religion midterm 2202

Life has no meaning or purpose. You are born alone and you will die alone and there is nothing of real significance between those two events.

nihilism

The idea that is a purpose or direction to the universe. (Maat, Dharma)

teleology

Seeking to separate religion from everyday life. Distinction between the sacred and the profane.

secularism

The belief that the only reality is that which is empirically observable.

materialism

Time spent engaging with the great mysteries of our existence.

sacred time

Time spent dealing with more mundane day to day realities of our lives.

profane time /secular time

Sacred ritual allows us to transcend time and space in order to participate in the pivotal events of the religion.

transcendant reality

what it means for something to be sacred

\-sacred=great mysteries

\-ex. relating to God, Holy, prayer

\-any time spent involving something religious-from a relgious world view, all time is sacred

what it means for something to be secular

\-secular=mundane realities, worldly

\-ex. shopping, watching a movie

\-regular day to day basis activities

\-from a practical standpoint, we draw a distinction between sacred and profane time

essay - regarding how and why we study world religions - what is needed before studying and what would that look like practically

\-It is possible that by studying other religions, we gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for our own faith.

\-Also helps promote solidarity. By understanding one another better, we are working to remove stereotypes and better communications.

\-From a catholic standpoint, the Catholic church teaches that it contains in itself the Divine Revelation. Therefore, it would seem that from a Catholic standpoint there would be nothing gained by studying any religions outside of itself.

\-We need an open mind in order to gain understanding of other religions, which also means gaining knowledge about other religions and creating friendships instead of rejecting them.

two types

petitionary (to ask from a God) and communion (to aqcuire the higher consciousness of God)

the ultimate transcendent reality, "being," itself (everything is this)

Brahman

the caste system

1. brahmins
2. kshtriyas
3. vaishyas
4. shudras
5. dalits

religious teachers and priests (religious authority)

brahmin

kings and knights (political authority)

kshtriya

merchants, artisans (economic authority)

vaishya

skilled laborers

shudra

the "outcastes" or untouchables

dalits

the world as we experience it - purely an illusion

maya

the cycle of birth and rebirth into maya due to karma

samsara

liberation from samsara

moksha

the "self" which is capable of witnessing and experiencing phenomena

atman

social hierarchy in Hinduism - it serves socioeconomic purpose as a division of labor. It also serves spiritual purpose as different steps on the ladder lead to moksha

caste system

stilling your mind to remove distractions - includes mandala, mantra (words), and mudra (motions)

meditation

an image used to focus on and still the mind

mandala

a word or syllable used to call attention back to the present moment (ohm)

mantra

hand gestures meant to represent or connect with divinity

mudra

what is a murti

\-an image of divine mercy-Not the god but a representation of the god-

They can be ANTROPOMORPHIC: constructed to incite fear (usually in more remote areas) or peace (in cities and homes)

\-They can be aniconic, such as the linga (which represents Shiva)

what is liberation like in Hinduism

\-moksha-this is achieved when one eliminates all karmic attachments and realizes fully that Atman is Brahman

\-when this is achieved, Maya then disappears and a person ceases to be reincarnated as the person exists in an enteral state of oneness with an reality

what is dharma in hinduism

one's personal duties according to your caste; following one's dharma allows for rebirth into a better life

describe the Puja

\-can be done in homes or more elaborate temples

\-first the deity is invited as a guest, the devotee hosts and takes care of the deity as an honored guest, hymns and foods were offered to the deity after an expression of love and respect the host bid farewell to the deity

\

a. God

b. Point of creation

c. Creation itself

d. After life

e. samsara

f. Brahman

g. Maya

h. Moksha

rejecting the concept of a self; what we view as a permanent self is actually simply an association born out of desire and dependent origination

anatman

the official founder of Buddhism

siddhartha guatama

a smaller sect of Buddhism, means "way of the elders," acknowledges only the historical Buddha but does not worship him, focuses on the pursuit of enlightenment

theravada buddhism

larger sect of Buddhism that means "the great vehicle," encourages the possibility of all beings to become Buddhas, countless Buddhas exist and often prayed to like a god, Bodhisattva ideal

mahyana

a being who aspires to become a Buddha

bodhisattva

an enlightened being

buddha

the three paths in the 8 fold path

the path of wisdom, the path of conduct, the path of mental development

the path of widom

\
1)**Right View:** to grasp the impermanent and imperfect nature of worldly objects/ideas and understand karma and suffering

2)**Right Intention:** a commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement through renunciation, loving kindness, and compassion

the path of conduct

3. right speech: no lying, slander, harsh words, or gossip
4. right action: no stealing, no taking life, no sexual misconduct, no intoxication
5. right livelihood: no weapons dealing, no dealing in living beings \*cattle, men, or slaves), no working in meat production, no dealing in intoxicants

the path of mental development

6. right effort: to never stop trying to reach enlightenment
7. right mindfulness: to be fully present in each moment and aware of the feelings of others
8. right concetration: all mental facilities are unifed and directed towards compassion

the four noble truths

1\.Life is suffering

2\.The cause of suffering is desire

3\.In order to extinguish suffering, you must extinguish desire

4\.In order to extinguish desire, follow the Eightfold Path

similarities of buddhism and catholicism

\-Avalokiteshvara and Mary both regarded as motherly figures

\-Eightfold path and 10 commandments give example of good moral code

differences of buddhism and catholicism

\-Linear versus cyclical time flow \n -Multiple Buddhas versus one God \n -Reincarnation versus one life

Regarding destinations after death in an Eastern Religion vs. a Western Religion and how one's actions impact that. (\*Tip basically be able to understand the graphic organizer for Western View of Time vs. Eastern and how actions affect that.)

