Notes On World Religions

Submitted By Hyatt801
Words: 966
Pages: 4
Open Document
World Religions
Handout 1 – Religious concepts and terms

Key terms and concept

Sacred- something Set apart for worship of a deity or as worthy of worship.
Profane-Nonreligious. Outside the sphere of religion. Contemptuous of religion.
Myth-A story dealing with supernatural beings that represents the worldview of a people. (Adam & eve)
Epic-A narrative poem celebrating the acts of a traditional hero. (Job)
Scriptures-Sacred writings. A sacred scroll or book. (Bible, Coran, Tora)
Rituals-Prescribed, repetitive, required religious ceremonies. (Sacrament, prayer, fasting)
Rites of passage-A prescribed ceremonial act or acts. The sign that a person is passing from one stage to another. (baptism, temple, birth and death)

List, explain and give examples of the 10 areas that help us understand religions better under ‘Worldview’ pp. 8-12.

The Absolute-This is what everything revolves around on a religion, like there Deity.
The World-Is a view point on one’s faith towards this life, involving is this the end or does it go on? Also a term of Friendly or unfriendly.
Humans-There are many viewpoints but mainly how a religion regards Humans, whether they are important or specks of dust.
The Problem for Humans-Outlook on consequences of their actions.
The Solution for Humans-Making our lives ideal such as salvation or peace with the universe.
Community and Ethics-This is the standards of a religion whether it was given by a divine being or a leader in the religion. Moral principles.
An Interpretation of History-What one’s faith believes in the beginning of that particular religion or even time.
Rituals and Symbols-A is a way of communication and sign of power.
Life after Death-Being rewarded for following a particular belief of being punished.
Relationship to Others religion-Children apply to this strongly because they interact with many people of other faiths other than their own.

(The answers to the questions above are found in the Introduction part of your text. Define them and give examples. The answers to the questions below are to be found through your research on the Internet, as you will not find them directly in the text. Just do your best to answer them to the best of your abilities as you will find multiple answers and I will also discuss these in the lecture on Handout 1).

Define all these “-ism’s” and try to find a “religion” that may correlate with one or more “ism.”

Theism-God is a person-like being (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism)

Polytheism-There are two or more person-like Gods (LDS, Hinduism, Native American, and Pagan)

Pantheism-All is God, god is seen in nature/universe (Pagan, Hinduism, Spiritualism, and Wiccan)

Henotheism-There is one God above all Gods (Hinduism, LDS, Wiccan)

Atheism-There is no Person-like God (Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Judaism)

Agnosticism-I don’t know if God exists (All religions)

Monotheism-A belief that there is only one deity. (Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism)

Skepticism-Doubt as to the truth of something. (All religions)

Deism-God exists and created everything, but doesn’t intrude. (Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism)

Fideism-Knowledge depends on faith or revelation. (All religions)

Holism-All is interconnected, parts can’t be understood without the whole. (Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism)

Humanism-Emphasis on reason in Humanity, Human effort is paramount. (Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism)

Monism-Only one Supreme Being exists or all is one thing/ substance. (Hinduism, Buddhism)

Relativism (this is a philosophical term, not necessarily a ‘religious’ one that will correspond with a particular tradition) -All theories are relative to individuals, culture, environment, religion.

Define the terms morality (latin) and ethics (greek). What do these terms have to do with religion? Describe the Euthyphro problem and both ‘horns’ of that problem?

-Morality is what we believe is
Show More

Related Documents: Notes On World Religions

The Concept Of Religious Language

Discuss the ways in which religious language can be understood There are many different views on how people speak of God. Some agnostic thinkers believe that God is something we can neither no or speak of and any attempt to do this is meaningless. Theists, however, have always tried to communicate their understanding of God through language, for example, Islam has 99 different names for Allah whose description includes ‘The Gracious’, ‘The Merciful’ etc. Jews describe God as the ‘creator’, ‘the…

