Religion Exam Review PDF

Agent: A person who acts freely and knowingly, who chooses to do or not to do something; a person who is accountable for his or her actions or omissions.​ Narcissism:The excessive love of self to the exclusion of all others. Manifests as rage and aggression towards those who don’t serve you.​ Gentil...

Agent: A person who acts freely and knowingly, who chooses to do or not to do something; a person who is accountable for his or her actions or omissions.​ Narcissism:The excessive love of self to the exclusion of all others. Manifests as rage and aggression towards those who don’t serve you.​ Gentile: A person who is not part of the Jewish faith, or not of Jewish ancestry.​ Jesus:The name "Jesus" comes from the Hebrew name Yeshua (ַ‫)יֵׁשּוע‬, which means "Yahweh (God) saves" or "God is salvation."Ethics: Ethics comes from the Greek ta ethika. Ethics are interested in the Goods that human life tends towards (happiness, freedom, love, friendship etc),​ Morality: Morality comes from the Latin moralitas. Morality is interested in the ways in which people can attain the Goods of life (human actions)​ Character: The way your actions, over time, become a fixed part of yo​ Vices: a bad habit​ Virtues: a good habit​ Shame: With shame: YOU are flawed/bad.​ Guilt: With guilt: You have DONE something which is flawed/bad​ parousia:: This term refers to the second coming of Christ, which is to take place “at the end of the age.” This time ends time: it is the ending of the story of salvation.​ Freedom: Freedom is a power that we have for what is and what can be. Freedom is potential.​ Conscience: with (con) knowledge (science); -​ a judgment of reason whereby a person recognizes the moral quality of an action they are going to perform, are performing or have performed. ​ natural Law: Precepts of the Natural Law -​ Do good -​ Do not do evil -​ First of all, do no evil This order and harmony are actualized in the form of laws. Such laws are needed to prevent individuals from acting on the inclination towards evil, due to vices such as greed or anger. We can conclude that laws and norms promote our freedom and our good. ​ Covenant: Covenants: God reveals Godself as wanting a relationship with humans in the form of covenants. These covenants are for ALL people, across time and space. Definition: A promise between humans and God.​ human rights: a freedom to which one is entitled by virtue of being created in the image of God - a right of personhood. Human rights are greater than the power of government and so cannot be taken by government. ​ legal rights: historically, rights that arise of necessity in order to achieve community. They are those rights that are granted by government and which permit each citizen to participate in government, to varying degrees. ​ Privilege: A particular benefit or advantage enjoyed by a person, corporation, or class, beyond the common advantages of other citizens. An exemption from some burden. That which releases one from the performance of a duty or obligation. ​ Christ:Anointed One. Superego: The ego of another superimposed on our own to serve as an internal censor to regulate our conduct by using shame as its powerful weapon.​ Providence: The Catholic church’s response to predestination. This says that humans are free because of God’s love. ​ Vocation: The Belgian port inspector, the interviewer woman/reporter, Nina Azzahra, two young girls who were recycling (in Canada), the environmental lawyers​ naturalism:Naturalism denies the possibility of ethics and morality -​ Who you are, what you choose and ultimately what you will be in the world is no more than the sum total of your inherited genetics (genes choose everything for you) According to naturalism, religion is made only to have peace for people to be able to reproduce/self-replicate​ Gospel: Good news​ religious determinism: Like a book that is already written -​ Predestination ​ Justice: Justice: the striving to ensure the well-being of others as well as ourselves ​ Poverty: *Poverty is the lack of enough income and resources to live adequately by community standards ​ absolute poverty: Absolute poverty is when people’s lives are threatened because they cannot afford food, shelter, and medicine – the basics of human survival.​ relative poverty: *Relative poverty is when people have a home and enough money for the basic necessities of life but do not have the means to attain an average standard of wealth in relation to others in the society in which they live. ​ social determinism:A social determinist would say that your behaviour is determined not so much by your physical state as by the influences of others upon you: ​ Intelligible Goods - Use your intelligence to see their value - lead to HAPPINESS Sensible - Use your body (5 senses) to enjoy their value - lead to PLEASURE​ moral relativism: Moral relativism believes there are no absolute values, only those that are useful in the secular culture. Everything is dependent on one’s own point of view. ​ Sin: o transgressions.​ Happiness = Lasting Pleasure = Temporary​ Norms: Norms are based on the golden rule!!!​ laws:St. Thomas Aquinas defined law as “a reasonable decision promulgated by a competent authority for the common good”. ​ Laws can come from God, the Church, or society and governments.