The Major Religions

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The Major Religions

• Prof. T. Patrick Burke

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Introduction

• Seriousness and Frivolity
• The Significance of Religion?
• The spiritual dimension of human life.
• Soul
• Meaning
• Analysis and Diagnosis
• Hegel

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Introduction, contd.

• The Families of Religions
• Indian Hinduism, Buddhism, (Jainism), Sikhism
• The Self
• Chinese Confucianism, Taoism, Chinese
  Buddhism
• Nature
• Semitic Judaism, Christianity, Islam
• God and Revelation

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Introduction, contd.

• Places of Worship
• Belief and Action
• Some Categories
• Universal and Particular
• Mystical and Ethical
• Self- and Other-Power
• Personal and Civil

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Introduction, contd.

• Value Judgements
• The Phenomenological Approach
• Current Debate Commitment v. Anthropology
• Our Approach in this Course
• Description, Suspension, Discussion
• Gender and Class Equality and the Middle
  Class.

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Introduction, contd

• Test Questions
• Arrange the major religions in their families.
• What is meant by a universal religion?
• What is meant by a religion of
  self-liberation?
• What is the phenomenological approach?
• What are the reasons for and against it?

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Part I Religions of Indian Origin

• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• Jainism (not covered in this course)
• Sikhism

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Hinduism

• The Spirit of Hinduism
• The story of Narada and Vishnu
• The Hindu View of Life
• The presence of the divine
• Pre-Vedic Religion Harappa

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Hinduism

• Vedic Religion
• The Aryans
• The Vedas
• Rig, Sama, Yajur, Atharva.
• The Vedic Gods
• Indra, Agni, Varuna, Rta
• Sacrifice (yajna)
• Brahman, the Power of the Sacrifice

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Hinduism

• The Upanishads
• Brahman, the highest Reality
• Nirguna Brahman
• The Atman or Self
• The Atman is identical with Brahman
• The True Self and the Apparent Self

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Hinduism, cont.

• Monism
• Reincarnation
• The Law of Karma
• The Cycle of Birth and Death
• Moksha, Liberation
• The Path of Sacred Knowledge,
• Meditation and Asceticism

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Hinduism, cont.

• The Later Upanishads
• Personalization
• Saguna Brahman With Attributes
• Ishvara, the Lord
• Maya
• Yoga

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Hinduism, cont.

• Classical Hinduism
• The Epics, Maha-bharata, Ramayana
• The Puranas
• Vishnu and Shiva (and Brahma)
• Shakti the Goddess
• Parvati, Durga, Kali
• Yoni and lingam

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Hinduism, cont.

• Lakshmi
• Sarasvati
• Ganesha
• Polytheism and Monotheism
• Puja
• Darshana

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Hinduism, cont.

• The Four Varnas, or Classes
• The Aryan or Twice-born, the Sacred Thread
• Brahmins
• Kshatriyas
• Vaishyas
• Sudras
• Outcastes, Untouchables

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Hinduism, cont.

• The Many Jatis, or Castes
• Restrictions on
• Food
• Marriage
• Occupation

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Hinduism, cont.

• The Four Ends of Man
• Dharma, Caste Duty
• Sadharana Dharma
• Artha, Power
• Kama, Pleasure
• Moksha, Liberation

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Hinduism, cont.

• The Four Ashramas, or Stages of Life
• Brahmacarin, the celibate student
• Grihastha, the householder
• Vanaprastha, the forest-dweller
• Sannyasin
• Sadhus

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Hinduism, cont.

• Bhakti Hinduism The life of devotion
• The Bhagavad-gita
• Karma yoga
• Do the work for the sake of the work
• Bhakti, devotion to the Supreme Lord
• Vishnu Krishna and Rama
• Shiva

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Hinduism, cont.

• Hindu Ethics
• Class and Caste Duties
• Universal Duties
• Ahimsa, non-violence
• No doctrine of unjust war
• But rules for conduct of war

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Hinduism, cont.

