Judaism, Christianity, Islam

Is Judaism Defined by the Bible? If not, why not? What are the defining texts of Judaism?

No because the Bible doesn’t explain how many laws are practiced, Judaism relies on interpretation and tradition. Many commandments are unclear and need explanation. Torah, Tanakh, Oral Torah, Mishnah, Talmud

Torah

Most sacred text in Judaism, consists of first 5 books of Hebrew Bible

Dual Torah

Written Torah and Oral Torah given to Moses by God

Mishnah

First written collection of the Oral Torah, explains how to live out the commandments of the Torah

Gemara

Collection of discussions and explanations of the Mishnah, forming the Talmud

Talmud

Consists of Mishnah and Gemara and contains laws, interpretations, debates, and teachings to guide Jewish life

Who are Pharisees? Zealots?

Jewish group during the Second Temple period who emphasized study of Torah, interpretation of law, daily religious practice.

The end of Temple Based Judaism lead to a new way of defining what it meant to practice Judaism. Explain

Destruction of second temple in 70 CE, Judaism could no longer center on Temple worship, so they became centered on synagogues, study, prayer, and following Jewish law.

Who was Judah the Prince/Judah ha Nasi?

Puts into play the Mishnah, takes Torah and enfolds it into everyday life → you can lead a life that respects God

Who was Moses Maimonides?

Most important thinker, was a famous rabbi, philosopher, legal, scholar and physician.

The Enlightenment and Judaism – What were the Choices

Enlightenment forced Jews to choose between integration, reform, tradition, or new national identities.

The Modern Period Shaping Judaism = What were the 3 Major Factors

Enlightenment (new ideas), emancipation (new freedoms), Holocaust and Zionism (historical trauma)

What is Zionism? – Origins and role of T. Herzl

Jewish movement that calls for homeland in Israel in response to antisemitism in Europe. Theodore Herzl was the founder, and was a Jew, journalist, and wrote “we will never be accepted, us Jews need a country”, father of modern Zionism, begged for land

Teshuva (repentance)

Return to God by confession of sin and commitment to the right path

Yom Kippur

Day of fasting and abstaining focusing on seeking forgiveness from God and others for sins

Shema prayer

Most important in Judaism, said 3 times a day privately

Prayers and Kavvana

Outpouring of the heart, private and communal prayer (best option)

Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah

Bar- boys, (age 14) Bat- girls (age 12-13) ceremony for kids to be religiously responsible for following Jewish law and commandments.

Tallit

Prayer shawl, pulled above head before prayer (male)

Tefillin

Little leather box, tied to arm and head

Mezuzah

Container that is attached to door of house, inside is a scroll of a shema

Sitting Shiva

when someone dies, guests will visit your house for 7 days to show respect, family members stay at home

Kaddish

Jewish mourner prayer recited in memory of the dead praising God.

Pilgrim’s Festivals = Passover (Pesach), Shavuot (Pentecost), Sukkot (Tabernacles)

Passover- spring season, celebrates new growth. Shavuot- summer season, giving of the ten commandments, God gave us this text via the revelation of God’s laws. Sukkot- fall season, God is a protector, remembers journey through wilderness on the way to promised land.

High Holy Days/Days of Awe – Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur

High Holy Days: 40 days to reflect on repentance. Rosh Hashana- celebrated with apples and honey, good and sweet year. Yom Kippur- day of fasting and abstaining

Reform, Conservative, Orthodox Judaism – Response to Modernity

Orthodox- don’t accept modern changes, no vaccines, no school taught by anyone other than Orthodoxes. Conservative: Jews who have made some compromises to the modern world, the largest # of Jews. Reform: flexible interpretation of law and rituals.

Gospels = Biography? If Not, What is Meant by a Gospel?

No, a Gospel proclaims the “good news” about Jesus-his life, teachings, death, and resurrection.

Establishing Jesus’s unique status? – What are the 3 status markers

Miracles- God controls the creation, God is at work in Jesus. Resurrection- God’s work is made evident and signals Jesus as the Son of God. Fulfilled prophecy- events in Jesus’ life that is linked to Hebrew scripture and God’s plan for reality.

What are the 4 Versions of Jesus?

