god ought to take up arms against and fight the oppressive romans c. women could not truly understand god and thus, could not be spiritual leaders d. slavery in all forms is morally wrong

a. the kingdom of god would be established very soon

the nicene creed (first established by the council of Nicaea in 325 CE) tried to create a simple statement the christians could recite that would clarify _________ a. the relationship between the three persons of the "trinity" (father, son, and Holy Spirit) b. how christians ought to behave toward jews, pagans and other non-believers c. the role of the pope d. how often christian men working in various professions were required to have sex with their wives

a. the relationship between the three persons of the "trinity" (father, son, and Holy Spirit)

many observers explain the apparently chaotic nature and sometimes violence of some of the newer Japanese festivals (that can resemble fan riots in America after a cities team wins the World Series or super bowl) as a reaction to __________ a. the tremendous pressure on average Japanese people to conform and follow rules b. humiliation at having los to the US in World War II c. a desire to reinvigorate the kami d. losses by the Japanese national soccer team in the world cup

a. the tremendous pressure on average Japanese people to conform and follow rules

hindus most frequently claim that ________ a. there are 33 million gods but they are really only aspects of the one god b. there had been many gods, but lord Krishna slew (killed) them in a cosmic battle. now there is only krishna c. there are 33 million gods and they are not connected to one another at all d. only hindus have religious truth; all other people live in spiritual darkness

a. there are 33 million gods but they are really only aspects of the one god

the most ancient Indian/Hindu books of sacred literature are called the ________ a. vedas b. upanishads c. book of the dead d. atman

a. vedas

some of the very, very, very many heresies that christianity addressed in the fourth and fifth centuries CE (approximately 300-500) included all the following except _________ a. zoroastrianism b. gnosticism c. pelagianism d. monophysitism

a. zoroastrianism

of the approximately 7.7 billion humans alive today about __________ are muslims a. 2.2 billion b. 1.6 billion c. 160 million d. 14 million

b. 1.6 billion

approximately how many people world-wide today practice Jainism? a. we don't know; Jains are a completely secret society b. 5-8 million c. 400 million d. 1 billion

b. 5-8 million

buddhist traditions (as well as historians) disagree about the exact dates when guatama siddhartha buddha was born and died, but they all agree that he probably lives (give or take about 100 years) approximately from ________ a. 1,250 BCE to 1,170 BCE, around the time of the Israelites' exodus from Egyptian slavery b. 560 BCE to 480 BCE, at the peak of the "Axial Period" c. 80 BCE to 20 CE, shortly before and overlapping the early life of Jesus of nazareth d. we can't know; he was likely a mythical figure

b. 560 BCE to 480 BCE, at the peak of the "Axial Period"

some Indian (almost always married) women wear a colorful mark, usually red, on their foreheads. this is called a __________ a. sati b. bindi c. hindi d. gandhi

b. bindi

in modern times (actually, starting in 1956 with a mass ceremony involving thousands) many Dalit (or shudra) have converted from hinduism to buddhism because ________ a. the British had been persecuting hindus, but buddhists b. buddhism rejects the caste system and declares that all people can attain nirvana c. wealthy buddhists in the US and Canada gave $100 to hindus who convert to buddhism d. gandhi, the founder of modern India (gained independence in 1948), had converted to buddhism

b. buddhism rejects the caste system and declares that all people can attain nirvana

religiously observant sikh men do all of the following except _________ a. not cut their hair and usually wear a turban to cover it b. eat a vegan diet c. carry ceremonial (blunt) sword or dagger d. help prepare and participate in communal meals at which poor people are fed

b. eat a vegan diet

the christian ritual in which some form of bread and wine (for some protestants, grape juice) is said to be transformed into the body and blood of christ and then ingested is called the _________ a. eurhythmics b. eucharist c. euthanasia d. eugenics

b. eucharist

buddhists teach that suffering can be overcome and enlightenment achieved by _________ a. participating in a "just" (morally correct) war against evil-doers b. following the "eight-fold path" c. fasting until one dies, thus freeing the soul from the chains and torture of the body d. finding and purchasing rare copies of ancient buddhist books

b. following the "eight-fold path"

zen monks might spend much of their day doing all the following except __________ a. sitting for long periods of time in complete silence in the meditation hall b. going to the local marketplace to try and attract new members to the monastery c. tending to the rock gardens in the monastery d. begging for food (or in modern times) money to support the monastery

b. going to the local marketplace to try and attract new members to the monastery

