Religions Flashcards
founder of hinduism
collection of religious beliefs that evolved over time, with no single founder or central doctrine
moksha
a state of perfect understanding of all things, freeing the soul from the cycle of reincarnation
individual soul in hinduism
atman
the universal soul in hinduism
brahman
hinduism three primary deities
brahma, vishnu, shiva
brahma
the creator
vishnu
the protector
shiva
the destroyer
hinduism sacred texts
the vedas and upanishads - which explore deep philosophical questions about the soul and the universe
jainism founder
mahavira
what did mahavira teach
all living things have a soul and should not be harmed
core beliefs of jainism
Everything in the universe, including plants, animals, and inanimate objects, has a soul - believe in achieving liberation by freeing the soul from karma through ethical behavior and nonviolence
strict nonviolence
ahimsa
founder of buddhism
siddhartha gautama, later known as the buddha
buddha meaning
the enlightened one
what did siddhartha see when he ventured outside the palace
old age, sickness, death, and a wandering holy man at peace
how did siddhartha reach enlightenment
he meditated under a fig tree for 49 days
four noble truths
- life is filled with suffering (dukkha).
- the cause of suffering is selfish desire for temporary pleasures
- the way to end suffering is to end desires
- the way to overcome desires is by following the eightfold path
what does the eightfold path help you do
a guide to ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom, designed to help a person overcome suffering and achieve nirvana
sangha
the buddhist religious community, which includes monks and nuns who follow strict vows of poverty, nonviolence, and celibacy
what does buddhism reject from hinduism
- the many gods of hinduism, focusing instead on enlightenment and the path to overcoming suffering
- the caste system
what 4 varnas is the caste system in hinduism divided into
brahmins: Priestly class.
kshatriyas: Warriors.
vaisyas: Commoners (merchants and farmers).
sudras: Peasants and servants.
untouchables - Individuals considered impure, existing outside the caste system.
nirvana
the ultimate reality, ends the cycle of samsara
whats in the torah
first five books of the hebrew bible
where did abraham live
near ur in mesopotamia and in about 2000 bc he and his family migrated, herding their sheep and goats into a region called canaan
covenant
promise
diaspora
when many jews left judah, spread out, and moved to different parts of the world
the psalms
a collection of 150 religious hymns, these songs reflect the israelites’ belief in god as the powerful savior of israel
where did christianity arise
a distant corner of the roman empire
mithras
persian god who championed good over evil and offered life after death
messiah
an anointed king sent by god
where does almost all the information we have from jesus come from
the gospels, the first four books of the new testament of the christian bible
gentiles
non-jews
persecution
when people are treated badly because of their beliefs
martyrs
people who suffer or die for their beliefs
theology
talk or discourse about god
where did the islam religion arise
arabian peninsula
bedouins
nomadic herders
kaaba
ancient temple where arabs go to pray, home to statues of pagan gods and goddesses
where are weapons placed in mecca
near kaaba
khadija
muhammad’s wife
what was muhammad known for
his honesty in business, he was a devoted husband and father
hijra
muhammad’s journey from mecca to medina
umma
community of islams
quran
sacred text of islam that contains sacred word of god as revealed to muhammad
the vedas
use vivid images to examine complex ideas about human soul
upanishads
are a section of the vedas that addresses mystical questions related to hinduism
sruti
heard
smruti
remembered
brahman
an all powered, spiritual force believed in by hindus
buddhism time of origin
528 BCE
moses
renewed gods covenant with israelites. led israelites into their departure from egypt
judge in judaism
judge deborah- outstanding woman that won great honor
saul
leader due to success of driving out invaders
david
strong and wise second king of israel united tribes into one nation
solomon
son of david. followed as king. turned jerusalem into a capital. most powerful. helped become a trading state
what do the first four commandments deal with
hebrews relationship with god
what do the last 6 commandments deal with
hebrews relationship with one another
prophets
chosen messengers of god, interpreted code of jewish law
christianity time of origin
30 AD
what did jesus emphasize
god’s love and taught need for justice, morality, and service to others
what did some jews believe messiah would do
some jews believed messiah would soon appear to lead them to freedom
apostles
greek for “a person sent forth” jesus’ 12 close followers
peter
chief apostle: devoted his life to spreading the teachings of jesus. established christianity in rome.
paul
jew from asia minor, played the most influential role in spreading christianity. he had a vision of jesus speaking to him and decided to spread jesus teachings to non jews
constantine
emperor that issued the edict of milan.
edict of milan
granted freedom of worship to all citizens of the roman empire
mecca
market town. thriving pilgrimage center. safe and peaceful place to do business.
5 pillars of islam
- faith, shahada, abraham moses and jesus are all prophets sent from god but muhammed is the last prophet
- prayer - muslims pray five times each day. after a ritual washing, they face mecca and perform specific actions as they pray
- alms - must give charity to the poor
- fasting - muslims fast from sunrise to sunset during the holy month of ramadan
- expected to make a hajj to mecca at least once and pray at the kaaba in mecca
mosque
a muslim place of worship
people of the book
jews and christians
caliph
successor to muhammad as a political and religious leader of the muslims
sunni
believe that inspiration came from the example of muhammad as recorded by his early followers, leader should be someone similar to muhammad
shiite
believe the leader should be someone with muhammad’s blood
what do muslims call god
allah
