exam 3 terms

Platos rationalism

a belief that the material world is illusory because it is in a constant state of change

Stoicism

school of Hellenistic philosophy that taught true goodness is to be found by living in accordance with the Divine Reason

Phusis (Nature)

in Stoic philosophy the force that shapes living things into their perfect form

Divine Logos

used by Stoics to refer to the divine Reason or God

Epictetus

greek philosopher who taught all external events are beyond our control

apatheia

state of mind in which one is not disturbed by the passions

imago Dei

denotes the symbolical relation between God and humanity

The Fall

transition of Adam and Eve from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience

self-transcendence

ability of humans to stand outside ourselves and our world and make judgements about them

sin

an immoral act considered to be transgression against divine law

pride

egotistical sense of ones personal value, status, or accomplishments resulting in exalting oneself rather than God

St. Augustine of Hippo

Christian theologian and philosopher recognized in western Christianity as one of the most important church fathers

original sin

tendency to sin innate in all humans inherited from Adam

Siddhartha Guatama

founder of Buddhism, known as the Buddha

karma

spiritual principle of cause and effect where one's intent and actions influence their future

khandha

one of five physical or mental aspects that constitute ones existence

an-atta

"not self"; practical teaching aimed at the overcoming of attachment

Four Noble Truths

fundamental religious problems and solutions in Buddhism

dukkha

"pain, suffering"; the imperfections of life that color finite existence

tanha

"unsatisfied longing"; desire for private fulfillment, cause of dukkha

nirvana

state of freedom in which dukkha has been freed

Eightfold Path

Buddhist cure for tanha; steps walked simultaneously

li

idea embodying spectrum of interaction between humanity, nature, and material object

Confucius

chinese philosopher whose ideas formed the basis of the philosophy known as Confucianism

Analects

collection of sayings and ideas attributed to Confucius and his contemporaries

rectification of names

indicates linguistic clarity regarding the use of words

jen

in Confucianism, the supreme virtue of being kind and humane to one another

Five Great Relationships

five most important relationships in the life of an individual

filial piety

childs respect for his/her parents

chun-tzu

the gentleman or superior person

te

virtue and power of moral character

theodicy

problem fo justifying the goodness and power of God

"mystical participation"

loss of individuality by means of unconscious identification

"objective immortality"

person living on after physical death with life experiences preserved in the mind of God

this-wordly eschatology

view that God will overcome all evil and restore justice and harmony on Earth

millenarian theodicy

theodicy in which present, chaotic social order will be transformed into an utopia

Iranian Shi'ism

movement within the Shia Islam believing in the coming of a twelfth and final Imam

Taborites

radical millenarian movement under the belief that a new age was about to dawn

apocalyptic

associated with a class of Jewish and Christian literature, what is to happen in the future

Shi'i other-worldly theodicy

anticipated a future from present suffering in an other-worldly Paradise

dualist theodicy

theodicy where forces of good and evil will ultimately be shattered by the victory of order over chaos

karma-samsara theodicy

theodicy in which a persons present happiness or suffering is the result of their own actions in a previous life

dharma

teachings of the Buddha like the Four Noble Truths

Book of Job

tale of a prosperous man whose patience was tried by misfortunes and remained confident in the goodness of God

theodicy of protest

theodicy which the responsibility for evil and suffering is placed directly on God

Elie Wiesel

american-romanian jewish author, political activists and Holocaust survivor

John Hick's "negative theodicy"

theodicy in which evil exists to transform humanity into fully developed moral agents

process theology

type of theology that asserts that all reality is constituted by process and change

faith

a belief of a transcendent and a total confident reliance on divine grace and unmerited love

Martin Luther

preached doctrine of justification by faith rather than by work

bhakti

the path to God or liberation in Hinduism that stresses love and devotion to a deity

Theravada Buddhism

focused on altruistically oriented spiritual practice as embodied in the ideal of the bodhisattva

bodhisattva

(Mahayana) a person who is able to reach nirvana but delays doing so to save suffering beings

Amida Buddhism

broad branch of Mahayana Buddhism predicated on the belief that we will never have a world which is not corrupt

