Exam 1 - Basic Religion, Worldviews Flashcards
1
Q
What is a world view?
A
A set of presuppositions(assumptions) which we hold about the basic makeup of the world - James Sire (The Universe Next Door)
2
Q
Characteristics of World View?
A
Wholistic, Dynamic, Subjective, Shared
3
Q
Wholistic
A
Big picture of life
4
Q
Dynamic
A
In process, not static
5
Q
Subjective
A
Shaped by our personal emotions and experience
6
Q
Shared
A
Other have a similar perspective; not just an individual outlook
7
Q
Test for worldview?
A
Correspondence (match reality?), Coherence (make sense, consistent?), Productivity (it works?)
8
Q
7 Essential Questions?
A
- What is prime reality?
- What is nature of external reality?
- What is human being?
- What happens when a person dies?
- Why is it possible to know anything?
- How can we know what is right and wrong?
- What is the meaning of human life?
9
Q
Three Categories of World Views:
A
Theism, Pantheism, Naturalism
10
Q
Define Theism
A
The ultimate reality is an infinite, personal God. God is at the center.
11
Q
The world of Theism is an _____ system
A
“open” - God is involved, active.
12
Q
God created the universe out of nothing. (__ ______)
A
Ex nihilo
13
Q
According to Theism, human beings are created in the image of God (_____ ___)
A
Imago dei
14
Q
Sin has ________
A
marred the image of God
15
Q
According to Theism, is there life after death?
A
Yes, (After the ressurection) there will be either eternity with God or eternal separation from God. (second death)
16
Q
Epistemology (study of knowledge) according to Theism…
A
Human beings can think and choose because humans are created in the image of God.
17
Q
According to Theism, ethics (right and wrong) is decided by …
A
God is the source of all good and the judge of good and evil. God’s word is the final standard of ethics.
The moral principles of scripture and conscience guide one’s ethics.
18
Q
Principle is…..
A
A moral guideline that is timeless and universal.
19
Q
Standard is……
A
An application of a principle to a specific situation/context.
20
Q
According to Theism, is there moral absolutes?
A
Yes
21
Q
History according to Theists is _____, not ____
A
Linear, not cyclical
22
Q
A deist is one who _____
A
believes in the existence of a god or a supreme being (at the beginning) but denies revealed (holy book) religion, basing his or her belief on nature and reason.
23
Q
According to Deism, God is a ______
A
“Watch maker God” - no longer involved and no longer intervenes.
24
Q
What system is the world according to Deism?
A
open at the beginning, closed system now.
25
(Deism) How come the world is in closed system?
God established the laws of nature - the uniformity of cause and effect - world runs on its own. Human beings are part of the clockwork of the universe.
26
According to Deism, there is nothing supernatural in this world. Therefore ________ are not possible. Why?
Miracles, because it would require God to intervene.
27
Is prayer significant to a Deist?
No, prayer is of little meaning since God is not involved.
28
_____ ______ is primary. It is sufficient to discover truth in the world around us.
Human reason
29
According to Deism, Bible is a _________
good book but not inspired, revealed will of God.
30
John Lock (Deism) - 17th Century English Philosopher
“Divine rights of Kings” - God appoints Kings (the established way of life)
John Lock created “social contracts”- people choose the governor (Foundation of Democracy)
31
Voltaire (Deism)
Reject Divine Rights of Kings and corruption. Protested..
| “Universe is based on reason, not faith”
32
Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin (Deism)
were Christians because of Politics, made Jefferson’s bible
33
Pantheism believes that _________
everything and everyone is divine. Nature is everything and the cosmos is divine.
34
Pantheism is a belief system that _________
equates divinity with the forces of the nature. Essentially nature is equivalent to the concept of god.
35
2 Central Tenants of Pantheism:
1. The cosmos is divine.
2. The earth is sacred.
(The universe creates itself, maintains itself.)
36
Why are traditional religions unacceptable? (Pantheism)
Because they do not give priority to environment
37
Credo of World Pantheism Movement:
Deep reverence for self-organizing universe’s power & beauty.. Nature is all that exist.
