Notes on Roots of Western Religion - Introduction-World Religions | RELG 102, Study notes of World Religions

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Roots of Western Religion • Religions come from the need to explain a past event • Early images of gods were in animal form • The images of animals is called theriomorphic • Bulls were often chosen as gods because of their strength, courageous heart, and virility • Egypt was making gods into animals since 3100 BCE • Kings were often shown as bulls • Ancient religions were polytheistic • Different gods served different functions • The god Bes was good for childbirth • Pan (paegan god) protects flocks and herds [Christians believe pan could be devil] • Cows are sacred in India • In Egyptian rule the pharohs and emporers are though of to be gods Egypt Religion • Egyptian civilization thrived about 5,000 years ago • Pyramids were built by Khufu and Khefra about 4,500 years ago • Pyramids are engineering marvels • Egyptians possibly wrote first text ever • They had the engineering but lacked the critical reasoning (thought very literlly) • Egypt is linked to the old testament • Ranses (never mentioned in bible) was the reason why moses lead jews out of Egypt • Shishak is the first pharaoh in the bible • Moses was an Egyptian word and Ramses ruled in the 1200s • Egyptian religion can be linked to Judaism • The step pyramid was the first pyramid ever built • Mt. Sinai is the traditional sight for jews and is found in Egypt • Egypt is mainly Muslim now • The last Egyptian pharaoh was Cleopatra • All objects had life: their goal in life was to be alive • Egyptians believed there were 3 levels of existence: heavens, earth, and underworlds (bad gods) • Death took one to the afterworld: not directly to the underworld • Monotheism was attempted by amenhotep in the 1330s • Amenhotep wanted everyone to only worship aton (sun god), he believed aton created all things • After amenhoteps death, monotheism was eliminated • Egyptians were obsessed with the afterlife and final judgement • The worst thing in Egyptian culture was to no longer exist (go to underworld after final judgement) Mesopotamian Religion • Mesopotamia is the land between tigris and Euphrates rivers • Abraham came from Mesopotamia • The Babylonians were located there and conquered Israel • Akkadian brought language and culture • Scholars believe that ancient religious stories are very similar to those in the old testament • There was a lot of borrowing between religions King Sargon was placed in a basket on a river: just like moses was placed in basket on river. But sargon was 1000 years before moses • Law code of Hammurab is also similar (eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth) • Enuma Elish is a story of creation also • The most famous example of similar stories is epic of Gilgamesh when he was told to built a boat because a great flood was coming through. Zoroastrianism • Zoroastrianism is the religion of ancient Persia (Iran) • The founder is Zoroaster • It is polytheistic and came before Judaism, islam, etc.. • Zoroaster changed the traditional pantheon of gods • He believed there was one great cosmic struggle between good and bad • There was dualism because of the two gods: Ahura Mazda (good god), and Ahriman (bad god) • Gods can only tempt and not compel • There were many key concepts borrowed from this religion: good vs. bad, heaven vs. hell, resurrection of body, individual judgement (bridge allows you to cross into paradise or flips and you go to hell) • In the end Ahura mazda wins the great struggle because happy endings means more followers • Ahura mazda is a supreme god • Zoroastrianism is viewed as basis for Judaism, islam, and Christianity, and it is practiced still in Iran and India Greek Religion • Greeks take over Persia because of Alexander the great • Had pantheon of deities but Zeus was the primary god • People needed to believe in many gods because it explained natural disasters, you can be on the bad side of one god but the good side of all the others • Gods gave people security • People built temples to honor the gods (bigger the better) • Greek gods were very human like and they had human flaws • Anthropomorphic is the belief of gods in human forms • Theriomorphic is the belief of gods in animal forms • Plato said that greeks shouldn’t take gods literally • Plato also believed that gods were just symbols • There was one “cosmic shaper” one supreme entity that shaped the entire world • By the time of Aristotle the pantheon was being questioned (about 300 BCE) • Greece culture influenced Judaism because they ruled Israel for a while, gave them the thought of heaven and hell, angels, demons, and afterlife Roman Religion • Romans believed they ruled the world • Earthquakes destroyed many roman architectures • God’s gift to Judaism was the torah • “Talmud Torah” has always been a key to survival • Talmud torah is to study the torah • *Judaism rests upon God (god of