Religions of the World: Past and Present
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2016
Pages: 506
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$89.95
Religions of the World: Past and Present surveys the global range of human spiritual and religious experience. The publication examines various worldwide patterns of religious beliefs and practices, and then investigates particular faiths, communities, and traditions.
Religions of the World: Past and Present:
- Helps the reader develop a general understanding of the roles religion has played over time in individual and collective life in various geographical, historical, and cultural contexts.
- Is interdisciplinary! The book gives the reader a framework to ask further questions in other classes. The reader will learn basic geography, history, and many languages in a very short time, and get a sense of what researchers do in Religious Studies.
- Is divided into three units: 1) an introduction to religions originating in India (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism); 2) an introduction to religions originating in East Asia (Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto); and finally, 3) an overview of the Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam which originated in the Middle East.
PART 1 Religions Originating in Southeast Asia: The Myth of Liberation
Map 1 Harappa Civilization
Map 2 Jainism
Map 3 Sikhism
Map 4 Spread of Buddhism in Asia
Hinduism
Lecture Notes
Video Questions
Crossword Puzzle
Pictures to Recognize
Readings:
Text 1 “Hymns from the Rig Veda”
Text 2 “The Bhagavad Gita”
Text 3 “Gandhi’s Reading of the Gita”
Text 4 “The Laws of Manu”
Text 5 “Kali”
Buddhism
Lecture Notes
Video Questions
Crossword puzzle
Pictures to Recognize
Readings:
Text 6 “Sacred Biography of the Buddha Shakyamuni”
Text 7 “The Path to Enlightenment”
Text 8 “The Bodhisattva Vow”
Text 9 “Satomi Myodo’s Autobiography”
Jainism
Lecture Notes
Crossword Puzzle
Readings:
Text 10 “Is there a Creator God?”
Text 11 “Can Women Attain Liberation?”
Sikhism
Lecture Notes
Video Questions
Crossword puzzle
Readings:
Text 12 “The Hymns of Guru Nanak”
PART 2 Religions Originating in East Asia: The Myth of Harmony
Map: Asia
Shinto
Lecture Notes
Video Questions
In-Class Exercise
Crossword Puzzle
Readings:
Text 13 “The Japanese Creation Myth”
Taoism (Daoism)
Lecture Notes
Video Questions
Crossword puzzle
Readings:
Text 14 “Daodejing”
Text 15 “Women in Taoism (Daoism)”
Confucianism
Lecture Notes
Crossword Puzzle
Readings:
Text 16 “The Analects”
Text 17 “Pan Chao: A Female Confucian Scholar”
PART 3 Religions originating in the Middle East: The Myth of History
Maps: Middle Eastern Religions
Zoroastrianism
Lecture notes
Crossword Puzzle
Readings:
Text 18 “The Battle Between Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu”
Judaism
Lecture notes
Video Questions
Crossword Puzzle
Readings:
1. Mesopotamian Myths
Text 19 “The Flood in Mesopotamian Mythology: The Epic of Gilgamesh”
2. The Hebrew Bible
Reading Questions
Text 20 “Genesis” (chapters 1-18)
Text 21 “Joseph’s Story in Genesis” (chapters 37-50)
Text 22 “Exodus” (chapters 1-22)
Text 23 “The Prophet Isaiah”
3. The Oral Torah
Reading Questions
Text 24 “The Oral Torah and the Practices of the Torah”
Text 25 “The Hereafter”
Christianity
Lecture Notes
Video Questions
The Life of Jesus Portrayed in the Stained Glass Windows in the Cathedral of Brussels
Crossword Puzzle
Readings:
1. The New Testament
Reading Questions
Text 26 “The Gospel According to Mark”
Text 27 “The gospel According to Matthew” (chapters 1-3)
Text 28 “The Gospel of John” (chapters 13-21)
Text 29 “Paul’s Letter to the Galatians”
Text 30 “Revelation” (chapter 1)
2. Protestantism (16th century)
Reading Questions
Text 31 “Martin Luther: The Reformation”
Islam
Lecture Notes
Video Questions
Matching Game: Let’s Learn Arabic in One Day
Crossword Puzzle
Readings:
1. The Qur’an
Reading Questions
Text 32 “Surah 1: Al-Fatiha or the Opening”
Text 33 “Surah 2: Al-Baqara or the Heifer”
Text 34 “Surah 12: Yusuf or Joseph”
Text 35 “Surah 19: Maryam or Mary”
Text 36 “Surah 71: Nuh or Noah”
2. Hadith Sample
Reading Questions
Text 37 “The Night Journey in the Hadith”
Reading Glossary
References