38
Beginning of Life (Pantheism):
a divine essence (energy force) flows through all things.
39
Chi
Two equal and opposing forces in the universe that balance each other. When these forces are in balance there’s harmony.
The cosmic force which flows through all things.
40
According to Pantheism, human beings …
have no souls, no life after death (no heaven/hell). Life is all there is and it’s a spiritual existence.
41
Pantheism’s Historical Background?
Roots in Persia, Babylon, Greece, Rome
Stoics: 4th Century BC - Zeus = totality of the material universe
Ancient India: many pantheistic and animistic ideas
Spinoza (late 17th Century Dutch/Jewish philosopher) wrote “Ethics” - father of modern pantheism.
Influenced by Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Unitarianism, some Native American religions.
42
Pantheism celebrations:
Winter solstice, solar cycles, magic, Wicca
43
Star Wars (Pantheism):
training manual of Pantheism - George Lucas (producer)
44
Richard Dawson (Pantheism)
The God Delusion (2006) - asserts pantheism
45
Idolatry
Worship of creation instead of The Creator
46
Spiritualism
Devil comes impersonating the dead, other beings… (pantheism opens the door to spiritualism)
47
Transcendence
Idea of a supernatural/beyond
48
Cultus
A system of beliefs and behaviors that define a religion
49
Difference between religion and spirituality?
Religion has a social dimension (shared), always includes beliefs and behaviors.
Spirituality is a personal private matter.
50
Definition of Religion
A system of beliefs and behaviors (cultus) that directs a person towards transcendence and thus providing meaning and coherence to a person’s life.
51
Two primary sources for info about origins religions:
1. Contemporary Basic Religions (Prehistoric - understanding the past)
2. Archeology (things)
52
Neandethral
125,000-30,000 B.C.
| no written records, limited info.
53
Cro-magnon
30,000-7,000 B.C
| no written records; cave paintings; Venus image
54
Neolithic
7,000-3,000 B.C.
| evolution of agriculture & religion
55
Friedrich Schleiermacher (19th Century German Theologian)
Religion begins in absolute dependence.
56
Religion as Projection of Human Needs
Ludwig Feuerbach, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud
57
Ludwig Feurbach
philosopher, the concept of God is the combination of idolized human traits
58
Karl Marx (influenced by Feuerbach)
World view - class struggle leads to religion. (Upper class lets lower class has religion, sigh of the repressed)
59
Sigmund Freud
“Oedipus Myth” - man hate their fathers and desire their mothers, and they feel guilty, therefore they created God the Father.
60
Rudolf Otto
Religion as Encounter with Holy
1917 - wrote a book (Religion as Encounter with the Holy)
Religion can be traced back to humans becoming aware of the Holy
61
Mysterium Tremendum
Mystery that invokes fear
62
Mysterium Fascinosum
Mystery that attracts
63
Religion as Symbolism
Mircea Eliade, Carl Jung
64
Mircea Eliade (Romanian scholar)
“hierophany” - symbolic manifestation of the Holy
65
Carl Jung (analytical psychologist)
Religion comes from images from human dreams
66
Three basic assumptions of Religion:
1. Religion can be understood by not accepting the reality of God
2. Religion began in the primitive level and evolved to greater complexity
3. Religion as practiced among the least developed cultures today is the closest to early religion
67
Evolutionary Model (from Most Primitive to Most Advanced)
Mana, Animism, Polytheism, Henotheism, Monotheism, Atheism
68
Mana
An awareness of the power.
| The spiritual force that dominates the world.
69
Bishop Cordington
Went to Milenisia, explained Mana
70
Magic Theory (3 Stages in Development of Religion):
1st stage: Magic
2nd stage: Religion
3rd stage: Science
71
Animism
World full of spirits
72
Anima
Spirits
73
Edward Tyler
“The next stage of after Mana is Animism”
74
Herbert Spencer (1850’s)
“The gods of primitive are based on their dreams encounters w/ spirit of their dead ancestors/loved ones.”
