...Course Topics & Objectives Week One: The Religious Response • Recognize ways in which organized religion influences people’s lives. • Define common terms related to the study of religion. Week Two: Indigenous Sacred Ways • Describe the importance of relationships to indigenous religions. • Identify examples of roles and observances held sacred by indigenous peoples. Week Three: Hinduism • Describe the Hindu philosophical systems and forms of worship. • Explain the origins of Hinduism. Week Four: Buddhism • Explain the origins of Buddhism. • Describe Buddhism’s theological foundations and spiritual practices. Week Five: Daoism, Confucianism, and Judaism • Compare and contrast the theological foundations and spiritual practices of Daoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. • Explain the origins of Judaism. • Describe Judaism’s theological foundations and spiritual practices. Week Six: Christianity and Islam • Explain the origins of Christianity. • Explain the origins of Islam. Week Seven: Monotheistic Religions • Compare and contrast the theological foundations and spiritual practices of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Week Eight: New Religious Movements & Religion in the 21st Century • Compare and contrast new religious movements with well established religions. • Estimate the impact of religious pluralism and the interfaith movement on the future of organized religion. Week Nine: Making Connections • Communicate with people of...
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... Write a 1- to 2-paragraph response for each of the following. 1. Describe the three major sections of the Jewish bible. Include its estimated date of being written and what is contained in each section. 2. Describe the major similarities and differences between the four branches of Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist). How are these four groups distinct from one another? Denominations of Judaism: Jewish movements, often referred to as denominations, branches or sects of Judaism, differ from each other in some beliefs and thus in the way they observe Judaism. Differences between Jewish movements, in contrast to differences between Christian denominations, derive from interpreting Jewish scriptures in more progressive/liberal or more traditional/conservative ways rather then from theological differences. 1. Orthodox Judaism: Orthodox Jews believe that God gave Moses the whole Torah (Written and Oral) at Mount Sinai. Orthodox Jews believe that the Torah contains 613 mitzvot (commandments) that are binding upon Jews. Modern Orthodox Jews strictly observe halakhah (Jewish Law), but still integrate into modern society. Ultra-Orthodox Jews, which includes Chasidic Jews, strictly observe Jewish laws and do not integrate into modern society by dressing distinctively and living separately. 2. Conservative Judaism: Conservative Judaism maintains that...
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...Western Religions One of the ways to understand people of a diverse society is to understand their religious beliefs and practices. In the western world there are three major religions. These religions are Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Each of these religions is monotheistic and is practiced by more than half the people in the world. Monotheistic religion is the belief in one God. Although Judaism, Christianity and Islam religious practices are each monotheistic, some of the religious traditions are different. Judaism believes there is one God who cannot be made up of parts; Islam embraces an immaterial, invisible God, one to be intensely feared in His omnipotence; Christians hold fast to the trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The differences mentioned are but a few of the differences between the three religions that could very well be reasons for some of the struggles believers faced during the early biblical days. To better the religious traditions of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, one must study the early traditions and struggles of each religion. The writers of this paper will discuss the similarities, differences, theological and historical connections between the three religions. Historical Connections Judaism is historically connected to Christianity through Jesus and the Old Testament. Jesus is considered the Messiah in Christianity and the Son of God. Jesus was actually born and raised Jewish in ancient Palestine. His birth...
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...following. 1. Describe the three major sections of the Jewish bible. Include what is contained in each section and the significance of each. As a whole the Hebrew bible is 24 books and those are divided into 3 sections; the Torah, Nevi’im and the Ketuvim. The first book the Torah is also called the Pentateuch. It contains all the rules and instructions as they were given to Moses. The five books of Moses are; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The second book, Nevi’im is a collection of the Former Prophets. Here you will find stories and their teachings about the return of Israel to God. The last book, Ketuvim, contains poetry, theology and drama. The Hebrew Bible is thought of by Christians as the Old Testament. This is because all of the teachings found in it are before Jesus Christ. You can find the prophecy of Jesus’ birth in Isaiah 7:14 2. Describe the major similarities and differences between the four branches of Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist). How are these four groups distinct from one another? The similarity between all four is very simple. They are all very proud of their faith and view it not only as religion but as a life style that they identify themselves as Jewish before anything else. Each one does have strong values and want to better their religion. The differences seem to be more in where they interact with the world outside their communities. In Orthodox Judaism, you will find the...