Eastern: karma, reincarnated until enlightenment is reached Western: live one good life in hopes to go to heaven, one chance

the first five books of the Bible

torah

the full Jewish scriptures

tanakh

a book of rabbinical commentaries on the Torah

talmud

records of actual rabbinical debates from the first and second centuries

mishna

commentaries and analysis of the Mishna given by future generations of rabbis

gemara

believes that the Torah is a direct revelation from God and the Mosaic law must be followed exactly as it is written

orthodox judaism

believes that the law is divinely inspired but was written for a particular people in a particular time of history; must be interpreted in light of the current events

conservative judaism

more interested in upholding the values and ethics of Jewish culture than interpreting the law

reform judaism

similar to the bible (last judgement, virgin birth of Jesus, some similar Old Testament stories) Different in others (no crucifixion, no Trinity, different details about several stories in the Christian Bible)

qur'an

narrations containing the words and actions of the prophet Muhammad

hadith

specific parts of Hadith that describe the ways Muhammad would pray and provide a model for muslims to follow

sunnah

synthesis of the Quran and sunnah (the cultural application of the law)

sharia law

first pillar of islam

Pillar 1 Shahadah- The CreedThe shahadah is the statement of Islam "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah."Sincerely reciting this 'makes' one a muslim

second pillar of islam

Pillar 2 Salat- Daily PrayerAll muslims must pray 5 times a day. Most days this is done privately, but on Fridays Muslims gather for community prayer led by an imem (a locally appointed prayer leader for the congregation)

third pillar of islam

Pillar 3 Zakat- Charity2.5% of ones annual wealth are given to the poor, the needy. If a person does not have much money, then they should compensate for it in different ways, such as good deeds and good behavior towards others.

fourth pillar of islam

Pillar 4 The Hajj- Pilgrimage

fifth pillar of islam

Pillar 5 Ramadan- Fasting

holy scripture of christinaity

the bible

holy scripture of islam

qur'an

holy scripture of judaism

torah, tanakh

major beliefs of islam

refer to God as Allah, and believe that Muhammad is a profit. They beleive that their holy book, the Quran, contains Allah's full revelation as revealed to Muhammad and that the Bible was originally true until human authors corrupted it. Allah's will is absolute.

major beliefs of catholicism

God is revealed perfectly through a person, not a book. God is a communion of persons, a divine Trinity. We are liturgically focused instead of legally focused

major beliefs of orthodox jews

\-Believes that the Torah is a divine revelation from God and the Mosaic law must be followed exactly as it is written

\-Firmly believe in the afterlife and resurrection of the dead

major beliefs of reform jews

\-Believes that the Torah is a human invention. More interested in upholding the values and ethics of Jewish culture than in interpreting the law. Same reform Jews may be devout practitioners of the law, they just don't think every Jew needs to be-Generally do not believe in a resurrection and many do not believe in an afterlife

major beliefs of conservative jews

\-Believes that the law is divinely inspiring but was written for a particular people in a particular time of history. Therefore, the law must be interpreted in light of the current times and (word I can't read)

\-Most believe in an afterlife but not resurrection

Regarding the Tanakh + Talmud and the Quran + Hadith as authoritative writings. How does that work and what is its purpose.

\-Tanakh=old testament, most important part is the Torah (first five books of the Bible) contains 613 laws that Jews must follow \n -talmud: a book of rabbincal commentaries on the torah (has two parts - mishna and gemara) \n -qur'an: contains some violent details in some places but urges mercy and tolerance in many others, especially toward "people of the Book" (couldn't read my handwriting much here, this could be wrong) \n -Hadith: narrations containing the words and actions of the prophet Muhammad

fasting in islam and catholicism

Fasting in Islam: Ramadan

* Fasting during the time is obligatory on every Muslim adult there are exceptions for those who are sick or their period, but they must make it up later on in the year
* Children begin to fast (and to observe the prayer)

Fasting in Catholicism: 

* Fasting during Lent

five patriarch

jerusalemt, antioch, alexandria, rome and constantinople

schism

rome (west) and constantinople (east) became politcally and culturally different

protestant reformation

* Martin Luther: 95 Thesis and Lutheranism
* John Calvin: Predestination, Simplicity, and Calvinism
* Henry 8th: Annulment and Anglican Church/Episcopalian

sola scriptura

-Many different religions have different views of scriptural interpretation-Luther rejects the idea of scripture alone-develops a seperatist mentality