Sunday, March 1, 2020

World Religions: Quarter Test Review

Below you will find both a quizlet and links to PDFs of every powerpoint I have used in class so far this semester, which you can use to review for the test on Monday, March 9 and Tuesday, March 10 of next week. Keep in mind that you may NOT use these presentations as a substitute for taking notes in class, nor may you use them on open notes quizzes or assignment in class. You're welcome. The format for the test is as follows:

 Monday, March 9: Sections I & II

Section I: Matching Names/Terms/Concepts
50 of the names/terms/concepts on the Quizlet below will appear as terms to match to their definition or description. Each term is worth 1 point each, 50 points total this section.



Section II: The Big Essay
Choose ONE of the essays listed below and be prepared to answer it in detail. I suggest about a minimum of a page. This essay is worth 50 points.
  1. There are three fundamental problems that were discussed in this class before we looked specifically at any religion. Briefly summarize those three problems and how they relate specifically to the study of religion. [notes]
  2. Discuss the three major shifts in the Western worldview. Why and how do these worldview shifts complicate the study of religion, Eastern religion in particular? [Smith reading, notes]
  3. Explain the jnana-marga and its relationship to the Advaita Vendanta school of philosophy. What exactly constitutes "knowledge," according to this path, and what is this knowledge "of"? What does this path say about atman and brahman, and why? How might the thought of the western philosopher Parmenides offer insight into the fundamental claim of the jnana-marga about atman and brahman? [notes]
  4. What is the Axial Age, and what is its relevance to the study of World Religions? What is characteristic of Axial Age religions and philosophies in general, and in what ways did Hinduism change as a result of the Axial Age? [notes]

Tuesday, March 10: Sections III and IV

Section III: Hinduism Essays
Choose TWO of the essays listed below and be prepared to answer each in detail. I suggest about a minimum of 2/3 of a page.Each essay is worth 40 points, 80 points total.
  1. Explain why the claim that "Hinduism is the dominant religion of India" is a complicated and disputed one, focusing on the meaning of the terms "Hinduism," "religion," and "India." How does the use of these terms demonstrate the difficulty in understanding an Eastern religion from a Western, post-Enlightenment perspective? [notes]
  2. Briefly explain the relevance of the Indus Valley Civilization and Indo-Aryan Culture to the origins of Hinduism. Discuss the archaeological and literary evidence that relates these cultures to the characteristic practices of Hinduism throughout its history. [notes]
  3. Explain the Hindu concept of samsara, and the associated concepts of karma and dharma. How are samsara and karma popularly misunderstood by Westerners, and how should they be understood? How might a proper understanding of samsara answer or explain aspects of Hinduism that might otherwise seem offensive to Western ideas of equality and individualism, such as the caste system and the practice of sati? [notes, text]
  4. Explain the Hindu caste system, and examine why this system is often oversimplified and misunderstood by Westerners. Hindus often note that the West has a caste system of its own. What would this be, and how would it differ from the Hindu caste system? What impact has contact with the West had on the Hindu caste system? [notes, text]
  5. Explain the traditional life stages for Hindu males and females. In what way do the life stages define and reinforce roles for people on the basis of gender or birth sex? Why might the Hindu life stages look sexist from a Western perspective, and how might a Hindu answer that criticism? [notes]
  6. Huston Smith wrote the following poem about his experience with Indian culture, which he recited for Bill Moyers for a documentary series Moyers produced on Smith's life. According to Smith, the poem was inspired by "one of these many commissioned portraits of British viceroys to India." It goes as follows:

    Who could have dreamed, 
    looking at this willful face, 
    that India touched him more than he touched her. 
    Trains multiplied, of course, 
    both baby boom of belching smoke and whistle’s wail. 
    English, too, improved, as Etons, short pants, 
    broad white collars sprang up in unlikely places. 
    Even the manly arts took hold, 
    as yogas bowed to bat and ball, 
    horses reeled to mallet stroke, 
    while women watched in printed frocks. 
    But I have heard that his wife declared 
    he mellowed through the years. 
    Listened more, talked less, 
    grew more patient when a servant slipped. 
    And when the time to leave rolled ’round, 
    he knelt and kissed the parched red ground. 
    A tear met the dust in that waterless land 
    that had known so well his heavy hand.

    Interpret the poem. Then answer this: Was British Colonialism a good or bad thing for India and Hinduism? Explain your position, and use what you have learned in this class (and any other classes in which the subject has been discussed) to back up your position. [notes…]
  7. Using the golfers in The Legend of Bagger Vance as examples, explain the four pursuits in life that Hinduism addresses, and explain why Hinduism does not see any of these pursuits as necessarily bad or immoral. Explain the trimurga or three paths (and Smith's fourth path if you wish) and their relationship to the fourth pursuit. [notes, text, film]

Section IV: More Essays
Choose one of the essays listed below and be prepared to answer it in detail. I suggest about 1/2 to 1/3 of a page. This essay is worth 20 points.
  1. Compare and contrast the concept of sacred scripture as understood in Hinduism and Christianity. In what way does each religion consider its sacred texts to be "revealed," and how does its revelation shape the beliefs and practices of each religion? [notes]
  2. What aspects of Hinduism might a Christian find valuable and complementary for the practice of Christianity? What aspects might conflict with Christian belief or be misleading for Christians? Focus in particular on the issues of how Jesus is to be understood and the meaning/purpose of religious imagery. [text, notes]
  3. Given (1) our viewing of The Legend of Bagger Vance in class and the related presentations you were expected to view, and (2) the group presentation on the film Padmaavat to which you contributed, explain why each of these films is considered controversial within its respective culture, then explain why the controversy is or is not justified, given the fundamental philosophic assumptions each culture makes that would be relevant to interpreting the film.

Point Totals:
  • Section I (Matching): 50 points
  • Section II (Essay): 50 points
  • Section III (Hinduism Essays): 80 points
  • Section IV (Comparative Religion Essay): 20 points

 The Presentations




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