Choose one of the following psychological views of religion: Freud, James, or Jung. Briefly describe this theory. Defend this theory as an explanation as to the origin of religions.
Choose one of the following psychological views of religion: Freud, James, or Jung. Briefly describe this theory. Defend this theory as an explanation as to the origin of religions.
RELI448 Comparative Religions
Week 2 Discussion
Upanishads
Textbook: Chapter 3
Link (online PDF): The Upanishads (Links to an external site.) (Skim the first few chapters or locate a specific section in the table of contents. You are not responsible to read the entire text.)
Minimum of 1 scholarly source
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, respond to one of the following options:
Identify and describe one of the five (Brahman and Atman, Maya, Karma, Samsara, Moksha) key concepts from the Upanishads. Examine these teachings and the way they have influenced other expressions of Indian spirituality. Make sure your response is supported with quotes from the Upanishads and citations from scholarly sources.
Choose one of the 4 Yogas. Define this path to the Divine, using examples. How does this path help to lead a person to realization? Why did you choose this path to discuss?
RELI448 Comparative Religions
Week 3 Discussion
Buddhism
Textbook: Chapter 4
For the initial post, respond to one of the following options:
Define Theravada and Mahayana. Describe the Arhat and the Bodhisattva. Explain how each achieves the goal of nirvana. Examine how they relate to some of the key concepts/teachings (e.g., the Four Noble Truths, the three marks of reality).
Many scholars feel that “suffering” may be a misleading translation of the word dukkha. Why might the term suffering be misleading? What might be a better translation? What was the Buddha trying to explain in his commentary on dukkha?
RELI448 Comparative Religions
Week 4 Discussion
Chinese Religion:
Textbook: Chapter 6
For the initial post, respond to one of the following options:
Define the Confucian terms: ren, yi, li, zhi, and xin. Choose one of these principles and examine how it contributes to social harmony.
What is wuwei? How does this ideal contribute to harmony with heaven? How does the Daoist idea of wuwei compare to Confucian notions of how one should live in the world?
RELI448 Comparative Religions
Week 5 Discussion
Judaism
Textbook: Chapter 8
For the initial post, respond to one of the following options:
From the following terms, choose two: Orthodox Judaism, Hassidic Judaism, Reform Judaism, and Conservative Judaism. Briefly define these two terms, then explain their relationship to one another. How are they similar, and how are they different? What lead to their development?
The destruction of the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem marks a major shift in the history and character of Judaism. What characterizes Jewish practice before the destruction of the 2nd Temple, and what characterizes Jewish practice after the Temple’s destruction? How are these practices different? What was maintained?.
RELI448 Comparative Religions
Week 6 Discussion
The Role and Identity of the Messiah
Textbook: Chapter 9
For the initial post, respond to one of the following options:
What was the Jewish conception of the Messiah and how does the Christian understanding of the Messiah differ? What were the Jewish people expecting from their Messiah? How did Jesus’ teachings challenge these views?
What are some of the issues facing Christianity in 21st century America? How is American Christianity responding to these challenges (adapting/resisting)?
Make sure you are citing scholarly sources in your response.
.
RELI448 Comparative Religions
Week 7 Discussion
Islamic Belief and Practice
Textbook: Chapter 10
For the initial post, respond to one of the following options:
List and briefly describe the Five Pillars of Islam. Select one of the pillars to examine in more in depth. How do Muslims express this pillar? How do Sufis express this pillar differently from other Muslims? Explain why you choose this particular pillar.
Define Sunni and Shia. Choose one of these two forms of Islam and explain their core beliefs in greater detail, including their history, countries where this form of Islam is practiced, and sub-sects within each branch. Conclude with a brief analysis about the ways in which these two school’s differences continue to influence Islamic culture and politics in the modern world.
RELI448 Comparative Religions
Week 8 Discussion
Contemporary Religions
Textbook: Chapter 12
For the initial post, address all of the following:
What are some of the challenges facing major religious traditions in the modern world? As nurses, what are some of the particular issues that you might encounter with patients regarding the intersection of faith and healthcare (see the Science and Ethical Issues section of Chapter 12; you can address one or more of the issues noted in this section)? How might the material covered in this course affect the way in which you respond to these concerns?
Select one of the topics from Chapter 12 listed under Modern Influences on the Future of Religion and examine how modern religious traditions are dealing with these contemporary challenges. If you identify with a particular religious tradition, how has your religious tradition responded to the topic you have chosen? Make sure that you support your answer.
