THEO 200 Final

Hindu

means Indian; worship spirits that belong to plants and animals; believe in the oneness and connectedness of everything and the cyclical nature of reality; believe final goal of human life is moksha-escape from cycle of reincarnation; believe in the caste system-you stay in the caste you were born into

Clyde Crews said all religions can be categorized as:

natural or historical

Goal of Buddhism

nirvana-a state of pure wisdom, compassion and joy, in which we detach ourselves from all desires and negative emotions

Christianity began in:

Jerusalem where Jesus had been crucified

Brahman (Hinduism)

Ultimate Reality that never changes

atheism

denial of the reality of God; the belief that God or gods do not exist

Ninian Smart

describes 7 different aspects of religion

Islam and Christianity

got off to a slow start

Theocracy

government run by religious leaders

Edict of Milan

granted freedom of worship to all religions in the Roman Empire

Synagogue

is any group of 10 or more Jews who gather with a copy of the Jewish scripture (Torah)

Similarities between Hinduism and Buddhism

Both religions believe in karma, reincarnation and nirvana; believe there are many different paths to enlightenment and various spiritual practices-meditation, concentration and states of mind

revelation

a manifestation of divine will or truth; the self-disclosure of God

fundamentalism

a religious movement that adheres to strict basic principles

Muslim profession of faith

There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet

Similarities between Judaism, Christianity, Islam (what makes each of these unique from all others)

They all come from Abraham and his sons Ishmael and Isaac. They all share the Old Testament. They all believe in one God. They three believe in an afterlife. They all have a Holy Book.

canon

a book/set of books considered sacred

ecumenism

activity directed towards the achievement of unity among all Christian churches and ultimately among all religious communities

What is the enlightenment?

an 18th-century philosophical movement that swept across Europe and North America and inspired people to change their views about the nature of reality.

doctrine

an official teaching of a church or religion

Koans (Buddhism)

anti-rational riddles designed to lead a person to enlightenment

Muslim's day like the Jewish day begins

at sundown

faith

belief in God even though you can not see Him

Muhammad

concerned for orphans; called The Trusted One; became financially prosperous-Jesus and Buddha remained poor; his job was to proclaim the central message of Islam; his followers never saw him as Divine-only as man; he became known as the Perfect Man

Hindus believe the two most sacred animals are

cows and peacocks

soteriology

critical reflection on the saving activity of Jesus Christ

Jesus of history; Christ of faith

distinction between Jesus of Nazareth and Jesus the Messiah

Fundamentalists

have authoritative personalities and often feel uncomfortable with pluralism, free speech, religious toleration and other characteristics of democracy.

How did the rise of the Religious Right change the relationship between organized religion and American politics?

increased the number of conservative people actively involved in politics therefore having significant impact in the outcome of elections

Examples of Religious Right

many states raised the legal drinking age to 21 y/o, rise in number of children homeschooled, 3 strikes and you're out, rise in mvmt to censor text/library books (abortion, gun law, gay rights)

Buddhists believe

nothing lasts forever, everything is in constant flux; everything is connected;

Muslim

one who submits to the will of god; believes life on earth is a test and will be rewarded or punished in the next life based on their earthly actions

Hinduism

origins are unknown-oldest religion; third largest religion; does not seek converts/not a missionary religion; collection of many religious traditions; no formal doctrine; more about how to conduct ourselves than what to believe; no formal church organization; no specified Holy day; no religious hierarchy; doesn't advocate the worship of one particular deity; worship in a temple dedicated to a particular god

Bodhisattva (Buddhism)

person on the verge of becoming a Buddha, who postpones enlightenment so he can help others

Mosque

place of prostration-any building used by Muslims for worship

(Buddhism)

sitting meditation

ashima (Hinduism)

strong reverence for life in all it's many forms

historical critical method

study of Biblical texts designed to investigate their origins by locating them within the historical context in which they were written, comparing them with other texts written at the same time

Islam

submission to god; regards Jesus as a prophet-not the Son of God

Catholic social teaching

teaching of the Catholic Church that pertain to the political, social, economic and international order

The Inquisition

the Catholic Church court who tried people of heresy (a religious belief contrary to Christian teaching)

thodicy

the attempt to justify belief in the goodness of God in the face of evil and suffering in the world

religion

the belief in a supernatural power regarded as creator of the universe

secularism

the belief that religious considerations should be excluded from civil affairs or public education

Natural religion and examples

the best way to experience the divine is through the cycles of nature-individual life cycles of each person, different seasons of nature; Pantheism, Animism

church/ecclesiology

the branch of theology concerned with the nature, constitution and functions of a church

ritual/worship

the ceremonies, prayers and other religious forms by which the love and devotion accorded a deity are expressed

Historical religion and examples

the divine manifests itself in history-Allah speaking to Muhammad through Gabriel, the Holy Spirit (dove) descending on Jesus after baptism, Moses receiving the Ten Commandments; Christianity, Islam

St. Paul

the earliest Christian writer

Zionism

the movement of Jews to work for the creation of a Jewish state

the night of power/destiny

the night Muhammad was visited by angel Gabriel/his first revelation

anthropology (theological)

the study of the origin, purpose and destiny of human life in the light of Christian belief, e.g., From the perspective of Christian faith, what does it mean to be a human being?

God

the supreme and creator of the universe

Islam, Christianity, and Judaism begin with the premise that:

there is only one god

Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem

three holiest cities for Muslims

The Founding Fathers view on religion

wanted to encourage religion to flourish but also to avoid religious warfare.

