History of Covenant - RS 102 Comprehensive Study Guide

Foundations of Sacred Encounter and Religious Study

Key Vocabulary and Concepts

• Encounter: The specific moment when an abstract idea or assumption is replaced by a real, lived person or experience. It is not a debate or a total agreement on all points; rather, it is the act of choosing relationship over fear.
• Ecumenical Dialogue: Structured, formal, and informal interactions occurring within the same basic religious traditions. Examples include interactions between Catholic-Orthodox, Catholics, and Episcopalians.
• Cultural Competency: The developed ability to understand and effectively communicate with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Cultural Humility: A lifelong, ongoing practice of self-reflection and self-critique to recognize and address power imbalances.
• Cultural Exchange: The sharing of cultural elements in a respectful, mutual way.
• Cultural Appropriation: Occurs when a person from a dominant group inappropriately adopts elements from a marginalized group. Characteristics include:     * Maintenance of power dynamics.     * Misuse of original cultural intent.     * Perpetuation of negative stereotypes.     * Loss or theft of original cultural significance.

The Sacramental Principle (Michael Himes)

• Sacramental Imagination: A way of perceiving reality that recognizes the divine presence in all of creation. It is characterized by "finding God in all things."
• Science vs. Religion Questions:     * Science: Seeks to answer questions about how the universe works and the physical origins of the universe.     * Religion: Seeks to wrestle with questions of morality, purpose, and ethics.

The Seven Dimensions of Religion: A Framework for Understanding

This framework examines seven distinct areas to analyze any religious tradition:

• Ethical: The rules, values, and teachings regarding right and wrong that guide how followers should live their lives.
• Mythical: Sacred stories and texts that explain a religion’s beliefs, its origins, and its fundamental understanding of the world.
• Experiential: Personal experiences of the sacred, including feelings of awe, peace, guilt, joy, or a sense of connection to a greater power.
• Material: Physical expressions of religion, including buildings (churches, synagogues, mosques), art, symbols, clothing, books, and sacred spaces.
• Social: The community, leadership structures, and organizational forms that shape religious identity and belonging.
• Doctrinal: The core beliefs about God, humanity, and the meaning of life that define a religion’s specific worldview.
• Ritual: Repeated actions, such as daily prayer, holidays, or ceremonies, that express beliefs and foster community cohesion.

Unit 2: Judaism - Covenant and Identity

Demographics and Branches

• Global Population: There are approximately $14.8 \text{ million}$ Jewish people in the world.
• Primary Populations: The countries with the highest Jewish populations are the United States and Israel.
• Branches of Judaism:     * Orthodox: Strictly follows traditional beliefs and practices, including the "oral law." This branch ordains male rabbis only.     * Reform: Places less focus on ritual and traditional observance, emphasizing progressive social values. This branch ordains both male and female rabbis.     * Conservative: A middle ground that seeks to balance traditional Jewish practice with contemporary values.

Spiritual Foundations

• Rabbi Heschel’s Definition of Judaism: "A covenant between God and the people."
• Definition of Covenant: A loving partnership and relationship with God.
• Tikkun Olam: The common goal of the covenant, meaning "repairing the world."
• The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9): The central prayer, translated as: "Listen O Israel! The Lord is our God. The Lord alone. You must love the Lord your God with all your social and all your strength." The Hebrew word "Shema" means "Listen."
• Divine Names: In Hebrew, the name of God cannot actually be said. Instead, Jews use terms like "Adonai" or "Hashem," which refer to the qualities of God.
• The Three Spiritual Pillars:     1. Faith: Emphasizes action and deeds more than a strict belief system.     2. Observance: Adherence to Jewish laws such as the Sabbath, Kosher dietary laws, daily prayers, and holidays.     3. Culture: A deep affinity for the land (Israel) and the Hebrew language.