• Modern Developments
• Gandhi
• Non-violent protest, civil disobedience,
  political independence (1947)
• Class and Caste outlawed, but preserved
• Partition creation of Pakistan for Muslims
• Rejection of Capitalism, and Return to it.
• Hindutva militant Hindu nationalism

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Test, Hinduism

• 1. Identify Indra, Agni, Varuna, Rta, Vishnu,
  Shiva, Sarasvati, Kali.
• Explain briefly what is meant by Brahman, Atman,
  maya, moksha, samsara, yoga.
• Summarize in one or two sentences the worldview
  of the Upanishads.
• What are the Four Ends of Man?
• 5. What are the Four Varnas?

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Test, Hinduism, cont.

• 6. What is the chief message of the
  Bhagavad-Gita?

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Buddhism

• The Mustard Seed
• The Buddhist View of Life Transience
• "Do not cherish the unworthy desire that the
  changeable might become unchanging.
• Siddhartha Gautama of the Shakyas
• The Four Passing Sights
• The Great Going Forth
• The Great Awakening

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Buddhism, cont.

• Theravada Buddhism
• The Four Noble Truths
• Dukkha Suffering
• Tanha Craving
• Nirvana Extinction
• Marga The Path

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Buddhism, cont.

• The Eightfold Path
• Right Understanding
• Right Thought
• Right Speech, Conduct, Livelihood
• Right Effort
• Right Mindfulness
• Right Concentration

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Buddhism, cont.

• The Ten Precepts
• Five and Five
• Monks and Laity
• The Three Jewels
• Buddhist Theory
• Impermanence, Anicca
• No Self, Anatta

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Buddhism, cont.

• The Five Aggregates
• Matter
• Sensations
• Perception
• Mental Formations
• Consciousness

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Buddhism, cont.

• The Doctrine of Dependent Origination
• Rebirth
• The Many Buddhas

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Buddhism, cont.

• Mahayana Buddhism
• The Bodhisattva
• Nirvana and Samsara
• The Eternal Buddha
• Emptiness, Sunyata
• Grace v. Merit
• Meditation

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Buddhism, cont.

• Devotional Buddhism
• Some Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
• Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, Maitreya
• The Threefold Body of the Buddha
• The historical Buddha
• Faith
• The Sangha
• Festivals

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Buddhism, cont.

• Buddhist Ethics
• Compassion for suffering
• Care for life, including commerce
• Rejection of justice, just war.
• Modern Developments
• Little affected by science, democracy,
  capitalism
• Neo-Buddhism

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Religions of Chinese Origin

• Harmony with Nature
• Human Nature Confucianism
• Cosmic Nature Taoism
• Buddha Nature and Cosmic Nature Chinese
  Buddhism

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Traditional Chinese Religion

• Spirit Sacrifice offered to spirits of ancestors
• by the son.
• Civil religion, for the good of the community.
  rather than personal.
• A function of the head of the community
• father, king (son of ancestors).
• Nearest thing to a priesthood the ju, the
  learned.

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Traditional Chinese Religion

• Shang Dynasty, 1500-1100 BC.
• Aristocracy and peasantry.
• Ancestors
• Spirits kuei and shen.
• Gods the Tu Ti
• the celestial administration
• once human beings.

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Traditional Chinese Religion

• Shang dynasty cont.
• Ti.
• Divination.
• Ritual, Li.
• Power, Te.

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Traditional Chinese Religion

• Chou Dynasty, 1100-500 BC.
• Shang Ti, the high God.
• Heaven, Tien.
• The Mandate of Heaven, Tien Ming.
• Virtue, Te.
• Filial piety, Hsiao.
• The Son of Heaven, Tien Tzu.

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Traditional Chinese Religion

• Period of the Warring States, 500-221 BC.
• Calamities
• Shang Ti, replaced by Heaven, Tien.
• The Five Classics
• Changes
• History
• Poetry
• Ritual
• Spring and Autumn Annals.

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Confucianism

• Confucius and the Tiger
• The Confucian View of Life Human-heartedness.
• Kung Fu Tzu, 552-479 BC.
• Poor but well educated.
• Teachings compiled by his followers.
• Response to barbarization virtue, character.
• Religious ethics.

