Transcript Slide 1

World Religions
Review
Polytheism
• The world’s most ancient belief
system
• Animism – nature
• Can also be a collection of defined
gods/goddesses
• Belief in divine forces that are
manifest in nature
• Many ancient societies were
polytheistic: Greece, Rome, Egypt,
Mesopotamia, India, Americas, and
African animism
Hinduism
• Originated in India and is the
religion of the majority
• World’s oldest organized religion
• Polytheistic and an overarching
deity
• Ancient scriptures: Rig Vedas (tell
of multiple gods/goddesses)
Development
• Developed gradually over
centuries (no “founder” or central
figure – this makes it different
from all other major religions)
• Its origins lie in the Vedic and
Epic Ages as the Aryan religion
gained greater sophistication
• Fluid religion
Fundamental Tenets
• Can be used to encourage
economic, political, or social goals
• Key = many paths. Its “openness”
to many gods allows it to be
perceived as more tolerant and
may win converts for that reason
(for example, Greeks who were
stationed there after Alexander the
Great)
• The basic holy essence is called
Brahma
• Priestly caste is the Brahman
Fundamental Tenets
• There are ceremonies attached,
but there is also an emphasis on
mystical ideas that seek out the
divine soul (gurus)
• Belief in reincarnation – every
living thing participates in the
divine essence and should seek
union. When union occurs,
suffering ceases
• Divine essence is seen in several
key deities: Shiva and Vishnu
Fundamental Tenets
• There is an emphasis on prayer
for aid in reincarnation
• There are epic poems that
illustrate the principles and urge
people to pursue “dharma” – moral
law that places consequences for
our actions
• Be honorable, but it also allows for
pleasure, aggressive merchants,
warriors (upholds caste system)
Spread of Hinduism
• Across India
• At least briefly to other parts
of Asia because it was seen
as “tolerant”
• Provided satisfying rules for
living morally
Hinduism and Gender
• Heavily influenced gender structures –girls were
excluded from studying sacred texts
• Some Hindu texts indicate a woman cannot reach
the final stage of bliss until she has been reborn as
a man
• However, women do have some power – there are
strong Hindu goddesses
• Woman perform rituals on their own or with their
husbands and were often participants in devotional
activities
• Hindu stories stressed devotion to men, but also
praised women
• Family life and procreation were part of one’s
religions duties
• Sati
Hinduism and Social Structure
• Caste system was tied to religion
• Reinforced the caste system while
giving people hope for a future life
Symbols
Lotus Flower – roots in
the mud, but blooms
above the water, like a
person seeking release
Dancing Shiva
Aum – both
a symbol &
sound
Judaism
• World’s oldest
monotheistic religion
• Both a faith and an
ethnic identity
Development
• Abraham and his wife Sarah leave
Mesopotamia for Israel
• Earliest Jews were pastoralists
• See some examples of diffusion
between Mesopotamia and the Jewish
kingdom: lex talonis (eye for an eye –
Hammurabi), both have a flood story
• Moses – led the people from Egypt
• Empire became a monarchy, but
struggled with powerful Mesopotamian
and Persian kingdoms
Fundamental Tenets
• Firm belief in monotheism – Jehovah
• Jehovah guides the destinies of the
Jewish people (a special people) – he
is personally involved in the lives of
his people
• Stresses a special compact between
Jehovah and the Jews
• Hebrew Bible – 10 Commandments
& The Torah
Fundamental Tenets
• Emphasis on Jehovah’s justice and
expectations for human behavior
(as opposed to others in the region
that suggested gods were whimsical
or capricious)
• Strong moral code to live by that
focused on justice
• Way of life, not only a set of rituals
• Importance of the temple – not a
ziggurat (The Western Wall)
Spread of Judaism
• No strong emphasis on converting
other people because of the belief
in a special covenant between
Jehovah and his people
• This kept them in a minority in the
Middle East
• Did spread via trade diffusion to
Axum (Ethiopia)
• Diaspora
Judaism and Gender
• Since they are monotheistic, there
are no female goddesses
• There were prominent women in
early Judaism (Sarah)
• No women priestesses
• Patriarchy was reflected in their
moral laws – authority of husband
• Moses’ code provides for the
protection of widows
