Religion Exam Review

Religion

Belief in and worship of a superhuman power'(s) especially a God/gods

Theism

belief in existence of a God/gods

• especially one God as creator of universe

Animism

attribution of a soul to plants, inanimate objects and natural phenomena - everything has a soul

monotheism

belief that there is only one God

polytheism

belief that there is more than one god

atheist

doesn’t believe any God or high power exists

agnostic

there may or may not be a higher power and we will never know

The Great Spirit

a power or being that has created the world and everything within it - inhabits all things

trickster

embodiment of lawlessness and paradox; exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or disobey normal rules and defy conventional behaviour - raven that took light

elders

term bestowed to an individual by their community because of spiritual and cultural knowledge that they hold - doesn’t always have to be by age

shamans

function as healers, prophets, diviners, custodians of religious mythology and are often officiants at religious ceremonies

multiculturalism

presence of or support of presence of several distinct cultural or ethnic groups within a society

religious pluralism

every individual in a religious diverse society has rights, freedoms and safety to worship or not according to their conscience

tolerance

ability or willingness to tolerate something in particular existence of opinions or behaviour that one doesn’t necessarily agree with

syncretism

process of blending doctrines or practices of multiple religions into a new religion

vision quest

spiritual journey belonging to Indigenous cultures which participants often adolescents are said to receive sacred knowledge and strength from the spiritual world

sacred in daily life & environment

• all is sacred and everything is connected

• everything comes from and is moved by spirit

• when leave this life we return to world of spirit

• spirit connects all living things

• attentive to physical environment helps one to see power in environment

purpose of prayer

Prayer: important part of indigenous spiritual practice

• purpose is to recognise God’s greatness and express thanks for creator’s gift

smudging

purification of mind and spirit

• herbs (sage, tobacco, sweet grass) are burned and the smoke is brushed or washed over eyes, mouth, ears, hands, heart, and whole body or inhaled

  • once done, the ashes are returned to earth where it won’t be walked on as a sign of respect

sacred pipe ceremony

most powerful and sacred spiritual ritual

• pipe: unity and harmony of wowrld

• smoking the pipe represents oneness and unity of all creation as it involves all elements of earth

• pipe carrier prays that the whole universe and ll it contained be transferred to the pipe before the ceremony

• when lit everything dissolves into a cosmic unity of great spirit

  • the bowl with the hole represents women while the stem represents man and joint together represents the union and balance between male and female aspects in the world

sweat lodge

aims to purify body, mind, spirit and heart and restores proper relationship with self, others and creator

• place for spiritual refuge and healing and in its dark moist setting participants return to womb and innocence of childhood

• they can stay in the lodge for hours where they pray, sing, talk, meditate, and sit in silence reflecting on the creation stories

birth and naming rituals

they are named by their grandparents of an elder who fasts, meditates, prays, and dreams to determine their right name

• name is revealed by spirit given toa child in a special ceremony and their name can change as the person matures

  • the name expresses the identity of a person and their relationship with the great spirit

puberty

vision quest - coming of age ceremony

• they will prepare for a year and go on a question once their parents or the elders believe that they are ready

• the seeker of the vision quest is purified (confession) and the medicine man instructs the youth to place far from camp where they will spend their time praying, fasting, and enduring th elements of the earth fro several days while waiting for a vision

• they hope to seek a message from the guardian spirit, totem - connects Indigenous epople to mythical ancestors and are protective beings of clan or tribe

hair

long uncut hair signifies belonging as well as cultural and spiritual importance

• 3 braided strands - body, mind spirit

death

those who have passed must relearn what it is to be a spirit requiring a year long wait

harvest fest

recognise spirit that acted on their behalf to give them food

• renewing of the earth - prayers, chants, and dances

powwow

dance of renewing restoration of right relationship and healing of all creation. to celebrate identity, heritage and language

• takes place in a circle blessed by the holy creator and Indigenous dancers will enter from the east and move in a clockwise direction

• drumbeat - rhythm of creation, heartbeat of mother earth, mother’s heartbeat

sun dance

renewal of dedication to Great spirit and quest for spirit in oen’s life

• start with purifying themselves 4 days before the ceremony and fast

• during the final staage they will pierce their bdoy and start dancing/tearing themselves from the piercing

• symbolises renewal of quet for spirit in one’s life

creation stories

creation myth: explain how earth and parts of the earth were created

• there were animals trying to get mud from very low in the water and even the strongest animals weren’t able to do it until the smallest animal said it would try and everyone laughed at him and underestimated him and when he tried and took a long time they all thought that he died until they say him with a pawful of mud and the turtle sacrificed itself to create the island which we now know as North America

trickster myths: explain how suffering came into lives and how suffering came into the world

