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World Religions > Abrahamic Religions > Flashcards

Abrahamic Religions Flashcards

1
Q

Primordial Myth and Judaism

A

Important part of Jewish scriptures. Establishes that God is creator, who creates by word stuff that is good and human beings that are very good. Creation is in a state of relationship with God and perfect bliss, which is ruptured by sin (i.e. the man and woman disobey God and eat from the tree of knowledge so that they might become like God. Human beings attain a knowledge of good and evil, but are rendered mortal and exiled from perfect relationship with God, the Garden of Eden.

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2
Q

General Theme of Jewish Scriptures

A

People mess things up by confusing who the Creator with the creation.

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3
Q

Flood

A

Human beings are heaping suffering upon suffering by their sin… but God intercedes to cleanse the world of its sin. Covenant, relationship with Noah that is symbolized by the rainbow.

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4
Q

Tower of Babel

A

illustrative of hubris on the part of human beings, who want to show how awesome they are by building a tower that rises to the throne of God.

Makes fun of Babylonian Ziggurats.

Human arrogrance brings suffering

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5
Q

Moses (10 commandments)

A
  • arrogance of Pharaoh, who claims to be a god.
  • Hebrews enslaved
  • God reveals himself to Moses and sends him to liberate enslaved Hebrews
  • 10 plagues
  • revelation, giving of commandments at Mt. Sinai
  • Revelation of Divine Name
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6
Q

Types of Comandments

A 
Moral code
ritual obligation(e.g. sabbath, circumcision... taboos)
dietary restrictions
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7
Q

Historical Mythology

A
  • Conquest of Canaan by Joshua and Judges
  • Kingdom of Israel
  • Split of Kingdoms
  • Exile
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8
Q

Social Groups in Israelite Religion

A
  • Kings (theological question of whether or not there should be a king)
  • Priests (priests by virtue of birth)
  • Prophets (speak on behalf of God; predict the future; remind Israel of the covenant… faithfulness to the covenant; call Israel to be faithful to be faithful to covenant with God)
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9
Q

Prophets in Ancient Israel

A
  • democratic institution of Israelite relgiion
  • speak on behalf of God
  • call Israel out on her sins and calls her to repent and be faithful to covenant with God
  • particularly concerned with the observance of the moral code
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10
Q

Exile in Babylon… including affect

A

586 - Babylonians conquer Judah, destroying the temple and exiling the ppl to Babylon
516 - Exile ends and temple is rebuilt

Effect: center of sacrifice, sacrificial universe is destroyed. Nature of covenant w/o temple. Theological development of absolute monotheism and dualism under the influence of Zoroastrianism. Beginning of Diaspora w/ some Jews remaining in Babylon despite being allowed to return.

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11
Q

Passover

A
  • comemorates the liberation of the Israelites from Slavery in Egypt
  • focus is seder during which Exodus is read and symbolic food is presented
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12
Q

Relationship as Covenant

A
  • God chose Israel and Israel chose God

- God was not necessarily superior to other peoples but was obliged to assume the responsibilities of serving God

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13
Q

Definition of Covenant

A
  • an agreement in which promises are made under oath to carry out or abstain from certain specified actions
  • typically made between two parties of unequal power
  • unique thing about Israelite covenant, when compared with other ANE covenants, is that it required them to live by a moral code.
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14
Q

Abraham’s coveant

A

God’s promise: He will give the land of Canaan to Abraham’s offspring
Condition: Abraham shows perfect obedience to God
Sign of Covenant: Circumcision

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15
Q

Moses’s Covenant

A

transmitted to Moses at Mt. Sinai
Decalogue
stipulates the people’s duties both to God and to one another

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16
Q

Sukkoth

A

Commemorates Israelites wandering, due to the hard-heartedness of the people, for forty years in the desert.

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17
Q

Shavout

A

celebrates God’s revelation of the Torah to Moses

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18
Q

Impact of Alex the Great on Judaism

A

Helenization resulted in the spread of Greek culture, philosophy, and language throughout the Mediterranean and beyond. This resulted in the emergence of a Helenized Judaism, particularly in intellectual hubs like Alexandria, which translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek and attempted to understand the Bible through the lens of Greek philosophy (e.g. allegorical interpretation by people like Philo).