​ Rules: A prescribed guide for conduct or action. A rule is an authoritative ​ ​ statement of what may or may not be done; regulation. ​ ​ Example: In hockey, high sticking is prohibited.​ Maxim:A general truth or rule of conduct. Example: Don’t go out with your friend’s ex-boyfriend/girlfriend.​ ethical maxim: An ethical Maxim is a principle that applies to everyone.​ Secularism: This is God’s initiative of love that requires and makes possible our cooperation. This belief supports the view that humans are free.​ distributive justice:A balance is needed between what the community owes its citizens in proportion to their contributions and needs. Distributive justice deals with the obligations that the society has toward all its members, and the role of governments, corporations, communities, and individuals in the just distribution of society’s resources.​ Atheism: an absence of belief in the existence of deities​ Individualism:Individualism can be described as the exaltation of the individual self over all other considerations. Consumerism: Consumerism can be described as an attitude to life that rates material goods and personal appearance as more important than inner development or true personal relationships.​ Action: Actions (Not through a name!): You will not know God from a name, but rather, through God's actions in your life. Why do people call God a Saviour? If you were led out of slavery, toil and brutal violence - you would call the one who carried you out a Saviour as well. ​ Intention: That which motivates me to act – values. The reason for doing something that appears, at least to me, as a good.​ Motive: A motive is a reason for an action​ Deontological: Deon means ‘duty’.​ ​ Kant’s ethics are an ethics based on our ‘duty’ to one another. Kant’s ethics suggest that a human action is only good if it is done for the sake of duty. ​ determinism:: A point of view that holds that human behavior is a product, not of free will, but of a complex array of physical, social, psychological, and historical causes​ Prophet: A person who speaks the will of God. -​ Often, being in one’s vocation leads to one becoming a prophet. Key Concepts: 1.​ Review what you have learned about the 4 ethical experiences. Begger (All face-to-face encounters are ethical because they remind us of our responsibility to the other.) Intolerable (Before evil and injustice, in my heart I feel revulsion and anger. It OUGHT to not be this way. I feel to help OR feel helpless.) Duty (Ethical sense is turned when someone orders you to do something.) Scream (At the sound of a cry, you feel immediate tension to respond. You ) 2.​ Review the ethical theories, philosophies and teachings of the following key figures: Moses, Jesus, Henri Nouwen, Paul Ricouer, Sigmund Freud, Aristotle, Kant, Levinas, Plato, St. Augustine, St. Theresa and Aquinas. The philosopher Paul Ricoeur was mainly concerned with human action and how to understand it. - note: he follows Aristotle’s theories (think before you act) He developed a method of analyzing human action which is called: The Conceptual Framework of Action (CFA) The purpose of the CFA is to: understand a human action indirectly.​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Aristotle - Teleological Ethics Telos means ‘the end’  -​ It is an ethical theory that asks you to look at what you want at the end of your life. And then, use your ability to reason throughout your life, and make calculated decisions to bring you to that end. The end of all Human action is always aimed at a good: -​ Therefore, it can be said that the good is that at which all things are aimed -​ To know this end, is to know the ‘telos’ of each thing *view Aristotle questions on paper Aristotle’s Doctrine of the Mean (The Law of Moderation)​ ​ September 23, 2024 Doctrine means ‘law’ The word ‘mean’ in the title is used to timply a ‘middle’ or ‘moderate’ point -​ Aristotle’s Doctrine of the Mean stems from humanity’s need to maintain balance in the pursuit of virtues (good habits/moral excellence) -​ He taught that ALL virtues exist when you are living moderately Deficient (vice) Mean/Moderate Point (virtue) Excessive (vice) -​ Insecure, shy, ← Confident → -​ Arrogant, cocky, nervous, low egotistical self-esteem *case study on test - will see this chart Ch 1 - Lesson 4: Immanuel Kant’s Deontological Ethics​ ​ September 30, 2024 Deon means duty -​ Kant’s ethics are ethics based on our ‘duty’ to one another -​ Kant’s ethics suggest that a human action is only good if it is done for the sake of duty *view Kant questions on paper A Kingdom of Ends: Kant’s Utopia In Kant’s Kingdom of Ends, everyone: -​ Is treated with respect (as an end unto themselves) -​ Acts out of the rational will -​ Good acts are driven by duty Ch 1 - Lesson 5: Emmanuel Levinas’ Relational Ethics​​ ​ October 2, 2024 Relational Ethics: For Levinas, when defining ethics, he would argue that there can be no ethics without at least 2 people. This is why his ethics are called relational. Ethics is an important issue for us because it governs how we relate to one another. Summary - Locating the Philosophers​ ​ ​ ​ October 4, 2024 ARISTOTLE KANT LEVINAS -​ The polis -​ Duty to do good The Other or person in -​ His first concern is