Comparative Religion Final

Front 1

Present the main features of Confucianism

Back 1

Basic worldview: Confucianism sees the universe as a unity under heaven, of which humans are an integral part. For humans, family and society are the most important links to the universe.
God or Ultimate Reality: Heaven or Tian is the ultimate reality. It regulates the world and moral order.
Origin/Destiny of the World: Teaches that the world originates from heaven and proceeds through interaction of Yin and Yang and the five principles or elements. Origin of Humans: Humans are from heaven and earth.
Destiny of Humans: Confucianism does not stress the afterlife except in terms of ancestrism. The ideal is to live a good life in this world through family and society. Revelation: Revelations of Confucianism are the teachings of Confucious and the classics; meditated by the educational system.
Expected of Humans: Humans are to observe official and ancestral rites, honor parents and meet other ethical obligations. One works for a good society by exercising benevolence and practicing mutuality with others, especially through the five relationships.
Social Institution: It places great importance of family and of elite class and aligned to state under empire.

Front 2

Philosophical Confucianism:

Back 2

Emphasizes human nature and how society can be organized to best manifest the Dao within. Mencius said that human nature is good, but is impeded by the evils of society. Xunzi said that man is evil and self-centered and needs education to become good.

Front 3

Religious Confucianism:

Back 3

Emphasizes family and ancestors.

Front 4

role of Mandarins in Confucianism

Back 4

Mandarins saw Confucius as the infallible sage and mystic king. He had a right to rule the inward kingdom of ideas and values in which the outer realm, educated and administered by the mandarins, was based.

Front 5

Explain the main features of Daoism (Taoism),

Back 5

The universe is one, yet always moving and changing. The ultimate reality is the Dao, the great Way down which the universe moves. Humans are an expression of the Dao and are to share in its never ending evolution. A person can be immortal by mastering the Dao and its power. Revelations between the ultimate and humans are the teaching of Laozi and other sages. Benign immortals or gods can be honored and serves as helpers. Humans are to live spontaneously and close to nature. Humans are to perform rites that draw one close to gods and immortals. Major social institutions include temples, monasteries, and the Daoist priesthood.

Front 6

Philosophical Daoism

Back 6

Zhuangzi emphasized human freedom. The Dao measures the universe. The dream world is like any other world. The quest for immortality became a Daoist theme. Harmony with the Dao leads to immortality. Daoist philosophers also emphasized spontaneity.

Front 7

Religious Daoism

Back 7

Religious Daoism had popular gods and quests for immortality. Yogic practices induce joy. It embraces the “Daoist Pope” and his charms and priests. Some gods are earthly officials who were immortalized in heaven. The Jade emporer is the supreme entity of religious Daoism. He was enthroned on the Pole Star. He is surrounded by the Three Pure Ones- Laozi, the Yellow Emporer, and Bangu. And then the Eight Immortals. Priests varied based on their sects and specialities. Daoism has mediums. Religious Daoism point to alchemy, yoga, and merit as ways to reach immortality. Alchemy is the prepearation of elxirs mixed with spiritual preparation to circumvent death through manipulation of Yin and Yang and the five elements. Yoga is the holding of breath to circulate it throughout the body to awaken gods of various physical centers. The breath is to unite with semen to produce a spiritual embryo. It emerges as new life energy.

Front 8

Discuss the principal features of Shinto

Back 8

Basic worldview: universe is pluralistic, having many gods. It’s growing and changing. Nature, humanity, and the divine are not sharply separated.
God or ultimate reality: many kami
Origin of the world: generated by the gods
Destiny of the World: unknown, but historical progress has meaning
Origin of Humans: descended from kami
Revelation of Mediation between the ultimate and the human: myths, traditions, and festivals of shrines where one approaches the kami presence.
What is expected of humans (worship, practices, behavior): to remember and celebrate the gods, remain pure and sincere, enjoy life. Support the societies of which kami are patrons.
Major Social Institutions: Shrines, with the ujiko community of each. Family work and regional ties with particular shrines important.

Front 9

What are some circumstances in which new religious movements might be particular likely to appear?