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19
Q

The Maccabean Revolts

A

Antiochus IV, a Greek Seleucid ruler, brutally supressed Judaism and oppressed Jews. Desecrated temple, destroyed Torah scrolls, made observation of Sabbath punishable by death, sacrificed a pig in the temple, etc.

Judah Maccebee of the Hasmonean family of priests mounted a successful uprising whereby the temple was rededicated and religious liberty was restored.

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20
Q

Sadduccees

A
  • wealthy upper echelons of society
  • Torah only authoritative text
  • focus on temple, cultic worship - sacrifice
  • no belief in the afterlife
  • least democratic
  • non-messianic
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21
Q

Pharisees

A
  • accept Tanakh
  • particularly concened with observing moral code, dietary code, sabbath
  • focus on study of Tanakh and on living according to Torah
  • believe in future day of judgement and afterlife
  • teachers, who develop synagogues
  • messianic, but less so than the Essenes
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22
Q

Essenes

A
  • monastic community
  • meticulosuly observant
  • apocalyptic worldview (i.e. believe that the world is under control of evil forces, but God will soon intervene and set the world to rights).
  • viewed the Sadduccess and the Jewish leaders as Roman pawns, sell-outs
  • accept Tanakh… extremely messianic
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23
Q

Zealots

A

-encouraged Jews to to engage in violent rebellion against Rome

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24
Q

Areas of Concensus among Jews

A
  • oneness of God
  • authority and special nature of Torah
  • special status of Isral as chosen people of God
  • status of Temple as place where God and ppl meet
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25
Q

Rabbinic Period

A
  • inaugurated by the Roman destruction of the temple in 70 and, subsequently, the destruction of the Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots
  • Synagogues, led by rabbis or teachers, gain importance
  • In absence of temple, emphasis on liturgical prayer and ethical behavior
  • emphasis on scripture… Torah + Prophets + Writings
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26
Q

Mishnah

A
  • oral law, tradition
  • believed to have been given to Moses along with the written law, Torah
  • interprets written law… explains, in many cases, how to live the Torah
  • 200 AD
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27
Q

Talmud

A
  • 500 AD
  • includes Mishnah, which is the oral law, and the Gemara, which features rabbinical commentary and interpretation of the Mishnah and Tanakh
  • there was a Palestinian Talmud and a Babylonian Talmud, but Babylonian was more important
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28
Q

Ashkanazim vs. Sephardim

A

Ashkanazim… European

Sephardim… Medit.

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29
Q

Maimonides

A
  • rationalist philosophy
  • every Jewish belief is demonstrable according to reason
  • operated in Muslim world, which was heavily influenced by Greek philosophy at this time, and borrowed from Aristotle
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30
Q

Mysticism

A
  • arose during the recoquista period of Spain, which was a time of great flux and insecurity for Sephardic Jews
  • in contrast to rationalism
  • gnosticism… numerology… eschatological… dualism (good spirit… bad matter)
  • story of cosmos is the liberation of spirit from matter
  • Kabbalah… Zohar
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31
Q

Hasidism

A
  • subset of mysticism
  • develops in early 1700’s in and around Poland
  • countercultural … divine joy as response to oppresive, terrible world
  • rebbe… focal point of divine in the community… wise, charismatic experience of God… eschatological
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32
Q

Hasidism

A
  • subset of mysticism
    -develops in early 1700’s in and around Poland
  • countercultural … divine joy as response to oppresive, terrible world
  • ## rebbe… focal point of divine in the community… wise, charismatic experience of God… eschatological
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33
Q

Orthodox Judaism

A
  • view traditional Judaism as totally compatible w/modernity
  • promote application of Torah to all aspects
  • believe Hebrew Bible is revealed word of God and Talmud to be authoritative
  • reject “evolutionary”, historical-critic view of Scripture
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34
Q

Conservative

A
  • middle ground between “rigid” Orthdoxy and radical liberalism of reform
  • interpret Bible more conservatively that Reform and more liberally than Orthodox
  • historical-critical method is good or, at least, okay, but it does not entail that ritual, theological fidelity should be abandoned
  • typically do follow dietary laws
  • differ w/ regard to ordination of women,etc
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35
Q

Reform Judaism

A
  • worship in vernacular
  • apply historical-critical method to Bible
  • as the Bible evolved, so must evolve
  • minimizing or setting aside of dietary laws
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36
Q

