Chapter 6: Religions

Question 1

Syncretic

Answer 1

Combining several traditions

Question 2

Solstice

Answer 2

special significance in some ethnic religions

Question 3

universalizing religions

Answer 3

• attempt to be global by appealing to all people regardless of location or culture (58 percent of world)
• individual founder
• wide diffusion & distribution
• holidays based on events in founders life

Question 4

fundamentalism

Answer 4

literal interpretation and strict adherence to basic principles of a religion

Question 5

branch

Answer 5

large and fundamental division within a religion

Question 6

ethnic religions

Answer 6

• often remain within the culture where they originated
• more clustered distributions
• unknown source
  -physical geography
  -holidays based on local climate/agriculture
  Example: Hinduism

Question 7

Describe the classification of world religions.

Answer 7

universalizing vs ethnic

Question 8

Summarize the distribution of major religions.

Answer 8

Christianity: mainly Europe, Latin America, & United States
Islam: sunni in Southwest Asia & North Africa; shiite in Middle Eastern countries of Iran, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Oman, & Bahrain
Buddhism: Asia

Question 9

Confucianism

Answer 9

more of a spiritual practice than religion
Confucius (K’ung Tze) dedicated his life to education
Analects - compilation of his teachings & standards for conduct
“beautiful conduct”

Question 10

Taoism

Answer 10

China
Dao (the way)
Feng shui
Yin & Yang

Question 11

Animism

Answer 11

ethnic religion whose followers believe that inanimate objects or nature events have spirits/conscious life

Question 12

Judaism

Answer 12

Torah

Question 13

3 Branches of Christianity

Answer 13

Roman catholic, Eastern Orthodox, & Protestant

Question 14

Five pillars of islam

Answer 14

1. declare faith
2. prayer
3. fasting
4. alms giving
5. pilgrimage

Question 15

Difference between Shite and Sunni

Answer 15

Shite: believed successor should be related to Muhammed (Ali)
Sunni: successor should be decided by community (Abu bakr, his advisor)

Question 16

Four noble truths

Answer 16

1. all living things suffer
2. suffering is caused by desire & leads to reincarnation
3. goal is to escape cycle of reincarnation & suffering
4. nirvana is reached through eightfold path (rightness of belief, resolve, speech, action, livelihood, effort, thought, & meditation)

Question 17

three branches of buddhism

Answer 17

Theravad (traditional)
Mahayana (universal salvation)
Vajrayana (more efficient)

Question 18

vedas

Answer 18

ancient hindu scripture

Question 19

role of places of worship

Answer 19

sacred structures that physically anchor religion to landscape

Question 20

How do climate, topography, religious doctrine and culture influence burial practices?

Answer 20

Cemetaries: public open space in congested urban places prior to 19th century
Cremation: wash bodies with water from Ganges River, then burn with funeral pyre

Question 21

Significant holidays in:

1. Islam
2. Christianity
3. Buddhism
4. Judaism

Answer 21

1. based on lunar calendar; celebrate end of Ramadaan
2. based on seasonal changes; christmas (winter), easter (spring)
3. important dates in Buddha’s life (e.g. Vesak is his bday)
4. based on dates in Hebrew bible, moon & sun; Shabbat is sundown on friday

Question 22

Hindu Caste system

Answer 22

strict rules on what class a Hinu is born into
can’t move out of caste system
lowest are untouchables, highest are brahmans

Question 23

Conflict between communism and religion in former Soviet Union and China

Answer 23

Soviet union: Church buildings and property were nationalized
China: “protects normal religious activities” but also has only 5 sanctioned religious organizations

Question 24

Factors that contribute to religious conflict in the Middle East

Answer 24

conflicts more likely to occur at boundary between 2 religions