• there was a father that had a daughter and he thought that she was ugly so he took the sun so he wouldn’t have to see her face. for years the world was left without a sun and the raven had enough so he flew into the mouth of the daughter and became her son. when he was born the father loved him so much that he would do anything for the raven child and so he would ask to see the box which the sun was held in and everyday he would ask his grandfather to open another box until he reached the sun and he begged to see it and when the dad it the raven quickly took the sun changed into his bird form and put it back into the sky

kosher

fit to eat

• way Jews will describe things that are proper

• eating kosher is obeying God, loving God, health, tradition, and being unique from others

• to be able to eat animals and it to be considered kosher, the animals must die instantly by being slit in the throat by a razor-sharp knife

  • can’t have shellfish, eels, vulturous bids, pork, and must wait 3 hours to have dairy if they just had meat

yad

it becomes a persons “finger” when they read the Torah so that the oil from fingers don’t ruin the Torah

Tzitzit

are the fringes on tallit/prayer shawl that represent the 613 commandmentsm

mitzvot

commandments

mezuzah

small case placed at doorpost containing the shema to remind Jews of the commandments

• as a sign of respect they will touch and kiss the fingers that touched the mezuzah when they pass it

tallit

prayer shawl that must be worn by men when praying

hanukah

festival of light commemorating the miracle of the flask oil that was only meant to last a day but lasted 8 days

• kids will play with dreidl, light a candle each evening, and recieve small gifts

covenant

promise made with God

synagogue

place of worship - place to assemble and learn

• greek word meaning assembly

• sheul - german word meaning school

torah

laws and teachings of Judaism

• made of the 5 books of the old Testament

ten commandments

given to moses by God and moses gave to the Hebrews on Mount Sinai and are the tend laws Jews must follow to please Allah

rosh hashanah - new year

when Jews ask God to remember the covenant and faith of ancestors

• in synagogue ppl will declare God king again from coming year

  • sept/oct for 2 days

yom kippur - day of atonement

holliest day of the year when people fast, depriving oneself of pleasures and repenting sins of previous year

• celebrated for a day in sept/oct to conclude year

shabbat - sabbath (day of rest)

weekly day of rest starting at sundown on friday until sundown on saturday and is the most sacred day for Jews

• celebrates that heavens and earth and everything on earth are a gift from God

succot - feast of tabernacles

protection from elements God provided while wandering in desert for 40 years when israelites followed Moses to promised land and is a reminder of their total dependence on God

hanukah - festival of lights

celebrated for 8 days in nov/dec to commemorate the miracle of the flask oil lasting for 8 days/nights when it was meant to only last one day

purim - feast of lots

celebrate Queen Esther’s part in ensuring survival of Jewish ppl as she failed Haman’s plan to massacre Jews

• children read scroll of Esther or act it out as well as eating special foods and donating to the poor

sharuot - similar to pentecost

celebrated 50 days after passover when they give to the torah and recall the birth of the Jewish religion when moses recieved the 10 commandments on mount sinai

tisha b’av

commemorate the destruction of the Temple and Jewish Tradegies

pesach - passover

commeorates the liberation from egytian slavery where they will eat a meal known as the passover seder meal and this meal takes place on the first night of passover

• the seder meal connects the exodus story to modern times by reminding Jews of the oppression towards Jews everywhere

  • passover lamb shank: reminder of the Temple Sacrifice

  • matzah: is the unleavened bread from having to quickly leave so the bread didn’t have enough time to rise

  • bitter herbs: bitterness of slavery

  • celery: springtime and the gratitude for God’s goodness and beauty

  • egg: new life

  • Salt Water: tears and bitterness of slavery

  • charoset (mixed and chopped apples, honey, nuts, win): mortar bricks used when they were slaves

  • 4 cups of wine: 4 stages of Exodus from egypt: freedom deliverance, redemption and Gods chosen ppl

  • eligah’s cup: prophetic hope in coming of Kinddom of God upon our world

birth - brit milah|simchat bat

celebrated 8 days after birth to initiate infant into ppl of covenant and rite of circumcision if performed

• prayer tht accopanies name giving are israels lives on through its bloodline and God remembers covenant made with abraham forever and then they are given a hebrew name

bar/bat mitzvah - confirmation and coming of age

“son/daughter of commandment”

• at the age of 12 (13 for girls) is when they are no longer considered a minor and take the responsibility to fufill all Torah’s commandments

  • kids will conduct the service or part of it as they spend month preparing by attending Hewbrew classes at the synagogue

marriage

it is encouraged to marry and start families as it’s the standard way of life

• they sign the marriage contract (ketubah) to ensure husband meets his obligations to her and treats her well

