religion midterm

Polytheism

Polytheism

belief in many gods

Pantheism

belief in all gods/their divinity

Faith

experience of the divine or holy presence, sometimes involving intellectual belief and sometimes emphasizing personal trust

Doctrinal

creeds, doctrines, teachings like the 5 pillars, 4 Noble Truths, Nicene Creed

Mythological

modern worldview vs. pre modern worldview, science and history vs. stories and symbols

Ethical

the value of human actions, such as the 10 commandments, Sharia Law, and karma

Ritual

religious ceremonies such as the pilgrimages, Mass, bar mitzvah

Experiential

faith and mysticism (how your religion experiences God(s))

Social

community of believers such as parish, congregation,

Sangha

Buddhist community

Umma

Muslim community

Material

statues, icons, architecture, churches, mosques, synagogues, Ganges River

Mystery

a religious belief based on divine revelation, especially one regarded as beyond human understanding

Cosmology

the understanding of the nature of the universe

Aboriginals

indigenous people of Australia

The Dreaming

When the land was inhabited by the ancestors (Aboriginal). Explains how all life came to be

Totem

a natural form, such as an animal or rock, that symbolizes an Ancestor in Aboriginal

Taboo

a system that dictates that certain sacred things and activities are set aside for specific members of a group and forbidden to others

Yoruba

a tribe located in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. believes that the god Orisha-nla started to create the world in Ife; cosmology divides the universe into two worlds: heaven and earth. Heaven is an invisible place where the gods and ancestors live. Earth is a visible place where human beings and evil beings such as witches and sorcerers live

Divination/Diviners

the use of various techniques for gaining knowledge about an individual’s future or about the cause of a personal problem; helps the individual decide how to proceed with their life

Lakota

The religion of the Plains is a representation of Native American religion; believes that four souls leave when a person dies. One soul is sent to an old woman in the Milky Way and either allows it to join the ancestors or return to the earth as a ghost. The other souls enter unborn children and are reborn into new bodies

Wakan Tanka

a Lakota name for the supreme reality, often referring collectively to sixteen deities

Inktomi

Trickster figure of Lakota

Trickster figure

a type of supernatural being who tends to disrupt the normal course of life.

Aztecs

lived in Highly developed civilizations with around fifteen million people, while other tribes were smaller and lived in villages; emphasized the interrelationships between myth and ritual in religion like other tribes

Nostra Aetate

declaration completed on October 28, 1965 by Pope Paul; stated that jewish people of the time of Christ, and all Jewish people today are not more responsible for the death of Christ than Christians. They also addressed the other major world religions

human sacrifice

the act of killing one or more humans as part of a ritual, which is usually intended to please or appease gods, a human ruler

Samsara

The wheel of rebirth

Moksha

The Hindu term for liberation

Dharma

Ethical duty based on the divine order of reality

Karma

The moral law of cause and effect

Sati

the burning of the widow

Avatar

A incarnation, or living embodiment, of a deity, who is sent to earth to accomplish a divine purpose

Ascetic

abstains from food, and drink–focuses on prayer and meditation

Bhagavad-Gita

Hinduism's most popular text

Hindus believe that a person dies only once before moksha is achieved

false (at one with brahman)

how are Brahman and Atman similar?

The eternal self that is reincarnated (Brahman is Atman, and Atman is Brahman)

Monism

The doctrine of monism holds that All reality is ultimately one

polytheism

belief in many gods

Who are Hinduism’s main deities, and what are their characteristics?

Brahma (the creator), Shiva (the destroyer), and Vishnu (the preserver)

Brahmin

made up of priests

Kshatriya

warriors and administrators

Vaishya

producers (farmers, merchants, artisans)

Shudra

servants and laborers

when is caste determined by?

birth

What are the Four Stages of Life?

The first stage is as a student. The second stage is being a householder and starting a family. The third stage is the forest dweller. The fourth stage is returning to society, but staying distant from normal attractions and distractions.

What are the Four Goals of Life?

karma, artha, dharma, moksha

kama

pleasure; sensual love

artha

material success and social prestige

the three paths of liberation

karma marga, jnaan marga, bhakti marga

karma marga

path of works

jnana marga

path of knowledge

bhakti marga

path of devotion

who is gandhi and what influence did he have on hinduism?

he exhorted the hindus to conquer the muslims with their love, gandhi believed that hindiusm was assimilating and not exclusive and definitely not proselytizing

arhat

a perfected person who has gained insight into existence and achieved nirvana

annata

not self

annica

impermanence

nirvana

the state of eternal bliss that is ultimate salvation

5 Precepts

Retain from taking life, refrain from taking what is not given, refrain from the misuse of senses, refrain from wrong speech, refrain from intoxicants that cloud the mind

Dalai Lama

The spiritual leader of Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism

Sangha

The Buddhist community

Middle Way

Rejects the extremes of asceticism and sensual indulgence.

Tanha

greed and desire, which leads to dukkha which is suffering and pain

3 Jewels of Buddhism

Buddha (yellow jewel), Dharma (blue jewel), and Sangha (red jewel)

Siddartha Gautama

Born into the Kshatriya caste

4 Noble Truths

Old age, sickness, death, and a wandering ascetic; everyone gets old, disease threatens everyone and their happiness, death finds everyone; first three show the reality of suffering in the world, last shows the search for salvation.

8 Fold Path

Right understanding, ethical conduct, right speech, right action, right livelihood, mental discipline, right effort

Muslim Declaration of Faith and Nicene Creed

doctrinal

River in India used for ritual Gen?

ganges

buddha is not considered god

true

buddhism has its roots in hinduism

true