Judaism and Social Structure
• There were poor classes and
slaves, but the law said they
must be taken care of
Symbols
Star of David – represents
the interaction of the
divine with the human
Menorah – one of the
oldest symbols of
Judaism
Four letters that
make up the word
Yahweh (Jehovah)
Confucianism
• Critical concept is the proper
understanding or relationships
• Founder is Kung Fuzi, aka
Confucius
• More of a philosophy that a
religion
• Can be combined with other
religious ideas (Buddhism)
Development
• Confucius life was devoted to
reading, traveling, and preaching
• He believed in a divine order, but
refused to speculate on it
• This reflects that fact that ancient
China values were predominantly
secular, rather than religious like
most others at the time
• He saw himself as a spokesmen for
the great days of China before the
Zhou declined
Fundamental Tenets
• Confucius emphasized political virtue
and good government
• People should emphasize personal
virtue and should reverence tradition
(this would create a solid political life)
• Stressed respect for one’s superiors,
but also argued that a leader has a
responsibility to behave appropriately
• Leaders should be modest, love
wisdom and venerate tradition and
ritual – this will create sound
government
Fundamental Tenets
• Confucianism is primarily a system of
ethics
• Emphasizes loyalty to the group
• The Analects are the collection of
writings and he believed in making
education available
• The levels of relationships were
interrelated – a person could not be a
good leader if they were not a good son
and showed respect to their father
Spread of Confucianism
• Some were not inclined to accept it
because it failed to deal with spiritual
issues
• Mostly appealed to the upper classes,
although it did spread to some in the
lower classes. However, most of the
peasants were still
polytheistic/worshipped ancestors.
Gradually the values of Confucianism
diffused throughout the classes
• Spread to Japan via diffusion
• Ideas were initially spread by his
disciple Mencius
Confucianism and Gender
• Fathers and husbands were the
head of the family within
Confucianism
• Emphasized a strict hierarchy that
was made even stricter with the
introduction of Neoconfuciansim in
the Ming
• Stressed the 3 Obediences –
Father, husband, and son when
she was widowed
Confucianism and
Social Structure
• Determined by a proper
understanding of relationships
• Loyalty is called upon
• Be obedient to those above you
• The creed of Confucianism was
most accepted by the upper class
who had the time and resources
to pursue and education and who
benefited from the system
Symbols
Shou
Trigram
Pa-Pao
Daoism
• A more religious philosophy
in ancient China than
Confucianism
Development
• Teachings of Laozi (aka Lao-tsu)
• In their work with nature, they were
probably the first to discover
explosives – gunpowder and
firework would be future uses
Fundamental Tenets
• Emphasis on harmony with nature
• Emphasized the mystery of nature
• All of nature contains a divine
impulse that directs all life
• True understanding comes from
withdrawing from the world and
contemplating this life force
• This life force is called the Dao (Tao)
– it means “the way of nature”
Fundamental Tenets
• Did have a set of rituals as well as a
set of ethics
• Be humble and live frugally
• Would later be influenced and even
align with Buddhism after the
collapse of the Han
• Was relatively compatible with
Confucianism, so little was done to
limit it
Spread of Daoism
• Diffusion within China
• Some spread to Japan
Daoism and Gender
• Did talk more than Confucianism
about the compatibility and position
of women, but it did support a
patriarchal system in which women
were to be subordinate and
obedient
Daoism and Social Structure
• First appealed mostly to the upper
class who were interested in
spiritual affairs
Symbols
Yin and Yang – idealized
balanced forces
(moon/sun, women/men,
cold/hot, etc…
Symbol for the Dao
Buddhism
• Is an outgrowth of Hinduism
• Siddhartha Gautama became
the person known as the
Buddha – “enlightened one”
• Did not become the dominant
religion in any region, instead
it functions together with
other religions
Development
• The Buddha questioned the
fairness of the earthly life that many
seemed forced to endure because
of the caste system – he was
actually born to a wealthy family
• Once he had fasted, studied, etc…