the required pilgrimage to Mecca is called the __________ a. hijrah b. hajj c. hijab d. halakha

b. hajj

sikhism began _________ a. after a war against the hindus, around 700 CE b. in 1499 CE and caught on in the 1500s CE c. about 2000 BCE, at about the same time as the vedas were composed d. after the death of the prophets Zarathustra in Persia, around 800 BCE

b. in 1499 CE and caught on in the 1500s CE

one result of both the French Revolution and the American revolution was a profound change in the relationship between church and state. after these revolutions, in these countries ___________ a. atheism became the most popular way to view god b. individuals would be free to follow whatever religion of their choice (or no religion at all) c. it became embarrassing to be a catholic d. the most popular form of christianity became methodism

b. individuals would be free to follow whatever religion of their choice (or no religion at all)

one problem in counting the number of buddhists in the world is _________ a. afraid of persecution by various governments, buddhists often hide their identities b. some buddhists may also claim tot be members of other religions at the same time and don't see a contradiction in belonging to two or more such groups c. the number of buddhists is shrinking so quickly d. none of the above

b. some buddhists may also claim tot be members of other religions at the same time and don't see a contradiction in belonging to two or more such groups

in shinto and Japanese folk belief, the kami are _________ a. men who are honored members of the samurai warrior class b. spirits, particularly those which may inhabit natural objects such as trees, lakes, and rocks c. priests who officiate at shinto shrines d. the Japanese equivalent of bodhisatvas

b. spirits, particularly those which may inhabit natural objects such as trees, lakes, and rocks

the primary meaning of the arabic word "islam" is ___________ a. equality b. submission (to the will of god and islamic law) c. peace d. humility (acting humbly)

b. submission (to the will of god and islamic law)

the two largest sects in islam are __________ a. shariah and ijtihad b. sunni and shi'ah c. sufi and shi'ah d. al quad and al jazeerah

b. sunni and shi'ah

atman is described by hindus as _________ a. the son of vishnu b. the aspect of brahman which resides in each person rather life the "soul" c. sin d. the evil side of brahman

b. the aspect of brahman which resides in each person rather life the "soul"

which of the following is true? (the other three are utterly false) a. the role of women in protestant churches is essentially the same today as it was in the 1800 b. the fastest growing part of christianity is pentecostalism c. most christian denominations have given up the idea of the trinity d. church attendance in general has been slowly increasing in the US in the past 20 years

b. the fastest growing part of christianity is pentecostalism

major theological changes and new practices were introduced in the Roman Catholic Church after pope John XXIII convened a world-wide church council in 1958 which met from 1962-65. this is usually known as __________ a. world war II b. vatican II c. saw II d. inquisition II

b. vatican II

the Chinese notion of complementary and opposing forces (male/female, wet/dry, light/dark, active/passive etc.) that are held in dynamic tension is _________ a. god and satan b. yin and yang c. dukha and nirvana d. the peoples republic of china and Taiwan

b. yin and yang

the Japanese word kamikaze means __________ a. revenge b. flying daggers of death c. "divine word" d. a pilot who isn't very good at making safe landings

c. "divine word"

if an event took place around 600 BCE that would mean that it happened about a. 600 years ago, when Europeans started to explore and colonize other parts of the world b. 600 C.E. (A.D.) during the lifetime of Muhammad and the creation of Islam c. 2,600 years ago, at the peak of the "Axial Age" d. 4,000 years ago, when the Vedas began to take written form

c. 2,600 years ago, at the peak of the "Axial Age"

approximately how many Sikhs are there in the world? a. less than one million b. 4 million c. 22-25 million (worlds fifth largest formal religion) d. over a billion (worlds second largest formal religion)

c. 22-25 million (worlds fifth largest formal religion)

the basic structure of sikhism is called _________ a. rig veda b. ali baba c. adi granth d. koran

c. adi granth

which of the following statements about Chinese religions is true? (the other three are false) a. no Chinese religions were actually created in china; they were all imported from other places b. all Chinese religions teach that Chinese people are genetically superior to other people c. all Chinese religions are more interested in correct action and behavior than right belief d. Chinese religions generally share the same beliefs in samsara, karma, and dharma as in Indian traditions

c. all Chinese religions are more interested in correct action and behavior than right belief

the first of the "noble truths" in buddhism is that ________ a. fat, ugly women are generally more loyal girlfriends than trim, athletic, pretty ones b. there is no such thing as "right" or "wrong" c. all life is suffering and no one is immune; even wealthy, privileged, healthy people suffer d. eating lots of tofu aids in the quest for enlightenment

c. all life is suffering and no one is immune; even wealthy, privileged, healthy people suffer

