Globalization: World Religions Flashcards
Define Globalization
Connection with the world, economic connections, long distance spread of people, exchange of culture and technologies, homogeneous (diversity is good to have in one place)
Define World Religions
Spread over the globe but also influenced by globalization
Characteristics of World Religions
Religions of salvation - Savior and after-life Revealed Religion - Prophet Monotheistic - take over polytheistic Personal - appeal to all classes of people Moral codes Sacred texts or scriptures Portable Remake world according to God's commands
Zoroastrianism
Began in the Persian Empire (Achaemenid and Seleucid), one of the Magi named Zarathustra (Zoraster; don’t know when he lived) founded the religion, teachings were oral until the Sasanid Dynasty
Beliefs of Zoroastrianism
Ahura Mazda - all powerful creator
Dualism - Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu
Scriptures - the Gathas (book), the Avesta (whole cannon)
Changed over time
Practices of Zoroastrianism
Prayer in sun or near sacred fire - fire worshipers
Culture
Missionaries
Preached superiority of their religion
What role did Zoroastrianism play on other religions?
Dualism was an important point for Christianity, Judaism
Good versus evil
How many Hebrew Kingdoms were there? Names?
Two
Northern Kingdom and Kingdom of Judah
When was the Northern Kingdom taken over? By who?
720 BCE
Assyrians
When was the Kingdom of Judah taken over? By who?
586 BCE
Babylonians
Who overthrew the Babylonians? When? What did they allow the Jews to do?
Persians
538 BCE
Return to Jerusalem
When was the temple rebuilt?
515 BCE
How did the Jews keep their religion together for 500 years?
They were able to keep their Jewish identity in captivity and not, very resilient, synagogues
What happened to the Jews during the Ptolemaric Empire?
Lots of Jews moved to Egypt because they allowed them to practice their beliefs
Interacted a lot with Greek culture, translation of the scriptures into Greek
The synagogue came about instead of the temple
Who were the Sadducees?
Priest class of the temple, no belief in resurrection, tolerated Hellenistic views, opposed by the Pharisees
Who were the Pharisees?
Not bad people, middle class universal group
When was the end of Jerusalem? What happened?
66-70 CE during the Jewish Revolt
Lots of Jews killed, temple destroyed
What are the unifying characteristics of Judaism?
Monotheistic - key defining characteristic
Scriptures - Torah (1st 5 Books), Talmud Oral Tradition and Torah
Dietary code - way to distinguish yourself
Calendar
Culture around the synagogue
Holidays supposed to remind us who we are
What teachings were new in Christianity?
The Atonement
Gives purpose of human life
Priesthood doctrine
New scriptures (takes a while to be canonized)
Focus on the poor and equality of people (break down of hierarchies)
Purity System
Purity status started with noble birth (Levi’s and priests)
Caused sharp social boundaries
Christ preached against the Purity System
Describe Early Christianity
First converts were Jews then Gentiles
Small groups for organization of local leaders
No holidays, no scripture
Define Ecclesia
Community of worshipers
Define Diocese
Area headed by a bishop
Why did Christianity become a world religion? What made it appealing?
Social equality Christ accepts all Created a sense of community Brought philosophy and ritual together Philosophical scriptures Ordinances - baptism, Lord's supper Leadership
Why was Christianity not appealing?
One god not Roman's god Suspicion of loyalty Seen as secretive - Lord's supper as cannibalism Thought everyone else was wrong Missionary work
Emperor Decius
Wanted to unite the Roman Empire
Killed a lot of Christians to do so
Only reigned for two years
Constantine
Wanted to be sole ruler
Battle of Milvian Bridge (312 CE) fought for Christian God
Allowed religious freedom
Caused Council of Nicaea to occur
Council of Nicaea
Rejection of Arianism (reject that Christ wasn’t divine)
Beginnings of centralization in the Christian church
Five most important bishops
Rome (Pope), Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople (Patriarch)