he felt he had found the truth and
began traveling and gathering
disciples
Fundamental Tenets
• Kept many of the fundamental truths
about Hinduism, like reincarnation
• Denied other ideas in Hinduism like
the caste system
• The world is warped because people
have desire
• Eliminate desire and you eliminate
pain and can achieve enlightenment
and be freed from the cycle of
reincarnation
Fundamental Tenets
• Nirvana is the state one achieves
once they have broken the cycle
• Live a holy life
• Don’t really need rituals and denied
the necessity of priests (an attack
on Indian social system)
• The Buddha gradually came to be
seen as divine
• There is an emphasis on living a
holy life on earth
Fundamental Tenets
• The religion did evolve some –
an emphasis on prayers and the
belief that some who died
remained close in order to
intervene
• Some came to see Buddha as
divine
Spread of Buddhism
• It spread and was coherent
because of the works of monks
who preached
• Initially gained many followers in
India, including the conversion of
the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, but
is was strongly opposed by the
Brahmans
Spread of Buddhism
• Did not gain a large following in India
• Spread to China, Sri Lanka, Korea,
Japan
• Had a meaningful impact in China after
the collapse of the Han, but did not
result in the elimination of other
religions
• East Asian Buddhism (China and
Japan) spurred new art (statues and
pagoda style)
• Used Silk Roads to move towards Asia
Buddhism and Gender
• Men and women both have souls
and can actively participate
• In China – it should have disputed
patriarchy, but it didn’t – it actually
reinforced it – ex: “husband
supports wife” was changed to
“husband controls wife” – a mixture
with Confucianism (syncretism)
• It did allow her to participate, but it
did not free women from patriarchy
Buddhism and Social
Structure
• Rejected the class explanation of
Hinduism
• Some in China disliked it,
because they thought it would
interfere with Confucianism and
loyalty by the peasant to the
emperor
Symbols (8)
Conch
Shell
The
Treasure
Vase
Wheel
Lotus
Endless
Knot
Parasol
Victory
Banner
Golden Fishes
The Stupa
• Represent the enlightened mind of
Buddha
• It represents enlightened understanding
and offerings
• Usually contains a holy tree and relics of
teachers
• Supposed to be shaped like the body of
the Buddha
Christianity
• One of the two largest
faiths in the world
• Is “exclusive” in that it
teaches it is the only
way (as opposed to
“inclusive religions” that
say there are many
ways)
Development
• Originated within Judaism
• Spread throughout the Roman
Empire – persecution until
Constantine (sometimes cited as
one thing that weakened Roman
Empire)
• Split in 1054 and after 1517
• Placed more emphasis on
organization and hierarchy (RCC,
Pope, etc…) than other faiths
Fundamental Tenets
• Jesus Christ was the Messiah that
the Jews has been looking for
• He taught that he was divine and
was the Savior
• Crucifixion and Resurrection
• Jesus or his disciples did not initially
seem intent on starting a new
religion, but they were alienated
from Judaism
Fundamental Tenets
• Teaches monotheism, but explains it
in terms of the Trinity – God, Jesus,
Holy Spirit
• The Bible (including the Jewish
Torah) is the Holy Book
• Teaches the Second Coming and
Judgment, but also salvation
• Baptism and Communion (other
sacraments)
Fundamental Tenets
• Development of monasteries
(Benedict) for study (and keepers
of knowledge during the Dark
Ages)
Spread of Christianity
• Moved westward from the Middle
East into Europe
• Used the construction of Roman
Roads to facilitate spread (compare
to Buddhism using Silk Roads)
• People within the Roman Empire
were open and they were drawn to
the teaching of purity and simplicity
and the large nature of the Empire
made it possible for the religion to
really spread
Spread of Christianity
• Huge emphasis on missionary
activity and converts (even more
than Buddhism)
• Also spread to Persia and Africa –
Egypt (Coptics) and Ethiopia (also
had a Jewish tradition)
• Paul was an important missionary
who wrote a lot of the New
Testament
Spread of Christianity
• When Constantine converted, only
about 10% of the empire were
Christians. Church/State struggles
occurred within the Byzantine
Empire – then became official
Christianity and Gender
• Special appeal for women
• Equal importance for men’s and
