Vocabulary List Introduction to World ReligionsOxtoby:Monotheism – Greek term for worship of one god.Polytheism – the worship of many gods.Dualism – in religion postulates two principles: 1. Good god and 2. An evil devil.Missionary Religions (what are they and what 3 does your book list) – Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. Believe that all religions are different; therefore those who know the truth are obliged to spread it. The religions are intended for all humans, meaning they are not meant for a specific group or heredity.Zoroastrianism – this is a monotheistic religion with dualistic overtones. It developed in Persia (Iran). The god of the religion is called Ahura Mazda. Their tradition is known as ‘the Good Religion’ and they called themselves the Mazda worshippers. The religion is still practiced in India and in Iran. The name of the religion came from the prophetic teacher, Zarathustra. Ahura Mazda – this is the supreme creator god of Zoroastrians.Eschatology – this is a notable characteristic of Zoroastrianism; it is centered on the expectation of a world to come both for the individual and for the world as a whole. Gnosticism – suggested that humanity could be released from its primal entrapment in the sinful cosmos only through divine redemption. Mysticism – Jewish belief in which adepts of meditation could ascend to heaven to discover hidden truths.Nigosian:Modern Scholarly Approaches:Philosophy of Religion – three main trends are discernible in the present scope of the philosophy of religions: 1. An analysis of religious language, 2. An analysis of the nature of the religion in the general framework of a worldview, and 3. A philosophical justification or rejection of various religious positions.Sociology of Religion – sociological is all about the network of relationships that binds people incohesive groups called “societies.” Both sociologists and anthropologists emphasize the importance of religion through its cultural symbols and expressions.Psychology of Religion – the study of religious psychology involves the collection and classification of psychological data, the investigation of religious responses as correlated with various personality types, the testing of various psychological explanations, the examination of the religious symbols and practices that aid or impede individuals in working out personal problems, and the bearing of religious issue on the integration of personality.Phenomenology of Religion – phenomenologists believe that every human activity is relevant to the study of the particular “phenomenon” on which they are focusing. To the phenomenologist who focuses on religion, music, painting, sculpture, labor, and any other product of human endeavor must be observed and analyzed in terms of its potential to illuminate and explain the phenomenon of religious faith.History of Religion – historians of religion study religious behavior through the sequence of events or series of transformations that characterizes the evolution of various religious traditions into their current forms or up until the points at which they vanished.McCutcheon:Anthropological approach to study of religion – primarily concerned with studying people, their beliefs, behaviors, and institutions, rather than assessing “the truth” or “truths” of their various beliefs or behaviors. The study comes from a confessional, religious, or theological approach. This is generally concerned with determining the nature, will, or wishes of a god or the gods. Judgments: Historical Accuracy & Descriptive Accuracy vs. Normative Judgments - these two enterprises therefore have very different data: the academic study of religion studies people, theirbeliefs, and their social systems; the theological study of religion studies God/the gods and their impact on people.Religious Instruction vs. Instruction about religion (Court/1st=Amendment) - The opening lines tothe First Amendment to the Constitution read: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof....” The academic study of religion is concerned to study about religion and religions.Kessler:Moral evil - suffering and pain inflicted on others by human beings.Natural evil=- natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, and tornadoes.Nomos - an orderly world operating according to understandable laws.Aomic - many things that happen seem like this, meaning random, without explanation. = =Theodicy - any proposed solution to the problem o evil that reconciles the existence of an all-good and all powerful God with the evil that exists in the world.What is the difference between the scientific why and the existential why? - There are many scientific explanations for events that produce great pain and suffering. But, the why that evil makes us ask is not the scientific why but the existential why. Why did this act happen to me? Some believes that is restores nomos. Anomie and evil are the two largest challenges that religions must face.=Naturalistic or non-theistic view of Karma - Karma can man the law of cause and effect governing our lives. The wheel of rebirth commonly comes into play. Good karma results fromfollowing one's dharma bad comes from no following that (in Hinduism). The law of karma in this view operates blindly, impersonally, and automatically. It is a moral law. In addition to naturalistic views there are also theistic ones that say some superhuman divine agent oversees thelaw of karma by linking he actions in one life with those in another.Eschatology - refers to the ideas about the last things. (When good people will be rewarded and evil will be punished, the end of the era).=Theodicy of participation - deals with evil suffering and misfortune but relativizing such events. It reassures us that in the grand scheme of things our individual suffering is of little significance.Dualistic theodicy - face the problem of explaining head-on by claiming that some sort of superhuman force is responsible for evil.Judaism:Mount Sinai – a Holy mountain for the Jewish because it is the mountain where Moses received a series of moral and ritual obligations to the people of Israel.Sabbath – a day for prayer and public assembly.Synagogue – the house of worship and community meeting. Comes from the Greek meaning ‘assembly” or “gathering.”Pentateuch – the first five books of Moses or the Hebrew bible, which make up the
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