REL 141 MIDTERM 1 QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS
Theology pp- ppAnswer ppTraditional ppstudy ppof ppreligion pp(4 ppC's)
Creed, ppcode, ppcultus, ppcommunity
The ppstudy ppof ppGod, ppthe ppcontent ppof ppthe ppreligion ppis ppassumed ppto ppbe pptrue pp
Principle pporiented pparound ppthe ppchapel, ppfaith ppbased ppperspective
Different ppfrom ppsecularism
It ppest.'s ppa ppstate pprelig. pp(ex: ppIran)
Presume ppthe ppexistence ppof ppgod
Religious ppStudies pp- ppAnswer ppCritical ppstudy ppof ppreligion pp- ppdoesn't pppresume
ppreligious ppbeliefs
Secular ppcontext ppin ppuniversities, ppnot pppresuming ppexistence ppof ppGod pplike ppin
pptheology pp→ ppmoving ppfrom ppthe ppstudy ppof ppGod ppto ppthe ppstudy ppof ppMan
Comparative ppReligion pp- ppAnswer ppComparison ppof ppmultiple ppreligions pp→ ppthe
ppfocus ppof ppour ppclass
This ppis ppone ppof ppthe pppredominant ppways ppof ppstudying ppreligion pp
It ppis ppthe ppoldest ppway ppto ppstudy ppreligion
Mythology/History pp- ppAnswer ppfact ppvs. ppfiction
Relig. ppAs ppa pplang. ppOf ppmythology pp
History pp
Specific pppoint ppof ppview ppon pppast ppevents, ppmany ppp.o.v.'s ppin pphistory
"Facts" ppof ppreligion ppwritten ppin ppperspective ppof ppsomeone
Is ppbased ppon ppfacts pp(verifiable ppthings) ppand pp____
Many ppperspectives ppof pphistory ppabout pppersonal ppperspective/story ppon ppsomething
pp
Mythology pp
Not ppabout ppfacts pp(verifiable ppstuff)
Not ppverified pp- ppcan't ppbe ppbacked ppup
Live ppwith ppexistence ppof ppGod ppeven ppwithout ppverification ppof pphis ppexistence
Channels pphopes, ppdreams, ppaspirations ppof pppeople ppin ppa ppcertain ppplace/time
ppcontinuously pprenewed/re-told ppover pptime
Tells ppus ppwhat's ppimportant ppto pppeople ppduring ppa pphistorical pptime ppwhile pphistory
ppdoesn't
,More ppimportant ppto ppreligion ppthan pphistory
Religiare pp- ppAnswer ppMeans ppto ppjoin ppor ppbind ppwith ppeach ppother pp- ppthe
ppbinding ppof ppthe pphuman ppwith ppthe ppdivine.
To ppconnect, ppjoin pptogether pp
Religion ppis ppmore ppabout pphumans pp(not ppjust ppgod)
Religion ppcomes ppfrom ppthis pplatin pproot ppword
Connection ppbringing pptogether, ppopposed ppto pppulling ppapart
Secularism/Theocracy pp- ppAnswer ppMeans ppdifferent ppthings ppin ppdifferent ppcountries
Separation ppof ppstate ppfrom ppreligious ppinstitutions
Don't ppest. ppa ppstate ppreligion ppby ppcongress pp(ex: ppUSA)
You ppcan't ppest. ppor ppendorse ppa pprelig. ppIn ppthe ppU.S. ppbc ppof ppsecularism
pp(establishment ppclause)
4 ppC's pp- ppAnswer pp(Creed. ppCode, ppCultus pp(devotion), ppCommunity)
*you ppcan pphave ppthe pp4C's ppof ppreligion. ppw/out ppgod
Creed pp- ppAnswer ppCreed: ppExplanation ppabout ppmeaning ppand pppurpose pp- ppstories
ppand ppmyths ppcreate ppcreeds.