justice and mercy), Israel (land and people), Mitzva (commandment, doing good), and Torah (book of god)! * • There are 613 commandments • The legal code of Pentateuch key (five books of moses) • Synagogue was built like a church because the man was Christian Torah • Torah is often misinterpreted • Torah means more than “instruction” or “law” (found in dictionary) • Torah is the entire compendium of Jewish learning • Torah has more than one meaning • TANAKH is an acronym to help remember • 3 parts to the torah • Torah • Nevi’im (means prophets) • Ketuvim (Writings) • Letters spell TANAKH • Know 5 books of moses (creation, legends, stories, poetry, laws are in five books of moses. Covers from creation to death of moses, most important is treating people kindly, live ethical good life) • Story of Hillel (Hillel made the message “what is hateful unto you do not do to your neighbor [golden rule]) Nevi’im/prophets • God calls prophets to action • Prophets push the issue of universal monotheism Ketuvim (writings) • Psalms (soothing), book of job (very sad but popular so its in the torah) Torah • Torah is more than books (stories, legends, fairytales, etc.) • Moses received both oral and written laws on Mt. Sinai THE RABBIS • More texts needed to be recorded because everything was being destroyed • Rabbi means master (respect) • Rabbis were interpreters, not legislators • Judaism is interpreting religion • Torah was not changed by rabbis • After CE 70, the rabbis have 2 important social goals: 1. To increase membership, 2. To govern jewish society (no more rulers) • Basic 3 principles: 1. Unity of God 2. The divine origin (GOD) of written and oral Torah 3. Resurrection • Oral laws are recorded • Collections of laws are mishnah and Germara • Mishnah was around the 200 CE • Germara was a little later • Mishnah + Germar = Talmud • Talmud is mishnah and germara combined (still studied today and there are discussions and decisions of rabbis) (Babylonian Talmud is so much better than Israeli) Modern Judaism • Judaism continued to develop • Originally Judaism was only “Orthodox” • All laws of torah to be followed and they are based on the rabbis • But things change over time: Enlightenment is both good and bad for jews • Example= Napolean (didn’t segregate jews in middle ages) • 3 Jewish denominations: 1. Orthodox, 3. Reformed, 2. Conservative • *1. Orthodox judaism- must follow all jewish laws, this is the official form of Judaism in Israel, they believed moses wrote the torah • *2. Conservative- compromise between orthodox and reform, • *3. Reformed Judaism- answered the question of how to be both secular and jewish at the same time, wanted to get rid of archaic practices for more “user friendly” ones, like driving, although orothodox jews said it was good because they didn’t want anyone to convert, more religious than reform but less that orthodox, most common form 60 years ago was conservative, now most are reformed Holidays Holidays • HIGH HOLIDAYS (most important time of year [ten days of awe]): Rosh hashanah (new year/head of year) and yom kippur (most important! most solumn, day of atonement/ at one with) • Before yom kippur you: 1 repent, 2 pray, and 3 charity • Hanukkah: not technically in scriptures, 8 nights of gifts, • Passover: it is the exodus of jews out of Egypt, lasts about a week, filled with rituals, no bread, esader is the first two nights (eat bitter herbs, salt water), final plague was death of the first born so they put blood on door post and angel of death would passover house • Sabbath (day of rest): comes every week from Friday to Saturday, sundown to sundown Jewish Prayer • Prayer is important to modern Jews, despite the fact it is not specifically called for in the Torah • Jews pray in synagogue • Jews pray 3 times a day but really no guide book to prayer (morning, afternoon, and evening) • Morning Prayer: called shacharit (dawn), longest prayer session, replaces morning sessions, for morning sacrifice • Afternoon Prayer: called minchah (afternoon), means offering • Evening Prayer: called maariv (bringing of evening), shortest of prayer sessions, was optional not optional anymore Jewish Ethics • The rabbis felt so strongly about ethics that they initiated 2 new innovations: 1. Emphasis on value of work (hard work), 2. Emphasis on kindness to animals • Rabbis got these values from roman empire (animals from gladiator games, work wasn’t important to roman they’d rather gossip) • To be ethical jew one must keep commandments because the world relies upon it • Human’s have evil human impules • Evil impulse: yetzer harah (can be fun) • Good impulse: yetzer hatov • Freewill controls impulses • Judaism relies upon ethics • 3 ethical options: 1. What’s mine is mine; what’s yours is mine, 2. What’s mine is mine; and what’s yours is yours (get a B if you were 1 point away from an A), 3. What’s yours is yours; what’s mine is yours (professor gives you an A even though you were only a few points away, be a giver)