Yearly Archives: 2022

Daoism (Taoism) Confucianism Shinto   for week 5 read: Chapters 8 & 9 in Invitation to World Religions Chapters 8 & 9 Selected Readings from the World’s Religious Traditions   Answer any 3 of the following week 5 essays:   1. Compare and contrast elements of Taoism with Confucianism. Be sure to include some of […]

Write about the significance of ceremony, prayer, tradition and scripture in modern Jewish practice.  Describe some of the modern Jewish movements (Reform, Orthodox, Conservative, Hasidic, Reconstructionist).   5. Answer Review Questions 1, 2 & 5 at the end of Zoroastrian Chapter 10, page 348 (2nd edition) or page 358 in Invitation to World Religions.   […]

How is Judaism transformed in the Medieval period and how have those changes effected the evolving shape of Judaism into the modern period?

Outline the significance of the notion of “Oral Torah” and later development of the Mishnah, Midrash, Hagaddah, Halakah and Talmud. Address the evolving role of the synagogue in Jewish history and tradition. Why do you think Judaism was comprised of so many movements or parties (Scribes, Sadducees, Pharisees, Zealots, Herodians, Essenes) in the centuries surrounding […]

At what point can Jewish myths from the scriptural tradition be separated from Jewish history? Why is the scriptural tradition so important and why do you think it has been so enduring (its narrative directly integrated into the two largest religions in the world today, Christianity and Islam)? 

How is ancient Chinese polytheism like Shinto? In what ways are they different? In what ways are Shinto unlike any other world religions? You might address things like ancestor worship, kami, divination, shrines, ritual, miko, Kojiki, I Ching, zoomorphism, roles of kings & emperors, shamans & priests. Trace the evolution of the revival of Shinto […]

Comment upon selected Taoist or Confucian scriptures from the Sacred Readings website or the readings with links above. How do the scriptures or reading you have selected (tell me specifically which ones you have chosen to write about) compare with the historical and theological information presented in the Invitation to World Religions text?

Explore on your own some of the Chinese scriptures such as: the Analects, Tao te Ching, Mencius, I Ching, Confucius’ Ethics and Politics, the works of Chuang Tzu. Share your thoughts on the particular readings you have chosen. (You will have to look outside your text for much of this information.)   Daoism (Taoism)   […]

Compare and contrast elements of Taoism with Confucianism. Be sure to include some of the following key concepts: yin & yang, chi, de (te), wu wei, tian, harmony, relationships, filial piety, jen (ren), shu, li, hsueh.   Daoism (Taoism)   Confucianism   Shinto   for week 5 read:  Chapters 8 & 9  in Invitation to […]

1. What are some of the differences and similarities between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism?   2. Explain some of the key concepts in Buddhism such as: dharma, dukkha, Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, anicca, kamma, nirvana, sunyata, bodhisattvas, and the sangha. (You don’t have to write about every single one them).   3. Address the […]