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...Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world, before Judaism was born, there were pagan religions. Judaism was created by Abraham whereas every other contemporary of Abraham understood that there were days and nights, stars and sky, the ocean and the land, and they also believed that each were an individual entity. Abraham and God a covenant and God chose the Jewish people to be His people. Abraham was the first to establish Judaism as "religion of the deed, not the religion of the creed. I decided to do this interview on is Judaism. I have always been interested in this religion and was ready to learn more about Judaism and Jewish people beliefs. The temple that where I visit is called Temple B'Nai Israel, spoke to the rabbi of the temple. The religion was maintained despite severe persecutions in many nations. Judaism practices for over six thousand years. According to Simani, the Torah, which is the five books of Moses, in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” This day stated is the Shabbat. It is observed as the day of rest because God rested from creation”. As an example of how the traditions are founded and practiced many events that are continued are stories from both the oral and written Torah. The written Torah is Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Each book has extensive histories of the Jewish people and is the documentation of this history. The first book is also known as the Breshit. This book describes the creation, Adam...
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...logged into the student website to view this document. Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Molloy, M. (2010). Experiencing the world’s religions: Tradition, challenge, and change (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. All electronic materials are available on the student website. Week One: The Nature of Religion Details Objectives 1.1 Describe the common elements of religion. 1.2 Identify issues in the study of religion. 1.3 Describe the sacred in indigenous traditions. Reading Read Ch. 1 of Experiencing the World’s Religions. Reading Read Ch. 2 of Experiencing the World’s Religions. Reading Read the Contemporary Paganism: Wicca and Druidism section in Ch. 11 of Experiencing the World’s Religions. Reading Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. Nongraded Actvitiy Post a personal bio in the chat room on OLS. Introduce yourself to our class as a response to the thread begun by the facilitator....
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...Judaism is a monotheistic religion of the Jews and it is the oldest religion in the world. Judaism began about 4000 years ago in the Middle East. Judaism became about with the relationship between God and Abraham. Abraham is the father of Judaism and he brought about the central idea of the belief of Judaism. Judaism has many beliefs but they have some main beliefs. The main beliefs of Judaism are the Ten Commandments, the Thirteen Principles of Faith, Human Nature. God promised Abraham and his wife Sarah that he would have kids as plentiful as the stars in the sky and they would live on their own land which is called the Promise Land. God’s promise did become true. Abraham had a son named Isaac and Jacob who were called the Israelites. God...
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... |HUM/130 Version 6 | | |Religions of the World | Copyright © 2009, 2007, 2006 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course studies the major religions of the world. Topical areas include Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Indigenous Cultures, Islam, Judaism, and Taoism. Students will be objectively studying the origins and major figures and comparing and contrasting each of the major religions. During this course each student will visit a religious site and interview a person of an unfamiliar faith. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view...
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...| Course Design Guide College of Humanities HUM/130 Version 5 Religions of the World | Copyright © 2009, 2007, 2006 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course studies the major religions of the world. Topical areas include Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Indigenous Cultures, Islam, Judaism, and Taoism. Students will be objectively studying the origins and major figures and comparing and contrasting each of the major religions. During this course each student will visit a religious site and interview a person of an unfamiliar faith. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Note: All assignments (not discussions) must be submitted along with a Certificate of Originality (COO). The COO is in the Course Materials and is an Attachment to the COO post in the Main section. Course Materials Fisher, M. P. (2005). Living religions (6th ed...
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...in the gentle breeze. Today was the day, he thought as he walked on the soft ground. Jews suffered for a big part of history, religion was a part of it. That event was called the Holocaust and it took place around World War II. A jew’s religion shows understanding and empathy for what took place during the Holocaust. For starters, most people don’t know a lot about jews and their religion. All Jewish religion is referred to as Judaism. An encyclopedia states that, “Jews believe in one god and the teachings of the Hebrew Bible” (“Judaism”). Some of their everyday language is spoken in Hebrew and some jews speak in other languages or live in different places. There are also some jews who are non-religious and who are called jews because of their ancestry. Also, they can study the Torah and the commandments. The Torah is the written law, it is also known as Pentateuch....
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...Contemporary Issues in Western Religions Religious beliefs have been the center of many conflicts across the entire world since the beginning of time. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism the major monotheist religious traditions have been at the heart of many of those religious conflicts. Historical connections and theological similarities are prevalent between the three. In parallel to the similarities exists the contemporary struggles affecting these western religious traditions. From the internal struggles within Christianity such as abortion, to its struggles with Islam and Muslim extremists, finally to the contempt against Christianity from actions of the Holocaust, each tradition faces contemporary struggles within their own right. Gaining a better understanding and insight into the historical, theological, and contemporary struggles between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism will enhance appreciation for each belief. Historical Connections and Theological Similarities: One main pillar of similar theology between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism is the belief in one god. However, each has different perspectives in relation to God. For example, Christians believe in [pic]the Trinity[pic] of [pic]God; God the Father, the Son (Jesus[pic] Christ), [pic]and the Holy Spirit[pic] ("Judaism, Islam, Christianity-Comparison", 2002-2011). Also Christians consider Jesus [pic]the son of God, born to the Virgin Mary, and[pic] had [pic]come to earth to offer redemption for...
