Religious Studies Quiz on Major Religions

Native Spirituality

• Worldview: A personal perspective on reality and meaning, comprising fundamental assumptions and images to understand the world. Four types:
  • Cosmocentric (nature-centered)
  • Theocentric (God-centered)
  • Anthropocentric (human-centered)
  • Secular (society-centered)
• Myth: Sacred narratives explaining or describing religious experiences.
• Ritual: Re-enactments of religious experiences, using symbols like priests to represent events like the Last Supper.
• Sweat Lodge: Small sauna-like structures used for purification and seeking visions.
• Six Components of Religion:
  • Religious Experience: profound connection with the divine.
  • Myths: sacred stories explaining religious experiences.
  • Rituals: re-enactments of religious experiences.
  • Community: priests and followers, forming a foundation.
  • Teachings: guiding principles & doctrines.
  • Morality: values and ethical codes, like the Ten Commandments.

Judaism

• Covenant: Agreement between God and Israelites, promising a holy nation.

• Shabbat: Jewish day of rest, typically Friday to Saturday.

• Hanukkah: Festival of Lights, celebrating rededication of the Temple.

• Torah: First five books of the Bible, representing divine will; literally means instruction, law, and the will of God.

• Rosh Hashanah: Jewish New Year (late September/early October).

• Passover/Pesach: Commemorates Israelites' freedom from slavery.

• Diaspora: Scattering of Jewish people across the globe due to exile.

• Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement, marked by repentance and prayer.

• Shema: Crucial statement of faith: "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone."

• Tanakh: Hebrew Bible, comprised of Torah, Prophets, and Writings.

• Holocaust: Genocide of European Jews during WWII (1941-1945). Approximately six million were murdered.

• YHWH: Divine name, considered too holy to pronounce.

• Oral Torah: Explanatory texts like the Mishnah and Talmud, explaining the Written Torah.

• Written Torah: First five books of the Bible, containing God's laws.

• Significant dates (7): Note: Specific dates need to be provided to answer the question.

• Jewish Festivals (details):

  • Pesach (Passover): Celebrates Israelite freedom from slavery.
  • Hanukkah: Commemorates the rededication of the Temple.
  • Shabbat: Jewish Sabbath, day of rest.
  • Rosh Hashanah: Jewish New Year.
  • Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement.
  • Shavuot: Commemorates the giving of Torah.
  • Sukkot: Feast of Tabernacles, remembering the Israelites' desert journey.

Christianity

• Gospel: "Good news" about Jesus and salvation. Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.

• Pentecost: Birthday of the Church, commemorating the Holy Spirit's descent on disciples.

• Catholic: Refers to the Roman Catholic Church, emphasizing the Pope's authority and church traditions (universal).

• Protestant Reformation: 16th-century movement reforming Catholic practices, leading to new denominations (Lutherans, Calvinists), sparked by Martin Luther.

• Nicene Creed: Essential Christian teachings, including the Trinity and Jesus' incarnation, codified in 325 CE.

• Trinity: Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit.

• Orthodox: Eastern Orthodox Church, splitting from the Catholic Church in 1054 CE, emphasizing ancient traditions and liturgies (correct belief).

• Counter-Reformation: Catholic response to the Reformation, addressing some of the abuses identified by Luther.

• Indulgences: Church practice of selling forgiveness or reduction of time in purgatory.

• Parables: Stories comparing the unknown to the known, often with a surprising twist.

• Salvation: Deliverance from sin and eternal life through Jesus Christ.

• Three Shared Christian Elements:

  • Christ: Jesus as savior, the foundation of Christianity.
  • Creed: Essential teachings, like the Nicene Creed.
  • Church: Community of believers.

• Three Branches of Christianity:

  • Roman Catholic
  • Orthodox
  • Protestant

• Paul: Jewish apostle who spread Christianity to Gentiles, forming a crucial part of Christian theology.

• Protestantism: Movement challenging Catholic practices; emphasis on personal faith and Scripture.

• Martin Luther: Started the Protestant Reformation, protesting against practices like indulgences. "Justification by faith" is the idea that salvation comes from faith in Jesus, not from good works.