Reconstructionism

A
  • conservative origins
  • judaism is cultural, not necessarily religious
  • Judaism as social, cultural construct
  • Jewish community center
  • bat mitzvah
37
Q

Humanistic Judaism

A
  • Jewish cultural identity does not include or require beliefs or practices
  • secularist… often atheist
38
Q

Zionism

A
  • Jewish nationalism … Theodor Herzl
  • Jews should immigrate out of Europe and to, although the place to go was disputed, Jerusalem
  • inspired, in part, by the Dreyfus affair and resurgence/persistence of anti-Semitism in Europe
39
Q

Christianity in its Original Context

A
  • Entire Med. region, including Palestine, dominated by Romans
  • Jewish sects: Sadduccees, Pharisees, Essenes
40
Q

Early Christians compared with Jewish Sects

A
  • closest to Pharisees and, arguably, Essenes
  • messianism
  • canon of Scripture… tanakh… LXX
  • eschatology (Jesus = eschaton) and the ressurection of the dead
  • prophetic emphasis on moral law rather than dietary or ritual code
  • Jesus called rabbi, messiah in the NT
  • Paul was a pharisee
41
Q

Jesus

A
  • didn’t write anything
  • first texts about him written by Paul
  • Gospels written approx. 30 years after his life and death
  • Messiah… Christ… anointed one… King
  • Non-violent… heals people… teaches in synagogue… breaks ritual codes… ministers to foreigners, sick, unclean etc… calls apostles and disciples… calls people to repentance
  • Jesus is crucified by the Romans, who are supported by many of the Jewish leaders.
  • Jesus is raised from the dead, as he said he would be
42
Q

Exceptions to Religious Freedom in Roman Empire

A
  • practice moral barbarity

- treasonous

43
Q

Paul

A
  • wrote earliest record Christian texts
  • is a Jew, pharisee
  • invokes the law and prophets
  • Jesus Christ is full revelation of God; he is Lord
  • the promise of God is now for all people
  • Gentiles do not and, in fact, ought not to become Jews
  • apostle to the Gentiles … Christianity becomes predominantly Gentile
44
Q

Gnostics

A
  • some were self-described Christians
  • Jesus was not human, ony appeared human
  • salvation by Gnosis or secret knowledge
  • God is not Jewish god, who is merely the demiurge that created matter
  • dualism
  • reject OT
45
Q

Conflict in Early Church with Regard to Jews

A
  • do followers of Jesus have to become Jewish?
  • is the OT sacred, canonical?
  • was Jesus man and/or spirit?
  • was Jesus Jewish?
  • is the Jewish god God?
46
Q

Conflict between Roman Empire and Church

A
  • mob violence against Christians in 1st century b/c Christians have turned back on Roman state… martyrdom
  • 2nd century: Pliny the Younger writes to Emperor about Christians after torturing them… if Christians are in court they will be obliged to do deference to Roman god and, if they do not do this, will be executed… differentiates between Christians and Jews
  • 3rd century … all persons in Empire required to make sacrifices to gods of Rome
47
Q

Constantine and his role in Christian history

A

-

48
Q

Rise of Monasticism

A
  • manifestation of democratic spirituality in an increasingly institutional, hierarchical Church
  • counter-culture
  • continues martyrdom in a modified form… ascetic death to self (poverty, celibacy, obediance)
  • world’s first charitable institutions… orphanages, hospitals
49
Q

Clerical Institution vs. Monasticism

A
  • clerical instiution, led by bishops and priests, are primarily coordinated with the state and maintain the ordinary, everyday Church… e.g. rituals, sacraments like Baptism and the Eucharist.
  • the bishops and priests are the only legitimate stewards of the sacraments
50
Q

Eastern Orthdoxy

A
  • coordination between state and church (this is even seen today in Russia)… political powers have ecclesial power
  • priests are allowed to marry
  • leavened bread
  • icons
  • Greek
51
Q

Western Roman Empire

A
  • declines and collapses in the 400’s
  • replaced by Germanic tribes… some of whom are Pagan, some of whom are Arian, and some of whom are Nicene
  • Frankish kings has Constantine-like experience and converts, along with his people, to Nicene Christianity and sets the stage for Holy Roman Empire of Charles the Great
52
Q

Scholasticism

A
  • 1100s - 1200s
  • establish univesities that teach theology, law and medicine to train statesmen, churchmen, and doctors
  • optimistic, rationalistic (the world is knowable and beautiful…)
  • influence of Aristotle
53
Q

