Narratives and Perspectives Quiz

The Abrahamic Religions and the Middle Ages

Prophet

a person who is acting on behalf of a deity. Ex. Abraham, Jacob, Moses

Dogma

the core basic beliefs of a religion that everyone in that religion believes in.

Kosher

Dietary restrictions of Jews. Ex. no pork or rabbit, shellfish, meat and dairy in the same meal.

Sabbath

The day of rest.

Jewish - Friday sunset to Saturday sunset

Muslims - Friday

Christians - Sunday

Sect

branches of a religion. Each has a different way of interpreting things which are not dogma.

Diaspora

the greek word “to be scattered”. People being scattered from where they used to live.

Anti-Semitism

hatred, prejudice, and discrimination towards Jewish people.

Centralized Government

political authority is controlled by a central body or small group of individuals, which is responsible for ensuring the proper function of  the government and laws.

Decentralized Government

it is the opposite of a centralized government with power spread out among many different smaller groups instead of concentrated in a central leadership.

Code of Justinian

a legal basis for criminal justice. Includes marriage, property, slavery, and women's rights. It is one of the most important legacies for the Byzantine Empire.

Feudalism

a political and social system in which the local land owning lords divide their land among lesser lords. In exchange the lesser lords would do what the lords wished.

Nobles

the aristocrat upper class with significant political and economic power, owning vast amounts of land.

Lords

the superior in the fealty relationship. They are below nobility but above knights.

Peasants

Free, poor workers who sometimes owed land and were not bound to it.

Serf

Peasants that were bound to the land and could not own it.

Vassal

the inferior to the fealty relationship. They owed their allegiance to their lord.

Fief

Land which a lord gives to his vassal, which includes buildings, farmland, towns and peasants.

Manor

Administrative center of a fief, where knights and lords typically lived.

Manoralism

an economic system used in the middle ages based on farming. Lords provided housing, farmland, and protection. In return serfs tended to the land, cared for animals, maintained estate, and gave a portion of their harvest in taxes.

Chivalry

the social, religious, and moral code that knights lived by. They were expected to protect the weak, treat prisoners with respect, and to be courageous in the face of danger.

The Papacy

the metaphorical office of the pope. The pope is in charge of the Catholics.

Clergy/Cleric

a member of the religious body, specifically of the catholic church.

Tithe

Tax equal to 10% of a person's income which is paid to the church.

Cannon Law

laws written by the church based on the Bible. It was based on Roman law and the code of Justinian, people who broke the laws were punished.

Excommunication

A sentence to hell and no good christian can talk or do business with you. Exiled from the church (potentially temporary).

Heretic

a person who believed in disapproved or non-mainstream religious beliefs. A bishop or a higher up could declare someone heretic.

Monasteries

houses built for men who forsake traditional lifestyles and live a life of celibacy. They were centers of learning during the middle ages. Monasteries for women were called convents.

Secular

aspects of life that are not religious. Secular law is law that is not religious.

Simony

the act of selling positions of power to wealthy applicants. The people given the positions would often steal money and abuse their power.

Sheikh

an honorific title for a clan leader or elder.

Qur’an/Koran

the holy book which is followed by the muslims, it is almost always written in Arabic.

Halal

things that are approved to be consumed by muslims.

Haram

things which are forbidden under Islamic law to be consumed by muslims.

Shari’a

Muslim formed laws that guide behavior, family life, businesses, and the community.

Mosque

a house of worship that faces towards Mecca. They can be simple or ornate and almost all have rugs.

Caliph

the new leader of the ummah after the last prophet Muhammad.

Umayyad Caliphate

The capital was Damascus, they were very wealthy, corrupt, and were overthrown 60 years after their creation by the Abbasid Caliphate.

Shi’a:

A sect of Islam where the followers believe that only descendants of Muhammad should be the caliph. About 16% of muslims and Iran is a majority Shi’a.

Sunni

A sect of Islam where the followers believe that the caliph should be elected. About 83% of muslims.

Jizya Tax

an additional tax for people who are jewish or christian.

Sufism

The smallest sect of Islam that rejects materialism, involves whirling while praying, and wears white  robes and large hats. Their headquarters is in Albania.

Abbasid Caliphate

Took over much of the territory the Umayyad had and removed the Arab privilege

Islamic Golden Age

They learned to make paper from the Chinese, they were a city of trading, learning, and their location was Baghdad. They contributed greatly to the spread of the Koran, ideas, achievements in art, technology, engineering, philosophy, agriculture, and education. They were 800-1258 BCE. They created houses of wisdom, madrassas, and Arabic numerals.

Hijrah

Muhammad and his band of followers is chased out of Mecca and they take refuge in Medina in 622 CE. This is the start of the Islamic calendar.

Pillars of Islam

Shadah - Declaration of Faith

Salat - Pray towards Mecca 5 times a day

Zakat - Compulsory giving

Sawm - Fasting in the month of Ramadan

Hajj - Pilgrimage to Mecca

Islam:

Founded by…

God…

Founded in…

Holy Books…

Followers…

Holidays…

Religious Official…

Sects…

House of Worship…

Holy Sites…

Founded by: Muhammad

God: Allah

Founded in: 613 CE

Holy Books: Koran/Qu’ran

Followers: 1.8 Billion

Holidays: Raamadan

Religious Official: Imam

Sects: Sunni, Shia

House of Worship: Mosque

Holy Sites: Mecca (where the Kaaba is located), Medina, Jerusalem

Christianity:

Founded by…

God…

Founded in…

Holy Books…

Followers…

Holidays…

Religious Official…

Sects…

House of Worship…

Holy Sites…

Founded by: Jesus

God: God

Founded in: 1st century

Holy Books: The Bible

Followers: 2.4 Billion

Holidays: Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Easter, Holy Week

Religious Official: Peacher/Pastor/Priest

Head of Catholic Church: Pope

Sects: Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Catholic

House of Worship: Church

Holy Sites: First Temple, Second Temple, Jerusalem

Judaism:

Founded by…

God…

Founded in…

Holy Books…

Followers…

Holidays…

Religious Official…

The Patriarchs…

Sects…

House of Worship…

Holy Sites…

Founded by: Abraham

God: Yahweh

Founded in: 2025 BCE

Holy Books: Torah

Followers: 15.8 Million

Holidays: Hanukkah, Yam Kipur

Religious Official: Rabbi

The Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

Sects: Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist

House of Worship: Temple

Holy Sites: Jerusalem