Midterm review

Question 1

What is the definition of religion?

Answer 1

It is the response of men and women to the eternity that has been placed in the human heart (Eccl. 3:11) along with general revelation in creation (Rom 1:19-20).

Question 2

What is the blind man and the elephant a representation of?

Answer 2

A third person perspective that sees the blind men describing the elephant through their own perception. Represents how each people group are trying to answer similar worldview questions, but giving their own answers.

Question 3

What is the typical progression of religion?

Answer 3

Animism—>Polytheistic—>Monotheism—>Materialism

Question 4

How do indigenous tribal religions operate?

Answer 4

Their history, ritual and theology is passed down orally, by tradition rather than being written down.

Question 5

What are the sources of authority for indigenous religions?

Answer 5

Stories, ceremonies, taboos/traditions

Question 6

what are indigenous religions sources of intercession?

Answer 6

role of the shaman and charms

Question 7

What are the sources of purpose for indigenous religions?

Answer 7

visions and dreams

Question 8

what are indigenous sources of identity?

Answer 8

in totems, and lands

Question 9

Indigenous faiths response to who are we?

Answer 9

We are product of divine reality, tasked to worship and serve the gods and divine spirits, appeasing the gods through charms, incantations, spells

Question 10

Indigenous faiths response to where are we?

Answer 10

Physical realm–animals, humans, plants and various other gods, spirits, and beings reside
Earth created through divine activity–realm where they are tasked with worshipping and serving gods.

Question 11

What is wrong (indigenous)?

Answer 11

The gods are whimsical, they demand satisfaction & service–but not bound by human attempts to please them, their activity is determined by their mood rather than consistency

Question 12

What is solution (indigenous)?

Answer 12

rehearse traditions, charms and rituals–act as way to appease gods to act favorably

Question 13

What time is it? (indigenous)

Answer 13

Two types: chronological and sacred time
Chronological–with seasons
Sacred—cyclical reminds worshippers of history and where they come from

Question 14

Why (indigenous)

Answer 14

humans exist to serve gods and spirits
doing so will result in favorable treatment in this life and the next

Question 15

What does hinduism refer to?

Answer 15

To the religious traditions practiced in the India during the British colonisation

Question 16

How did hinduism first start out teaching?

Answer 16

Began as oral set of traditions and mythology
multiple creation stories, gods play different roles–have multiple names in literature

Question 17

How is hinduism often practiced?

Answer 17

Individual homes often choose a variety of gods/celebrations to worship
Home based worship often surpasses communal worship

Question 18

What are the different periods of Hinduism?

Answer 18

• Vedic Period (~2000-500 B.C. )
• Intermediate period (500-200 B.C.)
• Classical Period (200 B.C.-1200 A.D)
• Early modern period (1200-1850 A.D)
• Modern Period (1850-today)

Question 19

What is considered the golden age of Hinduism?

Answer 19

200 B.C.–650 A.D

Question 20

What does the symbol of Hinduism represent?

Answer 20

the “Aum”–one truest thing about the universe, and is the most primal statement or saying

Question 21

What is involved with the vedic period?

Answer 21

Oral traditions
- composed of Indo-Aryan religions and traditions
- links to Greek and Roman deities/languages
- northwestern India
- pastoralist culture moved southeast toward Ganges plain
- early written vedic composition
- began to form exegetical schools & brahmana schools formed

Question 22

What is the hindu trinity and what does each represent?

Answer 22

Brahma: creator
Vishnu: Preserver
Shiva: Destroyer

Question 23

What are the female consorts of the hindu trinity?

Answer 23

Saraswati: knowledge
Lakshmi: Love
Kali/Parvati: Power

Question 24

What do Hindus believe as the Atman?

Answer 24

Internal experience of divine reality

Question 25

What do Hindus believe as the Atman?

Answer 25

Internal experience of divine reality (soul)

Question 26

When was the concept of samsara introduced?

Answer 26

During the Intermediate period

Question 27

What is samsara?

Answer 27

The cycle of life, death, and rebirth after death
-affected by one’s karma

Question 28

What period began to lay foundation for contemporary Hindu practices?

Answer 28

Classical period

Question 29

What is the concept of dharma?

Answer 29

someone’s assigned ethical duty comes from being born into different caste levels

Question 30

What is the concept of karma?

Answer 30

This is accrued based on how one acts according to their dharmic duty

Question 31

What does the Bhagavad Gita teach?

Answer 31

• 3 main concepts for achieving the dissolution of the soul; renunciation, selfless-service, and meditation
• the truly divine human can’t renounce all Earthly possessions, but finds peace in completing highest service to God
• One must balance 3 gunas:
  – Rajas (anger, ego)
  – Tamas (ignorance, darkness)
  – Saatva (harmony, purity)

Question 32

What are hindu scriptures?

Answer 32

• vedas: source of sacrificial and purification details
• upanishads: ascetic and philosophical reflections came through meditation
• Smitri literature: reality of world exists in its ultimate unit

Question 33

What is a Hindu instructor?

Answer 33

• Guru: enlightened and skilled teacher
  
  • Yogi–practitioners of Yoga, exhibit psychological or physical control
  • Swami: social and spiritual developer(traveling guru)

Question 34

What is the Brahman? (hinduism)

Answer 34

lived experience of the holiness of all external things coming from a single source

Question 35

What is the atman? (hinduism)

Answer 35

lived internal experience of holiness within oneself

Question 36

What is the maya? (hinduism)

Answer 36

Reality of the world exists in its ultimate unity

Question 37

What is karma? (hinduism)

Answer 37

moral consequences attached to every act–can alter ones reincarnation state

Question 38

What is the idea of Samsara?

Answer 38

The cycle of life, death, and rebirth

Question 39

What is the idea of moksha?

Answer 39

Freedom/liberation of samsara

Question 40

What are the 4 goals of Hinudism?

Answer 40

• karma–pleasure
• artha–economic security and power
• dharma–social and religious duty associated with one’s role/caste
• moksha–freedom or liberation from samsara

Question 41

What is the significance of the Ganges river in Hinduism?

Answer 41

It is a Tirtha-an intersection between heaven and earth

Question 42

What is Holi?

Answer 42

A hindu religious tradition/celebration which is a festival of colors

Question 43

Hindu’s response to who are we

Answer 43

• an Aum–Atman and Brahman
  
  • the individual soul and the supreme soul

Question 44

Hindu’s response to where are we

Answer 44

• material world
• acts as the theatre of our lives, but attachment to it creates negative karma

Question 45

Hindu’s response to what is wrong?

Answer 45

Karma deficits accrued through ingesting impure water (papam)
—-this is used to reference worldliness and negligence of one’s dharmic duty

Question 46

Hindu’s response to what is the solution?

Answer 46

Pursuing positive karma-through rituals, and practices/special grace
–eventual escape from Samsara to enjoy Brahman

Question 47

Hindu’s response to what time is it?

Answer 47

Time is cyclical while Atman is on Samsara–major sins cause one to conintually have rebirth after death til theyre worked off and moksha achieved.

Question 48

Hindu’s response to why?

Answer 48

Purusha’s division caused the universe—escape samsara