Religious Studies and Peace Promotion
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Questions and Answers

What is a primary reason for studying religions to promote peace and understanding?

  • It allows for categorization based on superficial traits.
  • It helps in promoting economic growth.
  • It encourages compassion and understanding of misuses of religion. (correct)
  • It enhances political power within communities.

    • Which factor does NOT influence one's interpretation of the world according to the content?

  • Genetics
  • Past experiences
  • Thoughtful consideration
  • Government policies (correct)

    • What is essential for reconstructing the historical elements of a religion?

  • Study of scripture and archeological study. (correct)
  • First person reports and personal beliefs.
  • Current political influences and public opinion.
  • Third person reports and community feedback.

    • How does the desire to understand life and our place in it relate to spirituality?

    <p>It is a universal instinct embedded in human genetics.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a potential consequence of categorizing people based on religion?

    <p>It may create confusion and disorder within societies.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is required for attaining sagehood in the context provided?

    <p>Understanding the Dao</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes the concept of vital force?

    <p>A principle varying between individuals</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What significant change occurred during the Meiji period in Japan?

    <p>The emperor reclaimed full power</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did Chinese culture influence Japan in the 6th century?

    <p>By bringing Buddhism and the written language</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which concept reflects the syncretic nature of Japanese religion?

    <p>The ability to embrace multiple religious practices</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Karl Marx believe about religion?

    <p>It is a man-made construct that serves to placate the masses.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Max Muller, what innate feature do humans possess in relation to religion?

    <p>An instinctive need to engage with the supernatural.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Emile Durkheim emphasized the relationship between religion and what aspect of human life?

    <p>Society and social collectivity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was James George Frazer's perspective on the evolution of human thought?

    <p>It developed from magic to religion and then to science.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Huston Smith identify as a fundamental human impulse?

    <p>An impulse to relate to the entire universe.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following concepts is associated with Edward Burnett Tylor?

    <p>Belief in spiritual beings, termed animism.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What aspect of religion did William James highlight?

    <p>The dual nature of human uneasiness and its resolution through religion.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Karl Marx, how would improved political and economic conditions affect religion?

    <p>Religion would become irrelevant.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does Kalkin play in Hindu belief?

    <p>He resets the world and restarts the cycle.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In what form did Vishnu come during the churning of the ocean of milk?

    <p>As a tortoise.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a characteristic associated with Shiva?

    <p>He is a farmer.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of Durga in the context of Tantras?

    <p>A demon slayer.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What realization did Buddha have regarding asceticism and luxury?

    <p>A balance of luxury and asceticism achieves enlightenment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do the three characteristics of existence include?

    <p>Impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, complete lack of self.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who is the wife of Shiva?

    <p>Parvati.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do Vinaya texts primarily contain?

    <p>Rules for monks and nuns.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following deities is associated with the bull as a mount?

    <p>Shiva.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of the 'Eightfold Path' in Buddhism?

    <p>Spiritual practices leading to enlightenment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which figure is known as the god of war in Hindu tradition?

    <p>Skanda.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of enlightenment did Buddha achieve under the Bodhi tree?

    <p>Nirvana.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the 'Shiva linga' symbolize?

    <p>Creative power.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which social class did Confucius belong to?

    <p>Common gentlemen</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main goal of Confucian teachings?

    <p>Attaining true human goodness</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which virtue is not emphasized in Confucianism?

    <p>Indifference</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did Confucius view the behavior of rulers?

    <p>Rulers should set a good example for the people.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What aspect of human nature did Mencius believe in?

    <p>Humans have the potential for goodness.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Xunzi's perspective on human nature differed from Mencius in that he believed humans were:

    <p>Inherently evil.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What method did Confucius use to help individuals learn morality?

    <p>Studying the behavior of past sages.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which Confucian virtue emphasizes respect towards one's parents and ancestors?