RELI448 Comparative Religions
Week 1 Assignment
Perspectives Essay
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 1
Lesson
Minimum of 2 scholarly sources (1 for the etic view, and 1 for the emic view. Your source for the emic view should come from someone who writes with authority in the religion you chose. For example, if you chose Buddhism, you could use a quotation from His Holiness, Dalai Lama XIV).
Instructions
Make sure to read the lesson this week to learn about etic and emic perspectives so that you can appropriately apply them in this assignment. In an essay, apply the etic and emic perspectives to your own religion or a religion with which you have some familiarity.
How would your tradition be described etically? Remember that this is an outsider’s perspective of what can be measured, studied, or observed.
How would it be described emically? Remember that this is an insider’s perspective as seen by practitioners
Make sure that you are using at least one source for each approach and include citations from the assigned readings and additional scholarly sources.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: 350-500 words (not including title page or references page)
1-inch margins
Double spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title page
References page (minimum of 1 scholarly source)
RELI448 Comparative Religions
Week 3 Assignment
Comparison-Contrast Essay
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 4
Lesson
Minimum of 4 scholarly sources (at least 2 for Hinduism & 2 for Buddhism)
Instructions
Select one of the following pairs and compare and contrast these ideas in the religious traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism:
Self/No-self
Samsara/Nirvana
Karma/Rebirth
Your paper should include an introduction and thesis that clearly states your central claim, thoughtful examples and analysis in your body paragraphs, and a conclusion to finalize your thoughts.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: 1200-1400 words (not including title page or references page)
1-inch margins
Double spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title page
References page (minimum of 4 scholarly sources)
RELI448 Comparative Religions
Week 5 Assignment
Interview Essay
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Review chapters as needed
Lesson
Link (library article): Talking About Religion – How to Do It Right (Links to an external site.)
Minimum of 1 scholarly source
Instructions
For this assignment you are required to sit down for a conversation with someone whose religious identity differs from your own (this means that if you identify as Christian, for example, you should find a conversation partner who does not identify as such). The purpose of this exercise is for you to engage with someone else in conversation. That means that you will not only ask questions, but you will hopefully answer questions about your own beliefs, as well.
Review the article for this activity, “Talking About Religion – How to Do It Right” (link in Required Resources), for some guidance on how to engage in conversations about religion before meeting with your partner. You may also wish to share this information with your partner.
In this exercise, you will listen to the ideas of someone who you identify as religiously “other.” You will share your own ideas and report on what you learned. This would include what you learned about your conversation partner’s beliefs, and how those beliefs compare to your own religious upbringing and/or current practice.
The report should give a description of the major topics of discussion and a detailed summary of what you learned. As part of your assignment you should include the following:
Describe your conversation partner’s beliefs. Some things to consider include the following:
What are the material expressions of their tradition (statues, paintings, music, etc.)?
Do they see any conflict between the stated beliefs of their tradition and their own beliefs?
Based on your partner’s description, which theory of the origin of religions (Week 1) offers the best explanation for their approach to religion?
What challenges can your partner identify that their religious tradition faces in the modern world? Do they feel that their tradition is responding positively?
Is the tradition focused on belief (orthodoxy) or behavior (orthopraxis)?
Apply the 8 elements of religion from Week 1.
Provide some cultural and historical context for the religious tradition of your conversation partner. (It is important that you do some research before you have your conversation so that you are able to ask informed questions that come from genuine interest.) Make sure you use citations in your discussion of what you learned from your research.
Compare your partner’s beliefs and practices to your own religious upbringing and/or current practice. This is to be done in the report not as a debate with your partner.
Conclude with your personal reaction to this experience and any additional questions that came up after your conversation. Be kind!
This is a formal academic paper so pay careful attention to the basics of writing a good English composition.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: 1000-1200 words (not including title page or references page)
1-inch margins
Double spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title page
References page (minimum of 1 scholarly source)
RELI448 Comparative Religions
Week 7 Assignment
Analytical Essay
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 8, 9, 10
Lesson
Minimum of 6 scholarly sources (at least 2 for Judaism, 2 for Christianity, & 2 for Islam)
Please review criteria for scholarly sources.
Instructions
In a short essay, complete the following:
Explain the historical relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. What are their geographical connections? What are their historical timelines?