Charismatic human- formed social movements and helped Jews out of villages. The Messiah- a human adopted by God to initiate the coming of the kingdom of God (adoptionism). A God that took human form- taught his followers the means to discover their divine self (Gnosticism). God-man- with God→ became man, returned to God (orthodoxy).

Distinguish the Christological Position known as Adoptionism and how it differs from what became the ‘Orthodox position’ as stated in the Nicene and Apostles Creed.

Adoptionism→ belief that Jesus was born human and “adopted” by God, divinity comes later. Orthodox→ Jesus is fully human from birth, divinity happens from the start.

Who were the Gnostics?

religious groups who believed salvation comes through secret knowledge

How would the authors of the Nicene Creed understand the biblical text in which Jesus says, “I am my father are one.”

Affirming Jesus’ full divinity, it is unique because he was conceived by the Holy Spirit from his virgin mother

What does it mean to say Christianity shifted the definition of authority from charisma to office? Why was it important?

Christianity relied on charismatic leaders and authority became tied to roles and positions (bishops, priests). It stablished the church.

What is meant by the word sacrament? In terms of Christian sacraments, what does it mean to say Baptism means to be ‘born again’

Sacrament- holy rituals given by Jesus to communicate God’s grace. When baptized, you wash away sin you made previously and born with, you become a “new person”

Eucharist/Communion – Makes Possible? What does ‘real presence mean? Do all Christians agree with ‘real presence’? What other way could Eucharist/Communion be understood?

Eucharist/communion: ritual meal that makes a deep connection with Jesus to remember his whole life. Real presence: belief that Jesus is truly present in the bread and wine. Not all Christians agree. Communion can be seen as a symbolic act of remembrance.

What was the role of Constantine in the Spread of Christianity?

Emperor of Roman Empire, caused war to gain emperor status, believes only praying to Helius and sees cross in the sky→ Christ loves you, so love him back to win battle.

Edict of Milan (313 CE)

Proclaimed Christianity as a legal religion and practiced their religion with peace, turns into THE religion for Roman Empire

Council of Nicea

Jesus is a God by nature

Nicene Creed

Defines core beliefs about God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, affirming that Jesus is fully divine and fully human.

In the West, what were the Power dynamics in terms of who was the ruler of Christendom?

Pope held spiritual authority over the Church. Secular rulers (kings, emperors) controlled political territories.

What does the vertical focus and the presence of an altar in the churches of the “Church Christianity” reveal about the theology of this type of Christianity?

God is above and beyond humans, and worship is about participating in divine mysteries rather than just personal experience.

Woodhead claims that the “authority of the clergy and the unity of the church are bound up with the sacraments.” Explain

The clergy’s role and the church’s cohesion depend on administering sacraments that connect believers to God and to each other.

Biblical Christianity often led to the formation of communities set apart from the world. Why so? Why did baptism retain such importance for this form of Christianity?

Baptism marked entry into the Christian community and symbolized cleansing from sin, rebirth, and commitment to God.

What is eremitic monasticism? What is cenobitic monasticism?

Eremitic: form of life where individuals live alone or in isolation to focus on prayer and meditation. Cenobitic: monks or nuns live in a community under shared rule and prayer

Augustine’s View of Sin has Shaped the Christian View of Sin in General – What was Augustine’s View? • What was Martin Luther’s View?

Augustine: Humans are born with original sin inherited from Adam and Eve. Martin Luther: Humans are totally sinful and cannot earn salvation through works, you must earn it through faith and God’s grace.

transubstantiation

Catholic belief that during the Eucharist, the bread is the body and wine is the blood of Jesus.

factors that made the Reformation possible

Corruption in the church, criticism of church authority, and rising literacy and humanism.

The Rule of Benedict

Rules are laid out to you

In Terms of the Spread of Christianity into the Modern period, distinguish “medieval” and “missionary” types of approach

Medieval: spread through political structures and institutions (kings, empires. Missionary: spread through outreach and emphasized conversion and teaching.

What is the mythic story of the origins of the Quran? How is the Quran structured?

It is the eternal speech and act of God. Divided into 114 chapters.

Define Fatiha – Why Important?