Buddha

"one who is awake"

Allah

"the one god"

The rise of the Religious Right

(culturally conservative, politically active Christians and Jews) was part of a larger resurgence of cultural conservatism in U.S.

Religious Fundamentalism

-a movement characterized by rigid adherence to fundamental or basic principles (very conservative branch of American Protestant Christianity) -believe religion should remain forever the same and new elements should never be added

2 main Enlightenment Beliefs

1) Human reason can explore the universe and discover its laws 2) Most ordinary people have been seduced into believing religious superstitions, so they won't think for themselves.

sin

a violation of the moral oder

Difference between Historical and Natural religions:

-view of time: -Natural-time is a wheel or an endless cycle-human events are a pale imitation of the events constantly repeating themselves in the realm of gods -Historical-time as a progression-every event in Hx is unique and unrepeatable

Patrick Arnold said the five main characteristics of fundamentalism are: (explain why you agree/disagree that each of these is a characteristic of fundamentalism and what you think are the positive/negative effects of religious fundamentalism on the contemporary world)

1) develops within cultures that are undergoing swift change and a certain amount of resulting social crisis 2) feeds on fear and anger-seeks revenge against the sources of change in the world 3) are often preoccupied with "the myth of the Golden Age."-believe there was a bygone era when their religion was lived out with a purity and zeal that have long since been lost 4) insist on the absolute, infallible authority of a religious text or some other source of religious knowledge-believe religious texts in a literal way 5) often ally themselves with repressive political regimes

5 pillars of Islam

1. Affirm there is only one god and Muhammad is his prophet 2. Pray facing Mecca five times a day 3. Give alms generously 4. Fast during month of Ramadan (9th month of Islamic calender-the month god began to reveal the Koran to Muhammad) 5. Make a pilgrimage to Mecca

Three main contributions of Judaism to Western Civilization

1. Belief in one God 2. Belief that God enters into relationships with people 3. Belief that people are called by God to criticize and improve the world in which they live

The four noble truths of Buddhism

1. Life is suffering. 2. Suffering is caused by desire & attachments. 3. Desire & attachment can be overcome. 4. The way to enlightenment is the Eightfold Path.

7 different aspects of religion and examples of each (explain why you agree/disagree that each aspect is an important part of religion)

1. Practical/Rituals-baptism, prayer, singing, anointing the sick 2. Emotional/Experiential-individual believer's experience of the divine-Paul on the road to Damascus-blinded 3. Doctrinal/Philosophical-concrete language used to describe the ineffable experience of god; Apostle's Creed 4. Ethical/Legal-laws a religion follows-the five pillars, the golden rule 5. Social/Institutional-how power and authority are distributed w/i a religious community-the Pope 6. Aesthetic/Material-the building 7. Narrative/Mythic-vital stories passed from one generation to the next, Exodus story of Moses, Jesus' crucifixion

Five Distinctive Characteristics of Religion in America and examples of each (explain how you think each of these has an impact on American society)

1. Religion in America is more diverse than the rest of the world-more than 25,000 religions in the US, more than 100 different types of Baptists 2. Americans often change from one religion to another-George W. Bush was raised a Presbyterian and now is a Methodist, Americans are legally and socially free to change religions 3. America is a country of enormous religious vitality-90% of Americans say they believe in God, 80% believe in the afterlife, twice as many Americans believe in the Virgin Birth of Jesus as believe in evolution 4. The US encourages a strong separation of church and state-the government has little control over religion and vice versa 5. America is overwhelmingly Protestant-nearly all American Presidents have been Protestant Christians

Buddhism and Hinduism are unique from most other religions in that:

Buddhism and Hinduism teach that there are various different paths to reach enlightenment/freedom after death; most other religions teach that this is only through salvation through God; main focus is compassion and justice and also spiritual matters and less on fulfilling rules and rituals

Differences between Judaism, Christianity, Islam

Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God and was crucified for the sins of all mankind. Salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Jews believe Jesus was an ordinary Jew and was crucified for his claim to be divine. Salvation through good works, prayers and the grace of God. Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet, but not divine; do not believe Jesus was crucified, but was raised up by Allah into the heavens. Salvation through good works.

Differences between Hinduism and Buddhism

Hinduism not founded by any prophet; Buddhism founded by Buddha Hindus believe in the Vedas, but the Buddhists do not believe in the Vedas or any other Hindu holy book Buddhists have no priests or rituals like Hindus do. In Buddhism, anyone can achieve Nirvana, no matter how lowly, whereas in Hinduism only the brahmins (priests) could achieve moksha. Nirvana/Moksha=enlightenment Buddhists do not believe in the caste system that Hindus believe in. Buddhism is a younger religion than Hinduism. Hindus ascribe to a belief in god, Buddhists do not

What did Jim Hunter mean by the term "Culture Wars"?

Hunter says that we are in the midst of a culture war to decide the social and moral direction of America; that religious Americans define themselves not only in terms of which religion they belong to, but also in terms of their views regarding hot-button social issues

Hinduism and Buddhism evolved in

India

Shariah

Islamic law; means right path

Seder Meal

Jewish feast at Passover celebrates the exodus of Jews from their bondage in Egypt

Ramadan is similar to the Christian season of:

Lent

the Koran

Muhammad's revelations were written in; means recitation; written in Arabic-only language it is authoritative in; most widely memorized book in the world

The Eightfold Path

Right understanding Right purpose Right speech Right conduct Right livelihood Right effort Right alertness Right concentration (attitudes to cultivate)

What was the attitude of the Enlightenment towards Christianity?

The Enlightenment rejected traditional religious beliefs and replaced them with reverence for freedom and reason.