75
Spirits are finite, hence …
There’s limitation in their powers. Good at: knowing future
76
Aim of animistic religion is to …
Maintain proper relationship with the spirits. Experts are called shaman, witch doctor, etc.
77
Max Muller (Nature Worship theory) - studied religions of India
human beings developed their religions by looking/observing force of nature. (Nature as spirits)
78
In polytheism, gods are …
Elevated finite spirits. The gods had specific tasks/functions. gods are superior and more powerful than human beings. Human beings must submit/worship.
79
Pantheon of gods
The sum total of gods and goddesses for a particular religion
80
Henotheism
Devotion to one god out of many.
81
Henotheism is an interim stage between in ______ and ______
Polytheism and Monotheism
82
Earliest monotheism?
Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) - [came from Egypt] advocated the worship of one god. The sun god.
83
Atheism
Most logical. Abandon all needs for god.
84
Critique of the Evolutionary Model?
- has never been observed/discovered. No proof
- no record of culture that fits the model.
- many examples of cultures moving forward/backwards. Therefore no sequence
- many examples of co-existing stages
85
The Evolutionary Origins Model assumes that technological progress implies ____ ________
Tech morality
86
Wilhelm Schmidt (early 20th century anthropologist)
Massif research - religion began w/ God, research in Asia, Europe and Africa.
87
Variation of basic story line
Believed in a high God -> Crisis -> Disobedience [Rebellion] -> False Religion (animism, polytheism, …)
88
Nine Characteristic Monotheism:
1. There is one personal God
2. God is referred to in masculine language
3. God apparently lives in the sky
4. God has great great and power
5. God created the world
6. God is the creator of good, judges evil. Judge of good evil
7. Human beings are God’s creation and expected to obey God’s law
8. By disobedience, human rebelled, an alienated from God
89
Key ideas in Romans 1
Vivid description of Original Monotheism
90
Three general perspective regarding other religions?
Pluralism, Relativism, Exclusivism
91
Different Mission Perspectives?
Restrictivist, Universalist, Inclusivism
92
10 Characteristic of Basic Religions
1. Animism
2. Magic
3. Divination
4. Taboo
5. Totem
6. Sacrifices
7. Myth
8. Rituals
9. Rites of Passage
9. Ancestor Veneratism
93
Animism
Nature is alive with spirits
94
Magic
Techniques used to manipulate spirits
95
Fetish
Objects with magical abilities
96
Divination
Predicting the future
97
Taboo
Certain object must be avoided or the spirits will harm you
98
Totem
Kinship that people feel for certain animal/things/… that represents them
99
Sacrifices
gods are angry, the worshipper must bring something to appease the wrath of god.
100
Myth
story that communicates the truth (often used to explain the mystical/unexplained)
101
Rituals
Reenacting myth
102
Rites of Passage (changes you)
Key transitional points
103
Ancestor Veneratism
Dead ancestors can impact you, continues to live on.
104
Two basic forms of Existentialism
Theistic existentialism, Atheistic existentialism
105
Theistic existentialism
An extension or distortion of theism
106
Atheistic existentialism
An extension of atheism
107
Theistic existentialism was developed to solve …
The dead orthodoxy of mid 19th century Europe.
108
Orthodoxy
Right beliefs
109
Atheistic existentialism developed to solve the problem of …
naturalism that led to nihilism
110
Definition of Existentialism
Existence precedes essence and human beings are totally free and responsible for their acts.
111
The responsibility of acts is the source of
dread and anguish (guilt) that encompass mankind
112
Existentialism regards human existence as ____________ and stresses _________ __ _____ as well as ______________
unexplainable, freedom of choice, personal responsibility for the consequences of one’s acts
113
Existentialism seeks to ______ ________ in an absurd world
create meaning
114
Basic Existentialism.