Fatiha is the first sura, very short, and most important.

Define Hadith and Distinguish from Quran

Hadith tells stories about what Muhammad said and did, and Muslims use these stories to copy his example in their own lives.

Muhammad Biography

Muhammad didn’t start a new religion, he fixed and revived the old original one that God gave to earlier prophets.

How is the life of the Prophet shaped by and reflective of Makka (Mecca) and Madina?

Mecca was a hostile environment for Muhammad; he faced persecution, rejection, and social pressure → Mecca refers to moral teaching and faith in God. In Medina, Muhammad became not only a prophet but a political leader, judge, and head of a new community.

Know the Origins of The Rise of the Caliph/Caliphates to the End of the Abbasid Caliphate

After Muhammad’s death, Caliphs were chosen to guide the Muslim community. First Caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali)- close connection to Muhammad. Umayyad Caliphate: expanded Islam widely. Abbasid Caliphate: Capital in Baghdad, golden age of learning and culture.

What are the origins of Shiʽism?

Some Muslims believed Ali (Muhammad’s cousin) should have been the leader after Muhammad, and that leadership should stay in the Prophet’s family.

What are the roles of the mujtahid and Ayatollah in Shiism?

Ayatollah: A high-ranking Shi’a religious scholar and legal authority, considered a source of guidance for believers. Mujtahid: Scholar qualified to interpret Islamic law through reasoning, providing gyidance on religious and legal matters.

In the most General Terms, the Sharia is based on The Word of God (means and found where?), the Sunna of the Prophet (Means and Found where?) and Interpretation (how does Sunni and Shiite Islam differ on Interpretation?)

Word of God: Refers to the Quran, a revelation from God. Sunna of the Prophet: refers to Muhammad’s teachings, sayings, and practices. Interpretation: Scholars interpret law to apply it to new situations. Sunni Islam: relies on consensus and established schools of law. Shiite: Gives authority to mujtahids and Ayatollahs to interpret law.

Sahfi’I 4 Source Solution to Establishing a Stable Sharia

Quran, Sunna of the Prophet, Ijma, Qiyas

The Five Pillars

Shahada: there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet. Salat: praying 5 times a day, facing Mecca. Zakat: giving to the poor. Sawm: fasting during Ramadan from dawn to sunset. Hajj: Making a pilgrimage to Mecca.

shahada

Islamic declaration of faith “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His prophet.”, first and most fundamental of the Five Pillars.

khalifa

Political and religious leader of the Muslim community after Muhammad.

tawhid

There is one God and only one God (Allah) - the life you are living now determines your eternity.

hadith

Collections of sayings, actions, and approvals of Muhammad; guides Islamic law and practice.

hijra

Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE; marks the start of the Muslim community and the Islamic calendar.

ʽumma

Worldwide Muslim community united by faith.

ʽumra

Short, mandatory pilgrimage to Mecca; can be performed anytime.

Hajj

Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, required once in a lifetime for all Muslims.

Ramadan

month long fasting, shows discipline and Qurans revelation to Muhammad.

Battle of Badr

Battle of Medina and Mecca→ Mecca wins and gives legitimacy of Muhammad’s ideas and evidence that God is on his side.

Battle of Karbala

Battle in 680 CE where grandson of Muhammad, Husayn, was killed

ijtihad

Process of independent reasoning by a qualified scholar to interpret Sharia.

4 schools of Sunni jurisprudence

Hanafi- reason and opinion. Maliki- relies on Medina’s practices. Shafi’i- systematized law using Quran and Sunna. Hanbali- most conservative school, strict adherence to Quran and Hadith.

Know the four critical dates associated with the life of Prophet.

570 CE- birth of Muhammad in Mecca. 610 CE- Muhammad receives the first revelation through the angel Gabriel. Marks the start of Islam. 622 CE- Hijra, Muhammad and his followers migrate from Mecca to Medina. 632 CE- death of Muhammad in Medina.

Know the three phases of the Prophet’s life

Pre-call: period before receiving a divine message. Call/prophetic mission: when the prophet receives and delivers God’s message, teaches, and guides the community. Post-call: impact, teachings, and influence of the prophet continue after their mission.