Monotheism, Notecards

5 Functions of Religion

social cohesion -brings society together -unifies people with common set of values that promotes a sense a community and positive social behaviors social control -prevent undesirable behavior in society by associating it with negative spiritual consequences -creating society laws and norms based on moral expectations explaining the unexplained -emotionally satisfying answers to big questions of human existence -why am I here? - what am I supposed to do with my life? psychological support -emotional support in time of crisis -provides stability in uncertain times -meaning to deal with painful events like death or loss positive social change -use values/ideas of religion to create social change in society -not about spreading the particular religion but challenging unjust/corrupt systems

The Holy Trinity

the Christian Godhead as one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Importance: we say this every time we pray.

Bible

the Christian scriptures, consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. Importance: Has Jesus's most important teachings in it.

Moses

the Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of Egypt and delivered the Law during their years of wandering in the wilderness. Importance: Was a large part of the bible, and gave us the 10 commandments.

Rosh Hashanah

the Jewish New Year festival, held on the first (also sometimes the second) day of Tishri (in September). It is marked by the blowing of the shofar, and begins the ten days of penitence culminating in Yom Kippur. Importance: is the Jewish new year.

Abraham

the first of the great Biblical patriarchs, father of Isaac, and traditional founder of the ancient Hebrew nation: considered by Muslims an ancestor of the Arab peoples through his son Ishmael. Importance: was a very important patriarchs in the bible.

Judaism

the monotheistic religion of the Jews, having its ethical, ceremonial, and legal foundation in the precepts of the Old Testament and in the teachings and commentaries of the rabbis as found chiefly in the Talmud. Importance: Is one of the three main monotheistic religions.

Yom Kippur

the most solemn religious fast of the Jewish year, the last of the ten days of penitence that begin with Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). Importance: It is one of the most holy Jewish traditions.

Messiah

the promised deliverer of the Jewish nation prophesied in the Hebrew Bible. Importance: Jesus was a messiah.

Christianity

the religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, or its beliefs and practices. Importance: It is based off of the teachings of Jesus.

Diaspora

the scattering of the Jews to countries outside of Palestine after the Babylonian captivity. Importance: Created a "body" of Jews outside of Israel.

Monotheism

A belief in one god. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all monotheistic religions. Importance: all religions were polytheistic before this.

Jesus Christ

A prophet of the first century of our era; to Christians, Jesus Christ, the son of God, a person who was both God and man, the Messiah sent by God to save the human race from the sin it inherited through the Fall of Man. Importance: Christianity s based of Jesus.

Covenant

A solemn agreement between the members of a church to act together in harmony with the precepts of the gospel. Importance: The Catholic Church has a covenant with God.

Hebrew Bible

Hebrew Bible or Hebrew Scriptures is the term used by biblical scholars to refer to the Tanakh, the canonical collection of Jewish texts, which is the common textual source of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament. Importance: called Torah.

Protestant Church

Protestantism is a form of Christian faith and practice which originated with the Protestant Reformation, a movement against what its followers considered to be errors in the Roman Catholic Church. Importance: Is not a Catholic church.

Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments are laws or rules handed down to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. An example of the Ten Commandments are "I am the LORD thy God. Thou shalt have no strange gods before Me" and "Thou shall not kill." Importance: We still follow the commandments today.

Eastern Orthodox Church

The body of modern churches, including among others the Greek and Russian Orthodox, that is derived from the church of the Byzantine Empire, adheres to the Byzantine rite, and acknowledges the honorary primacy of the patriarch of Constantinople. Importance: a Christian religion formed in Byzantine times.

Prophet

a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of God. Importance: there were prophets before Jesus.

Catholic Church

a visible society of baptized Christians professing the same faith under the authority of the invisible head (Christ) and the authority of the visible head (the pope and the bishops in communion with him). Importance: One of the largest religions in the world.