Scholasticism

A
  • 1100s - 1200s
  • establish univesities that teach theology, law and medicine to train statesmen, churchmen, and doctors
  • optimistic, rationalistic (the world is knowable and beautiful…)
  • influence of Aristotle and recovery of Aristotelian philosophy
54
Q

Crusades

A
  • 1100s -1200s
  • main objective was to retake the Holy Land from Muslims (Latin Christians invited by Eastern Christians)
  • worsening relations between Christians and Jews
  • didnt benefit Eastern Christians very much… worsened relations
  • brought back important texts,etc to Europe
55
Q

Papacy

A
  • the normative supremacy of the bishop of Rome
  • questions of relations between Pope and the state in matters of authority
  • can the state appoint bishops, fire bishops, etc. cant the state tax the Church
56
Q

Mysticism

A
  • mystic experiences divine or sacred presence so as to lose sense of individuality
  • democratic spirituality
  • often monastics and often women
57
Q

Renaissance

A
  • rebirth… humanistic idea that the middle ages were the dark ages
  • literary scholars who sought to renew civilization by restoring the best of antiquity
  • opposed to scholasticism… there should be something very simple about theology
  • emphasis on Bible and learning Hebrew and Greek
58
Q

Lutheranism

A
  • emphasis on study of the Bible… making it available in vernacular
  • rejected selling of indulgences and, ultimately, indulgences entirely
  • justification by grace alone and faith alone… there is nothing you can do to merit justification
  • basic human problem is selfishness… works-based justification is fundamentall selfish… do good things on the basis of gratitude rather than merit
  • priesthood of all believers by virtue of baptism… church leaders are essentially no different than laity
  • consubstantiation rather than transubstantiation
  • the state should be/govern the church
59
Q

Calvinism vs. Lutheranism on Church Government

A
  • Luther… state should govern the church
  • Calvin… ordained pastors and elected laypersons, not the state, should govern the state
  • Upshot… Calvinism, much more than Lutheranism, can exist without state support
60
Q

Anabaptists

A
  • re-baptizers
  • believe infant baptism is unbiblical and, thereby, null-and-void
  • believer’s baptism
  • many believed the state is the tool of the devil (refused to pay taxes or fight in war… apocalyptic worldview)
  • basically everybody hated them
61
Q

Features of Catholic Reform

A
  • education through schools and universities (e.g. schools founded by Jesuits)
  • requirement for priestly education and, through sermons, education of lay people
  • indulgences are licit, but th sale of indulgences is illicit
  • ban on absentee bishops
62
Q

Anglicanism

A
  • longstanding conflict between English kings and popes over the appointing of bishops and taxing of the church
  • Henry VIII wanted a divorce that the Pope would not and could not give him… asserted Monarch has Supreme authority over Church in England
  • via media
63
Q

Affect of Enlightenment and Rationalism on Christianity

A
  • rise of rationalism, scientism, deism, unitarianism
  • rise of Pietism… subjectivism…. focus on individual… sentimentalism
  • New Scholarship resulted, more or less, in a bifurcation between liberalism and fundamentalism
64
Q

Pentacostalism

A
  • emphasis on transformative experience… speaking in tongues, healing
  • emphasis on community
65
Q

Lit. Islam and Muslims

A
  • Islam means submission and Muslim means one who submits [to God]
  • the universal and primordial faith
  • all creatures are Muslim, but humans have a choice
66
Q

Denominations

A
  • varieties of Christianity that occupy same time and political space
  • recent development
67
Q

Ecumenism

A
  • movement for Christian unity
  • movement for human, interreligious unity

ex. Second Vatican Council… Protestants and Orthodox invited to attend

68
Q

Life of Muhammad

A
  • orphan; adopted by uncle
  • illiterate merchant
  • lives in Arabia; polytheistic society that also had Christian and Jewish minorities
  • fasts during Ramadan and goes to mountain where Gabriel appears
  • prophet tells people of his revelation and calls for submission, conversion to Islam
  • Night Journey to Jerusalem and into heaven
  • Hijrah - establishes coherent Islamic community
  • conquers Mecca … mass conversion of Mecca to Islam
69
Q

Prophet vs. Messenger

A
  • All Messengers are Prophets, but not all prophets are messengers
  • there have been thousands of prophets, throughout all time and space
  • messengers have universal message
  • Muhammad is seal of prophets and messengers
70
Q

