Transcript Global Studies I World Religions

Global Studies
Mrs. Patricia Rohling
St. John the Baptist DHS
World Religions
Religion
is any specific system of belief about
a deity, often involving rituals, a code
of ethics, and a philosophy of life.
Religion helps to answer
questions such as
Why am I here?
What is the purpose of existence?
What happens after death?
Religions can be
Polytheistic
- Belief in many gods
Monotheistic
- Belief in one god
Animism
- is the oldest known type of belief system
- began in different regions around the same
time - no founder
-Today, it is practiced world-wide, but is
most common in Africa and the Americas.
-Most traditional cultures that
practice Animism also have an oral
tradition of story-telling, rather than
a developed writing system.
Therefore, there are no formal
sacred texts
- rituals or worship tend to take
place outdoors in nature led by a
Shaman, Medicine Man, or
Medicine Woman
- practice nature worship - They
believe that everything in the
universe has a spirit
- also believe that ancestors watch
over the living from the spirit world.
- This belief resulted in ancestor
worship as a means of
communicating with and showing
respect to ancestors.
Shintoism
- means the “way of the gods”
- established in Japan around 500 BC
- no real founder – it
- evolved from a mixture of tribal
religions with similar beliefs.
- many consider Shinto to be a form of
Animism due to the many similarities
found between them.
- no sacred texts - or body of religious
law
- characterized by the worship of kami
(spirits found in all living and non-living
things)
kami were thought to control the
powerful forces of nature
- followers tried to win the favor of kami
through prayer and offerings
- it helped to unite all of Japan
- found today in Japanese places of
unusual natural beauty or interest
Traditionally, the Emperor of Japan
was considered to be a direct
descendant of the Sun Goddess who
created the Japanese islands.
Therefore, the Emperor was considered
divine by the people who practiced
Shinto
• Places of Worship: Shinto shrines
are usually dedicated near sites of
impressive natural beauty (e.g.,
mountains, lakes, etc.), or of
historical importance to Japan.
• The entrance to these shrines is
usually indicated by the presence of
a red gateway called a torri.
Hinduism
Hinduism
- began in India around 1500 B.C.
- no single founder
- believe in one unifying spirit, Brahman,
who is too complicated for humans to
understand.
- worship many gods that give a more
concrete form to Brahman
Three important Hindu gods are:
• Brahman the Creator
• Vishnu - the Preserver
• Shiva the Destroyer
The Hindu goal of life is to achieve
union with Brahman (mosku). This
usually cannot be accomplished in one
life-time.
Hindus believe in reincarnation or the rebirth of the soul in a new
body after death.
• This belief allows people to
continue on their journey
toward union with Brahman.
People get closer to this union
by being born into higher and
higher levels of existence
called castes.
In each lifetime, a person can
come closer to union with
Brahman by obeying the law of
karma
Karma - consists of all the deeds of a
person’s life that affect existence in
the next life
By living in a right way, a person will
be reborn into a higher level (caste).
Evil deeds cause people to be born
into a lower level or caste.
Good deeds involve following
dharma, the moral and religious duties
that are expected of an individual.
A person’s gender, class, age, and
occupation all affect his or her
dharma.
“Individuals must do their dharma
(duties) to get good karma and move
up in caste in their next life.”
Hindu Caste System
Castes are social groups into which
people are born and out of which they
cannot move during their lifetime. A
person may, by acquiring good karma,
be born into a higher caste in the next
life.
Street sweepers in Bombay, India. This
type of work is considered “polluting”
and is performed by the “out of caste”
September, 2001
The caste system and caste identity still
play a major role in Indian society.
Blue is traditionally a color of the
Brahmins, the highest of the castes.
The caste
system limits
social mobility
for believers!
Unlike American society,
individuals may not move up in
social class though hard work,
education, or luck during their
lifetimes. Hindus are expected to
do the dharma of only their caste.
“it is better to do one’s dharma
poorly than to perform the duties of
another well”
Ganges River
- is very sacred to the Hindus. Those
who go into the river are said to be
ridden of all their sins and attain
immortality
Along the Ganges are special
platforms called ghats, which have
steps which allow the pilgrims to
get to the river. The ghats are also
used to cremate the bodies of
people who have died.
Sacred Text of Hinduism
Over several thousand years, Hindu
teachings were developed and recorded in
a number of sacred texts (holy books).
These include the
-Vedas a collection of prayers and sacred
verses
- Upanishads philosophical writings about
Hindu beliefs
Buddhism
-developed in India but spread to other
areas especially China about 500 B.C.
- founded by Siddhartha Gautama a
Hindu prince who left his wealthy
home to search for the meaning of
human suffering.
