Midterm 1

Question 1

Religion

Answer 1

the service and worship of God or the supernatural, commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance, a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs and practices, a form of societal control

Question 2

Religionswissenschaften

Answer 2

Scientific study of religion

Question 3

three identifying themes:

Answer 3

source of authority, temporal orientation, inner/outer focus

Question 4

homo religious

Answer 4

religion is specific to humans

Question 5

archetypes:

Answer 5

myth, ritual, symbols, sacred art, scripture

Question 6

myth

Answer 6

traditional story about event of origin, explains worldview, practices, belief or natural phenomenon

Question 7

ritual

Answer 7

repetitive act to remember key event, tradition to worship, placate or seek favor/forgiveness

Question 8

Symbols

Answer 8

representational by sign to represent major theme

Question 9

sacred art

Answer 9

art of music to worship, convey hidden glories, make intelligible that which are not

Question 10

scripture

Answer 10

sacred text, ancient beliefs and teachings, passed down from antiquity and revealed by transcendence

Question 11

cosmology

Answer 11

religious worldview

Question 12

cognition

Answer 12

act or process of knowing

Question 13

axis mundi

Answer 13

center of world where sky connects to earth

Question 14

transcendence

Answer 14

exceeding limits of human understanding, enlightenment

Question 15

spirituality

Answer 15

deepest values and meanings by which people live

Question 16

human poetica

Answer 16

man the meaning maker, seek meaning in life and significant of actions

Question 17

developmental stages:

Answer 17

primitive, archaic, historical, early modern, modern

Question 18

primitive

Answer 18

worldview, cosmological monism
i.e. aboriginals
pre BCE
no clear separation between sacred and profane 
acted out myths to become mythical being

Question 19

archaic

Answer 19

worldview, cosmological monism
i.e. greek mythology
distinction between humans as subjects and gods as objects
new degree of freedom with increased burden of anxiety

Question 20

historical

Answer 20

worldview, cosmological dualism
i.e. eastern religions, abrahamic religions
dualism, difference between this world and life after death through participation in salvation in this world
transcendence is sought as means to salvation

Question 21

early modern

Answer 21

worldview, collapse of hierarchical structure, salvation can be available to any seeker
i.e. protestant reformation
development of religious leadership class
allows for conflict with political elite

Question 22

modern

Answer 22

worldview, collapse of dualism
i.e. ethnic culturalism, humanism
anthropodicy, humankind is responsible for own fate
patterns of membership are flexible

Question 23

theocracy

Answer 23

country, state or religious community governed by religious law
law can be interpreted differently
divinity of law leads to unquestioning devotion and rejection of change needed to evolve with society

Question 24

douglas model

Answer 24

different conflicts regarding change in religion, reform or status quo, different interpretations and perspectives
can cause fragmenting or establishment of new religious system
evolution of social cultural and religious systems
dominant hierarchy, masses, individual
hierachy puts pressure on masses who relieve pressure by individual interpretation

Question 25

cartwheel analogy

Answer 25

center, cosmology
spokes, cultural systems, practices, traditions that community wants to replace or modernize
rim, community
wheel suffers wear and tear and spokes will be replaced

Question 26

theistic

Answer 26

divine person or people monotheistic or polytheistic
personal interaction between human and divine
abrahamic, hindu, sikhism, tribal

Question 27

nontheistic

Answer 27

buddhism, confucianism, jainis, secular or humanism

sacred is impersonal form, power, process, liberating truth or way of being

Question 28

ethnic/tribal

Answer 28

link people through ancestry, kinship and culture

tribal, judaism, shinto, toaism, druze, jainism

Question 29

universal

Answer 29

seek to convert from other religions, spans ethnic boundaries
founder as guide to salvation, jesus

Question 30

typologies:

Answer 30

abrahamic, indian, SE asia, tribal

Question 31

abrahamic

Answer 31

theist, universal
judaism, christianity, islam
monotheism 
difference between god and human but still interaciton
holy scriptures
heaven/hell

Question 32

indian

Answer 32

theist, non theist, ethnic/tribal
hindu, buddhist, jain sik
samsara, unending process of birth death, reincarnation

Question 33

SE asia

Answer 33

nontheistic, tribal, shaman
tao, confu, shinto
relationship between world and tao
• Taoism, spirits, harmony, balance, ancestor worship
• Confucianism, social relationships, virtues and proper conduct
• Shinto, Japanese cosmology

Question 34

tribal/indigenous

Answer 34

theist, nontheistic, shaman
africa, first nations, aboriginals
ancestor worship, shamans, spirits, animism, respect for nature

Question 35

theoretical

Answer 35

thinking, speaking, how the universe is set up
spiritual aspect
origin, destiny of humans and world
mediation between ultimate and human

Question 36

practical

Answer 36

doing

worship, practices, behavior

Question 37

social

Answer 37

major institutions
structure to preserve and implement teachings and practices
leadership
how it interacts with larger society