REL 2011 Final FIU

immanence

to dwell within of the sacred

transcendence

above or apart from the sacred

polytheism

recognition and worship of more than one God; conceives of sacred power as being manifested in diverse forms

dualism

the world is balanced between two forces that in some cases are in an eternal conflict

pantheism

the doctrine that all that exists is God and God is all in all; God and nature are interchangeable terms

panentheism

implies that God's Bring includes the whole universe, all entities existing in God

monism

the belief that there is only one divine being or reality and that all finite things are simply modes or appearances of that one

monotheism

belief in one personal, transcendent Creator God

God

omniscient and omnipotent

anthropomorphism

used for the attribution of human qualities to the divine or God

henotheism

form of religion in which one god is supreme but others exist

deism

a belief in one God who creates the world but who does not intervene directly in its ongoing functioning

cosmogony

those stories and theories that have to do with the birth or creation of the world or universe

cosmology

the branch of philosophical or scientific speculation that deals with the origin and structure of the world

etiological myth

a myth intended to explain a name or create a mythic history for a place or family

enuma elish

classic example of a cosmogony involving conflict and bringing order out of the conflict; Babylonian creation epic

creatio ex nihilo

Creation by decree or out of nothing

Plato/demiurge

Plato believed that the material world of becoming requires some eternal cause that he called the demiurge

Demiurge

"craftsman"; made the world out of eternal pre-existing chaotic matter

Aristotle/emanation theory

there is no first instant of time; there is always a prior moment

genesis (P & J-E)

two creation stories that sometimes contradict

genesis (P-priestly)

6 days leading to creation of man; earth is a watery chaos; being with light, ends with man and woman; time is created on the 4th day

genesis (J-jawist & E-elohist)

no note of time is introduced; man is created first, woman is created form rib of man; may had 2 authors

creation science

the attempt to legally require the teaching of the biblical account of Creation as science in science courses in the public schools

Stoic's view of the human problem

ignorance; what we perceive as manifestations of problems in the universe in reality are not problems but part of a grand divine scheme

phusis

law, purpose or grand scheme

Stoic's solution of the human problem

humans must distinguish between what lies within their power to change or act upon and what lies beyond it

Christianity's view of the human problem

sin

Christianity's solution of the human problem

Jesus; eternal sacrifice

Theravada Buddhist's view of the human problem

4 noble truths - 1 & 2

Theravada Buddhist's solution of the human problem

4 noble truths - 3 & 4 (eight-fold path)

1st noble truth

life is full of suffering

dukkha

dissatisfaction/disappointment due to not finishing anything

2nd noble truth

suffering is caused by craving desire; attributed to ignorance

tanha

"craving"

3rd noble truth

Suffering can be overcome by destroying selfish desires

4th noble truth

Must follow the eight-fold path to destroy all suffering and selfish desires

eight-fold path

wisdom (right views & intentions), virtue (right speech, action, & live-hood) and meditation (right effort, mindfulness & concentration)

Confucian's view of the human problem

humans departure from traditional values or the undoing of the ancient rules of social propriety

Confucian's solution of the human problem

education that is aimed at inculcating traditional values and patterns of behavior

Confucianism

center is the idea of how to be proper and how to act in society

rectification of names

things should be called by their proper name

li

ritual actions

St. Augustine - Human problem

the human nature has lost the freedom of will; it can only choose disobedience to God's will

theodicy

justifying the goodness and power of God in view of the evil in the world

karma-Samsara theodicy

evil comes from oneself

karma

the law of cause and effect

Samsara

wheel of rebirth, or reincarnation, the doctrine that each soul passes through a sequence of bodies

transmigration

the movement of a soul into another body after death

mystical participation theodicies

one's soul lives on in the life of the community

this-worldly theodicy

justice will come in the future, but in this world

other-worldly theodicy

justification for evil will come after death, in the next life.

dualistic theodicy

evil comes from evil forces that rule the world

book of job

suggest 4 different monotheistic theodicies

suffering as a recompense for sin

one justification of suffering is to see it as a punishment for sin

suffering as a test and as a necessary condition of "soul-making"

suffering is a divine test or a trial of faith

theodicy of submission

God has a bigger plan; God cannot have chose but the best

theodicy of protest

antitheodicy, insist that theological arguments justifying God in the face of evil are not only shallow but also downright diabolical `

free will defense

evil is the result of our free will

dharma

sacred laws

east conceptions

liberation from cycle; evil is understood as an illusion; liberation is achieved through the self or the aggregates that are thought to be the illusionary self; karma affects it; many lifetimes; already has justice

west conceptions

an afterlife is to follow the end; evil originates from an outside source; salvation is through to be bestowed by the grace of a supreme being

the way of faith

based on experience, doubt and trust

faith

a mental and intellectual grasp of the unseen reality or a religious truth with the mind, heart and will

martin Luther

discovered that righteousness came to the believer by grace through repentance and faith

Mahayana amida Buddhism

fate of each individual is linked with each other, focuses on Buddha's selfless compassion

the way of devotion

deeply felt connection with God

the way of action

practical approach

ortho-praxis

correct practice

moksha

liberation from the round of birth, death, and rebirth

dharma shastras

describe the sacramental as well as the social obligations that accompany each of the first three stages of life for the males of the three "twice-born" classes

Bhagavad-Gita

explains relationship between dharma and the paths for liberation, seen as discipline (yoga), action (karma), knowledge (jnana) and devotion (bhakti)

four ashramas

student; marriage; retirement; sannyasin

sannyasin

person who has renounced the world and its possessions; homeless wanderer

four castes

Brahmans (priests); Kshatriyas (warriors); vaishyas (farmers & producers); shudras (laborers)

Shari'a law

a complex of obligations governing personal, civil, political and ritual activity

the 5 pillars in Islam

shahadan (confession of faith); salat (prayer); zakat (giving); sawm (feasting); hajj (pilgrimage)

samkhya philosophy

the world is divided in two

prakrti

nature of the natural world or indestructible matter (material)

purusha

inactive consciousness, ultimate reality (spirit)

samadhi

a union or super consciousness; "to put together"

savikalpa samadhi

absorption with full consciousness of the duality of the perceiver and the perceived

nivirkalpa samadhi

perfect non-dual absorption, which is totally devoid of any consciousness of a distinction between perceiver and perceived

nirvana

absolute truth which Buddha discovered; no suffering, desire nor sense of self

atman

Soul or inner self

anatman

no self or soul

kumbla mela

bathe in sacred river; holy men & pilgrims; yogic practices; man didn't sit for a long time; man didn't put arm down for a long time

the Buddha

guarded/sheltered life; had everything he wanted; always covered by an umbrella; marries his cousin; it was seen that he would either be a king or a spiritual teacher, so father sheltered him; was shocked by sickness, elderly & death; left his wife & child behind to find knowledge; became enlightened