religion describes human life

revelation (judaism)

when the God is revealed to humans, generally to disclose something significant about human life and to call believers to follow the Mitzvot

jewish term for human desire

yetzer

chet

sin - straying from God and the correct way of behaving

Yom Kippur

Day of Atonement in Judaism that highlights adherents need to be forgiven for past transgressions and reconnect with God

how does divine and human justice manifest in judaism?

through the commandments that are categorized as tikkun olam (repairing the world)

chesed

acts of loving kindness - also seen in funeral rites through burying the dead

tzedakah

charitable to the needy

tzedek

removing systemic oppression - Jews are called to that everyone can live a life of dignity as God intended

pikuach nefesh

saving/preserving the life of another - there is no commandment in the Torah so binding that it negates the sanctity of human life

general revelation (christianity)

God’s revelation through creation

special revelation (Christianity)

explicit revelation of God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus

salvation (Christianity)

the belief that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, all humanity is freed for all time from sin

imagio dei

image of God - Christian belief that all humans are made in the image and likeness of God, and thus are imbued with dignity and sacredness by virtue of their being human

risalah

prophethood (Islam)

what do Muslims believe about Allah and prophets (anbiya)?

Allah sent anbiya to deliver His divine message to humanity and that this has been consistent throughout the ages.

what do Muslims consider the Qur’an to be?

as it is the literal word of God delivered to Mohammad via Angel Jibril, the Qur’an is considered to be eternal (qadim) and inimitable (ijaz)

the Greater Jihad

the struggle of Muslims (individually and communally) to live out the will of Allah

karma (Hinduism)

the positive or negative consequences associated with doing one’s dharma

sadharana dharma

duty to perform actions that lead to universal good, which encompasses ethical codes that dictate proper behavior that will accrue positive karma

vishesha dharma

the duty and obligations pertaining to an adherents gender, life stage, and caste status

atman

Hindu term for ‘soul’

samsara (Hinduism)

refers to the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth to which all humans are bound to by karma

five khandhas (Buddhism)

1. physical form (rupa)

2. sensation (vedana)

3. perception (samjna)

4. constructing activities (intellectual responses) (sankhara)

5. consciousness (vinnana)

are the five khandhas static or dynamic?

dynamic - there is no permanent understanding of ‘I’, and thus these five notions are constantly changing

dukka

‘suffering’ in Buddhism

karma (Buddhism)

the universal law of causality that binds people to the wheel of samsara, and is determined through intentional acts

dharma (Buddhism)

separate from social duties, gender, and life states

kausalya and akausalya

intentions and actions that accrue positive karma, and intentions and actions that accrue negative karma

karmaphala

essentially the Buddhist term for karmic consequences

realms of those rebirthed with good karma in Buddhism, and realms of bad karma

positive: human, demi-god, and god realm

negative: animal, hungry ghosts, and hell realm

transmigration (Buddhism)

the process of reincarnation in samsara where elements of a person’s past consciousness spills into their new life