The appearance of sacred reality in human form is called incarnation
The rare quality of personal magnetism often ascribed to founders of religion is charisma
Those who claim they worship the only true deity are known as exclusivists
The psychologist Carl Jung proposed that the reason there are similarities among symbols in different cultures is because humanity has a collective unconscious from which it draws symbols
Scientific materialism asserts that only the material world exists
The Gaia Theory proposes the earth is a complex, self-regulating organism
The psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud argued that religion is a universal obsessional neurosis
Symbolic stories which communities use to explain the universe and their place within it are known as myth
The word religion probably means to tie back or tie again
The belief that sacred reality is one underlying substance is known as monoism
Approximately how old are shamanic methods estimated to be? 20,000-30,000 years
When indigenous ways were threatened with repression, many of the traditions were practiced in secret
In the eternal "Dream Time" there is no male female differentiation
The religious term that means a model of the origins of the universe is cosmogony
In most native cultures, spiritual ways are shared through rituals of altered consciousness
Some West African groups recognize a great pantheon of deities known as the Orisa
The Dahomey tradition from West Africa was carried to Haiti by thousands of African slaves and called Vodou.
A symbol for the unity that many indigenous cultures use is that of the circle
The Supreme Being for most indigenous peoples is a god who is a Creator
The phrase "Stolen Generation" refers to the policy between 1880 - 1960 which attempted to acculturate Australian aboriginal children
The religious texts often considered to be the foundations of Hinduism are called the Vedas
The Hindu word for religion, which also refers to duty, natural law, social welfare, ethics, health, and transcendental realization, is Dharma
What is the name for a Hindu spiritual teacher? Guru
The belief that the soul leaves the dead body and enters a new one is called reincarnation
Spiritual disciplines designed to clear the mind and increase sattvic qualities are known as Yoga amkhya and Advaita are two major Hindu philosophical systems
Which of the following best represents the overall goal of the Hindu faith? Mokhsa
The Hindu God of Fire is Agni
Which caste do most Hindus aspire to be born into? Brahmins
Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and beauty
Who is Jainism's major teacher? Mahavira
Which of the following best expresses the "triple Gem" of Jainism? Right View, Right Knowledge, and Right Conduct
Which order of ascetic Jain monks is called "white clad" because of the way they dress? Svetambaras
In Jainism, Karma is understood as subtle matter that accumulates and clings to us
Why are all Jains vegetarians? to avoid accumulating Karma
A good example of "Aparigraha" would be not buying that new car you've had your eye on
Which of the following is the best definition of "Ahimsa"? nonviolence

In Jainism, Tirthankaras are thought of as role models

The word Jain derives from this term, meaning "winner over one's passions." Jina

Jainism has no personal savior or Creator God Pure Land Buddhism differs from other forms of Buddhism in that Salvation relies upon the power of Amida Buddha

How does Mahayana Buddhism differ from Theravada Buddhism? Mahayana strives for the liberation of all beings
In Mahayana Buddhism, a being dedicated to attaining enlightenment is called a Bodhisattva
Which of the following is the best translation of "nirvana" extinguishing
The collection of ancient scriptures used by Theravada Buddhists is called the Pali Canon
Vajrayana Buddhism is a form of Buddhism which promises a speeded-up path to enlightenment

Zen Buddhism is said to preserve the Buddha's teachings through which of the following? Mind-to-mind transfer

Buddhist teaching differs from Hindu teaching in that it rejects the idea of an eternal soul

Stories of the Buddha's past lives are known as Jataka tales

Theravada mindfulness meditation techniques are known as Vipassana

When asked to define the essentials of strong government, Confucius stated the only true essential is that people have faith in their rulers
Which one of the time periods below was a spiritual highpoint in many cultures and included the life of the Buddha, the Hebrew prophets, and the birth of Daoism and Confucianism? 6th century BCE
The Confucian virtue ren basically means innate goodness
A major theme of Daoism is harmony with nature
The creative rhythm of the universe is called Dao
The follower of Confucius who added the belief in the goodness of human nature and his focus on the virtue of righteous conduct or yi was Mengzi
Which of the following martial arts is associated with Daoism? Taijiquan
Which of the following was the given name for the individual now known commonly as Confucius? Kong fuzi
Daoism and Confucianism flourished in which country? China
The philosophical basis of Daoism is expounded in which of the following? Dao de jing

Zoroastrianism was named by western scholars after the prophet Zarathushtra
State Shinto promoted the belief that who was the offspring of Amaterasu: the emperor
Which most closely translates the Japanese word kami? Spirits
Amaterasu is Goddess of the sun
The major chronicles of Shinto are written down in two parts: the Kojiki and the Nihongi
An infant of 32-33 days of age is taken by parents to a Shinto shrine for the purpose of initiation of the diety
The earliest Shinto places of worship were probably trees or sacred groves
The Bountiful Immortals of Zoroastrianism are called the Ameshta Spenta
In Shinto, bringing one's life into harmony with nature is called kannagara
Seasonal festivals are reminders to the people that they are descendants of the kami

In the history of Christianity, the year 1054 is important because it was the year in which the Western and Eastern churches excommunicated each other
In Christianity a sacred rite that is thought capable of transmitting the mystery of Christ to worshipers is known as a sacrament
What is the name for the Christian celebration of Jesus' resurrection? Easter
A major seat of Protestantism developed in Geneva under John Calvin
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is best known for fighting apartheid
Reforms within the Roman Catholic Church during the era of the Protestant Reformation were expressed principally in the council of Trent
Evangelicals focus their Christianity on what experience? Being born again
Which of the following Christian denominations is a spirit-oriented movement? Pentecostal
Jesus taught primarily through the use of Parables
The Christian movement advocating concrete political action to help the poor is called liberation theology

The name for God in Islam is Allah
The central practice of Sufism is called Dhikr
Islam traces its ancestry to the patriarch Abraham
Fasting during the month of Ramadan commemorates the first revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad
Abraham and Ishmael built the holiest sanctuary in Islam known as the Ka’bah
The migration of Muslims from Mecca to Medina is known as hijrah
The practice of five daily obligatory prayers is called salaat
Those who reject the early elected caliphs are the shi’ah
The sacred book of Islam is called the Quran
Ayatollah Koheini was a radical Islamic leader who reinterpreted Islam to justify violence