An ppexplanation ppabout ppmeaning ppof pplife pp(what ppit ppmeans ppto ppbe pphuman)
ppthrough ppvarious ppforms pplike pptheology pp- ppconnecting ppyou ppto ppa ppsense ppof
ppmeaning/purpose
How ppdo ppwe ppmake ppsense ppof ppthis pplife
Code pp- ppAnswer ppCode: ppSet ppof pprules
Rules ppthat ppgovern ppeveryday ppbehavior, ppresponsibilities, ppcustoms pp
Every pptradit. ppReligion pphas ppa pplegal ppset ppof pprules
Cultus pp- ppAnswer ppCultus: ppRituals ppthat ppexpress ppthe ppcreeds ppor ppcodes
Rituals ppthat ppact ppout, ppunderstandings ppexpressed ppby ppcreed/code
Kind ppof pptechnology pppeople ppuse ppto pptranslate pptheoretical ppbeliefs ppinto
ppeveryday ppway ppof ppliving, pphonor, ppcherish, ppreligious ppworship
They ppare ppthe pprelig. ppRituals pp
Behind ppevery ppritual ppthere ppis ppa pptheoretical ppbelief/means
Community pp- ppAnswer ppCommunity: ppThe ppcongregation, ppthe pppeople.
Groups ppbowed pptogether ppby ppcreed, ppcode, ppcultus, ppfinding pppeople ppwho
ppsupport/are ppon ppthe ppsame ppjourney ppas ppyou
Often ppwhen pppeople pplose pptheir ppcommunity ppthey pplose pptheir ppfaith
The ppppl ppthat ppare ppinformally ppor ppformally ppbound pptogether ppby ppcreed ppand
ppcode pp(ex: ppwisdom)
It ppis ppppl/groups ppthat ppare ppbound pptogether
4 ppapproaches pp- ppAnswer pp(comparative, ppdisciplinary, ppphenomenological,
ppthematic)
,4 pppredominant ppways ppof ppstudying ppreligion
Comparative ppreligion pp
Discipline pp(psychological ppapproach, ppsociology ppof ppreligion)
Phenomenological ppapproach pp(studying pprituals, pppilgrimage, ppworship, ppscripture--
ppobservable ppphenomenon)
Thematic ppapproach
1) ppComparative ppReligion pp- ppAnswer ppThis ppis ppthe ppoldest ppway
It ppis ppcomparing ppand ppcontrasting pp6 ppdiff. ppRelig. pp(what ppwe ppare ppdoing ppin
ppthis ppclass)
2) ppDiscipline pp- ppAnswer ppStudying ppthe ppdiscipline ppof pprelig.
Ex: ppsociology ppof ppreligion.
Study ppof ppfields ppand pptheir ppencounters ppw/ pprelig.
studying ppreligions ppthrough ppdifferent ppdisciplines ppsuch ppas pppsychological,
ppeconomic
3) ppPhenomenological ppapproach pp- ppAnswer ppUnique ppapproach ppto ppstudying
ppreligion. pp
Ex: ppstudying pppilgrims ppone ppweek
studying pprituals, pppilgrimage, ppworship, ppscripture-- ppobservable ppphenomenon
4) ppThematic ppapproach pp- ppAnswer ppStudying ppthemes ppthat ppbring ppreligions
pptogether
First ppAmendment pp- ppAnswer ppFreedom ppof ppspeech, ppreligion, ppfreedom ppto
ppassemble/petition, ppfreedom ppof pppress
Protects ppreligious ppfreedom, ppbedrock ppof ppUS ppAmendment
Includes ppestablishment ppclause/free ppexercise ppclause
Free ppexercise ppand ppestablishment ppclause ppare ppin ppthe ppfirst ppamendment.
This pphelps ppus ppunderstand ppsecularism
It ppsays ppthere ppis ppreligious ppfreedom pp--> ppThe ppFirst ppAmendment ppprovides:
pp"Congress ppshall ppmake ppno pplaw pprespecting ppan ppestablishment ppof ppreligion ppor
ppprohibiting ppthe ppfree ppexercise ppthereof." ppThese pptwo ppclauses ppare ppreferred ppto
ppas ppthe pp"establishment ppclause" ppand ppthe pp"free ppexercise ppclause."
