Philosophy of Religion Final Exam Prep

Why are the homes of the deceased burned after they die in some societies?

To discourage their return to earth

What is an act, person, or place to be avoided to prevent harmful consequences from the spirit world?

Taboo

What do many religions based on supernaturalist beliefs do?

Openly worship nearly everything in nature

If your clan hunts and eats bear but not deer, what might you believe?

The deer is the totem of your clan

Why do most Hindus not eat beef?

Cows are considered sacred

Which people made great efforts to placate the deceased?

The ancient Chinese

What is a characteristic common to almost all religions, used to explain the world?

Myths

What is our strongest source of knowledge about the past?

The written record

What is heating a tortoise shell and interpreting its cracks an example of?

Divination

What does the bald eagle, national bird of the U.S., exemplify?

Totemism

What is one value of religious myths in non-literate societies?

They explain and transmit stories about a religion from one generation to the next

According to Native American belief, what is the land of the dead?

A continuation of this current life on another plane of existence

How did Europeans view nature compared to Native Americans?

They looked upon nature as something to be exploited and used

In what movements do non-native people express interest in Native American arts/religion?

New Age

What does the Lakota (Sioux) belief in Wakan Tanka represent?

An abstract understanding of the High God

What is a ritual in which a youth seeks a vision alone in the wilderness called?

Vision quest

What does the Wintu tale in the text detail?

The Europeans' irreverence toward the natural world

Which group blends Christianity and the peyote cult and has 225,000 members?

Native American Church

What does the Great Plains ritual that requires self-torment or sacrifice refer to?

Sun Dance

How long do traditional Native Americans believe the soul remains in the land of the dead?

For as long as the living remember the deceased

What is a medicine bundle?

A collection of animal hides, bones, plants, and minerals believed to be a source of spiritual power

Why is peyote used in some Native American ceremonies?

Because of its profound sensory and psychic experiences

According to many African religions, what do the dead retain?

An active interest in the living

Why might an African tradition require a priesthood?

To maintain and control temples

Who brought Hinduism, Buddhism, and Baha'i to Africa?

Immigrants

In some African religions, whom would you pray to before driving?

Ogun

When did Islam first come to Africa?

During the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad

Who is one of the most important female orishas, described as beautiful and powerful?

Osun

How can you recognize deities and ancestors in African traditions?

By pouring out a bit of a drink

What are African-initiated churches?

Christian churches that have their origins among Africans

What did both Jainism and Buddhism reject from the Vedic system?

Sacrifice

What is the act of worshiping the gods called?

Puja

What does the caste system have roots in?

Bhagavad-Gita

What do the Upanishads teach about the one true reality?

It is Brahman

Who is the god of fire who delivered offerings to other gods?

Agni

What is the most popular Hindu festival celebrating spring?

Holi

What issue does Hinduism share with most religions today?

Issues over modernity

Where does puja occur?

In households and Hindu temples

What is the practice of widows dying on their husbands' funeral pyres called?

Suttee

According to Jain teachings, what do all beings owe their present form to?

Their karma

How is ascetic life best described based on Mahavira's life?

Deprivation

Why are Jains vegetarians?

Because of ahimsa

How many Tirthankaras preceded Mahavira?

Twenty-three

Why did Jains become one of the wealthiest groups in India?

Because of truthfulness and their reputation as excellent businesspeople

Whose life was similar to Mahavira's?

Buddha

Which form of Buddhism uses riddles and sudden insight?

Zen

How can Nirvana be described?

The self permanently extinguished like a candle flame

How did the Buddha come to know the Four Noble Truths?

Through enlightenment

What are the teachings of the Buddha called?

Dharma

What do celebrants do during the Festival of Souls?

Perform elaborate rituals for the dead

What are individuals who achieve Nirvana called?

Arhat

Who was the founder of Buddhism?

Siddhartha

What do Sikhs believe based on Nanak's vision?

"There is no Muslim and there is no Hindu."

Where are modern Sikhs primarily concentrated?

Punjab

Who was the first in a line of ten Gurus?

Nanak

What do Sikhs refer to God as?

The True Name

Which Sikh holiday celebrates the founding of the Khalsa?

Vaisakhi

What is the Adi Granth?

A collection of the official scriptures

What was a transformative moment in Nanak's life?

A vision from God while meditating in the forest

What does the word "guru" mean to Sikhs?

Teacher

According to Confucius, what is the result if li and ren are present?

The superior human being

What kind of government did China become under the People's Republic in 1949?

Marxist

Which early April Chinese holiday involves ancestors, ritual baths, and new fires?

Pure and Bright Festival

What did Daoists absorb from Buddhists?

The pattern of monasticism

What did the Cultural Revolution repress?

All religions

In Confucianism, what does the term meaning 'propriety' or 'rites' refer to?

Li

Which Daoist principle means 'non-action' or 'effortlessness'?

Wu wei

Which holiday is celebrated until the full moon of the first month?

Chinese New Year

What does the word Dao mean?

The way

What effect did Mao's death have on religion in China?

The government became more open to religions

What happened to Confucianism after the founding of the PRC?

It was abandoned

Who is the legendary founder of Daoism?

Laozi

Which contrast is part of yinyang?

Moon and sun

What is true of Confucianism?

It has no doctrine of an afterlife

Why did Zhuangzi refuse the role of prime minister?

He had contempt for rank and wealth

What is the warrior code combining Shinto and Confucianism called?

Bushido

By the end of the sixth century C.E., which religion was firmly established in Japan?

Mahayana Buddhism

What is the 'god-shelf' in domestic Shinto?

Kami-dana

What drew interest from Chinese and Korean merchants and missionaries to early Japan?

Trade

In Japanese mythology, who is the chief spirit?

Amaterasu

What did the 1889 Constitution allow?

Shinto and other religions to exist

Ancient Japanese chronicles from the 7th-8th centuries appear in which section?

'The Age of the Gods'

How do most Japanese think of themselves?

Agnostic

What did the Tokugawa regime allow?

Shinto and a Japanese version of Confucianism

Which Shinto sect embraces faith healing, shamanism, and divination?

Tenrikyo

Why does Shinto continue today?

Private donations

What is the honorable suicide by disembowelment called?

Seppuku

What is the meditative Japanese Buddhist school?

Zen

What were samurai expected to show?

Courtesy and politeness to people in authority

What is the most widely celebrated holiday in Japan?

Japanese New Year

According to the Hebrew Bible, who did God choose to communicate exclusively with?

The descendants of Abraham and Sarah

In 922 B.C.E., which nation survived after the split?

Judah

What is the Sabbath custom attached to?

The days of creation

Why did Muslims treat Jews and Christians better?

Their faith was God-given

What is the Greek word for 'assembly'?

Synagogue

When was the first temple destroyed?

586 B.C.E. when the Babylonians invaded

What is the most important event in Judaism's history?

The Exodus

What was the most important role of prophets in ancient Israel?

To point out infractions of the law and call for justice

What is the scattering of Jews after Assyria destroyed Israel called?

Diaspora

What is the Talmud?

A combination of the Gemara and the Mishnah