Islam

• Islam: Submission to God (Allah).
• Allah: One God in Islam, eternal and without beginning or end.
• Muhammad: Prophet of Islam, born in Mecca, received revelations from the Angel Jibril.
• Jibril: Angel (Gabriel) delivering messages to Muhammad.
• Qur'an: Holy book of Islam, containing revelations from Allah through Jibril (also Koran).
• Hijra: Muhammad's migration from Mecca to Medina (622 CE), marking a pivotal point in Islam's spread.
• Mosque: Place of Muslim worship, often with a dome and a minaret.
• Imam: Muslim leader guiding prayers and explaining Islamic teachings.
• Shahada: Declaration of faith: "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah"; the first pillar.
• Salat: Five daily prayers (early morning, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, evening).
• Zakat/Zakah: Charity to the poor, 3rd pillar. Donations of 2.5% of possessions.
• Sawm: Fasting during Ramadan, committing to Allah.
• Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca (Kaaba) expected once in a lifetime.
• Ka'aba: Holiest site in Islam, located in Mecca.
• Jihad: Spiritual struggle in upholding Islamic values and beliefs (often translated as 'holy war' but not universally agreed).
• Ramadan: Islamic holy month of fasting.
• Umma: Community of Muslims.
• Mecca: Holiest city, birthplace of Muhammad and destination for Hajj.
• Medina: Second holy city, where Islam's early community established.
• Life of Muhammad: Allah's messenger, prophet, and central figure in Islam.
• Islam's Success: The Hijra allowed the Muslim community to gain ground and spread Islam.

Hinduism

• Brahman: Ultimate reality, source of the universe, beyond human understanding.
• Atman: The soul, seeking union with Brahman.
• Dharma: Ethical duty, based on divine order, guiding actions.
• Karma: Principle determining reincarnation, affecting the status of souls.
• Samsara: Cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
• Moksha: Liberation from the cycle of rebirth, characterized by infinite awareness.
• Brahma: Creator deity.
• Vishnu: Preserving deity, appearing in forms like Rama and Krishna.
• Shiva: Destroying deity, controlling life and death.
• The Vedas: Ancient Hindu scriptures, embodying fundamental truths, originally passed down orally.
• The Upanishads: Philosophical commentary on the Vedas (meaning "sitting near a teacher").
• Bhagavad-Gita: Important scripture, portion of the Mahabharata epic.
• Rig Veda: Important Veda.
• Brahmins: Priestly caste, highest in the hierarchy.
• Kshatriyas: Warrior and administrator caste.
• Vaishyas: Producer caste (farmers, merchants, artisans).
• Shudras: Servant caste, lowest in the hierarchy.
• Harijans: Untouchables, outcastes, marginalized group.
• Kama: Pleasure, a legitimate goal of life.
• Artha: Material success, social power, and prestige.
• Ahimsa: Non-violence.
• Monism: All reality is ultimately one.

Buddhism

• Siddhartha Gautama: Founder of Buddhism, seeking enlightenment after experiencing suffering.
• Bodhi Tree: Tree under which Siddhartha achieved enlightenment.
• The Middle Way: Buddhist doctrine emphasizing contentment, avoiding extremes of luxury and self-denial.
• Enlightenment: Realizing truth, achieving peace.
• Nirvana: Cessation of suffering, ultimate peace.
• Four Passing Sights: Siddhartha's encounters with aging, sickness, death, and the peaceful holy man, prompting his renunciation of worldly life.
• Four Noble Truths:
  • Dukkha (Suffering): Life inherently unsatisfactory.
  • Samudaya (Cause of Suffering): Caused by desires and selfishness.
  • Nirodha (End of Suffering): Suffering can cease by ending these.
  • Magga (Path): Follow the Eightfold Path.
• Noble Eightfold Path: Path to end suffering, avoiding extremes:
  • Wisdom (Right View/Thought)
  • Ethical Behavior (Right Speech/Action/Living)
  • Mental Training (Right Effort/Awareness/Concentration)