• they read their vows and the 7 blessings under the canopy(chuppah) which is an intimate moment where the couple is establishing their relationship and they end the ceremony with reciting the 7 blessing again

death/burial

bury body and clean it as soon as possible so they feel no pain

• recite the prayer of sanctification (kaddish) every morning and night for 11 months after their passing

• during this time they focus on grieving their loss

orthodox - most strict group of Judaism

Follow all rules and practices and the literal interpretation of the Torah

• only kosher

• men and women sit separately in their traditional clothing during the Hebrew services where women sit on the gallery or left side of synagogue to ensure there are no distractions and they follow traditional gender roles

• they have separate utensils and appliances for meat and for dairy

conservative - middle ground

they are willing to adapt and somewhat keep an open mind

• needs of the community and Jewish Identity > individual needs and wants

• fluid with dietary laws and some interpretation of Jewish law

• women and men can sit together and possible wear non traditional clothes and some have Hebrew or english services and women can be ordained as rabbi

reform - most liberal group in Judaism

want to enjoy the same freedom as others and believe that Jewish law should always be examined to meet the needs of the generation

• individualism: each person decides beliefs and practices that are key for their spiritual life

• men and women are allowed to sit tgt in non traditional clothes and services are in either hebrew or English and women can be ordained as rabbi and they don’t really care about kosher

torah

most sacred object in Judaism with the laws and teachings of Judaism

compilation of the first 5 books of scripture

• genesis: stories of creation: adam and eve; abraham and sarah + children

• exodus: stories of moses: liberation from slavery in egypt; ten commandments

• leviticus: laws of sacrifice and other laws pertaining to priests

• numbers: wanding of 12 tribes of israel in wilderness for 40 years

• deuteronomy: talks by moses before ppl enter promise land: repetition of law

talmud

second most sacred writings in judaism contain all Jewish civil and religious laws and ethical teachings

the interpretations of Torah made by Jewish rabbis with two versions; babylonian and jerusalem talmud

• composed of Mishnah and the Gemara which are the discussion about the Mishnah

sabbath

day of rest beginning on sunset on friday to sunset saturday

• mustn’t do anything that isn’t simple, attend synagogue and not use any material things

synagogue

comes from the Greek word assemble as well as the German word shuel which means school so the synagogue means to be a place of assembly and learning

• in traditional synagogues men and women sit separately with women either sitting on the left or in their gallery to avoid distractions

• they face the direction of Jerusalem while praying as it is their holy land

• the Ark of covenent is where the Torah scroll is kept

• men must wear tallit at all times

• the ner tamid is a symbol in the shape of the star of david meaning eternal light

• rabbi lead and teach the congregation while facing the crowd and chazzan or the leaders of singing will face the direction of jerusalen

tefillin

leather bands and pouches containing scrolls of torah passages that are bound to the arm bicep and forehead to remind Jews of the commandments

menorah

seven branched candelabra used in the synagogue which is lit every evening and cleaned out every morning

• the menorah used for hanakuh has nine branches rather than 7

kippah

head covering to show respect to God

star of david

newer symbol which represents the shield of David

chai

living or living God and reflects on Judaism’s focus on the importance of life

hamesh hand - hand of fatima or hand of GOd

protection against the evil eye

abraham and sarah

patriarch (head father) and matriarch (head mother) of the Hebrews - abraham is the father of all nations

• abraham was called by God to leave place of his ancestors and go to land that God will show them and will make him and his wife parents of a new nation

• his faith was tested multiple times and they don’t become parents until sarai is in her 90s

• when issac was born God tested Abraham and told him to sacrifice his child and which he did with no hesitation but God told him he didn’t have to right before

• abraham would be a light and blessing to all nations

moses

is the founding father of israelites and honoured above all humans and gave the ten commandments to the hebrews on mount sinai

• freed hebrews from slavery in egypt and instituted priesthood and delivered laws of God to Israel

• prophet and law giver

David

was the second king appointed by God to replace King Saul and made a covenant with God that promised all his descendants will reign on the throne over people of God

• defeated all enemies and united all tribes into one kingdom

Noah

was the ark building and fathered on baord 2 of every animal to ride out the Great flood and is known to be the father of mankind