Muhammad became an orphan early in his childhood (at age 4) and was raised first by his grandfather, then his uncle. he obtained a good reputation and first became famous among other nomadic tribes in arabia primarily because he was _____________ a. said to have done many miracles, such as creating wells of water in the desert b. a great writer and singer of poems who could hold large audiences spell-bound for many hours c. an excellent negotiator and peace-maker; he was able to stop tribes from fighting one another d. an effective faith healer; he could lay his hands on sick people and they would recover

c. an excellent negotiator and peace-maker; he was able to stop tribes from fighting one another

which idea is emphasized in Mahayana buddhism but not in Theravada buddhism? a. meditation is an essential component of spiritual practice b. each person must find his or her own path in life c. bodhisattva lead others to lives of compassion; they are like guides across a dark lake d. Gautama buddha was an enlightened human being, but not a god who to be worshipped

c. bodhisattva lead others to lives of compassion; they are like guides across a dark lake

syncretism refers to a tendency for people to _________ a. adopt a lifestyle of severe restriction, such as sleeping on hard, cold floors and eating very little b. grow tired of traditional religions and to create new ones to replace them c. combine and borrow ideas and practices from various religious traditions d. insist on the truth of their own religious ideas and become intolerant of others

c. combine and borrow ideas and practices from various religious traditions

the term, "jain" or "jaina" means... a. polygamist b. idol-smasher c. conqueror d. king

c. conqueror

shakyamuni taught that the root cause of all human suffering is ________ a. sex b. violence c. craving and chasing after material things, status, honors and other things that don't last d. failing to know and love god

c. craving and chasing after material things, status, honors and other things that don't last

among many activities the four canonical gospels (those accepted by churches as authoritative) describe Jesus of nazareth as having done include all the following except ___________ a. being crucified and dying, but two days later, the tomb in which his body was placed was empty b. healing people by casting out demons that possessed them c. creating a new religion d. moving from place to place in Judea teaching and preaching, mainly to his fellow jews

c. creating a new religion

according to buddhist traditions and belief, who was Gautama Siddhartha, later known as shakyamuni, or more simply, "the buddha?" a. he was the son of lord krishna, who saw that humans were hopelessly sinful so he sent his son shakyamuni to earth, to live a human life, suffer and die for the benefit of all humans b. he was the son of Ganesha, who was sent to help humans achieve prosperity c. he was a mortal human being perfected his soul through many previous incarnations, became enlightened and allowed himself to be reborn one last time to help others d. he was the reincarnation of Arjuna, the main human character in the Bhagavad Gita

c. he was a mortal human being perfected his soul through many previous incarnations, became enlightened and allowed himself to be reborn one last time to help others

augustine (died 430 CE) argued against one of the major "heretics" of his day claiming that _________ a. "father, son and Holy Spirit" really are three different entities and that monotheism is incorrect b. women are fully equal to men in every way c. humans are too weak to make good decisions on their own and are dependent on gods grace d. all war is morally wrong; christians should abhor violence just as Jesus did

c. humans are too weak to make good decisions on their own and are dependent on gods grace

you travel to India and in this region you find that many of the adults wear face masks when they leave their homes. since you took a class in comparative religion you wisely reason that these people are most likely ___________ a. members of a violent cult, hiding from the authorities b. surgeons c. jains d. sikhs

c. jains

in one form of zen, teachers ask students to meditate on unanswerable and often paradoxical questions known as __________ a. tai-chi b. yamagata c. koan d. floating turtles

c. koan

at first, Gautama left the palace in which he had grown up and became an ascetic, as was common in the hindu tradition of the time, meaning that he ________ a. became a warrior b. sought to taste every available food, drink to excess and enjoy lots of sex c. lived a very simple, austere life in the forest with few physical comforts d. supported himself by robbing rich people, whom he thought were oppressing the poor

c. lived a very simple, austere life in the forest with few physical comforts

both hindus and buddhists will often meditate by repeatedly chanting various syllables, either a string of syllables or just one sound. this is called a __________ a. tantra b. bikshuni c. mantra d. sati

c. mantra

the suffix "tzi" or "tze" or "si" (and various other transliterations) after a mans name in Chinese, as in lao-tze or kongzi (Confucius) means __________ a. the god or "one worthy of worship" b. king or queen c. master or teacher d. "the late" (that is, the person is dead, as in "the late Tupac shakur," or "the late Amy Winehouse")