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...PASSOVER (PESACH) JEWISH HOLY DAY Passover (Pesach) Jewish Holy Day Tamara REL/134 November 5, 2013 William Sunday Abstract This research paper summarizes the three main branches of Judaism; Orthodox, Conservative, and Reconstructionist (Liberal) Judaism, and how the Jewish Holy Day Passover (Pesach) is observed. The paper displays the time of the year of the holy day, its origin, and the religious practices that were associated. The study also describes the aftermath of the Reform movement, including the derivatives of the traditional beliefs that were reproduced. This study also confirmed the separation of men and women in the three different traditions and beliefs of Judaism leading to differences with the Orthodox towards the Liberals and Conservatives. The Passover (Pesach) Passover is the Jewish holiday commonly known to Jews as Pesach. This holiday is an eight-day celebration to commemorate the deliverance of the Israelites from the rule of Pharaoh in ancient Egypt. The first two days and last two days of Pesach are recognized as being major holy days for Jewish believers. The first day represents the first day that the Jews left Egypt. The seventh and eighth days represent the miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea. Pesach occurs in the early spring during the months of March and April from the 15th through the 22nd and is also referred to as the Hebrew month Nissan 15. As believers followed the customs of the Passover or Pesach they also gain the experience...
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...Matisyahu By: Dylan Garrity Harris Teiger Steven Cronley David Fischer Background Growing up in White Plains, New York, Matthew Paul Miller was raised as a Reconstructionist Jew. Reconstructionist Judaism is an American-based Jewish movement that views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization. Miller spent most of his childhood attending Hebrew school at a local synagogue getting to know his religion, however that quickly changed as he became a teenager. His teenage years consisted of rebelling against his upbringing as most adolescents do. However, Miller quickly took the path of drugs and dropped out of high school to follow his favorite band Phish on a national tour (Askmen). According to an article by Jordana Horn, Miller said, “Like a lot of American kids, I was not really interested in Judaism and was around that age of starting to make self-discovery. A few things kind of came together for me”, and after a brief stint in a rehabilitation center he went to discover himself in Oregon (Horn, 2008). After Oregon he began to identify himself as “Matt, the Jewish rapper kid of New York” draping himself with an Israeli flag and singing prayers he remembers from synagogue. Miller soon felt like the “token Jew” and moved himself back to New York where he fell into a depression. He spent many hours alone in his room just writing music and practicing along with instrumental tapes. Through his own solitary journey, Miller became more spiritual and had a strong...
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...different colors, separate beliefs and values that makes the essence of one’s life. Throughout our day to day life it is impossible to not come in contact with someone that does not believe and share the same practice and religion base as you do. There are several different religion but the main three are Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. In the beginning Christianity, Judaism, and Islam was somehow connected, unfortunately due to disobedience what was first one end up becoming three, in which caused different beliefs followed by different gods. Along with these beliefs came may struggles to obtain and carry out the very thing that they were proven to be right, pure and true. The Islamic religion believes that Allah “was the creator and sustainer of life” (Molly, M., 1999, Page 425.) Christianity believes that God is the creator and sustainer of life. Judaism also believes that God is the creator and sustainer of life. All three religion believes there is a higher power. Islam describes Jesus as a prophet as described here, “He encountered angels and the great prophets of the past, including Abraham and Jesus,” (Molly, M., 1999, Page 428) Judaism also describes Jesus as a prophet as well because Jesus, in their opinion, did not save the Jews. They believed that the real Messiah was going to become their military leader on earth and create an Eden in Jerusalem. They had expected the real Messiah to expel the Romans and rule the new world. (Molly, M., 1999, Page 346) Both the Jews...
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...your answers in the gray spaces provided, which will expand as you type. For Section V, type your answer in the white space as you normally would. You may use your textbook to complete this exam. In the essay sections of the exam, you will need to properly cite your source, including page number, if you use a direct quotation. Example: (Fisher, 2005, pg. 207). You may not use other sources, including the Internet, in answering these questions. You may of course bring any knowledge of your own to bear in answering, but if you copy or paraphrase information from any source other than our textbook, you will receive a grade of zero for the entire exam. Section I: Definitions (5 points each, 30 points total) Define these pairs of words immanent and transcendent - Immanent is believing that a sacred being(s) exist within the world and are present among us. Transcendent is the belief that a sacred being(s) exist outside of our world. sacred and profane - Sacred is a connection with God or a religious purpose that deserves veneration. Profane refers to the mundane things that exist in the world. cult and sect - A cult represents a distinct break from other traditions. A sect is a splinter group or a subgroup associated with a larger tradition. theistic and nontheistic - Theistic is a religion that is based on a person’s relationship with a sacred being. Nontheistic is belief in a way that does not include a Divine Being. atheism and agnosticism - Atheism...
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