Analyze the historical relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in order to make an argument about the similarities and differences between the three religions. Select one main example from the following list on which to focus your comparison: the nature of God, the nature of Jesus, Holy Books, or Salvation. Your analysis should span multiple paragraphs and utilize specific examples.
Conclude by examining the current relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam today. How has globalization influenced or affected the current relationship?
Your paper should include an introduction and thesis that clearly states your central claim, thoughtful examples and analysis in your body paragraphs, and a conclusion to finalize your thoughts.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: 1200-1400 words (not including title page or references page)
1-inch margins
Double spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title page
References page (minimum of 6 scholarly sources)
RELI448 Comparative Religions
Week 2 Quiz
Question 1Monotheism is the view that:
There is only one God.
Everything in the universe is divine.
All elements of nature are filled with spirits.
The existence of God cannot be proven.
Question 2Agnosticism is the view that:
The existence of God cannot be proven.
All elements of nature are filled with spirits.
There is no God or gods.
Everything in the universe is divine.
Question 3The term immanent implies that the Divine is:
Extant primarily in a realm beyond the everyday world.
Present in the immediate, natural world.
Only found after death.
Completely inaccessible.
Question 4The theory that religion is exerts a positive influence on the lives of individuals, helping to fulfill psychological needs like a feeling of safety and of having a place in the universe, is attributed to:
William James
Sigmund Freud
Rudolf Otto
Carl Jung
Question 5The theory that the religious impulse arises from the encounter with something that disturbs our ordinary view of reality, creating a sense of wonder or mystery, is attributed to:
Sigmund Freud
William James
Carl Jung
Rudolf Otto
Question 6The approach to religious experience that seeks union with a reality greater than oneself, such as with God, the process of nature, the universe, or reality as a whole, is called:
Dualism
Monism
Mysticism
Monotheism
Question 7All of the following are examples of characteristic emotional experiences of religions except:
Dread
Inner Peace
Guilt
Pride
Question 8Derived from the words for “sitting near,” these texts record insights into external and internal realities:
The Upanishads
The Vedas
The Sutras
The Bhagavad Gita
Question 9The parable of salt being dissolved in water is used to describe which concept of Indic religions?
Karma
Moksha
Brahman
Samsara
Question 10The Hindu deity associated with creation is:
Brahma
Vishnu
Shiva
Ganesha
Question 11
All of the following are forms of the Divine Mother except:
Durga
Kali
Lakshmi
Ganesha
Question 12The yoga that proposes that all useful work, if done unselfishly, can be a way to perfection is called:
Bhakti Yoga
Jnana Yoga
Karma Yoga
Raja Yoga
Question 13The practice of ahimsa (non-violence) is part of which aspect of Hindu meditation?
Observance (niyama)
Restraint (pratyahara)
Posture (asana)
Self-control (yama)
Question 14The goddess __________ is often shown with fanged teeth, dripping blood, a symbol of the fierceness with which she protects her devotees.
Lakshmi
Saraswati
Kali
Radha
Question 15The act of looking into the eyes of a guru in order to experience the divine energy that the teacher radiates is called:
Karma
Moksha
Darshan
Siddhi
RELI448 Comparative Religions
Week 4 Midterm Quiz
Question 1A worldview that sees all elements of nature as being filled with spirit or spirits is called:
Animism
Polytheism
Atheism
Pantheism
Question 2If the Divine is seen as being beyond space and time, it is:
Animistic
Polytheistic
Transcendent
Immanent
Question 3A technique that sets aside ordinary categories of analysis and makes use, instead, of unexpected perspectives on cultural elements is:
Deconstruction
Structuralism
Construction
Dualism
Question 4
All of the following are used as symbolic forms of the female divine except:
The moon
A snake
Water
A lightning bolt
Question 5The female divine is an important element in the religions of India. Which of the following is not a form of the goddess in Hinduism?
Saraswati
Shiva
Kali
Durga
Question 6The spiritual essence of all human beings is called:
Brahman
Atman
Moksha
Anatman
Question 7Which of the following is not one of the 4 Life Stages of Hinduism?
Student
Business Owner
Renunciate
Retiree
Question 8True or False: The presence of female divinities means that women have always enjoyed equality and fair treatment in the religious traditions of India.