Historical Formation and Sacred Texts

• Sacred Texts:     * Tanakh: The written Hebrew Bible containing three parts:         * Torah: The Law, encompassing the first five books and the foundation stories.         * Nevi’im: The Prophets and historical narratives.         * Ketuvim: The Writings, including poetry and wisdom literature.     * Mishnah: Known as the "oral Torah," written around $200 \text{ BCE}$, which applies laws to changing times based on four years of rabbinic teaching.     * Talmud: A blending and synthesis of oral and written traditions.
• Historical Turning Points:     * $587 \text{ BCE}$: The Babylonian Empire destroys the first temple (built by King Solomon) and sends the Jewish people into exile. During this period, the Hebrew Bible largely takes its shape.     * $70 \text{ CE}$: The Roman Empire destroys the second temple (originally built by exiles and expanded by Herod the Great). This event shifted the power of the religion to Rabbinic teaching (rings of interpretation).

Jewish Sacred Time and Holidays

• Sabbath (Shabbat):     * Occurs: From sunset Friday to sunset Saturday.     * Meaning: Commemorates the 7th day of creation when God rested.     * Practices: Torah study, special meals at home (including Challah bread), avoiding labor, and refraining from driving, phones, or turning on lights.
• Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year occurring in Fall (Sept/Oct). Celebrates creation and involves reflecting on the past year, visiting graves, and renewing social relationships.
• Days of Awe: The $10 \text{ days}$ between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur dedicated to penitence.
• Yom Kippur: The holiest day of the year (Day of Atonement). Includes fasting, prayer, repentance, and the blowing of the Shofar (a bent ram's horn) to signify bending one's heart toward God.
• Passover (Pesach): An eight-day spring festival (March/April) commemorating the Exodus from Egypt.     * Seder: A highly structured ritual feast marking the beginning of Passover.     * Haggadah: The text recited during the Seder.     * Practices: Eating Matzo (unleavened bread) to remember being freed by God.
• Hanukkah: An eight-day winter festival (December) celebrating the military victory of Judas the Maccabean over the Syrian Greeks in $165 \text{ BCE}$. Marks the recapture of the Temple and the miracle of the Menorah staying lit for $8 \text{ days}$.
• Purim (Feast of Lots): A late winter festival (Feb/March) celebrating the victory of Jews in Persia over Haman, led by Queen Esther. Involves reading the Book of Esther, costumes, and "Purim plays."

Unit 3: Christianity - Beliefs and context

Core stats and Beliefs

• Global Population: Approximately $2.3 \text{ billion}$ Christians.
• The Trinity: The belief that God exists as three persons in one: Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit.
• Incarnation: The belief that God became human in the person of Jesus Christ.
• Resurrection: The belief that Jesus rose from the dead after his crucifixion.
• Lent: A $40 \text{ day}$ season of testing and spiritual preparation, reflecting Jesus fasting in the desert for $40 \text{ days}$ and $40 \text{ nights}$.
• Gospel Definitions:     * Literal Meaning: "Good News."     * Purpose: To teach about Jesus and inspire faith.     * Evangelists: The four writers (John, Mark, Matthew, and Luke).     * Etymology: From "Baser" (national good news), "Besorah" (news of new kings), and "Evangelion" (living in God's kingdom through peace and love).

Jesus' Historical and Cultural Context

• Background: Jesus was Jewish, celebrated Passover, and followed Hebrew Scriptures.
• Patriarchal Society: Men held primary power; women had few rights.
• Purity Society: A focus on holiness and "righteousness," where those labeled "unclean" were socially excluded.
• Social Groups:     * Chief Priests: Religious leaders in Jerusalem responsible for Temple worship.     * Pharisees: Focused on strict observance of religious laws.     * Sadducees: Wealthy leaders who rejected the idea of resurrection and only accepted the written Torah.     * Zealots: Political rebels opposing Roman rule.
• Meals as Subversion: Jesus used meals—which usually indicated status and social hierarchy—to inclusive ends. He ate with tax collectors and sinners to symbolize the Kingdom of God.