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Confucianism, cont.

• The Four Books
• Analects
• The Doctrine of the Mean
• The Great Learning
• Mencius
• Heaven
• The Goodness of Human Nature

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Confucianism, cont.

• Tao, the Way
• Chun-tzu, the Noble Man
• Ren, Human-heartedness
• I, Justice
• Hsiao and Ti, Filial Piety and Brotherly Love
• The Five Relationships
• Li, the Rules of Good Behavior

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Confucianism, cont.

• Shu, Treat others as you wish to be treated.
• Chung, Conscientiousness
• Te, the Power of Virtue
• Ho, harmony
• The Mean
• The Rectification of Names
• Theory of Government the Person of the Ruler

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Confucianism, cont.

• The Destiny of Man
• Yang and Yin
• Modern Developments
• Banned under Communism on Mainland
• Maintained in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore
• Can it foster democracy?
• Can it foster free markets?

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Taoism

• The Spirit of Taoism Who knows what is good?
• Harmony with Cosmic Nature.
• Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu
• Tao, the Way of Nature
• Wu, Non-being, Emptiness
• Spontaneity
• Impartial, not humane

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Taoism, cont.

• The Relativity of Values
• Our ordinary values are conventional,
• and relative to their opposites. Beauty implies
  ugliness.
• The cosmos does not share our human values.
• Wu Wei Inactive Action.
• The Man of Tao
• Government should be minimal.
• Taoism and the arts.

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Taoism, cont.

• Other forms of Taoism
• In addition to Philosophical Taoism,
• there is also Popular Taoism,
• which aims to produce health, wealth and long
  life through rituals.

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Chinese Buddhism

• The Spirit of Chinese Buddhism
• Paradox
• The Chinese Buddhist View of Life
• Personal Religion
• A Fusion of Indian Buddhism and Taoism
• The place of the Tao is taken by the
  Buddha- nature.
• Meditational and Devotional

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Chinese Buddhism

• Meditational Chan (Zen in Japan)
• Meditation is the path to enlightenment.
• The Buddha and the Lotus
• Bodhidharma
• Seeking the Buddha in Ones Own Heart
• A Special Transmission outside the Scriptures
• No Dependence on Words or Letters

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Chinese Buddhism

• Meditation Overcoming the sense of individual
  identity distinct from the world.
• Seeing our innermost nature as the
  Buddha- nature.
• Sudden vs. Gradual Enlightenment
• Lin Chi
• Shock therapy, kung an (koan).
• Tsao Tung Reason and argument

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Chinese Buddhism

• Enlightenment not our doing.
• No objective change.
• Spontaneity and the arts.
• Devotional Chinese Buddhism
• Far greater numbers
• The Pure Land
• Kuan Yin

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Religions of Semitic Origin

• Judaism, Christianity, Islam
• God
• Personal, all-powerful, -knowing, -good.
• Creation
• Revelation, in writing
• Judgement

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Israelite Religion

• Spirit David, Uriah, Nathan
• Origins Unification of hill tribes.
• Captivity in Egypt? Exodus?
• Torah in Babylon
• Ethical Monotheism
• Civil religion, for this world
• The Law

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Israelite Religion

• God and Creation
• Initial henotheism
• Pluralistic, not monistic
• Salvific History
• Beginning, middle, end
• The Covenant
• The Law of Moses

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Israelite Religion

• The Torah
• Sacrifice, purification
• Civil law
• Priests
• Prophets
• Sin and punishment
• Jeremiah individual instead of collective
  responsibility

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Israelite Religion

• 538 B.C. Incorporation into the Persian Empire
• Zoroastrianism
• Battle between Good and Evil
• Judgement, Paradise and hell, Angels
• The Messiah to come
• Diaspora

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Israelite Religion

• The Synagogue System
• Study, prayer
• The Oral Torah

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Israelite Religion

• Religious Diversity
• Sadducees, traditional pre-Persian beliefs
• civil religion, sacrifices
• Pharisees, Persian personal religion
• Scribes of both (gt Rabbis)
• Essenes, monastic
• Imminent Messianism
• Zealots

