world religions final exam

What are the 5 big Questions?

1. What is the Human Condition?

2. What is spiritual perfection? and What does it mean to be ethical?

3. What is our destiny?

4. What is the nature of the world?

5. What is the ultimate reality and how is it revealed?

7 Dimensions

1. Experiential

2. Mythic (Narrative)

3. Doctrinal

4. Ethical

5. Ritual

6. Social (Institutional)

7. Material

Atheism (Non-theism)

disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.

Cosmology

the study and understanding of the nature of the universe

Creed

A formal statement of religious belief or a profession of faith

doctrine

a principle or collection of principles presented as belief and official teaching by a religious tradition

dogma

a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true.

Empathy

the capacity to see things from another’s perspective; comparative study of religions should be approach with this

hierarchy

ranking orders according to ability, status or leadership, where each order is subject to the rank above it

liturgy

the work of the people

monotheism

the belief in just on god

mystery

all religions begin with this; something about which humans can never fully know, but everything they do know about it is indeed true

mysticism

a religious experience of communicating with the divine either physically or through inner contemplation

pantheism

the belief that god and creation are indistinguishable

panentheism

the belief that everything is contained in god

polytheism

the belief in multiple gods

religion

from the latin word “religere’; to bind together

revelation

The transmission or disclosure of the divine will or knowledge to human beings

ritual

a detailed method of procedure faithfully or regularly followed, often in a religious context, and generally refers to a formal worship practice

salvation

the preservation of deliverance from evil, destruction of our human nature

theism

belief in the existence of a god or gods, especially belief in one god as creator of the universe, intervening in it and sustaining a personal relation to his creatures.

theology

the study of God and the nature of religious truth

transcendence

the overcoming of normal human limitations imposed by the human condition, either temporarily or eternally

Human Condition

a philosophical concept that questions the meaning of our existence

Globalization

we live in an increasingly diverse world, our cultures are becoming intermixed and linked together

Multiculturalism

the co-existence of different people and their cultures

Telos

greek word for ‘‘purpose”

faith

involves a person’s experience of the divine or holy presence

spirituallity

fundamentally immaterial and concerns matters of the soul and human spirit

Ninian Smart

The man who came up with the 7 dimensions of religion

Myth

A story that attempts to answer questions of origins and is a source of sacred truth

Sacred

set aside for worship

Material

physical objects of religion

ethics

a set of conditions outlining how we are to act while living in the world

Relativism

the principle that there are no absolute truths; truth is subject to the believer

truth

A personal or cultural belief or experience that feels true in a specific context

Truth

An ultimate, universal belief or reality considered true for everyone

What is the document Nostra Aetate and why is it important?

Nostra Aetate (“In Our Time”) is a declaration from the Second Vatican Council (1965) about the Catholic Church’s relationship with non-Christian religions.

• Emphasizes respect and dialogue with other faiths.

• Rejects discrimination based on religion or race.

• Affirms shared values like seeking truth, peace, and justice.

• Highlights the Church’s special relationship with Judaism.

What is the main argument of Stephen Prothero’s book God Is Not One?

• Prothero argues that the world’s religions are not all the same.

• Each religion identifies a unique problem (e.g., sin, suffering, pride) and offers its own solution (e.g., salvation, enlightenment, submission).

• Claiming all religions are “one” oversimplifies and ignores their distinct teachings and practices.

axis mundi (doctrinal)

common to many religions, an entity such as a mountain, tree or pole that is believed to connect the heavens and earth, and is sometimes regarded as the center of the world.

circumcision

Removal of foreskin

initiation (ritual)

a ceremony, ritual, test , or a period of instruction with which a new member is admitted to a religious tradition or given privileges at knowledge

oral tradition

Literature that passes by word of mouth from one generation to the next.

totem (doctrinal)

- natural entity, such as an animal or a feature of the landscape, that symbolizes an individual or group.

- special significance for the religious life or that individual or group

totemism (doctrinal)

- system of belief and rituals based on totems

- common to many primal traditions

taboo (social)

- system of social ordering that dictates that specific objects and activities, owning to their sacred nature, are set aside for specific groups.

trickster figure (Mythic)

a type of supernatural being who tends to disrupt the normal course of life and has a dual nature as both good and evil.

Aborigines

- native inhabitants of Australia

- account for about 2.6% of Australia's population

- speak hundreds of different languages and dialects

Ayers Rock (Uluru) (Tradition)

a large sandstone rock formation in central Australia that serves as a sacred place for the Aborigines

The Ancestors (Mythic)

supernatural beings or deities who emerged and roomed the earth during the time of the Dreaming and gave shape to landscape, created various forms of life, and left behind symbols of their presences through the landscape.

The Dreaming (Altjeringa) (Mythic)

A mythic period of the Ancestors where earth was originally formless and the Ancestors gave shape to the land.

Wilyaru (Ritual)

The initiation ritual among the Aborigine that involves the dripping of blood from open cuts onto the initiate.

bull-roarer (material)

A sacred aboriginal instrument used during the Wilyaru to re-create the sound of the deities

Yoruba

ethnic group in Western Africa, prominently in Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, and Togo

- speak the Yoruba language

- refer to their home as "Yoruba land"

- Ife is the capital city

Ife

The capital of Yoruba people

Orisha (Doctrinal)

One of the hundreds of various Yoruba deities who have gained ritual attention

Orisha-nla (Doctrinal)

the Yoruba creator god, who is thought to have begun the creation of life

Olorun (Doctrinal)

the supreme god of the Yoruba religion and source of power in the universe

- Distant and remote.