True
False
Question 9Ritual offerings in honor of a deity are called:
Puja
Yoga
Renunciation
Caste
Question 10The spiritual discipline of devotion to a deity or a teacher is called:
Karma yoga
Bhakti yoga
Jnana yoga
Raja yoga
Question 11The spiritual discipline of knowledge or insight is called:
Karma yoga
Jnana yoga
Bhakti yoga
Raja yoga
Question 12The Buddha who is expected to appear on Earth in the future is:
Maitreya
Amitabha
Guanyin
Shakyamuni
Question 13This term means non-violence:
Anatta
Anicha
Bodhi
Ahimsa
Question 14A question, employed in Zen Buddhism, that cannot be answered logically is called a:
Koan
Haiku
Stupa
Sutra
Question 15A sacred text that records the words of the Buddha is called a:
Vinaya
Abhidharma
Sutra
Stupa
Question 16The approach to Buddhism that rejects the personal quest for enlightenment, instead embracing the idea that enlightenment must be universally shared by all sentient beings is called:
Theravada
Bhakti
Mahayana
Dukkha
Question 17A book of sayings attributed to Confucius and his early disciples is the:
Yijing
Analects
Daodejing
Zhuangzi
Question 18The classical literature, which preceded Confucianism, and upon which Confucius based many of his teachings, is called:
Daodejing
Analects
Five Classics
Zhuangzi
Question 19Doing only what comes spontaneously and naturally is called:
Ren
Li
Wu wei
Yang
Question 20Confucius believed that the virtues:
Would lead to harmonious society.
Must be learned and nurtured.
Defined a noble person.
All of the above.
Question 21Compare and contrast a psychological view of religion (Freud, Jung, or James) with a sociological point of view (Durkheim or Levi-Strauss). Defend one of the two theories you selected as a better explanation for the origin of religions.
RELI448 Comparative Religions
Week 6 Quiz
Question 1Biblical Judaism refers to Judaism that:
Predates the destruction of the Second Temple
Follows the destruction of the Second Temple
Is led by teachers called Rabbis
Encourages the creation of the nation-state of Israel
Question 2Which of the following is not a form of Judaism?
Conservative Judaism
Orthodox Judaism
Revisionist Judaism
Reform Judaism
Question 3A coming-of-age ceremony that marks the time when a young person is considered a legal adult within the Jewish community is called:
Bar (Bat) Mitzvah
Sabbath
Tallit
Midrash
Question 4Jewish mysticism and Jewish mystical literature is called:
Tanakh
Midrash
Kabbalah
Covenant
Question 5The Jewish Day of Atonement is called:
Passover
Yom Kippur
Sukkot
Rosh Hashanah
Question 6True or False: Moses Maimonides argued that Judaism was a rational religion and that faith and reason were complimentary.
True
False
Question 7Jewish history is divided into two major periods, which are then each divided into two additional periods. The event that marks the transition from the first major period to the second is:
The Holocaust
The Babylonian Exile
The destruction of the Second Temple
The establishment of the State of Israel following the Second World War
Question 8Key events in Moses’ life included all of the following except:
Early years as the adopted son of Egyptian royalty
The revelation of the 10 Commandments
The Babylonian Exile
The Exodus
Question 9The belief that the world will soon come to an end is called:
Destructionism
Evangelism
Apocalypticis
Fundamentalism
Question 10In 1054 CE, the Great Schism divided the Roman church from the Church in Constantinople. All of the following were contributing factors in the split except:
A disagreement about the sale of indulgences
The growing power of the Bishop of Rome, and the claim that he was the head of all Christians
The inclusion, by the Roman Church, of the term filioque in the Nicene Creed
Cultural differences between the East and the West
Question 11All of the following are forms of Protestant Christianity except:
The Greek Orthodox Church
Lutheranism
Calvinism
The Quakers
Question 12Which of the following is not a Gospel of the New Testament?
John
Paul
Luke
Matthew
Question 13Martin Luther’s reforms included:
An end to the sale of indulgences
The removal of the term filioque from the Nicene Creed
The acceptance of the doctrine of predestination
The rejection of a dependence on ordained clergy
Question 14Dialogue between Christian denominations is called:
Evangelism
Ecumenism
Sectarianism
Orthodoxy
Question 15The Second Vatican Council included which of the following reforms:
It permitted liturgy in native languages
It endorsed ecumenism
It opened the church to respectful contact with other religions
All of the above
RELI448 Comparative Religions
Week 8 Final Quiz
Question 1 A common element often found in religions is:
respect for sculpture.
feelings of wonder.
rules governing meditation.
use of permanent places of worship.