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Rabbinic Judaism

• The Story of Rabbi Eisik
• The Revolts of 70, 135 AD.
• Diaspora, Roman Citizenship
• Elimination of Diversity
• Christianization of the Roman Empire
• Constantine, Theodosius
• Changed political circumstances of the Jewish
  people
• The Oral Law, Fences, gt Talmud
• Mishnah Gemara
• Enlargement of Torah

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Rabbinic Judaism

• Transformation of Jewish religion
• End of sacrifices
• End of special law enforcement
• Festivals now religious
• Temple replaced by Synagogue and Family
• Continuities
• Pharisaic conception of universal God
• Traditional Faith

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Rabbinic Judaism

• An Ethnic Religion
• The Holy Days
• Sabbath
• Rosh Hashanah
• Yom Kippur
• Sukkot
• Hanuka
• Purim
• Passover (Pesach)
• Pentecost (Shavuot)

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Rabbinic Judaism

• Rites of Passage
• Circumcision
• Bar Mitzvah
• Shiva and Sheloshim
• Kashrut
• Tallit, Tefillin, Mezuzah, Kippah
• The Divine Name Yahweh and Adonai

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Rabbinic Judaism

• Kabbalah
• Hasidism
• Branches of Modern Judaism
• Orthodox
• Reformed
• Conservative
• Reconstructionist

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Rabbinic Judaism

• Ashkenazim and Sephardim
• The Holocaust
• The Land of Israel
• Conflict with Palestinians
• Jewish Ethics
• Orthodox Halakhah
• Others Socialist, Liberal
• Neo-conservatives

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Islam

• 600, 622 A.D.
• The Spirit of Islam Voice of the Muezzin
• Languages Urdu, from India, and Arabic
• View of Life God, Submission, Salvation
• Before Islam polytheism, spirits, jinn
• Allah the high but not only God
• Christianity, Judaism
• hanifs

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Islam

• Mohammed 570-632
• Mecca
• Travel to Damascus
• Revelations (see Hadith)
• Koran
• Hegira, 622
• Medina

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Islam

• The Return to Mecca, 630
• The Death of Mohammed, 632
• Expansion of Islam into Persian, Roman Empires
• The Status of Mohammed Seal of the Prophets
• Sunna (custom) and Hadith (report)

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Islam

• Doctrines of Islam
• One God There is no God but Allah
• Angels, jinn
• Correction of text not precisely fallen
• Prophets and Scriptures
• Islam views itself as the original religion
• Resurrection and Judgement
• Predestination

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Islam

• Shariah the Law
• The Five Pillars of Islam
• Shahadah confession of Faith
• Salat public prayer
• Zakat almsgiving
• Sawm fasting
• Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca

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Islam

• Jihad, internal and external
• Polytheists conversion or death
• People of the Book, tolerated Jews, Christians,
  Hindus, Zoroastrians.
• Ritual Impurity
• Circumcision
• The Organization of Islam Ulama

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Islam

• Islam and Society union of religion and
  politics
• Sunni and Shiite the problem of the succession,
  and so of authority. Abu Bakr v. Ali
• Shiite Islam the redemptive sacrifice of
  Husayn,
• 10th of Muharram
• saviorism, philosophy
• Sufism
• Islamic Ethics

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Christianity

• An Incident in the Temple
• The Christian View of Life
• Two Roots
• Jewish Monotheism
• The Graeco-Roman world
• The Humanity of God
• God as Father

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Christianity

• The Jewish Community in Jesus Time
• Pharisees
• Universal God
• Future Life
• Oral Law
• Sadducees
• God of the Jewish People
• Prosperity of the Jewish People in this life.

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Christianity

• Scribes
• Scholars of the law
• of both Pharisees and Sadducees
• Essenes
• A monastic movement, sort of
• Common property
• Zealots
• Political revolutionaries, in Galilee (the
  north).