• has a covenant with God to establish Laws and prohibitions of blasphemy, idolatry, adultery, bloodshed, theft, and eating blood of a living animal

mosque

place or worship/masjid/ prostrations

sunni

majority of muslims who follow traditions and beliefe that prohphet muhammad is the model for mandkind and believe abu bakr was right successor after muhammad

shi’ite

minority of muslims that believe ali, muhammad’s cousin and son in law should have beent he successor and a political and religious leader

mecca

islamic holy land which contains the kaaba which a black cubicle structure that is a shrine for multiple Gods but then became an islamic structure where muhammad would go to seek revelations from allah

sufi

muslims who represent mystical dimension of islam and seeks direct experiences of Allah

halal

foods that they are allowed to eat

• beef, chicken, seafood

haram

foods that they aren’t allowed to eat

• gelatin, fruits and veggies that have haram ingredients, pork

harem

secluded part of the house set for women of the family to study the Qur’an

Qur’an

holy book of islam which is the word of allah

• divided into 114 suras and isn’t in chronological order

jihad

striving and doing one’s utmost or struggling if not submitting to allah

caliph

successor once Muhammad passed

• abu bakr, uman, uthman, ali

ihram

state of consecration assumed by muslims on pilgrimage to Mecca

hijab

headscarf worn by women to show modesty and respect

shahadah

creed - there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah

• one of the 5 pillars of Islam

adhan

loud call to prayer for all muslims to hear

muslim

one who surrenders or submits to God

shariah law

islamic laws Muslims follow as it’s set out rules by Allah

5 pillars of islam

shahadah - creed

• there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah

• is a sign of belonging to the Muslim community

• when saying the creed there must be 2 witnesses to be legally considered Muslim

salat - prayer

• muslims must pray 5 times a day; dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, night

• they are able to pray anywhere as long as it is clean

zakat - almsgiving

• giving to those in need

• muslims who are out of debt must give 2.5% of their wealth to those in need, the poor to contribute to building a mosque

sawn - fasting

• known as ramadan when Muslims aren’t allowed to eat from sunrise to sunset

• Muslims must abstain from food, water, evil thoughts, drinking, personal pleasures, etc

• those who are excused are the sick, eldery, pregnant, children, and women menstrating

• it ends with eid-al fitr which is the festival of breaking fast

hajj - pilgrimage

• if one is physically and financially capable they must pilgrimage to Mecca to see the kaaba once in their life

• its a time when Muslims should strive to live a honest, holy life and focus their mind on allah

• during the pilgrimage men and women wear the same clothes to emphasize equality and that in death they’ll leave behind all material things

ramadan

month of fasting when muslims aren’t allowed to eat from sunrise to sunset to show their obedience to Allah

• adults abstain and follow the 5 pillars - give back, go to mosque, read Qur’an

• this was the time when Muhammad received divine message of Allah and marks the beginning of Qur’an

birth

first sound when they will play the adhan when babies are just born and boys are circumcised

the naming ceremony or aqiqa occus 7 days after a baby is born when their hair is shaved and weighed and the weight is of their hair determines how much silver must be given to the poor

marriage

nikah - wedding ceremony when they will read the Qur’an and exchange vows in fron of witnesses and mosque leader performs the ceremony

• establishes a bond between the couple and their families

• all have responsibilities

• divorce is allowed but highly discouraged

death

their last words must be the shahadah for a full circle and just like in Judaism their corpses are washed and buried as soon as possible and face the direction of Mecca

muhammad

the prophet whose mision given by angel gabriel was to preach the word of allah

• known to be a honest and moral sensitive man

• spent a lot of time in cave hira where he recieved the call from allah when angel gabriel went to him and told him his mission and when angel gabriel brought muhammad to jerusalem and the 7 heavens where he met abraham, moses, jesus and more

• when muhammad would recieve revelations he would say them to a trusted person who would write them for him because he was illiterate

• there were a lot of people who wanted him dead so her fled mecca to madina with abu bakr

• before he passed in 632 he led the largest pilgrimage to the kaaba in mecca

• he had 11 wives and 6 kids and didn’t remarry until his first wife passed

abu bakr

the first caliph after muhammad and he was chosen by the people

• he was an early convert and one of muhammad’s most trusted people being his father in law

• he was known as the truthful and many believed that he was the best choice as caliph (sunni)

ali

was the last caliph and was self-appointed

• he was muhammad’s cousin and son in law

• he married muhammad’s first daughter fatimah

• he was known to be a wise man

allah

God - who muslims worshipped

• they don’t know what he looks like and are still waiting

• he is the one and only true God who created the whole universe

moksha

liberation from the endless cycle of rebirths into world and unite with atman and brahman

karma

actions in life that determine form a person will take in their next life

• bad karma makes a person go down the caste

• good karma takes them closer to moksha as they are reirthed at a high station in life

dharma

code of moral and righteous duty that’s different for everyone

atman

human soul/spirit which is eternal and immortal and identital to brahman