Question 2 The position that argues that we cannot know whether there is a god or not is known as:
monotheism.
polytheism.
atheism.
agnosticism.
Question 3 Who was the American psychologist who viewed religion as a positive way of fulfilling needs and praised its positive influence on the lives of individuals?
James Frazer
Carl Gustav Jung
Sigmund Freud
William James
Question 4 Who was the Scottish anthropologist and author of The Golden Bough who saw the origins of religion in early attempts by human beings to influence nature and who identified religion as an intermediate stage between magic and science?
James Frazer
Rudolf Otto
William James
Wilhelm Schmidt
Question 5 What is the name of the Austrian ethnographer and philologist who argued that all humankind once believed in a single High God and that to this simple monotheism later beliefs in lesser gods and spirits were added?
James Frazer
William James
Wilhelm Schmidt
Carl Gustav Jung
Question 6 One feature that probably contributed to the rich developments in Hinduism was which of the following?
the constant invasions of India by foreigners
the frequent floods and fires across India
India’s isolation from other areas
India’s extensive natural resources
Question 7 (TCO 8) “Liberation” from personal limitation, egotism, and rebirth is:
satyagraha.
ahimsa.
maya.
moksha.
Question 8 Hinduism, as formulated in the Upanishads,
encourages meditation to understand the essence of reality.
says we must honor our social obligations and roles.
rejected the authority of the Vedas in formulating new religious insights.
advocates devotion to any of the many gods.
Question 9 Which of the following is not formally one of the 4 yogas?
jnana yoga
karma yoga
kundalini yoga
raja yoga
Question 10 The Buddha’s name comes from a Sanskrit word meaning:
Spirit warrior
Middle path
To wake up
The teacher
Question 11 Buddha was silent on questions about:
suffering.
greed.
meditation.
philosophy.
Question 12 The Chinese word for “propriety,” savoir faire, “ritual” is:
Ren (jen).
Wen.
Shu.
Li.
Question 13 Confucius taught that people are:
not born good but must be taught goodness.
naturally good and should be left alone.
individuals first and members of a society second.
selfish and need strict laws to control them.
Question 14 Which of the following is not a Daoist value?
Simplicity
Spontaneity
Sensing movements of nature
Formal education
Question 15 In Zhuangzi’s (Chuang Tzu’s) famous dream, he was not certain that he was not:
Confucius.
an ox.
a butterfly.
a Daoist.
Question 16 Which of the following is not one of the five relationships of Confucianism?
Father-son
Husband-wife
Business owner-customer
Ruler-subject
Question 17 Taoism does not have this element of a major world religion.
An overall worldview of the universe
Myths about the origin of the universe
A shared religious community
Specific rules of human behavior
Question 18 The Hebrews trace themselves to an ancestor named:
Adam.
Abraham.
Moses.
Amos.
Question 19 A savior figure to be sent by God to bring in God’s kingdom is the:
King.
Suffering Servant.
Messiah.
Prophet.
Question 20 A joyful spring festival that recalls the Hebrews’ exodus from Egypt and freedom from oppression is:
Yom Kippur.
Passover (Seder).
Purim.
Hanukkah.
Question 21 Jesus sometimes summed up his teachings in:
ten commandments.
one commandment.
two commandments.
five commandments.
Question 22 Letters written in the New Testament to instruct, encourage, and solve problems are called:
Gospels.
Epistles.
Acts.
Revelations.
Question 23 Muhammad’s job before he became the Prophet was as a:
merchant.
date grower.
caravan driver.
camel breeder.
Question 24 What is the word for a pilgrimage to Mecca?
Hajj
Dhikr
Hadith
Sura
Question 25 The ___________ is the single sentence, when recited with belief, that makes a person a Muslim.
Salat
Shahadah
Ramadan
Hajj
Question 26 Identify and analyze the Four Noble Truths, in particular, the Noble Eightfold Path. What ideas from Hinduism did Buddhism essentially keep? Describe them. Include enough details to support your answer.
Question 27 Compare and contrast a psychological view of religion (Freud, Jung, or James) with a sociological point of view (Durkheim or Levi-Strauss). Defend one of the two theories you selected as a better explanation for the origin of religions.
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