unit 1 -World Religions Flashcards
judaism
A monotheistic religion originating with the Israelites, tracing at origins to Abraham, and having its spiritual and ethical principles embodied chiefly in the Hebrew Scriptures and the Talmud
Hebrews
ancestors of the Jews
torah
sacred text of Judaism
The Torah traces the Hebrews back to who?
Abraham; shepherd who lived near Ur in Mesopotamia
Covenant
solemn promise
what was the covenant that God made with Abraham?
to lead Abraham and his descendants to a new home, a promised land, and to make those descendants a mighty people
where did God lead Abraham?
Canaan; him and his descendants lived there for many years
Who was Abraham’s grandson? And what was his nickname?
Jacob; Israel; lead the 12 tribes of Israel
patriarchs
ancestral fathers
Moses
Born and Israelite but raised in the Pharohs palace; God told him to lead the Israelites out of Israel (exodus)
The Exodus
The story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt and; Israelites believed that these events proof that God loves them and was watching over them
where did God give Moses the 10 Commandments?
Mount Sinai
what do the 10 Commandments state the importance of?
Life, self-control, and justice; shaped the Israelites society
how long did the Israelites wandered in the desert for before entering Canaan?
40 years according to the Torah
what was the promised land said to be?
flowing with milk and honey
instead of having a central government, what law-enforcement was settled in Israel?
each community chose judges to enforce laws and settle disputes; one of the most effective was a woman named Deborah
Israel’s first king
King Saul
why was King Saul chosen to be the king
for his military leadership
what did King David you for Israel?
Israel grow into a strong kingdom centered on the capital, Jerusalem; was a well love ruler; strong military leader and king; gifted musician and poet
under which king did is reached the height of its wealth and influence?
King Solomon; traded with other powers of the near East and became very rich; used his wealth to build a temple in Jerusalem
what happened after King Solomon died?
conflict over who should be king; 10 tribes in the north formed a new Kingdom called Israel and the two tribes in the south formed the Kingdom of Judah and became known as Jews
Diaspora
scattering of the Jews outside Judah
monotheism
belief in one God
prophets
Holy men who are believed to carry messages from God
what happened after Persia conquered the Chaldeans?
The Persians that the Jews return to Jerusalem, with a rebuilt Solomons temple, which became known as the second temple
what are the three central beliefs of Judaism?
The belief in one God, justice and righteousness (respect families tell the truth and don’t cheat), and obedience to the law
two most sacred texts of Judaism
torah and Talmud
hinduism
The largest religion in India; can you believe that everything in the world is the power of Brahman, the single great universal being; they also believe in reincarnation and strive to break free from the cycle of rebirth
brahman
in Hinduism, the eternal being that created and preserves the world
atman
a soul that is an aspect of Brahman; shapes his or her personality and cannot be destroyed, even by death
devas
manifestations of Brahman that are active in the world, helping to maintain order in nature
most widely known three devas
Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Siva the Destroyer
reincarnation
known as samsara in Hinduism; a continual pattern of birth, death, and rebirth.
karma
The sum of fact of humans deeds and actions during life; in Hinduism, the nature of the person’s new life will be shaped by their karma
what effect does karma have on a persons new life?
people have behaved well we’ll have good karma and will be reincarnated to a better station in the next life. Those who have bad Karma will have a lower station
moksha
escape from the cycle of rebirth; in Hinduism the ultimate goal of human existence
what happens when a person achieves moksha?
the atman leaves the world and reunites fully with Brahman; releases a person from worldly cares and the difficulties of life on earth
Dharma
The way to achieve moksha; Set of spiritual duties and obligations; based on the class and station in life
sacred texts of Hinduism
The Vedas, later writings inspired by the Vedas, and sacred epics
The Vedas
among the earliest sacred texts of Hinduism; Sacred hymns of praise; Not written by humans but revealed to them by their eternal being
Mahabharata (Hinduism)
The story of a war between two families went to control part of the Ganges River Valley; it is about derma improper behavior for rulers, warriors, and others; Includes the passage that many people consider the most sacred of all Hindu texts
Bhagavad Gita
considered by many to be the most sacred of all Hindu texts; included within the Mahabharata; Address is in great detail many aspects of Hindu belief and philosophy
how do Hindus worship?
warship can take place anywhere
yoga
A series of integrated physical and mental exercises; purpose is to teach people how to focus their bodies and minds which will aid their meditation and help them attain moksha
pilgrimage
religious journey to a holy location
what is a popular pilgrimage by the Hindu people?