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Christianity

• The Gentile Background
• The Roman Empire
• Judaea, Galilee
• Roman Civic Religion
• National, polytheistic
• The Mystery Religions
• Personal, Participation in the life of the God

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Christianity

• Jesus of Nazareth in historical perspective
• The Message of Jesus
• The law of Moses must be kept
• But it must be interiorized
• The law exists for man, not man for the law
• The Oral Law has no validity
• No food is unclean
• God is our Father
• The law is kept fully by loving God and our
  fellow man

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Christianity

• The Kingdom of God
• Ag. the Sadducees, there is a future life for
  soul and body
• One day Jesus will return.
• The Miracles of Jesus

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Christianity

• The Message of Paul
• Jesus is the Savior of Mankind
• All men are sinners, and need redemption
• The Gentiles are immoral and do not know
• God
• The Jews do not keep Gods law
• All men suffer death, the punishment for sin

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Christianity

• Jesus saves mankind from sin and death
• by his death
• and resurrection
• To become a Christian is to participate in Jesus
• death and resurrection

79
Christianity

• The Further Development of Christianity
• Jewish v. Gentile Christians
• Destruction of Jewish Christianity in 70 AD.
• Some meanings of terms
• Catholic the whole church, as contrasted
  with the local church
• Organization of the Christian Church

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Christianity

• The Christian Bible
• The Hebrew Bible completed c. 100 AD
• Accepted by Christians as the Old Testament
• Books of New Testament settled c. 180 AD
• The Church superior to the Bible
• The Sacramental System
• At first two, then five others
• Ex opere operato

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Christianity

• The Church as Authority
• The Apostolic Succession
• Communion with the Church in Rome
• 312, Constantine, Christianity permitted
• Theodosius, other religions banned

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Christianity

• The Status of Jesus
• Divine or human?
• Real body? Real death?
• Doctrines of Incarnation
• Jesus is one person with two natures
• and Trinity
• God is one nature in three persons

83
Christianity

• Philosophy and Theology
• Evil
• Purgatory
• East v. West
• The Germanic tribes

84
Christianity

• The Reformation
• Martin Luther, 1517
• John Calvin (b. 1509)
• Salvation by grace alone
• Nature and reason are corrupt
• Grace only through Christ
• Salvation by faith alone

85
Christianity

• Certainty of salvation
• Reduction of the sacramental system
• The church not a divine authority
• but the Bible
• Virtue the consequence of being saved
• Elimination of prayers for the dead.

86
Christianity

• The Reformation Churches
• Lutheran
• Calvinist
• Presbyterian
• Congregationalist
• Anglican
• Methodist

87
Christianity

• The Radical Reformation
• Baptist
• Believers only, by immersion
• Separation of church and state, religious
  liberty
• Mennonite (Brethren)
• Sect v. church
• Bible alone
• Pacifist
• Society of Friends

88
Christianity

• Ethics
• Old Testament the Ten Commandments
• New Testament love and compassion
• Catholics Natural Law (Aquinas)
• Protestants diverse.
• Bible alone
• or, Natural Law (Hooker, Locke)

89
Christianity

• Modern Developments
• Liberal Christianity
• Values rather than faith
• Social Justice
• Equality v. No Harm

90
Comparative Analysis

• Phenomenological without value judgements,
  initially
• Evaluational in terms of some criterion, e.g.
  consequences
• What are the interesting points of comparison?
• That is, what are the interesting differences
• and the interesting agreements?

91
Comparative Analysis

• Aspects of Religions
• Faith, Belief, World-view
• Religious Practices
• Ethics, Values
• Consequences
• Social existence, economics, government, family

92
Comparative Analysis

• Example Compare and contrast Buddhism and
  Christianity.
• Theravada Interesting Differences
• God v. No Self, Impermanence
• Morality v. psychology
• Just war v. pacificism
• Similarities Detachment, humility

93
Comparative Analysis

• Mahayana and Christianity
• Differences God v. Eternal Buddha-nature
• Reality of the Phenomenal world
• Similarities
• Saviorist

94
Comparative Analysis