    <p>Filial piety</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The term 'Dao' in Daoism refers to:

    <p>A cosmic force.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was a significant criticism of Confucius's approach to morality?

    <p>It was overly optimistic about human capabilities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between moral behavior and happiness according to Confucian teachings?

    <p>True happiness arises from doing what is right.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The teachings of Confucius gained significant recognition:

    <p>300 years after his death.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is not a focus of Confucianism?

    <p>Divine intervention</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What aspect sets Daoism apart from Confucianism?

    <p>Focus on cosmic harmony.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was a significant rule that contributes to a split in Buddhism?

    <p>Abstaining from handling money.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the role of Ashoka in the spread of Buddhism?

    <p>He converted to Buddhism and spread its ideas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key difference between Mahayana Buddhism and traditional Buddhism?

    <p>Mahayana incorporates the idea of past lives being relevant.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the Lotus Sutra argue about the path of the Arhat?

    <p>It is a stepping stone to a greater truth.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes 'Celestial Bodhisattvas'?

    <p>They are divine beings that guide the living towards enlightenment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the systemic philosophical text in Buddhism referred to as Abhidharma focused on?

    <p>Categorization of Dharma and its direct experiences.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the 'Mandate of Heaven' signify in Zhou Dynasty thought?

    <p>A king's right to rule is divinely granted.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did the Zhou Dynasty's 'Warring States Period' impact Chinese society?

    <p>Encouraged philosophical development and new schools of thought.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What significant change did Ashoka make after his conversion to Buddhism?

    <p>He commissioned stone edicts sharing Buddhist principles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What literary work forms part of the Mahayana tradition and emphasizes the Bodhisattva path?

    <p>The Lotus Sutra.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which dynasty in ancient China preceded the Zhou Dynasty?

    <p>Shang Dynasty.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one of the main teachings of Confucius?

    <p>The importance of personal ethics and morality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What term is used to describe the process of seeking permission from gods through offerings in the Shang Dynasty?

    <p>Divination.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characterized the agricultural practices of ancient China?

    <p>Cultivation along river valleys.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Defining Religion

    • Many have attempted to define religion
    • Karl Marx (1818-83) believed religion was the "opium of the masses," teaching people to accept their fate, and a cultural product of society. He believed it would become irrelevant with improved societal conditions. The elites use religion to maintain power.
    • Max Muller (1823-1900) believed a "faculty of faith" exists, similar to the faculty of language.
    • Huston Smith (1919-2016) stated that humans have an impulse to understand their relationship to the universe.
    • Edward Burnett Tylor (1832-1917) suggested that "animism," the belief in spiritual beings, is a fundamental belief in every religion.
    • James George Frazer (1854-1914) proposed that human thought developed in three stages: magic, religion, and science.
    • Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) believed religion is a relationship with society, where god is a symbolic expression of society. Collectivity among people is crucial to religion.

    Why Study World Religions?

    • Promotes understanding, compassion, harmony, and peace.
    • Helps to understand how religion is "misused."
    • Humans share a natural instinct to figure out their relationship to the universe and spirituality.
    • Studying religion helps to understand how people interpret the world.

    Sources for Studying Religion

    • Sacred texts or scriptures
    • Archeological study
    • Third-person reports or accounts from participants
    • First-person accounts or reports from participants

    Secular Humanism, Freud, Maslow, Dawkins

    • Secular Humanism is a non-religious approach to life that does not utilize supernatural or divine forces.
    • Sigmund Freud believed that the source of neurosis is an element within the unconscious mind, and that everyday functioning people can experience psychological problems.
    • Abraham Maslow believed that religion can be beneficial to healthy minds as it establishes hierarchies of needs, for different people.

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    Relstudies Lecture Notes PDF

    Description

    This quiz explores the significance of studying religions and their impact on peace and understanding. It examines factors that influence interpretations of the world and the importance of historical context in spirituality. Test your knowledge on the interplay between religion, spirituality, and social categorization.

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