not -​ The factory worker need individuals, but the maxim Goodness with no limit whole community -​ Treat people as ends Responsibility -​ Helping and means not just as Caring about the other people/society means person more than -​ Moderation, not being -​ Duty to support the yourself deficient or excessive mothers/women Love the stranger as in the way you act -​ Universal law maxim: yourselves, God if he buys it fair trade, watches over the everyone will do it too stranger -​ Act in a way you want (Deuteronomy 10:18) others to act A human face. Moses (c. 1400–1200 BCE)  ​ Central to Jewish and Christian ethics, Moses is traditionally credited with receiving the Ten Commandments, which provide a moral foundation emphasizing duties to God and others. ​ His teachings emphasize justice, obedience, and community responsibility, laying the groundwork for later religious and ethical thought. 2. Jesus (c. 4 BCE–30 CE) ​ Central to Christian ethics, Jesus emphasized love (agape), forgiveness, humility, and justice. ​ His Sermon on the Mount introduced ethical principles such as the Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you") and concern for the marginalized. ​ Prioritized moral intentions over mere obedience to laws. 3. Henri Nouwen (1932–1996) 3.​ A Catholic priest and theologian who emphasized compassion, vulnerability, and service to others. 4.​ Advocated for the "wounded healer" concept, where individuals help others through their own experiences of suffering. 5.​ Focused on the ethics of care, community, and inclusion, particularly for marginalized groups. 9. Plato (c. 427–347 BCE) ​ His ethical philosophy is based on the Theory of Forms, where the ultimate good is an abstract, perfect ideal. ​ Advocated for a just society, as outlined in The Republic, where individuals fulfill their natural roles. ​ Saw virtue and morality as linked to knowledge and reason. 10. St. Augustine (354–430 CE) ​ Combined Christian theology with Neoplatonic philosophy. ​ Emphasized original sin, arguing that human nature is flawed and in need of divine grace.  ​ Advocated for a morality based on love for God and neighbor, contrasting the “City of God” (heavenly virtues) with the “City of Man” (earthly desires). 11. St. Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582) ​ A mystic and theologian known for her spiritual and ethical insights. ​ Emphasized self-discipline, humility, and the transformative power of divine love. ​ Saw prayer and contemplation as essential for ethical living. 12. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) 6.​ Integrated Christian theology with Aristotelian ethics. 7.​ Developed Natural Law Theory, arguing that morality is based on human nature and reason. 8.​ Defined virtues such as prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance, aligning them with divine law. 5. Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) 9.​ As the founder of psychoanalysis, Freud examined how human behavior is influenced by the unconscious mind. 10.​His ethical views were shaped by the conflict between the id (desires), ego (reality), and superego (moral conscience). 11.​Argued that moral development comes from internalized societal norms, often through early childhood experiences. 12.​Review all that you learned about the Conceptual Framework of Action. The philosopher Paul Ricoeur was mainly concerned with human action and how to understand it. He developed a method of analysing human action which is called:The Conceptual Framework of Action (CFA) The purpose of the CFA is to: understand a human action indirectly. This is because when we are directly in a scenario we:​ - have no perspective​ - are often emotional​ - make snap decisions as a survival strategy​ - act rashly​ - leave with regrets  13.​Review all that you have learned about the 3 arguments against human freedom. Naturalism: The belief that the universe is a whole unified system. Everything is completely shaped by natural processes. Everything is part of one big chain of events, connected by cause and effect. Human freedom according to Naturalism: humans are no more than a part of the material universe. Humans are not able to intend, we are genetically pre-programmed. Therefore: the human is not an intending self, we are pre-programmed by our genes to desire self-replication. Religious Determinism: Predestination is the belief that some churches had. It’s the belief that God predetermines the entire course of history. Churches in history have denied the idea of human freedom. God’s will has predetermined all of human history, as well as each human fate. Puritans: humans are so sinful, they live their whole lives deserving hell. At birth, God elects some to be saved, decides others are damned. This was decided at the moment of conception.If you are to be damned, you can’t save yourself. You don’t know either way. This is Calvinist theory.​ Social Determinism: You aren’t truly free because you are the product of what others have done to you. Human behaviour is driven by unconscious impulses and desires based on repressed impulses and desires, which then exerts pressure on the conscious mind. This results in odd behaviours which are called ‘neurotic’. ​ Therefore, the unconscious mind is ‘deterministic’. The unconscious mind drives the conscious mind. 14.