- while mediating he found the answers
to his question and became known as
the Buddha or the Enlightened One
Buddha developed his religious
philosophy and outlined his main ideas
in in The Four Noble Truths
First: all people suffer
Second: suffering is caused by desire
that blinds one to the cycle of rebirth
Third: to end suffering, end desire
Fourth: to end desire follow the
Eight Fold Path
The Eight Fold Path
1 know the truth-the cause of suffering
2 be selfless and love all life
3 say nothing to hurt others
4 respect life
5 work for the good of others
6 free your mind of evil
7 control your thoughts
8 meditation
By avoiding extremes and following the
Eight Fold Path, Buddhists believe that
they can attain nirvana, a state of
freedom from the cycle of rebirth. In
Nirvana, a person would be in a state of
union with the universe
Buddha rejected the caste system
Buddhist sacred text is the Tripitaka
or “three Baskets of Truth”- a
collection of Buddha’s sacred
teaching written after his death. It
contains rules for monks, sermons,
and discussions of Buddhist beliefs.
Places of Worship-Buddhism may be
practiced individually, but temples
and monasteries do exist.
Significant Religious People
-The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the
Tibetan sect of Buddhism, and is considered
to be the reincarnation of the bodhisattva, or
"buddha-to-be." Buddhist monks can be
identified by their traditional orange robes
The rise of Buddhism led to a
flowering of architecture and the arts.
Monks built stupas or large stone
mounds over the bones of Buddhist
holy people. Stupas were known for
their elaborately carved stone railings
and gateways. Paintings and statues of
the Buddha adorned these shrines.
Confucianism
Confucius, born in 551 B.C. was
China’s mot influential thinker. His
teachings were collected in The
Analects (sacred text) and taught his
followers that people had to accept
their place in society. These places
were expressed in five relationships.
Five Relationships
- ruler to people
- father to son
- elder brother to younger brother
- husband to wife
- friend to friend
[With the exception of friend to friend all the relationships were unequal]
Confucius believed
- people are naturally good
- education should be the road to
advancement
- to ensure social order, individuals
must find and accept their place in
society.
Confucius believed that children
should practice Filial Piety
Confucianism will affect the
development of China because
citizens will obey the government and
be content with their place in society
Taoism
aka
Daoism
Taoism is a Chinese philosophy founded
by Laozi in the 6th century B.C.
Laozi taught people to contemplate the
Tao [meaning “the way”]
Taoists believe in yielding and
acceptance.
Followers rejected the world and human
government - many live as hermits
Taoists also believe in a balance
between Yin an Yang The Yin
stands for Earth, darkness, and
female forces. The Yang stands for
Heaven, light, and male forces. The
peace and well-being of the universe
depend on harmony between yin and
yang.
Two works contain the beliefs of
Taoism
- The Way of Virtue by Laozi
- Zhuang-zi written in the 3rd
century B.C.[it contains fables,
sayings, and dialogues]
Judaism
The Hebrews were one of the nomadic
groups who lived in Palestine.
According to Hebrew tradition, the
Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt and
God helped them to escape this slavery.
They were led by the prophet Moses
through the desert. In return for their
loyalty to God, the Jews were promised
the land of Canaan.
By about 1000 B.C., the Hebrews
had set up the kingdom of Israel
with Jerusalem as its capital.
They believed that God had
promised them this land. Over time,
Hebrew beliefs evolved into the
religion known as Judaism.
Judaism was the first organized
religion to teach monotheism.
Jews believe that God had made a
Covenant with them through the
prophet Abraham - God was their
special protector and was all
knowing, all powerful, and present
everywhere
The sacred text of Judaism is the
Torah. The Torah sets down many
laws that form the moral basis for
Judaism. [the Torah is the first five
books of the Old Testament]
Jews also believe that God gave
Moses the Ten Commandments which are laws that deal with man’s
relationship to God and each other.
In A.D. 135, Jerusalem was under the
control of the Roman Empire. Some
Jews revolted against this rule and
tried to create an independent state.
The rebellion was crushed and the
Jews were driven from the region and
forbidden to return. This scattering of
Jews was known as the Diaspora.
Judaism has had a strong influence
on two other world religions:
Christianity and Islam.
Christianity
Christianity began in Palestine with
the teachings of a Jew named Jesus
in about A.D. 30. Beginning with a
small group of followers,
Christianity grew and spread to
become the official religion of the
Roman Empire by A.D. 392.
According to Christian tradition, Jesus’
mother, Mary, had been told before his
birth that Jesus was to be the Messiah
(savior sent by God). Jesus grew up as
a Jew - when he was about 30, he
began to travel and preach. Many
Jews and Romans were concerned that
he was dangerous. Jesus was arrested,
tried and executed.
His followers claimed that Jesus had
risen from the dead, and worked to
spread his teachings.
These teachings were rooted in Jewish
tradition. Jesus accepted the Ten
Commandments but also preached new
ideas. His followers believe that Jesus
is the son of God. Jesus’ mission was to
bring salvation and eternal life to
anyone who would follow his teaching
Jesus’ teachings included mercy and
sympathy for the poor and helpless.
He also taught the brotherhood and
equality of people before God. These
teachings would appeal to the poor who
believed that they would be rewarded in
heaven for their earthly sufferings.