c. master or teacher

challenges to traditional christian beliefs that arose in the early modern period (beginning with the enlightenment in Europe and North America in the late 1700s) include all of the following except ____________ a. deism (god as the great clockmaker; god designed but no longer interferes with the universe) b. enlightenment philosophers, particularly Hume, Kant, and Schleiermacher c. new military assaults against European christian countries by muslims d. the theory of evolution, described in Charles Darwins 1859 on the origin of species

c. new military assaults against European christian countries by muslims

in sikhism __________ a. many gods are worshipped b. the hindu goddess shiva is worshipped along with the muslim allah c. only one god is worshipped d. the devil is worshipped; Sikhs believe equally in a "good" god and an evil god

c. only one god is worshipped

when Muhammad was born, life in arabia was marked by all the following except ___________ a. frequent wars between the many tribes stemming from revenge killings b. belief in animist (nature based) gods, represented by small, portable statues c. oppression by various hindu kings, who had invaded from nearby india d. the presence of a substantial number of jews and christians, primarily in Arabias few small cities

c. oppression by various hindu kings, who had invaded from nearby india

according to the "creation hymn" in the vedas the world ________ a. is random, chaotic, and without any discernible order b. is a complete illusion; it exists only in our imagination c. reflects the original cosmic person his head became the brahmin, arms became Kshatriya, feet became the shudra d. the world evolved from completely natural causes, as modern science describes

c. reflects the original cosmic person his head became the brahmin, arms became Kshatriya, feet became the shudra

the belief that life takes place on a recurring "wheel of suffering" is basic to all hindu/indian traditions. (it is also shared by the jaina and buddhist traditions). in all three it is called ________ a. shaquilla b. sambuca c. samsara d. moksha

c. samsara

all of the following are differences between Roman Catholic and orthodox (the christian tradition that had developed in Constantinople) christianity except __________. (eventually these differences became large enough to that there was a complete break or "great schism" between them in 1054 CE, a rift that lasts to this day) a. whether the clergy could marry b. whether or not to recognize the bishop of Rome (the pope) as official head of all christians c. whether or not christians should observe the laws of the "Old Testament" (Hebrew bible) d. which (greek or latin) should be primary language for the liturgy (official church prayers)

c. whether or not christians should observe the laws of the "Old Testament" (Hebrew bible)

"B.C.E" is an abbreviation standing for... a. "Before Common Etiquette," that is, a tome before people had decent manners c. "Before Christianity Evolved" c. "Before the Cenozoic Era" d. "Before the Common Era"

d. "Before the Common Era"

archaeologists call the earliest civilization yet to be discovered in the Indian sub-continent (in an area that is now part of Pakistan) the "Harappa culture." it dates from about _______ a. 1,500 CE, when Europeans started to conquer and enslave the native peoples from America b. 100 BCE, when the Roman Empire was at its peak rate of conquering other countries c. 1,250 BCE, about the time when the ancient Israelites left slavery in Egypt d. 2,750 BCE, long before there were any settled villages or cities in Europe

d. 2,750 BCE, long before there were any settled villages or cities in Europe

of approximately (as of November, 2019) 7.7 billion humans on earth, about ________ identify as christians a. 180 million b. 500 million (that's half a billion) c. 1.2 billion d. 2.2 billion

d. 2.2 billion

if an Indian family were to have only one holy book in their home, it would likely be the _________ a. Qur'an (koran) b. rig vedas c. kama sutra d. Bhagavad gita

d. Bhagavad gita

the most important value in Jainism is __________ a. chastity b. not stealing from or acting immorally, but only towards one's fellow jains c. to worship the goddess Ganesha at least three times a day d. ahimsa, doing no harm to any living creature

d. ahimsa, doing no harm to any living creature

in the late 20th century hindu and buddhist ideas became better known in America because __________ a. the Beatles made a spiritual journey to India and when they returned they helped popularize these ideas and practices by singing about them in their music b. starting in the 1950s, college students read (they would have to hide the cover in those days) the Kama sutra, an ancient hindu sex manual c. the Dalai Lama became a very popular speaker and author among americans d. all of the above

d. all of the above

which of the following are similarities in the legends about both shakyamuni and Jesus? a. neither was born in a house; buddha was born in a grove, Jesus in a stable (or "manger") b. bright lights appeared in the sky at both of their births c. their followers eventually split into many sects and substantially distorted the original teachers messages d. all of the above

