Worldviews monotheism

Period 1

Agricultural Revolution

Civilization

Hinduism

Zorastrianism

Period 2

Mediterranean - Greece and Rome

China: Han Dynasty

India: Mauryan & Gupta

Latin America: Mayan

Religions - Buddhism, Daoism, "Confusianism", Christianity

Philosophy: Legalism, Greek Rationalism

Period 3

China: Tang & Song Dynasty

Middle East: Muslim Empire (Islam)

Latin America: Aztecs & Incas

Pastoral People: Mongols

Judaism is different from Christianity because?

- Only TaNAk

- Lots of laws

- Messiah not come yet

Christianity is different from other religions because?

- Whole Bible

- Veil was torn (no laws)

- Jesus is the messiah

Islam

- Abrahams first son Ishmael

- Muhammed receives final revelation from "allah"

Young's definition of religion

human transformation in response to perceived ultimacy

(missing religious practices, and a book with teachings)

Youngs definition of human

- can't communicate with non-humans

- religion focuses on the human part, rather than the divine intervention part

Youngs use of "Transformation"

- Emphasizes dynamic quality of religion

3 aspects of Youngs definition of transformation

- Human situation

- Implies a state that follows transformation

- Means of transformation

Youngs definition of "Ultimacy"

Essentially prime reality

Youngs definition of theism

Belief in personal gods

Youngs definition of Monotheism

one God

Youngs definition of polytheism

multiple gods

Youngs definition of Atheism

no gods (rejection of gods)

Youngs definition of Henotheism

Many gods, but one is dominant

Youngs definition of Pantheism

All reality is god

Youngs definition of Monism

Impersonal reality (impersonal god)

Secular religions

- Marxism

- Capitalism

3 reasons why people are religious, (according to Young)

- Psychological needs

- Social needs

- Just because

Young's 7 questions

1) What does it mean to be human?

2) What is the basic human problem?

3) What is the cause of the problem?

4) What is the end goal of Transformation?

5) What is the means of transformation?

6) What is the nature of reality?

7) What is the sacred, and how can the sacred be known?

Our definition of human

Man reaching out

Our definition of perceived/our use of perceived

assumes spirituality, not a truth claim

Our definition of ultimacy

Prime reality, God

Religion comes from Latin word Religio

Used within Roman empire to describe rituals, myths, rules, and holidays

Religion can be looked at with a theological standpoint

Deals with a god, excludes nongod religions

Religion can be looked at with a scientific standpoint

No god, everything has a bias, no neutrality

Important extras ***********

Religion is not a mutation, all humans grasp for an ultimacy (general revelation/or special revelation), nonetheless we all grasp for God.

Also avid religious people would fall into exclusivism-(one God/religion, and that one is correct)

Abrahamic Monotheistic Religions come from

Middle Eastern area

Abrahamic definition

Sacred texts are linked to Abraham, who was called by God. Abraham renounced other gods, and followed the one true God

Theistic definition

Centered in an all powerful deity

Mono Definition

One

"Ethical Monotheism"

Emphasis on right conduct and the worship of one god

Early Church characteristics

- Preaching of bible as infallible absolute truth

- believed in infallible truth

- open generosity

- church and bible = authority

Schaffer's discussion on particulars-universals

Everything is a particular in our world

Ambrose 339-397

wrote and taught hymms

Francis of Assissi 1181-1226

people shouldn't receive money

Charlemagne 768-814

couldn't write, but could probably read

Thomas Aquinas 1225-1274

Our will has been corrupted, but not our intelect

John Wycliffe 1320-1384

Bible is supreme authority

Jan Hus 1369-1415

Bible is only final authority

Judaism Branches

Reform - live in world

Orthodox - Strict observation of all laws

Conservative - most lenient one

Christianity branches

Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox

Islam Branches

Sunni Shia - Who should be leader "caliph"

Sufi - mystical god element

Thomas aquinas

- Christian Aristotelian

- Summa Theologica - theology + philosophy

5 proofs of God

proof of motion

proof of cause

proof of possibility vs. necessity

proof of perfection

proof from intelligence

2 fold truth

- Theological truth

- philosophical truth

Al-Ghazali (1058-1111)

Author of "The Incoherence of the Philosophers." Attacked the rationality of the Greeks and the concept of causality. Worked against scientific progress in Islam. left his family to be Islam

Averroes (Ibn Rushd) (1126-1198)

Islamic theologian synthesizing Aristotle with Islam

Moses Maimonides (1135-1204)

"God has no attributes"