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Rise of World Religions Axial Age What is religion? Broad sense: adherence to a set of beliefs or teachings about the deepest and most elusive of life’s mysteries Narrow sense: A particular system of faith and worship Recognition on the part of man of some higher unseen power as having control of his destiny, and as being entitled to obedience, reverence, and worship; the general mental and moral attitude resulting from this belief, with reference to its effect upon the individual or the community; personal or general acceptance of this feeling as a standard of spiritual and practical life. (OED) What are sacred writings? Come in every form imaginable: Poetry Hymns of praise Prayers of petition for harvest Instructions to live Proverbs Narrative accounts Area of World Religions Hinduism Unknown origins; Aryan? Polytheistic or Henotheistic (1 god with multiple manifestations) religionVishnu (sustains) and Shiva (destroys) Sacred books: Vedas – contain hymns, incantations, rituals The Upanishads - elaborate on how the soul (Atman) can be united with the ultimate truth (Brahma) through contemplation and mediation, as well as the doctrine of Karma—the cumulative effects of a persons' actions Bghavad Gita – duty should be done w/o emotion; God is all things, so all creation is to be loved as one life Hinduism Afterlife: Transmigration of the Soul (atman): transferring of the soul to another body after death (reincarnation) Produces a continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth: called samsara. Karma is the accumulated sum of ones good and bad deeds. The ultimate reality is called Brahma (formless and nameless), & everything is a manifestation of the ultimate reality. Buddhism Guatama, called Buddha: questioned the fairness of the earthly life accepted Hindu beliefs attacked the priests and caste system Reached enlightenment and came back to share the path Buddhism con’d Four Noble Truths: Everybody suffers Desire is the cause of suffering Nirvana—state in which all desires are extinct Noble Eightfold Path to Nirvana • Rightness of: 1.) knowledge of the cause & ending of suffering, 2.) thought, 3.) speech, 4.) conduct, 5.) livelihood, 6.) effort, 7.) mind, 8.) meditiation Buddhism, con’d Strong monastic tradition Monks carried Buddhism beyond India to most of Asia (missionary trips) 1st Century CE: Mahayanadelay entrance into nirvana to help others find enlightenment Theravadaemphasis on individual enlightenment; based on Buddha’s teaching Zen Buddhism700s, Chinasudden enlightenment through meditation Confucianism Characterized as a system of social and ethical philosophy rather than a religion “civil religion”social rituals (li) Adopted by Emperor Wu (Han) as state ideology and orthodoxy; importance of civil service Mandate of Heaven Components: exterior practices, viz., filial piety, chaste women Confucianism con’d Also stressed humaneness (ren) Ancestor worship Cultivation of conscience and character Education Reflection upon actions Linked to everyday life Daoism Dao (Tao)=The Way Unknowable in essence, but observable in its manifestations The force that lies behind the functionings and changes in the natural worldYin and Yang State of mind, attitude that forms a utopia Spirits permeated/pervaded nature Many manifestations of the one Dao Daoism con’d Taoist priests Harmonized and reunited the spirits to the Tao Visual religion: climbing sword ladders, floating lanternsgreatly influenced Chinese art (visual and performing) Spurned wealth and position Fatalistic and passive Creation of traditional herbal medicines Judaism Ancient Hebrews Abraham is founder (and of Islam) 1st major example of monotheism No physical manifestation of Yahweh (God) Kings did not claim to be god Emphasis on ethical living Judaism, con’d Scripture: Torah Mosaic Law Talmud Beliefs in being a chosen people Coming Messiah (savior) Christianity Origins in Judaism Monotheistic, with 3 attributes (Trinity) Beliefs: Jesus is the Messiah Through God’s grace people are saved through faith in Jesus Sins are forgiven through faith; new/eternal life Christianity, con’d Scripture: Bible: Jewish Talmud, teachings of Jesus, writings of followers Persecuted by Romans, legalized by Constantine Monastic element: monks preserved Greek/Roman learning after breakup of Roman Empire Missionary trips to Europe/Africa/Asia Strong hierarchical structure, within church Islam Muhammad, prophet of Allah (others: Abraham, Moses, Jesus) 5 Pillars: “There is no God but Allah (God) and Muhammad is His Prophet.” Prayer 5xs a day facing Mecca Charity Fasting during Ramadan Pilgrimage to Kaaba, in Mecca Islam, con’d Scripture: Quran (Koran) Split: Sunni • Modern majority of Islamic adherents Shi’is Other groups: Sufi, etc. No hierarchical structure Immam Chronology of Major Events 4000 BCEThe Vedic period begins; earliest Vedic hymns (Hinduism) 3500roots of the Semitic tradition (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) 2000-1400Patriarchal Age (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) 1994-1525Xia dynasty instituted the principle of hereditary succession (Confucianism) 1700God’s covenant with Abraham (Judaism) 1500-1200traditional dates for the Aryan invasion (Hinduism) 1400Age of Krishna (Hinduism) 1028-222Zhou dynasty (Confucianism) 740-700Isaiah prophesies (Judaism) 604date of Lao Tzu’s birth (Daoism) 587-6Judean exile to Babylon (Judaism) Major Events con’d 571life of K’ung Fu Tzu (Confucius) 563-483Life of Siddhartha Guatama, the Buddha 515Jewish Temple rebuilt; emergence of classical Judaism 500-200Bhagavad Gita composed (Hinduism) 400Confucius’ sayings edited 350-300Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching) composed (Daoism) 327-325Alexander the Great invades northwest India 322-185Mauryan dynasty; Buddhism spread throughout northern India 300-600CEBuddhist missions expand beyond India to Central, East, and Southeast Asia 221-210Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di tries to suppress Confucian texts; transforms feudal China into centralized bureaucracy 206-221CEHan dynasty; Confucianism official state policy Major Event con’d part tres 202-220CEreligious Daoism emerges 200-200CEBuddhism spreads to Central Asia and China 150-75CEEssenes live ascetical life at Qumran at northern end of Dead Sea (Judaism) 140-87Emperor Wu Di (Han) makes Confucian system his official ideology 63Rise of Roman rule; conquest of Palestine 4BCE-29CELife of Jesus of Nazareth (Christianity) 66 CEmassacre of Jews at Alexandria 70Jewish Diaspora 250-356Life of Anthony of Egypt, “Father of Monasticism” (Christianity) 282-305Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of Christians 290-347first Christian monastic community in Egypt Yet more major events… 312Constantine, patron of Christianity, assumes control of Roman Empire; Christianity is legalized 320-550Gupta dynasty; India’s Golden Age (Hinduism) 325Council of Nicaea (Christianity) 390Jerusalem Talmud is completed (Judaism) 399Buddhism spreads to Korea from China 450Northern Transmission: Buddhism enters northern and eastern Asia 570-632Life of Muhammad (Islam) 610-622Muhammad prophesies; Meccan Suras of the Quran are composed (Islam) 622Hijra, “emigration,” of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina (Islam) 630Muslim community gains access to Mecca 634-44Umar, the Second Caliph, mobilizes a tribal force against Syria, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Persia (Islam) 638Muslim conquests of Jerusalem and surrounds How can we write about them? Comparisons? Changes?