List of Messengers in Islam

A
  • Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad
71
Q

Quran

A
  • recitation
  • arranged in poetic and not chronological way
  • asserts to be the definitive, whole truth (only can be in original language… Hebrew Bible and NT only partially true)
  • Not written by Prophet Muhammed (memorized and recited)
  • Quran is to Islam as Jesus is to Christianity… it is the eternal Word and full revelation of God
72
Q

Ummah

A

community of faith/Muslims

73
Q

Difference between ritual modes of behavior and ethical modes of behavior

A
  • rituals are symbolic actions… they commemorate or represent myth
  • ethical modes are rules for right and wrong that are not symbolic or commemorative
74
Q

Five Pillars

A
  1. Shahadah
  2. Salat
  3. Zakat
  4. Ramadan
  5. Hajj
75
Q

Shahadah

A
  • profession of faith that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is messenger of GOd
  • ritual of conversion … it is by saying the Shahadah (sincerely and devoutly) that one becomes a Muslim…
  • rite of passage and daily ritual
76
Q

Salat

A
  • 5 x daily prayer
  • set prayers during set times
  • ritual washing… ritual of purification that symbolizes spiritual purication, cleansing
  • facing ka’ba … orients self to salvation history
77
Q

Alms

A
  • must give at least 2.5% of all wealth

- both ritual and ethical

78
Q

Ramadan

A

commemorates the revelation of Quran to Muhammad during the month of Ramadan

  • no food, drink, smoking, sex, from sun up to sun down
  • mortification
  • liberation through submission to God
79
Q

Id al-Fitr

A
  • feasting, gift giving celebration that the end of Ramadan
80
Q

Pilgrimage to Mecca

A
  • 12th month of Islamic year
  • one need only do it once
  • commemorates Abraham and, in particular, his sacrifice of Ishmael
  • wearing shroud that symbolizes death
  • though of ummah evoked by mass of people, uniform shrouds, etc.
  • standing on Mount of Mercy before the sun from noon to sunset (commemorates judgment day)
  • stoning of pillar (commemorates Abraham’s stoning of three pillars that represent the temptation to disobey God and preserve Ishmael)
  • sacrifice and eating of animal, which commemorates God giving Abraham a ram in place of Ishmael… ethical dimension insofar as obliged to give part of sacrifice to those in need
  • Hajj as death to self… and rebirth… cleanses one of all previous sins
81
Q

Islamic Legal Categories

A
  • Halal (Very good… obligatory)
  • Commendable
  • Neutral
  • Bad
  • Haram (very bad… prohibited)
82
Q

Legal Sources

A
  • Quran
  • Hadith (religiously authenticated sayings/doings of the prophet)
  • Personal reasoning (ijtihad)
  • Consensus of the Faithful
83
Q

Sunni vs. Shi’ite

A
  • Sunni (those who follow the sunnah… traditions)… sucessor of Muhammad does not have to have direct relation to the prophet… e.g. first Caliph Abu Bakr
  • Shi’ite (party of Ali)… Ali is first successor of Muhamad and ummah must be led by direct descendent of Muhammad
84
Q

Divisions within Shi’ite Islam

A
  • Seveners… believe that the grandson of the 6th Caliph was the legitimate caliph and, subsequently, that the line of caliphs continues to this day
  • Twelver - the twelfth Imam is the last Imam and is in a state of occultation (i.e. hiddeness)… the twelfth Imam is the Mahdi (i.e. the rightly guided one) who will return at the end of time, with Jesus, to set the world to rights.
85
Q

Sunni vs. Shiite Imam

A
  • For Sunnis, Imams are merely prayer or worship leaders

- For Shi’ite… the Imam is the authoritative, legitimate caliph who has a unique position of spiritual guidance

86
Q

Husayn in Shi’ite Islam

A
  • he is the great, proto-typical martyr, who is killed while fighting in defense of the Ummah
87
Q

Sufism

A
  • mysticism
    /- spiritual journiney to God… loss of individual consciousness… complete awareness of God.
    -asceticism
    /- transcending the self by mortifying the self
  • takes Muhammad as mystical guide and Jesus as ascetical guide
88
Q

The Big Sin in Islam… the big problem with human beings

A
  • Shirk

- associating any creature with God or confusing the creator and the creation

World Religions (5 decks)

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