- Not worshipped directly

Esu (doctrinal)

The Yoruba trickster figure who contains both good and bad properties and mediated between heaven and earth.

family ancestors (social)

a deceased human who has gained supernatural status by earning a good reputation and living to an old age who is now worshipped only by his or her family

deified ancestor (social)

a deceased human who was an important figure in Yoruba society who is now worshipped by large numbers of people.

diviner (ritual)

(priest or priestess) a ritual practitioner who specializes in the art of divination

divination (ritual)

the use of various techniques for gaining knowledge about an individual's future or about the cause of a personal problem.

Lakota (Western Sioux)

Native American nations of the central plains region

- concentrated in North and South Dakota

Wakan Tanka (doctrinal)

- Supreme reality of the Lakota people

- name means "most sacred" or "Great Spirit"

- a force that resides in all living things

- refers collectively to 16 separate deities

Inktomi (mythic)

the Lakota trickster figure; mediator between the supernatural and human worlds, taught the first humans their ways and customs.

PtesanWi (White Buffalo Calf women) (Mythic)

- sacred woman of supernatural origin in the Lakota tradition

- brought the 7 sacred rituals of the Lakota into place

four directions (doctrinal)

North, east, south, and west in Indigenous teachings.

spirit path (experiential)

the journey a soul takes after death to reach the afterlife. It is believed to follow the Milky Way, which guides the spirit to the land of the ancestors. Ceremonies help ensure the soul stays on this sacred path.

Vision Quest (experiential)

a means of seeking spiritual power through an encounter with a guardian spirit or other medium

- follows a period of fasting and self-denial

- brings about a message for the person on the quest

medicine man

Among native Americans, a holy man or shaman who exercises spiritual powers and is considered able to cure disease.

sweat lodge

a structure built for ritually cleansing and purifying the body through intense heat causing the body to sweat

peace pipe (chanunpa) (material)

A pipe smoked by Native Americans during ceremonies in order to communicate with one another and with the spiritual world.

guardian spirit (experiential)

an animal, natural entity, inanimate object, or a ghost that a Lakota may acquire at the end of a vision quest which continues to protect and instruct a person

Sun Dance (ritual)

Ritual of the Lakota and other tribes of the North American Plains that celebrates the new year and prepares the tribe for the annual buffalo hunt; performed in the late spring or early summer in a specially constructed lodge.

Aztecs

- ethnic civilization in Mesoamerica, prominent in the years A.D. 1325 to 1521

- located in present day Mexico

- capital city at Tenochtitlán

- spoke the Nahuatl language

- Conquered by the Spanish army led by Hernan Cortes in 1521

Toltecs (social)

Powerful postclassic empire in central Mexico (900-1168 C.E.). It influenced much of Mesoamerica. Aztecs claimed ties to this earlier civilization. (p. 305)

Tenochtitlan (social)

Capital of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in Lake Texcoco.

- believed to be the center of the world

- Mexico City was constructed on its ruins.

Quetzalcoatl (mythic)

- Toltec creator god

- according to the Aztecs, presided over a golden age of cultural brilliance

- earthy representation was "Our young Prince the Feathered Serpent," a legendary Toltec priest-king, god of life, the wind, and the morning star

Teotihuacan (mythic)

- discovered by the Aztecs, recognized it as a sacred place

- site of the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon

- Sacred site that shows a good example of the 4 cardinal virtues.

Great Temple (Material)

- known by the Aztecs as Serpent Mountain

- point at which the 4 cardinal directions meet at the center of Tenochtitlan

- first place where Quetzalcoatl was worshipped

- first built in 1390 and rebuilt six time before being destroyed by the Spanish army in 1521

Human Sacrifice (ritual)

the ritual practice of sacrificing Aztec individuals in order to nourish the sun and prevent the end of the age.

Nahuatl (social)

the language spoken by the Aztecs

knower of things (social)

Aztec specialist who could communicate with the gods and make offerings through language, thus providies an alternative to sacrifice.

Moctezuma II

(1466-1520) Aztec ruler from 1502 to 1520; he was the emperor of the Aztecs when Cortés and his army conquered the empire. Falsely believe that Cortes was Quetealcoatl. He was taken prisoner and killed during battle with the Spanish army.

Hernan Cortes

Spanish explorer and conquistador who led the conquest of Aztec Mexico in 1519-1521 for Spain.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

appeared to Juan Diego, represented the poor and oppressed, and is symbol of diversity of the catholic church

Juan Diego

poor aztec man who was appeared to by the blessed Mother and his cloak held a miraculous image of the Mother, built a church in Mexico city where he was appeared to

Nican Mopohua

the story of the blessed Lady of Guadalupe encounter with St.Juan Diego is told in the Nahuatl narrative

Dia del los Muertos

shows the survival of Aztec customs as Mexicans honor their deceased relatives in rituals and festivities with the community.

Judaism

The monotheistic religion of the Jewish people, based on the Hebrew Bible.

Abraham

Founder of Judaism who, according to the Bible, led his family from Ur to Canaan in obedience to God's command. The first patriarch of the Israelites.

Moses

The most important prophet in Judaism, who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and received the Torah from God on Mount Sinai.

Messiah

The promised deliverer of the Jewish people.

Prophet

A person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God. Means "God mouthpiece"

Religious Jew

A Jew who observes the religious laws and traditions of Judaism.

Secular Jew

A Jew who does not practice Judaism as a religion but are of Jewish lineage and who may or may not practice certain rituals or holidays.

Israel

the Jewish homeland that was once called Canaan

Israelites

The descendants of Jacob (Israel). Gods chosen people

Exodus

the departure of the Israelites from Egypt under Moses