PHIL 200 (Comparative Religion) Lectures Part Religion: Part 1. Divine Beings

Transcription

1 PHIL 200 (Comparative Religion) Lectures Part 1 1 Divine Beings 1. Religion: Part 1 2. Shamanism Human well-being is created by supernatural forces: Animism Shaman uses altered states of consciousness to contact the spirit world Ecstasy: ec-stasis Experience of death, healing power Charismatic 3. Séance Spirit possession Drumming & chanting Hallucinogens Controls spirits worship demons that cause disease, mental illnesses, social pathology, crime Sacrifices to save the afflicted 4. Example of shamanism Huichol Pilgrimage Purity Spiritual transformation by movement through space Peyote Is there any difference between getting high as a recreational activity, and the ritual exemplified in this video? 5. Chinese Shamanism & Divination 6. Modern Divination Horns 7. Divination (2) The worshipper will hold these together in her hand and ask the god a question. She will then toss them to the floor. If they both fall in the same direction the answer is no good; if they [sic] one falls face up and the other falls face down, the answer is good. Hinduism: Gods as the manifestations of Brahman Ultimate Reality, Ground of Being 8. Polytheism Vedic Hinduism Scriptures of the Aryans: the Vedas Gods: Indra, Varuna (Religions of the World: 64-5, 86-7) Animal Sacrifice Agni Soma : hallucinogenic drink The caste system created by Sacrifice of Purusa

2 PHIL 200 (Comparative Religion) Lectures Part Major groups All gods are avatars (embodiments) of Brahman Saktas (female) Vishnu: (Vaishnavites) order, goodness of life (Religions of the World: 76-7) Shiva (Saivites) (Religions Of The World: 75) Death and life, order and chaos Kali: goddess of destruction Puja: worship, devotion The Israelites and Early Judaism 25. Origins of monotheism 26. Israelites: Origins Jews come from Israelites Israelites were a people, became a nation around 1000 BCE The bridge between Egypt and Mesopotamia Language Hebrew the Hebrew Scriptures = the Christian Old Testament 27. Israelites become a People (Religions Of The World: 180-2) Abraham, Isaac, Jacob Israel (eponym) Israelites enslaved in Egypt (ca bce) Exodus & Moses God as YHWH Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh I am who (what) I am, or, I will be who (what) I will be Yhwh gives Torah 28. Israel (the nation) (Religions Of The World: 183) Invasion of Canaan Melded with indigenous peoples

3 PHIL 200 (Comparative Religion) Lectures Part 1 3 Language (Hebrew dialect of Canaanite) Yhwh + Elohim = the Lord God Sacrificial religion David, c bce Solomon built great temple Solomon s Temple 34. End of Israel (Religions Of The World, 184) Separated into two kingdoms Israel destroyed 722 bce Judah destroyed 586 bce Babylonian Exile (Captivity) 36. Origins of Monotheism Polytheism, gods had a place God guaranteed success and well-being Disaster meant the god had failed The God of the Jews moved with them God could be anywhere ( Readings, #5) God had power everywhere One God! 37. Everywhere, all the Time God not divided into roles No other god to turn to It wasn t the god who had failed Following rules brings well-being Gives moral guidance = Ethical Monotheism 39. Beginning of Early Judaism 500 BCE (Religions Of The World, 184-5) Returned to their home land Temple rebuilt Judahites Yudaious Jews Set-apartness Be separate (ethnic distinctiveness sanctification The Covenant Basic idea King and people give allegiance to me, I ll help you

