Judaism Foundations Quiz

Week 2: What is Religion?

• Religion is a system of beliefs and practices used by a group to interpret and respond to the sacred and supernatural.
• It encompasses behaviors, practices, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, and organizations connecting humanity to the supernatural.
• The word "religion" comes from the Latin word "religare," meaning to bind, signifying a bond between God and man.
• Religion explores the relationship with a Supreme Being, influencing worship, belief, and ethics.
• Religion includes a system of beliefs, practices, and customs.
• It establishes a relationship with a Supreme Being with associated obligations.
• Religion influences worldview, purpose, culture, society, and politics.
• Elements of religion include beliefs, organization, values, principles, virtues, rituals, and ceremonies, and sacred objects.
• Religion as Social Reality is analyzed through two perspectives: Substantive (examining the elements that make up religion) and functional (studying the social consequences of religion).
• Spirituality is the process of developing beliefs about life's meaning and connections. It often emphasizes individual focus and finding peace and purpose.
• Elements of spirituality: holistic view of life, search for meaning/purpose, and desire for knowledge about the sacred.

Week 2: Understanding Beliefs, Faith, and Related Terms

• Belief is accepting something likely true, shaped by perception and experience.
• Faith is belief not based on proof, but trust.
• A belief system is a collection of symbols that define philosophical/spiritual ideas. A belief system shapes a worldview and society's perceptions.
• Worldview explains and interprets reality, history, and civilization. Strong belief systems lead to clear worldviews. Major worldviews influencing religious beliefs include Monism, Monotheism, Polytheism, and Atheism.
• Monism reduces all reality to a single essence.
• Dualism views mind and body as distinct.
• Theology studies religious faith and practices, focusing on God's relationship to the world.
• Atheism is disbelief in gods, relying on reason and scientific verification.
• The study of religion has been developing since 300,000 years ago. Evidence of religious concepts dates back to Paleolithic periods.

Week 2: History of Religion

• A written record of human religious experiences began around 3200 BCE.
• Ancient religious practices included animism, animal sacrifice, and worship of animals.
• Writing helped standardize religious texts, aiding memorization and evolving from primitive polytheism towards ethical monotheism.
• Organized religion provided stability, justified authority, and fostered peace among populations.
• The Axial Age (900 to 200 BCE) was a period of major philosophical and religious developments shaping future societies, with a shift towards transcendence.
• Religions in the Middle Ages were influential, establishing present-day world religions.
• The modern period saw an increase in global religion following the printing press and colonialism.
• Secularization trends started in the 18th century and saw a notable decline in religion across Europe by the late 20th century.

Week 3: Judaism

• Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions.
• Its development traces back to the ancient patriarch Abraham.
• It's an ethnic religion of the Jewish people, emphasizing cultural and legal traditions.
• Core tenets include belief in one Universal God (Yahweh).
• Jewish history starts with the covenant between God and Abraham (around 1812 BC).
• The covenant formed the basis for the idea of the Jews as the chosen people and Canaan as the Promised Land.
• Important figures like Moses associated with receiving the Ten Commandments.

Week 4: Christianity

• Christianity is the largest religion globally, with approximately 2.2 billion followers.
• It's based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, who lived in the Holy Land.
• Christians believe Jesus to be the Son of God, and they follow his teachings and the developments of early Christian churches.
• Core Christian beliefs include Jesus as the Messiah, belief in the Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and the hypostatic union which describes Jesus as both fully divine and fully human.
• Jesus' teachings are often communicated through parables, illustrating concepts like the sower, weeds, mustard seed and the pearl.
• Christianity features various practices and traditions, such as baptism, evangelism, and the sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Confession, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, Holy Orders).

Week 5: Islam

• Islam is an Arabic term meaning "submission to the will of God."
• It is the second most popular religion globally, with over 1.9 billion followers, mainly concentrated in the Middle East, Asia, and North Africa.
• Muslim doctrine is summarized in the Six Articles of Faith, fundamental beliefs:
  • Belief in One God (Allah).
  • Belief in Angels.
  • Belief in the Holy Qur'an.
  • Belief in Prophets (Muhammad as last prophet, with a line including Moses, Abraham, and Jesus)
  • Belief in the Day of Judgement.
  • Belief in God's Supremacy (Predestination)
• The Five Pillars of Islam (essential acts of worship) are the foundation of Muslim faith and practice:
  • • Declaration of faith (Shahada).
  • Prayer (Salat).
  • Fasting (Sawm).
  • Pilgrimage (Hajj).
  • Zakat (Obligatory Alms).
• Islamic law (Sharia) is a legal and spiritual system derived from the Qur'an, Sunnah, Hadith, and Fatwas.
• Islam has major denominations, such as Sunni Islam (believing in elected caliphate and following the Sunnah) and Shia Islam (believing leadership should remain within Muhammad's family).