World Religions

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Religion

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Bruce Lincoln, 1 discourse on the transcendent / sacred, 2 practices aimed at a better world (people), community tied to discourse in (1), 4 institution which regulates (1,2, & 3)

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4 parts, discourse, parctices, community, institution.

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Sacred/Holy

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Fenced off, set apart, realm of extraordinary, supernatural

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Doctorine

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Official teachings

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Spirituality

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Inner dimensions of religion, such as experiences, beliefs, and values, given religion can have a variety of spiritualities, can be spiritual without religion.

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Transcendent

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Focus on ultimate reality as beyond

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Immanent

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Focus on ultimate reality as nearby, at hand

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Theology

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Faith seeking understanding, critical reflection on a religious tradition from within its confessional perspective

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Catechesis

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Educational introduction to a religious traditions beliefs, intended for members who are young or new

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Theism

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Belief in a divine being

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Monotheism

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Belief in only one divine being

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Polytheism

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Belief in multiple divine beings or forms of divinity

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Pantheism

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Identifying all of reality as divine.

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Athiesm

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Belief that there is/are no divine beings

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Non theism

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Perceiving ultimate reality without any divine beings.

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Naturalism

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Reality is exhausted by nature; there is nothing supernatural, best way to explain reality is through the scientific method. Marx, Freud, Feuerbach

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Feuerbach

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Projection of perfected human qualities onto imagined diety.

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Marx

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Alternative for unfulfilled temporal longings; also used to control people.

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Freud

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Replaying of loving/fearful relationship with our parents; illusion springing out of our infantile insecurity.

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Pascal's Wager

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Advantages of believing outweigh advantages of not believing.

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Indus Valley Civilization

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2500-1500 BCE, Well developed art and architecture; Developed religious system featuring seeds of doctorine like karma and reincarnation. Religious artwork frequently featured goddess figurines and the buffalo. One piece shows human in possible yoga position. Some other interpretation hold it to be a prototype of shiva, others as a buffalo counterpart to a fertility goddess. Decline in civilization due to increasing aridity of climate.

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Indo-Aryans

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Complex ethnic-linguistic group that eventually gave rise to greek, latin, german, slavic, and Indian cultures and peoples, elements of hinduism. With horses and chariots sub-dued (non warlike) Indus Valley inhabitants with relative ease. More trouble in south. Transitioned from pastoral, nomadic people to agricultural life. Indo-Aryan oral tradition develops in India as they settle down, likely impacted by local setting. Included are hymns, prayers, incantations of priests, which were recorded as vedas.

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Vedas

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Most ancient Hindu scriptures. Traditionally not the work of humans, but revealed directly by God (=shruti texts) to rishis, who passed them on orally. Other shruti texts: Brahmanas (ritual instructions), Aranyakas (forest treaties), upanishads (last, main parts date to about 600-100 BCE

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Devas

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Deities, controlling forces of the cosmos. Vedic theology.

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Brahman

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Behind the multifaceted divinity is one unseen reality, brahman. Vedic theology

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Vedic theology

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Devas, Brahman, worship not centered around temples but out in the open, under the sky. Prayers and sacrifice of ghee, grain, goat, sheep, cow, ox, or horse.

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Brahmanism

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Ancient religion following upon the vedas (succeeded by more varied kinds of hinduism, present)

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Brahman

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The supreme, ineffable divine power. In early vedic setting, refers more to immediate power of prayer. Eventually comes to refer to power behind all of reality.

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Brahma

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A Hindu deva, the creator god

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Brahmin

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Priest who represents the central sacred petition; prayer doesn't signify some external diety, but in uttering the prayer, "the sacred reality actualized itself in the brahmin's throat"

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Brahmin's (Brahamans)

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Priest, gradually came to occupy increasing power. At times, even considered more powerful than the gods since the priest could invoke them and shape events compulsively (magic)

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Kshatriyas

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Ruling class

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Vaisyas

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Common people

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Shudras

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Servants

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Dalits

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Untouchables

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Upanishads

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An appendage to the vedas, = vedanta (originally this term refers to the upanishads, later to groups of various Hindu philosophical systems) domination of brahmanism ritual and philosophy.

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Bhakti path

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Devotion to personal diety, came to prominence around 600 ce, displaced priestly and philosophical status quo. Allowed all classes to participate. Currently center of most Hindu practice.

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Devi

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Mother goddess, durga, kali

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Vishnu

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Protector/preserver of creation

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Shiva

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Destroyer of creation

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Samkya

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2 states of reality; confusing them causes suffering. Purusha (self) and Prakitri (material universe)

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Purusha

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The self, eternally wise, pure, free, immutable, uncaused.

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Prakriti

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Cause of material universe. Can bring happiness but also misery.

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Dvaita Vedanta

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Complete distinction of atman and Brahman

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Advaita Vedanta

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Beyond idea that one's soul is an emulation of brahman; in fact, all is brahman. Earthly life is only an illusion.

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Puranas

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Creation in puranas: Vishnu exhales "breaths forth" the world. Exhaling transforms to inhaling. Cyclic big bang big crunch.

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Yuga

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Saya - beautiful and harmonious, Treta then Dwapar - forgetful of nature become violent makes subsequent ages increasingly horrific, Kali - worst yuga. Will end with advent of of Kalki avatar (of vishnu) who will come on a horse, slay the wicked, usher in the reset of the cycle to satya yuga.