Definitions

Question 1

YhWh

Answer 1

LORD (Hebrew)

Question 2

Tanakh

Answer 2

Scriptures

Question 3

Torah

Answer 3

Five books of Moses

Question 4

Nevi’im

Answer 4

Prophets

Question 5

Kethuvim

Answer 5

Writings

Question 6

Talmud

Answer 6

Like a commentary on the Scriptures

• -Mishnah: interpretation
• -Gemara: narratives, illustration

Question 7

Mecca

Answer 7

City central to the Islamic religion

Question 8

Hijra

Answer 8

(“Flight” to Medina)
622 CE
Marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar

Question 9

Qur’an

Answer 9

Literal, eternal, uncreated Word of God

Doctrine of abrogation (anything that is farther into the Qur’an overrides whatever was previously said)

Question 10

Shirk

Answer 10

Greatest sin (assigning partners to God)
Absolute monotheism

Question 11

Hajj

Answer 11

Pilgrimage to Mecca

Required at least once in lifetime

Question 12

Shahada

Answer 12

Confession
Public statement meaning, “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.”
First step in becoming a Muslim (like a Muslim baptism)
Must be recited in Arabic
Repeated multiple times every day, from birth through deat

Question 13

Salat

Answer 13

Prayer
Five times per day in direction of Mecca (supposedly through arguing with Moses)
Preceded by ritual washings
Recitations of Qur’an in Arabic
Must follow prescribed movements and postures
Most difficult overall concept is that we are derivative and mere creature

Question 14

Sawm

Answer 14

Fasting
Month of Ramadan
-Recalls first revelation of Qur’an
-Therefore, focus on reading on reading Qur’an
Abstinence from all food, water, sensual pleasure during daylight
Children, pregnant women, travelers exempted
Three-day feast, “Eid Al Fitr” (Breaking of the Fast) follows

Question 15

Zakat

Answer 15

Giving Alms
Purification; giving cleanses a Muslim of greed and selfishness
Annual giving to benefit the poor
Based on determining 2.5% of a Muslim’s wealth
Varying rules for calculating and submitting zaka

Question 16

Vedas

Answer 16

Sacred Writings (knowledge, wisdom)

• Oldest and most sacred scriptures
• Four collections including Rig Veda (over 1000 hymns to various gods)

Question 17

Upanishads

Answer 17

Philosophical extension of Vedas

Question 18

Bhagavad-Gita

Answer 18

• Epic poetry

- Most popular Hindu writing

Question 19

Brahman

Answer 19

• Ultimate reality
• Without qualities
  Can not be visualized as He/She/It has no qualities
  C.S. Lewis saw Brahman as “Grey Tapioca”
  People worship 3 primary manifestations of Brahman (Brama, Vishnu, Shiva)
  330,000,000 gods in total

Question 20

Atman

Answer 20

True self, soul, essence of human life
When the body dies, the jiva (individual soul) transmigrates (is reincarnated)
The form of the new body depends on karma (the consequences of actions taken in previous life)
Caste system

Question 21

Moksha

Answer 21

NOT the same as Christian salvation
The Hindu’s ultimate goal is freedom from samsara (cycle of transmigration)
Final step: When one renounces all human trappings and discovers the truth within the deepest self, he finds that Atman is Brahman
Four traditional paths

Question 22

Yoga

Answer 22

Union

Question 23

Transmigrates

Answer 23

Reincarnation

Question 24

Buddha

Answer 24

the Awakened One

Question 25

Tripitaka

Answer 25

Three baskets

Question 26

Nirvana

Answer 26

Salvation
“Blowing out” of desire, attachment
Escape from samsara

Question 27

Samsara

Answer 27

Reincarnation

Question 28

Mahayana

Answer 28

Great raft (ferry)
Stresses grace
Most popular form of Buddhism
Made space for lay people
(Buddhism for the people)
Because of the number of people their theology could get to nirvana, they were the Big Raft. Very popular.
Broke into many schools

Question 29

Hinayana

Answer 29

Little Raft (ferry)
Hate the name Hinayana and call themselves Theravada Buddhists
Closer to Buddha’s original message
In it alone. You build your own ferry and cross the river of life by yourself.
Stayed one school.

Question 30

Zen

Answer 30

Ch’an – seems charmingly but totally mad at first.