4 PHIL 200 (Comparative Religion) Lectures Part 1 4 Noah: basic moral laws, don t eat blood or living animals Abraham: Circumcision Mosaic Covenant: Torah 41. Creation and Evil in the Bible and God said Humanity created in his image He found it very good Origins of Evil be like divine beings who told you that you were naked? knowing good and bad Expulsion from paradise 42. The true God and gods They re made; they cannot save us gods are carried & dressed They can t tell the future The true God Controls creation (don t fear signs ) He predicts the future and answers prayers Were the Jews justified in claiming that their god was the only god? (50%) 43. Daoism and Buddhism The nature of reality and problem of evil 44. The Dao according to Daoism Dao De Jing = Tao Te Ching purportedly written by Lao-tzu Not name-able (Religions Of The World: 140) Infinite source But no-thing Not definable, not describable 45. Wu-nian and Wu-wei Non-thought (Religions Of The World: 141) Don t mentally attach yourself to appearances Accept life as it is, don t label things The unity of the good and bad Non-action (Religions Of The World: 141-2) Don t seek for recognition or assert yourself Don t be compassionate Don t attempt to change the world 46. Buddhism (Religions Of The World: 102) Siddhartha Gautama Tradition: circa 560 BCE, prince The king s protection Gods intervened with 4 sights Old age

5 PHIL 200 (Comparative Religion) Lectures Part 1 5 Disease Corpse Ascetic 47. What is the solution to suffering? The great going forth Renounces the world: asceticism (Religions Of The World: 118-9) (= great renunciation ) (Religions Of The World: 102-3) Doesn t work The Bodhi tree 48. The awakened (enlightened) one Religions Of The World: 120 The Middle Way The Four Noble Truths (next slide) The Eightfold Path 49. The Buddha 50. The Four Noble Truths (summary: Religions Of The World: 104) First truth: diagnosis of problem Second truth: diagnosis of cause Third truth: prescription of cure Nirvana : Extinction/extinguishment Fourth truth: Path to cure The Eightfold Path Be lamps unto yourselves 51. Tathagata Where is the Buddha? What is Nirvana? 20 a Beyond definition neither positive nor negative nor some combination Tathagata: thus gone Is evil a problem? Does it need to be explained? Does it need to be solved? Jesus Christ as the incarnation of God 52. Christianity 53. Jesus the kingdom of God 63 bce: Romans conquer Jewish kingdom John the Baptist Jesus ministry (Religions Of The World: 207-8) Healings and exorcism The Beatitudes ; Pray then in this way The Son of man in my name [vice-regent] Crucifixion and purported resurrection

6 PHIL 200 (Comparative Religion) Lectures Part Titles of Jesus (Religions Of The World: 215) Lord Christ (Greek translation of Messiah = anointed one ) Son (of God) Logos: the Word Mediator between God & World Incarnation of Word (Fully divine and fully human) 55. God as Trinity One God Fully unified, one divine intention Three persons Masks, characters Father, Son, Holy Spirit God reveals himself in Jesus Christ is experienced as divine power through power of Holy Spirit How do we organize society? Hinduism Class and caste The 4 Paths of Salvation Judaism and Islam Sanctification & Purity The Five Pillars of Islam 56. Religion: Question #2 57. How do we organize society? 58. Class System (Religions Of The World: 68) (sacrifice of Purusa ) Brahmins: priests teachers Kshatriyas: warriors & rulers Vaishyas: productive class Shudras: servants Out-castes = Dalit 59. Dalit 60. Classes and Castes Classes are sub-divided into castes Castes are job sub-classifications A Brahmin could be a scholar, temple priest, or astrologer A place for everyone [male] 61. The Problem of the Class System How do we tell a man that he must be what his father was? Karma= Action Present life is created by by past lives This solution became a problem You had to go through cycle of life, death, rebirth=samsara

7 PHIL 200 (Comparative Religion) Lectures Part The Solution of moksha Liberation Asceticism & Meditation We are attached to desire, our self Non-attachment self-denial The true self is the Real Atman is Brahman Religions Of The World: 66 (bottom)-68; 87b Modern ascetic (a yogi ) 69. Bhavagad Gita (Religions Of The World: 71-2, 88-9) How can one do one s social duties and still achieve moksha? Gain mystical insight into reality Do your duty without desire Be devoted to a god Jnana yoga: mystical wisdom Raja Yoga: physical discipline Karma yoga: duty Rituals, Caste, dharma Bhakti yoga: devotion, love 70. Ways of Salvation 71. Karma Yoga (1) Laws of Manu (200 BCE 200 CE) Three Debts ( twice-born males) Study Sons Sacrifice 72. Four Stages of Life (Religions Of The World: 87b-88a) Student Householder receives sacrificial fire from father at marriage Retirement, forest-dweller Sannyasin, ascetic Purity Animal Human 73. Judaism and Islam