The Ganges River; can you believe that beating in the river will purify them and remove some of their bad karma
Jainism
A religion of India, sounded about the same time as Buddhism and in reaction to some Hindu practices; believers renounce worldly things, embrace self discipline, and practice nonviolence
ahimsa
non-violence; central to Jain teaching; James can’t believe avoid harming any living creature, from people to insects. they are usually vegetarians
what do the most devout of Jains do?
give up all possessions to become monks or nuns; they live outdoors seeking shelter only during the rainy season. Cover their mouth with masks and sweep the ground before them as they walk so they avoid accidentally killing insects by inhaling or stepping on them
what mattered most to Confucius?
for everyone to live peacefully together
what did Confucius teach?
outward appearances are more important than we think (respect) and to keep tradition
Confucius’ opinion on humanity
all people were born honest and good, in that deep down they remain so. We are all born with sympathy and we need to make sure we do not lose it. thanks that family helps us remain good and keep morals
“The root of humanity”
what Confucius thought to be the most important thing of all; respect and love for our families
taoism
everything ask in accordance with one great law, the way. The law obstructs human path to success. Therefore to do nothing and let the path run its course.
Guatama
the “Enlightened One” or “Buddha”
what inspired Guatama to find enlightenment?
had been sheltered from all bad things in the world and when he finally discovered them, he wanted to find a way to stop all suffering - enlightenment
what did Guatama believe you could do to stop suffering?
to stop desiring things or to control our greed in exchange for happiness
4 noble truths
1) all people suffer
2) the root of all suffering is desire
3) if you rid yourself of desire, you’ll rid yourself of suffering
4) to rid yourself of suffering you need to follow the 8 fold path
8 fold path
1) right concentration
2) right understanding
3) right thought
4) right speech
5) right action
6) right work
7) right effort
8) right mindfulness
according to Buddhism, what is a persons highest achievement on earth?
to no longer have any desires
Nirvana
in Buddhism, this is when the soul will no longer be reborn after death, freeing it from suffering
middle way
breaking free from desires rather than cling to them
Christianity
a religion based off of Jesus of Nazareths teachings
zealots
a group of Jews who wanted to revolt against the Romans and re-establish the kingdom of Israel
messiah
a spiritual leader who would restore the ancient kingdom and bring peace to the world
what did Jesus teach??
the need to seek forgiveness for ones sins in preparation of gods judgement day
disciples
followers
apostles
12 disciples sent by Jesus to spread his teachings
Paul
turned Christianity into a separate religion from Judaism
what did Paul believe?
God had sent him to convert non Jews, or Gentiles
what did Paul do to make Christianity different from Judaism?
abolished food prohibitions and emphasized new doctrines
martyrs
people who die for their faith and thus inspire others to believe
Edict of Milan
in 313 a law that made Christianity legal in the Roman Empire
Eucharist
a ceremony of some Christian dominations that commemorates Jesus’ last supper with his disciples
bishop
high ranking church official who oversees a group of churches in a particular region or city
pope
head of the Roman Catholic Church
the Arabian peninsula
a harsh land with a vast desert interior
bedouins
nomadic Arab people’s
why did the Arabian peninsula depend on commerce and trade??
because of the desert, farming was limited; trade routes converged at the peninsula
Kaaba
large cube shaped structure in the town of Mecca which was considered sacred; a stone (possibly a meteorite) in the wall is said to be a relic from heaven. inside the structure were small statues of local gods
Islams supreme God
Allah
Muhammad
a prophet of Islam
hegira
Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to medina
Islam
“achieving peace through submission of God”; monotheistic whose prophet is Mohammad and holy book is the Qur’an
Muslims
followers of Islam
Qur’an
sacred texts of Islam
5 pillars of Islam
5 basic acts of worship that are central to Islam:
1) profession of faith
2) 5 daily prayers
3) giving charity
4) fast for month of Ramadan
5) the hajj
mosque
the name of the building where Muslims worship
jihad
the struggle to defend the Muslim community and convert people to Islam
