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VCU Religions > Spirituality and Religion > Flashcards

Spirituality and Religion Flashcards

1
Q

Where does spirituality come from?

A

external observation leading to introspection

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2
Q

What is spirituality rooted in?

A

the need to explain reality and the reasoning behind events in our lives; the ability to explain and rationalize the world lead to feelings of control

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3
Q

When did spirituality begin?

A

begins during civilization; during prehistoric times people were so focused on survival that there was no time for introspection

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4
Q

Which came first, spirituality or religion?

A

spirituality; it started with questions and then proposed explanations (religion)

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5
Q

What are four examples of pre-historical evidence of spirituality?

A
  1. fertility symbols, e.g. Venus of Willendorf (meant to help humans)
  2. cave paintings (humans are beginning to look outside of themselves)
  3. the treatment of the body after death, e.g. removal of brains (humans are seeking an explanation of what happens after death)
  4. burial customs (humans are more than a body - there is a soul too)
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6
Q

What are the three priorities of Charaka?

A
  1. the highest priority is maintaining life itself
  2. gather what is needed to sustain life, e.g. food, shelter, water, safety
  3. develop a spiritual life that transcends 1 and 2; death is inevitable so since 1 and 2 aren’t permanent there is this need for spirituality
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7
Q

What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

A
  1. (bottom of the pyramid) physiological: air, food, water, shelter, clothing, sleep
  2. safety: health, employment, property, family, stability
  3. love and belongingness: friendship, family, intimacy, connections
  4. self-esteem: confidence, achievements, respect of others, connections, need for individuality
  5. (top of the pyramid) self-actualization: morality, creativity, spontaneity, acceptance, purpose, spirituality, religion
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8
Q

What is the modern inversion of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

A

There are many indigent and poverty-stricken people (i.e. haven’t satisfied their basic needs) but are still very religious and spiritual

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9
Q

Define spirituality.

A
  • spirituality encompasses and extends outside of religion

- social science definition: the search for the sacred

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10
Q

Who established the sacred and profane dichotomy?

A

Emile Durkheim (French sociologist 1858-1917)

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11
Q

What is the sacred?

A

set apart, forbidden, outside of worldly existence, collective

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12
Q

What is the profane?

A

ordinary, mundane, individual

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13
Q

Who was Mircea Eilade?

A

Romanian historian of religion (1907-1986); picked up where Durkheim left off

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14
Q

What is hierophany?

A

manifestation of the sacred (i.e. the sacred appears in a profane setting, e.g. the burning bush)

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15
Q

How does religion differ from spirituality?

A

religion is a more refined form of spirituality; it also asks and answers more specific questions than religion

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16
Q

What questions does religion address?

A
  • Who am I? (nature of the self)
  • How did I get here? (origin story/creation)
  • Who are you? (nature of others)
  • What is al this? (the meaning)
  • Where will I go? (explanation of death and beyond)
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17
Q

Who is Sir James Frazer?

A

Scottish social anthropologist 1854-1941; wrote a book called The Golden Bough

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18
Q

What was the main point of The Golden Bough?

A

Humans are mainly concerned with extending their mastery over their world and destinies; they do so through various successive means: magic (least rational, tribal) –> religion –> science (most rational); religion is a tool for humans to explain and control their world

19
Q

What is the etymology of the word religion?

A

re - again
legare - to bind/connect
–> religion: rebind, reconnect
==> reconnect the profane with the sacred

20
Q

Define religion (there are five elements).

A

Religion is any of the faith-based systems of beliefs and practices that

  1. explains the nature of the self
  2. describes the Divine/Ultimate/Sacred or at least takes cognizance of superior forces
  3. presents mythology, often including a description of a state of person freedom (salvation or liberation)
  4. employs ritual in order to bring forth a positive effect
  5. recommends a code of ethics and behavior
21
Q

Define faith.

A

faith is the notion of belief that can neither be proven right or wrong because it cannot be proven; faith is outside of logic, proof; “putting your trust into something)

22
Q

What is the difference between faith and knowledge?

A

knowledge can be proven; faith is subjective

23
Q

How are religion and faith related?

A

religion relies on faith

24
Q

Contrast spirituality and religion.

A

spirituality is fluid, personal, and general; religion is organized and collective

25
Q

Be able to draw a diagram of religion and spirituality.

A

Spirituality is the bigger outer circle, religion is the smaller inner circle

26
Q

What are the three possibilities for the religion/spirituality diagram?

A
  1. both spiritual and religious
  2. spiritual but not religious
  3. neither spiritual nor religious
27
Q

Give an example of something that is both spiritual and religious.

A

the Christian view of Jesus as a savior

28
Q

Give an example of something that is spiritual but not religious.

A

personal spiritual views

29
Q

Give an example of something that is neither spiritual nor religious.

A

a chair

30
Q

What are the varying views of the self?

A
  • body only
  • body and mind
  • body, mind, and soul
31
Q

Explain the “body only” view of the self.

A

you’re just your body, no soul or essential nature (believed by physicalists/materialists and many modern scientists)

32
Q

Explain the “body and mind” view of the self.

A

you consist of a body and mind (no soul) as separate but linked entities (Buddhists only)

33
Q

Explain the “body, mind, and soul” view of the self.

A

you have a physical body, a mind what makes up “you” and a separate, permanent soul (Hindus, Christians, Muslims, and Jews)

34
Q

What is the Divine?

A

refers to a God or Deity (Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism)

35
Q

What is the Ultimate?

A

refers to a non-personal, all-pervasive ultimate truth/universal force (Buddhism, Taoism)

36
Q

What is the Sacred?

A

refers to an entity that is set apart from worldly existence, considered great, sometimes forbidden (the Divine and Ultimate both fall under “the Sacred”)

37
Q

What is a myth?

A

a narrative that explains the supermundane (what is beyond our ordinary understanding); accurate within groups but often seen as embellishment from the outside

38
Q

What are some examples of myths?

A
  • origin of the world
  • origin of humanity
  • origin of other species
  • the end of the world
39
Q

Why did religions develop?

A

to explain death; religions are in opposition to death and seek to explain what comes after life (Taoism is sort of an exception); myths are meant to offer hope for the afterlife

40
Q

What are rituals?

A

religious behaviors that have a symbolic element and are performed within a sacred context; rituals seek to bridge the gap between the profane and sacred (get us closer to the Divine/Ultimate)

41
Q

What is an example of ritual?

A

Protestant communion (NOT Catholic communion because it is transsubstantiation)

42
Q

What are ethics?

A

guidelines for what is right and wrong, e.g. the Ten Commandments or Noble Eightfold Path; offer practical advice on how to act to achieve personal freedom and access to the Divine or the Ultimate

43
Q

In Confucianism, what is wisdom?

A

knowing the difference between right and wrong

44
Q

Why is science not a religion?

A

it is not faith-based and it does not practice ritual

VCU Religions (18 decks)

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