​Review the main features of what you learned about the Catholic understanding of freedom. If freedom is a good, then when I achieve it, I should feel good. Therefore, freedom is not what I CAN do, it’s what I OUGHT to do. How will you feel at Prom, knowing you haven’t attended your own Aunt’s funeral and your mom doesn’t have you by her side? Remember, using your freedom should set you free. -​ The other is not the enemy of my freedom -​ The other makes it possible for me to become my truest self. 15.​Review what you have learned about secularism and its values. 1. Consumerism: Consumerism can be described as an attitude to life that rates material goods and personal appearance as more important than inner development or true personal relationships. Objects provide status, happiness and worth. Modern advertising reflects and shapes this consumer mentality by suggesting that having things is key to personal well-being and success. In reality, this all-consuming drive for instant gratification makes us slaves to the products we buy. 2. Individualism: Individualism can be described as the exaltation of the individual self over all other considerations. This attitude glorifies personal wants at the expense of other people. There is no need for an individual to commit to any responsibility unless there is a personal gain involved. Each person looks after their own advancement and others are seen as competitors. This is the mentality of those who see a homeless person and say “its their own fault.” The highly competitive nature of our contemporary culture results in lessened compassion for others, and the assumption that individual rights have priority over the common good. 3. Moral Relativism: Moral relativism believes there are no absolute values, only those that are useful in the secular culture. Everything is dependent on one’s own point-of-view. How you see things and how you feel about them is more important than if it is morally correct. 16.​Review the key features of the story of Moses. 17.​Review the Catholic understanding of the moral conscience. “Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that they are going to perform, are in the process of performing, or have already completed.” 18.​Review what you have learned about human sin. 19.​Review your notes on the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew’s Gospel records Jesus of Nazareth preaching to his disciples and a large crowd the Sermon on the Mount. (Sermon - longer speech/lecture) -​ This Sermon is the heart of Jesus’ teachings/what the religion is about The Sermon on the Mount: Good News Gospel literally means ‘good news’. The sermon is an invitation to learn what a perfect human life is. Trinity: “…the central mystery of the Christian faith and of Christian life. God alone can make it known to us by revealing himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” CCC #261 20.​Review St. Theresa’s analogy of the Body of Christ. St. Teresa of Ávila emphasized the idea that Christ operates in the world through believers. She articulated this concept in a prayer: "Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which He looks compassionately on this world; yours are the feet with which He walks to do good; yours are the hands through which He blesses all the world." ncronline.org This analogy underscores the belief that Christians are called to be active participants in manifesting Christ's love and compassion in the world. 21.​Review and understand the Catholic understanding of Trinity. The Trinity is a central doctrine in Catholicism, describing one God in three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. Key points include: ​ Unity of Essence: Each Person shares the same divine nature, making them one God. ​ Distinction of Persons: The Father is unbegotten, the Son is begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from both. ​ Co-equality and Co-eternity: All three Persons are equal and have existed eternally. This mystery is foundational to Catholic faith and is professed in the Nicene Creed.  catholic.com 22.​Review the relationship between human rights and common sense. Human rights are fundamental entitlements inherent to all individuals, such as the rights to life, freedom, and equality. Common sense refers to practical judgment derived from experience rather than specialized knowledge. The relationship between the two can be seen in how common sense often recognizes the basic dignity and worth of individuals, leading to the acknowledgment of certain rights. However, formalizing these rights into universal principles requires philosophical reasoning and legal frameworks beyond mere common sense. 23.​What does it mean to say that the family is the ‘first cell of society'? The phrase "the family is the first cell of society" highlights the idea that the family unit is the foundational building block of society. Within the family, individuals first learn values, social norms, and responsibilities. Strong family structures contribute to the overall health and stability of society by nurturing responsible and ethical citizens. This concept is emphasized in Catholic social teaching, which views the family as a vital institution for personal development and social cohesion.