Shinran

japanese buddhist monk and sage who taught that recitation of the Nembutsu was itself an act of merit

the way of devotion

means toward achieving enlightenment, redemption, and even union with divine through devotional acts

ecstasy

an emotional or religious frenzy or trancelike state involving an experience of mystic self-transcendence

St. Teresa of Avila

spanish nun who recorded direct, intense personal encounters with the divine

orthopraxy

correct conduct which emphasizes correct belief

Code of Manu

most ancient and authoritative of the Dharma Shastras, a series of law books

Hindu dharma

has to do with case duties and obligations (does dharma acquires good karma)

varna

the four classes or divisions of society in Hinduism; foundation of the caste system

ashrama

ones stage of life

Islam

abrahamic religion devoted to Allah,, founded bu Muhammad as recorded in its most sacred text the Quran

Shari'a

part of Islamic law derived from the two sacred primary sources: Quran and sunnah

Five Pillars of Islam

profession of the faith in a prescribed form (shahada), observance of ritual prayer (salat), fasting during Ramadan (sawm), giving alms to the poor (zakat), and pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj)

halakhah

the body of jurisprudence, ethical duties, and ceremonial observances that for Orthodox Judaism

mitzvah

a divine commandment

Yom Kippur

day of atonement in which the temple sanctuary was purged of impurities and sin

Passover

spring festival commemorates the Exodus of Israel from bondage in Egypt

seder

ritual of Passover performed by Jewish families at the dinner on the eve of Passover

bar mitzvah

applied to a Jewish boy on 13th birthday when he takes on his religious responsibilities in the community

kosher

satisfying the requirements of Jewish dietary laws which concern the suitability of food for various purposes

yoga

range of Hindu spiritual and physical disciplines with the goal of integrating ones soul with the divine

Samkhya

one of the six orthodox systems of Hindu philosophy centered on the dualistic entites of prakti and pursha

Patanjali

indian sge of the early common era credited with the composition of the Yoga Sutras

samadhi

state of serenity and contentment achieved through meditation in which the mind and atman are fused into one

salvation

process of being delivered, redeemed, or liberated from whatever is considered to be evil or threatening

Abraham Maslow

psychologist who recognized the human process of growth and "self-actualization" involves certain "peak experiences"

"peak experiences"

inwardly transformative occasions that brings life new insight, joy, and creativity

satori

in Zen Buddhism, a momentary realization in which a person inner nature is directly known

eschatology

in Abrahamic religions, the belief in a future supernatural redeemer as an agent of God who will intervene in this world

"Day of Yahweh"

future foretold in ancient Israelite prophetic literature that depicts the Lords victorious overthrow of Israels enemies

Last Judgement

the divine weighing of each person deeds both living and dead expected to take place of the end of the world

Son of Man

future messiah who will intervene this world rewarding the pious and punishing all others

Messianic Age

future everlasting age in this world to be inaugurated by a messiah as an agent of God

"shade"

insubstantial shadow image or ghostly double of the body, which resides in the underworld

Hades or Sheol

greek and hebrew names for the abode of the dead where a "shade" lived out its twilight existence

resurrection of the spiritual body

religious belief in a spiritual corporeal form supernaturally restored after physical death

Heaven

a place regarded as the house of God, angels and of good after death often traditionally depicted as being above the sky

Hell

realm of evil and suffering with constant fire below earth where the wicked are punished after death

Western Paradise of the Buddha Amitabha

most famous of the Pure Lands in Amida Buddhism, paradise and abode of the savior Amitabha Buddha

Beatific Vision

direct unmediated knowledge of the Godhead, the ultimate self-communication of God to the individual person

Eternal Life

belief that life without end continues after death within a spiritual body

Advaita

school of Hindu philosophy within the broader system of Vedanta

moksha

used in Hinduism and Jainism to denote liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth

nirvikalpa samadhi

type of samadhi that it totally devoid an any consciousness of a distinction between perceiver and perceived

arhat

one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved nirvana

Nagarjuna

indian buddhist philosopher who developed the philosophy of emptiness

sunyata

buddhist concept for explaining the nature of phenomena as developed from Siddhartha an-atta teachings