Words 1461 - Pages 6

Philosophy Overview Essay

Religious Language Candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: Religious language – uses and purpose; The via negativa (Apophatic way); The verification and falsification principles; Different views on the meaningfulness of religious language; The uses of symbol, analogy and myth to express human understanding of God; The views of the Vienna Circle, A. J. Ayer, Anthony Flew, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Paul Tillich on religious language. Religious Experience Candidates…

Words 311 - Pages 2

Taoism: Taoism and Lao Tzu Essay

philosophy are not clearly defined in Chinese religious practice. There is no character in Chinese that correlates to the word "religion" as it is conventionally used in the West, and if the term "religion" is used in conjunction with Taoism confusion may arise since religion in China was not distinguished from social conduct in general. The Taoist tradition can be recognised as being historically divided into a philosophical and a religious dimension and there has both been interdependence…

Words 791 - Pages 4

ideal day Essay

folder.Synonyms 1, 2. epitome. Ideal, example, model refer to something considered as a standard to strive toward or something considered worthy of imitation. An ideal is a concept or standard of perfection, existing merely as an image in the mind, or based upon a person or upon conduct: We admire the high ideals of a religious person. Sir Philip Sidney was considered the ideal in gentlemanly conduct. An example is a person or the conduct or achievements of a person regarded as worthy of being followed…

Words 897 - Pages 4

Essay on SOC 331 Week 3 Assignment Beneficiaries Welfare Programs

331 Week 3 Assignment - Beneficiaries Welfare Programs includes: Provisions, Efficiency, and Alternatives Sociology - General Sociology Moral, Legal, and Religious Perspectives on Social Justice . In Chapter 1 of your textbook, justice is analyzed from three perspectives, each with its own set of relevant concepts. The text includes three case studies for consideration from each perspective. Select one (only one) of these case studies as the focus of your initial post in this discussion…

Words 680 - Pages 3

From Diversity To Pluralism Analysis

a better place rather than work against each other. In Diana Eck’s article “From Diversity to Pluralism”, Diana wrote about how we should put in practice religious pluralism and explained that it is more than having tolerance for religious groups that are different than ones religion but to accept, participate and have knowledge of the religious groups that are out there. “American promise to immigrants was: come as you are, with all your differences and particularities, pledged only to the common…

Words 1082 - Pages 5

Barret Paper

Syiemah Green Into to Religious Studies Barrett Essay Upon reading the book, Why Would Anyone Believe in God? Written by Justin L. Barrett, my mind had become expanded with new information about the origins and spread of belief in gods and God. Many factors are the cause of this belief, such as the ideas of agents and intuitions, that God-concepts are minimally counter intuitive, the detecting of supernatural agents by agency and theory of mind, circumstances that we give a religious notion such as social…

Words 2275 - Pages 10

Essay Stratification: Sociology and Middle Class Families

The article that I have chosen is entitled, The Origins of Religious Stratification in Colonial America. This article studies the creation of religious stratification in Colonial America. This was accomplished through different social processes of the time. Three contributing influences, or causes, were religious prejudice, competition, and differential power. This article explains each of their roles. It also states the rise of religious institutions that came to be in some colonies. Regulations…

Words 560 - Pages 3

“Explain what it means to say religious language is: non cognitive and analogical” Essay examples

Religious Language refers to statements or claims made about God. It is stated that religious language is non-cognitive and analogical, just as Aquinas asserted that ‘all human language about God is analogical’. Non-cognitive language is language that cannot be empirically verified. For example, “obey God to be sure of heaven.” Firstly the statement requires verification that there is a God and also that there is another place after death. None of this can be totally verified until after death…

Words 1103 - Pages 5

Separation Of Church And State

THE ORIGINS OF THE CONCEPT “SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE” CURTIS JONES III LIBERTY UNIVERSITY September 28, 2014 PPOG 500-B02 ABSTRACT There has been a lasting debate on the concept of what we call “Separation of Church and State”. Many are compelled to believe that the concept of “Separation of Church and State” was merely a phrase that was coined to segregate solidified religious, particularly Christian principles from the business of government and economics. This moreover constitutes…

Words 1050 - Pages 5