Establishment ppClause pp- ppAnswer ppCongress ppcannot ppendorse ppreligion pp→
ppwould ppbe ppsaying ppthat ppwe pparen't ppreally ppsecular pp(when ppwe're ppa ppsecular
ppcountry)
We're ppnot ppjust ppa pp"Christian" ppcountry
Congress ppcan't ppprohibit ppyou ppfrom ppyour ppown ppbelief
, All ppreligions ppin ppthe pppublic ppsphere ppcan ppbe pppracticed
Free ppExercise ppClause pp- ppAnswer ppgovernment ppis ppprohibited ppin ppthe ppFirst
ppAmendment ppfrom ppinterfering ppin ppthe pppractice ppof ppreligion; ppgovernment ppcan't
ppmake ppa pplaw ppprohibiting pppeople ppfrom pppracticing ppany ppreligion pp(can
ppBELIEVE ppanything ppyou ppwant., ppbut ppcan't ppnecessarily ppDO ppwhatever ppyou
ppwant)
Abington ppvs. ppSchempp pp(1963) pp- ppAnswer ppSupreme ppcourt ppcase pp- pp1963
Public ppschool ppstarted ppevery ppday ppwith ppChristian ppprayer pp→ ppDoes ppthis
ppviolate pptheir pprights?
This ppwas ppruled ppunconstitutional ppas ppit ppviolates ppfree ppexercise ppclause pp(non-
religious pppeople ppalso ppforced ppto ppprayer)
Instruction ppon ppreligion ppas ppa ppwhole ppis ppunconstitutional
However, pppeople ppshould ppstill ppbe ppeducated ppon ppthe pphistory ppof ppreligion ppand
ppthe ppadvancement ppto ppsociety ppin ppan ppacademic ppsetting ppbecause ppreligion ppis
ppstill ppan ppimportant pparea ppof ppstudy
This ppdecision pptriggered ppschools ppto ppask pp"How ppdo ppwe ppstudy ppreligion?"
Movement ppshifts ppfrom pptheology ppto ppreligious ppstudies; ppfrom ppthe ppstudy ppof
ppGod ppto ppthe ppstudy ppof ppMan pp(religious ppstudies ppnow)
Fact pppattern:
Case ppinvolves ppdaily ppprayer ppat pppublic ppschools ppin ppPhilly ppw/ ppan ppopening
ppprayer pp→ ppthis ppbreaks ppthe ppest. ppclause ppbc ppyou ppare ppest. ppChristianity ppas
ppthe ppnorm pprelig. ppAnd ppviolates ppthe ppfree ppexercise ppclause ppbc ppyour ppdon't
pppractice ppany ppreligion. pp(only ppallowed ppto pppractice ppChristianity) pp
mandated ppthat ppit ppwas ppunconstitutional ppfor ppthere ppto ppbe ppa ppmandated ppbible
ppreading/daily ppprayer ppin pppublic ppschool; ppBUT ppacademic ppstudy ppof ppreligions
pp(comparative ppreligious ppstudies) ppwas ppencouraged
Social ppSciences pp- ppAnswer ppSociology, ppanthropology pp(cause pp+ ppeffect, ppI.D.
pppatterns/phenomena, ppcan ppbe ppquantitative), pppolitical ppscience, ppgeography
rules ppto ppexplain ppsociety; ppexamining ppand ppobserving pphuman ppbeings
ppexternally, ppcause pp& ppeffect, ppknowledge ppaccumulates ppevery ppday; ppscientific
ppapproach ppthat ppexplains pphuman ppbeings ppexternally ppbased ppon pppattern
ppidentification ppwhich ppdisregard ppindividual ppnuances, ppmore ppQUANTITATIVE
Humanities pp- ppAnswer ppFinding ppvalue, pppurpose, ppmeaning, ppit ppis ppemotional,
pprarely ppquantitative
Includes pphistory, ppclassics, pptheology, ppliterary/cultural ppstudies ppQUALITATIVE
studies ppaspects ppof pphuman ppculture ppand ppsociety; ppinterpretive ppbeings
ppinterpreting ppother ppinterpretive ppbeings.