8 PHIL 200 (Comparative Religion) Lectures Part 1 8 To be set apart, holy: sanctification (Judaism & Christianity) Judaism: kashrut, family purity Islam: halal 74. Legal organization of Judaism Halakha(h): A legal text of Judaism Rabbis Students Teach Apply as judges Torah: God s teaching Given to Moses In two forms: written and oral The Texts of Judaism Hebrew Bible = Tanak (T-N-K) Torah = teachings, law Nevi im = prophets (incl. History) Kethuvim = writings, miscellaneous 77. Texts of Judaism (2) No transparency of meaning The Mishnah (Religions Of The World: 186, 200-1) Written edition of the Oral Torah Judah the Patriarch, c. 200 CE The Talmud The Mishnah + Gemara ( commentary ) CE The (Dual) Torah Independence of Halakhic Judgment Fencing the Torah Make sure one doesn t break Capture all possible problems, Example: You shall not boil a kid in its mother s milk. 80. Sanctification Higher meaning restraint and self discipline Holiness God is holy: separate from all impurity we (Jews) are to be holy sanctification of the name : show that God is holy 81. Sanctification I give thanks before Thee, O Lord my God and God of my fathers, that Thou has set my lot among those who sit in the House of Study and the Synagogue, and hast not set my lot with those who

9 PHIL 200 (Comparative Religion) Lectures Part 1 9 frequent the theatres and circuses; for while I labor to inherit Paradise, they labor for the pit of destruction 82. Islam and the Qur an Arabic text of prophetic declarations, 7th century (summary: Religions Of The World: 244-5) Became the sacred book of Islam 693 ce, Dome of the Rock Books/chapters = surahs Muhammad, died 632 ce (acc. to tma) Received messages via angel Jibril Understood to be direct words of God 83. Is there an Abrahamic religion? Judaism: great-grandfather I will be your God I will make of you a great nation Christianity Not physical, but spiritual ancestor believed in God Islam First monotheist Unified religion and creed 84. The Tradition and Sayings Sunna (of umma): Unwritten tradition Collective body of wisdom and practice The actions of Muhammad Hadith: Written traditions of sayings Develop Shari a, through consensus and analogy 85. Islam = submission Complete, absolute surrender to God All reality circumscribed by him Sufficiency within God To submit is to be a Muslim Success =salvation Threatened by shirk ( idolatry ) Idol is less than ultimate Come out on top = be allied with God 86. Five Pillars of Islam (1): Shahadah There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Prophet of God Religions Of The World: 247 bottom Profession of faith Tawhid Unity To unify everything under God (2) Salat Prayer five times day 87. Five Pillars of Islam (2)

10 PHIL 200 (Comparative Religion) Lectures Part 1 10 Ritual purification (wudu) (3) Zakat: religious tax (4) Sawm: fasting month of Ramadan Feast of Fast-Breaking (Eid al-fitr) 88. Five Pillars of Islam (3) (5) Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca Mentally, physically, and financially able Embodies unity of Muslim community Enact founding events of Islam 89. Ihram : Equality and simplicity 90. Great Mosque at Mecca 91. Great Mosque 92. Hajj < Circumambulation of Ka bah Seven times, beginning and end Mt. Mercy Stoning the devil The running to Zamzam Feast of Sacrifice (Eid al-adha) 93. Reenactment of Abraham stories (Arabia) Hagar expelled into desert: running Abraham told to sacrifice Ishmael Stoning the devil Feast of Sacrifice Sharing with needy (thirds) 94. Circumambulation of Kab ah 95. Mt. Mercy 96. Stoning the Devil 97. The Running 99. A secondary pillar: Jihad Struggle in God s way with your possessions and your selves (Q. 9:40) Greater : Heart, Tongue, Hand,... Lesser = Sword unbelievers convert or be killed people of the book allowed to live if they submitted and paid taxes (jizrah) 98.