d. all of the above

king Ashoka is important in buddhist history because around 300 BCE he _________ a. defeated the invading Macedonians, led by Alexander the great b. converted from hinduism to buddhism and exterminated many of the hated brahmin c. converted away from buddhism and is called "the great satan" d. became a buddhist, tried to be a model ethical ruler and thereby attracted many converts

d. became a buddhist, tried to be a model ethical ruler and thereby attracted many converts

the term that defines ultimate reality in hinduism yet can't be defined and is also used for the greatest of the gods, who essentially created all the other gods and goddesses is ________ a. krishna b. upanishads c. ganesha d. brahman

d. brahman

in the Indian religious classic Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna (the hero and central character) is confronted with a big problem. he wants to be loyal to his family, but he has many friends and relatives in the other army and doesn't want to kill any of them. the god Krishna arrives on the scene and advises Arjuna to _______ a. stay out of the fight; violence and killing are always wrong b. stand in the middle of the battlefield and argue for the two sides to make peace, even if you must sacrifice your own life attempting to make peace c. sacrifice a goat to the god Indra in hopes that Indra will stop the war d. do your duty, fight in the battle. since we go on to new lives after this one, the death of our physical body doesn't really matter in the long run. it is like changing your clothes

d. do your duty, fight in the battle. since we go on to new lives after this one, the death of our physical body doesn't really matter in the long run. it is like changing your clothes

the founder of sikhism was _________ a. yoshimitsu san b. sri mahatma sikh c. guru amar das d. guru nanak

d. guru nanak

the emperor Constantine (died 337) is an important figure in christian history because ___________ a. he erected statues all over the Roman Empire depicting himself as a god, alongside christ b. he wrote a comprehensive set of rules for former pagans on how to be a good christian c. he developed the idea that god consisted of three "persons" (father, son, and Holy Spirit) d. he became a christian (on his deathbed) and made christianity a legally permitted religion

d. he became a christian (on his deathbed) and made christianity a legally permitted religion

a Japanese man named hiro sobi has a son, whom he and his wife Yoko kuji, name su. (yes, Johnny cash fans, a boy named su!!) what will be his legal name in Japan? a. su kuji-hiro b. gojira-san (sir Godzilla) c. su su-san d. hiro su

d. hiro su

though there are some diaspora jain communities (notably in London, New York City and Los Angeles) the vast majority of Jains today live in __________ a. sri lanka b. china c. Myanmar (previously known as Burma) d. india

d. india

some of the American protestant christian reactions to modernism in the mid-1800s resulted in increases in all the following except ___________ a. evangelicalism b. fundamentalism c. pentecostalism d. interest in buddhism

d. interest in buddhism

an important result of the the first great awakening was that it ___________ a. was also strongly anti-slavery and created the abolitionist movement b. was also virulently ant-jewish and resulted in the lynching of hundreds of American jews c. resulted in total unity along American protestants and the elimination of denominational differences d. it encouraged middle-class women to take on much more active, public roles than in the past

d. it encouraged middle-class women to take on much more active, public roles than in the past

one reason why sikhism came into being and gained wide acceptance was __________ a. people in the Punjab region believed that the end of the world was coming soon b. the first Sikhs were very wealthy and could offer financial incentives to converts c. to mock island and christianity d. it hoped to bring hindus and muslims together and stop their constant wars

d. it hoped to bring hindus and muslims together and stop their constant wars

zen developed mainly in _________ a. San Francisco, california b. india c. the punjab d. japan

d. japan

hindus call the system of cause and effect which determines one's next incarnation ________ a. brahman b. vishnu c. artha d. karma

d. karma

the Chinese notion of proper behavior and etiquette (for example, who bows to whom and how low one ought to bow) is called __________ a. jihad b. dharm kow c. fen d. li

d. li

most Japanese people today __________ a. are extremely devoted to shinto b. don't observe any religious traditions at all c. hate Americans for luring all their best baseball players to American MLB for more money d. pick and choose from various religious traditions and see no contradiction in doing so

d. pick and choose from various religious traditions and see no contradiction in doing so

world-wide, the largest number of christians are also ___________ a. baptist b. anglican c. lutheran d. roman catholic

d. roman catholic

major components of the Chinese religious tradition include all of the following except ________ a. buddhism b. confucianism c. folk traditions, including shamanism d. shinto e. daoism

d. shinto