First a man or woman _________, then spends life changing his or her ______. In others words, we define ourselves by _____. Therefore _______ would indicate you have chosen to have __ _______.
exist, essence. Living. suicide. No meaning
115
The cosmos is composed solely of _____ but to human beings _______ appears in two forms: ___ and ___
Matter, reality. Subjective and Objective
116
(Pantheism) The objective world is the world of …
reality where logic and science rule.
117
(Pantheism) The subjective world is the world of …
Mind (ideas, consciousness, choices, feelings)
118
Nihilism is the belief that …
All values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated.
119
Friedrich Nietzsche on nihilism?
The corrosive effects of nihilism will eventually destroy all moral, religious, and metaphysical convictions and precipitate the greatest crisis in human history.
120
Samuel Becket
```
“Breath” play. Trash: cosmos is trash
3 stages:
- inhale = birth
- scream = life of pain
- exhale = death
```
121
Douglas Adams
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Summary: deep thought, ultimate answer: 42, ultimate question: 6x9
Analysis: Life is meaningless. Question and answer don’t match up.
122
Macbeth
Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing
123
Albert Camus(nihilism)
The Myth of Sisyphus- pushing boulder up a hill all his life (he must be happy since he’s doing what’s required of him)
124
Jorgen Multmann (nihilism)
Theology of Hope. “Nihilism gave me despair, Jesus gave me hope.” Hell is hopelessness
125
Carl Sagan
Cosmos is all there is; was, and will be.
126
Bertrand Russell
Human destiny is an episode between two oblivions
127
Karl Marx on Marxism
Marxism is a logical extension of humanism
128
Walter Lippman on Ethics in Naturalism
Ethics based on central agreements of great religious teachers
129
Dangers of world view?
Oversimplifications, Neglecting Individuality
130
Three main eras for Western Worldview
Pre-modern era, Modern era, Postmodern era
131
Premodern ended with … characteristics?
French Revolution,
| God exists. Truth exists. Both are real.
132
French Revolution. (__ - ___)?
1789-1799
“Dawn of Modern Era”
Challenged the authority of monarch and church
Exalted human rights and reason
133
Modern Era’s characteristics?
(French Revolution - 1960’s)
Humanity is progressing through science and reason
Belief in objective truth
Belief in proportional truth (don’t just believe, proof)
The secular action of the world
134
Postmodernism in depth?
(1960s-?)
Difficult to define; various disciplines
Transitional period (void) - a worldview “in process”
- western world in transition ~ not sure what will be
Belief in “unsecularization” of the world
Movement towards spiritual things
135
Characteristics of Postmodernism?
1. Decline of the West
2. Deconstructionism
3. Relativism
4. Pluralism
136
Decline of the West, meaning?
Decline interest in western religions and institutions
Increase interest in Eastern religions and way of life
Decline of western culture and art
137
Deconstructionism, meaning?
Involves taking apart texts (like onions)
Seeks to examine a text from all possible perspective
Rejects the concept of the objective meaning or interpretation of a text
138
Relativism, meaning?
There is no absolute truth. All interpretations are relative.
Postmodernism rejects either scientific or religious truth
Meaning comes from relativism, experience and tolerance
Tolerance is KEY attitude. Belief in ultimate values is the WORST attitude
139
Pluralism, meaning?
There is a diversity of truth but not empirical truth
All the positive elements of various religions are “true” to those who believe them
Truth is just truth for me… may not be truth for you
Pluralism is rooted in relativism. Doctrine is expressive not normative
140
Postmodernism’s most important value:
Illegitimate tolerance - all POV is true, no objective truth. Tolerance as moral weakness
141
Contrast between modernism and postmodernism
Modernism: Design, Hierarchy, Creation of art & literature, Classification & systemization, interpretation, narrative
Postmodernism: Chance, Anarchy, Process & Performance art, Anti-system & Individuality, Against interpretation, Anti-narrative
142
Positives of Postmodernism
Rejection of dry orthodoxy & passionless faith. LIVED faith
Inclusion of feelings and emotions in matters of faith
Values symbols and meanings
Centrality of Relationship
143
Cognitive Dissonance
Disharmony/conflict between what we believe and how we’re acting