women’s souls
• Did not teach social equality,
though
• Encouraged men and women to
worship together (unlike many
other religions)
• Nuns
• Reformation
Christianity and Society
• Did face challenges “heresy” –
nature of God – early Church
writers like Augustine addressed
this
• They did incorporate traditions
(winter solstice) – another
example of syncretism
• Accepted the state, but did not put
it first
Christianity Social Class
• Was not merely an elite religion
• Did play a political role
• Popular message of salvation was
especially appealing to the poor
• Did provide some unity where no
existed (sort of like Hinduism)
• Provided equality among different
social groups
• Worked against slavery, although they
did not outlaw it
Symbols
Crosses
The Trinity
Agnus Dei
Icthus
Alpha and Omega
Anchor
Dove
Islam
• The latest appearing of the
world’s major religions
• 7th century (only new
religion in the second time
period)
Development
• Origination of the religion is
centered around the life of
Mohammed
• Received revelations in the deserts
outside Mecca (Kabba was in
Mecca)
• Had to flee because of persecution
– the hijra to Medina
• Returned with followers and
conquered Mecca
Development
• Tied to religion and politics
together
• Early converts were from local
Bedouin tribes and villages
(similar to early Christianity which
focused on local Jewish
converts)
Fundamental Tenets
• Monotheism with no intermediaries
– no saints, angels were merely
messengers
• Recognized others as prophets –
Abraham, Moses, Jesus (not divine)
• Said that Mohammed was the last
prophet
• No priests in the way that Judaism
or Christianity had them
Fundamental Tenets
• Provided an ethical system
• Did develop a large body of laws
to help people prepare for
eternity
• 5 pillars – Confession of faith,
prayer, fast, zakat (charity), haij
to Mecca
Spread of Islam
• The unity that resulted set in motion a
strong movement of conquest that took
the religion with them (but did not force
conversions – it was motivated by unity,
desire to release Bedouin energy,
etc…as well as religion)
• Didn’t force conversion b/c then they
would have to share the riches and not
collect the tax
• Did practice relative tolerance as they
spread (pay a tax if you don’t convert);
Cordoba
Spread of Islam
• Had a special place for “people of the
book” (called the dhimmi, who paid the
jizya tax)
• Spread throughout northern Africa –
trade, conquest
• South Asia (India) – some conflicts
(caste system vs. equality) &
monotheism vs. polytheism). Spread
through a variety of ways: traders, Sufi
mystics, warriors, pastoralists. Religion
diffused into India and Indian science
and tech (algebra, numbers, medicine,
etc…) diffused into the Islamic empire.
Later turned to Muslim conquest.
Spread of Islam
• Merchants (Silk Roads, Indian Ocean
and others) helped spread into India and
beyond – favorable trading
arrangements
• Sufi mystics
• Spread to Southeast Asia – trade
contacts (Indonesia, Sumatra, Malaysia)
–the rapid spread shows people were
receptive. Slower progress in Java and
Bali which was Hindu was almost
unreachable)
Islam and Gender
• Taught equality before Allah
• Early on, women’s position was good –
probably better than other Middle
Eastern women
• Mohammed emphasized marriage
bonds and the value of family. He
forbade infanticide and adultery and
forbade polygamy if the husband
couldn’t support all wives equally
• Supported legal rights for women
Islam and Gender
• Couldn’t lead prayers, but were
actively involved
• Position of women worsened in
later caliphates, especially the
Abassid
• Veiling and seclusion (Persia)
• Harem (Turks)
• Rich women were allowed
essentially no public role
Islam and Social Structure
• Gave them a unity because the
faith belonged to no single tribe or
village
• Helped end feuds from between
the various groups – the umma –
the community went beyond tribal
boundaries and opened up the
possibility of political unity (single
source of authority)
Islam and Social Structure
• Dignity of all believers
• All were equal in Allah’s eyes
• Responsibility of those who can to
take care of the poor, weak and
infirmed (payment of the zakat was
a charity tax)
• Rich couldn’t charge high interest
on loans
• Shouldn’t enslave fellow Muslims
Symbols
Limited symbols due to
the prohibition of
images
Kabba
Dome of the Rock
Crescent moon – not a
religious symbol – it’s
political