Key Gospel Narratives and Lessons

• The Prodigal Son: Focuses on the mercy of the Father (God) who welcomes back the younger son who wasted his inheritance, despite the resentment of the older son.
• The Good Samaritan: Jesus teaches that a "neighbor" is anyone who shows compassion, even an outsider like a Samaritan helping a man beaten and left for dead.
• The Road to Emmaus: Post-resurrection, two disciples do not recognize Jesus until he "breaks the bread" with them, emphasizing faith and understanding.
• Pentecost: An ancient festival during which the Holy Spirit descended, characterized by many languages and cultures, marking the growth of the early Church.
• Paul of Tarsus: Formerly Saul, a religious leader who transitioned into the Apostle Paul to spread the Gospel.

Unit 4: Islam - Submission and Peace

Demographics and Core Definitions

• Global Population: Approximately $2 \text{ billion}$ Muslims.
• Largest Population: Indonesia, with approximately $242.7 \times 10^6$ Muslims.
• Meaning of "Islam": Peace, surrender, and submission. The goal is inner freedom.
• Meaning of "Muslim": "One who submits."
• Allah: A unique term for the one God that cannot be pluralized, emphasizing strict monotheism. God is both transcendent and immanent, and genderless.

The Five Pillars of Islam

1. Shahada: The profession of faith in one God.
2. Salat: Ritual prayer performed five times a day.
3. Zakat: Almsgiving; charitable giving to support the poor.
4. Sawm: Fasting during the month of Ramadan.
5. Hajj: The pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.

Sunni vs. Shi’ite Branches

• Sunni ($87-90\% \text{ of Islam}$): Believe any successor could follow Muhammad (e.g., Abu Bakr). Authority rests in the Qur'an and Sunnah.
• Shia/Shi’ite ($10-13\% \text{ of Islam}$): Believe the successor must have a genetic relationship to Muhammad (starting with Ali). Believe divine revelation continues beyond Muhammad.

Key Terms and Places

• Qur'an: Literal meaning "The Recitation"; the sacred text of revelations received by Muhammad in $610 \text{ CE}$ (Night of Awe and Wonder).
• Hijrah: The $622 \text{ CE}$ journey from Mecca to Medina, marking the start of the Islamic calendar.
• Night Journey: Muhammad’s ascension to heaven from Jerusalem in $621 \text{ CE}$.
• Sunnah: The "custom" or established practices and teachings of Muhammad.
• Hadith: Reported traditions and words of the Prophet recorded by observers.
• Haram/Halal: Haram refers to anything forbidden; Halal refers to anything permissible.
• Ka’bah: The sacred shrine in Mecca. Muslims pray toward it (Qibla) and walk around it seven times during Hajj.
• Mecca: City where Muhammad was born ($570 \text{ CE}$) and where Meccans eventually surrendered to the Muslim army in $630 \text{ AD}$.
• Najran: A city that made a pact with Muhammad for religious freedom and peace for Christians.

Significant Mosques in Islam

• Masjid al-Haram (The Grand Mosque): Located in Mecca, home to the Ka’bah.
• Dome of the Rock: Located in Jerusalem; associated with Muhammad’s Night Journey and the binding of Isaac. Surrounded by the Western (Buraq) Wall.
• Al Aqsa Mosque (Quibli Mosque): Jerusalem; the original direction of prayer during Muhammad’s time.
• Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (The Prophet’s Mosque): Located in Medina; where Muhammad established the first community and was buried.
• Hagia Sophia: Located in Istanbul; originally a Christian cathedral in Constantinople built by the Byzantine Empire.

Final Exam Information

Exam Structure ($100 \text{ points total}$)

• Part 1 ($60 \text{ points}$): $50 \text{ multiple choice questions}$.
• Part 2 ($40 \text{ points}$): $2 \text{ written responses}$ worth $20 \text{ points}$ each.

Written Response Preparation

• Response 1: Compare and contrast a researched faith tradition with the other two Abrahamic traditions across topics like holidays, prayer, symbols, or key beliefs.
• Response 2: Analyze the leadership of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. Identify $3 \text{ key leadership qualities}$ and provide examples from their preaching and ministry to illustrate these traits.