Back 9

New religions may arise as a way of dealing with extreme disruption of a traditional society, when the former religion seems powerless or discredited, and only a new revelation can offer hope. They may be the result of rapid social change, even if sometimes equated to progress, which seems to require a new religious worldview. It may appear I societies that appear to be doing well but may be struggling internally. Some people may feel that the old religion has lost it’s authority, and is not in touch with what is happening now. It can also be, because people feel called to a new religion.

Front 10

What are the different types of religions that we have discussed in this chapter, and what are the characteristics that define them (describe one religion of each type of new religion)?

Back 10

Reactive Movements
Accomidationist Movements
Spirit Movements
New Revelation Sect
Import Religions
Golden Age
Hybrid Religious Movement

Front 11

Reactive Movements

Back 11

a response to stress, usually social or political

Mansren-Koreri movement in Iran Jaya. Regarded as the first modern “cargo cults” based on older traditions, believed in a paradisiacal future state called Koreri, prophets called konor

Front 12

Accommodationist Movements

Back 12

arise out of well-established relgions that have been introduced into a new cultural context.

The Church on Earth was created by the Prophet Simon Kimbangu. It avoided political involvement in the Congo and played a part in the development of the modern African conscious

Front 13

Spirit Movements

Back 13

movements in which the participants claim a special connection with beings from the spiritual realm-angels, ghosts, ancestors, nature spirits and the like.

Spiritualism is a religion based on belief and communication with spirits. Claimed to be the most scientific of religions. Supported the abolition of slavery.

Front 14

New Revelation Sects

Back 14

like a sect, a group that represents a very strict demanding adherence to the normative religion of the society but differs that it offers new revelatory teachings as well.

The Family of Love arose from the Jesus movement in the US. The founder David Berg was considered to be a prophet of end times. Received a revelations about establishing pure Christian communities.

Front 15

Import Religions

Back 15

demonstrate the transcultural nature of many new religious movements as they are new to one country but are established religious elsewhere

The Hare Krishna Movement is in the bhakti tradition of India was a new movement in the US in 1966. Founded by A.C. Bhaktivendanta Swami Prabhupada.

Front 16

Golden Age

Back 16

return to the faith of a prior “golden age” where people where closer to the divine

The Temple of Isis in California is a Goddess Movement group that involves both men and women. It is part of the Fellowship of Isis. They support the resurgence of the Goddess and the realization of a sustainable and peaceful future.

Front 17

Hybrid Religious Movement

Back 17

groups that have assimilated ideas and practices from mainstream world religions into indigenous shamanistically based religious freedom.

Voodoo in Haiti and in New Orleans are syntheses of between African religion and Roman Catholicism. Temples are brightly colored with figures sacred to the priestess there, including Jesus, Catholic saints, and African deities.

Front 18

Identify the challenges for religion today. Chose the two most important challenges for religion today and fully explain why these are the most challenging.

Back 18

Science, technology and the internet, globalization, environmental crisis, overpopulation,
women’s inequality, sexual orientation

Front 19

Fully discuss the three religious trends today.

Back 19

Liberalism—approach that contends that its traditional formula should not be integrated literally or solely in terms of their integration earlier in history but should
be understood taking into account the best current standards of reasonable though and scientific truth characteristically concerned about social justice issues as much as salvation. Movements such as feminist theology and liberation theology in the Catholic Church
provide an example of this (ie: gospel hip-hop, acceptance of contraception, etc.
• Traditionalism/Conservation Fundamentalism—religion should not be reinterpreted to agree with current views, its authority is the same throughout all time. No change
should be made to religious language, moral values, or practice. Appeals to many in the current world of constant change who need one aspect of life to be secure, linked to their roots and constant. Supporters argue that the only sure answers to modern
life lie in “traditional values,” so returning to them we can reverse trends that make the world a bad place. Challenge: low to maintain cultural values, while preserving a conception of the common good that preserves the inherent human dignity of all.
• Secularization—replacement of religious ideals in the political arena with nonreligious humanistic ideals; some suggest it leads to a lack in religious force and in people’s minds as seen in the decline in church attendance and religious participation in general and concepts such as separation of church and state. (ie: can’t say Pledge of Allegiance in school or display statues giving reverence to God in public places in America today)

Front 20

Fully discuss the various options for the future of religions. Which is the most important?
Why?

Back 20

New religions and religious founders
Secularism or Traditionalism
Syncretism—taking the best elements of each religion to form a new universal religion
Pluralism—coexistence and multiplication of different religions