REL 106: Comparative Religions
Spring 2014
1.
2.
3.
4.
Why study religion?
Our working definition of religion
Prothero’s four-part approach to religion
Bible passages from the syllabus,
especially those that we studied in class
5. Interpretation
6. Islam: origins and distinctive
characteristics
7. Muhammad
8. Allah
9. Quran (origins, purpose, main themes)
10. Quran: divine, eternal word
11. Sample texts on war and violence in
Quran 3, 4, 8, 9 (don’t need to know
chapter and verse; need to recognize
main ideas and concepts)
12. Arabian peninsula
13. Mecca/Medina
14. Salaam
15. Shahadah
16. Five pillars of Islam
17. Texts of Islam
18. Salat
19. Adhan
20. Ramadan
21. Kabah
22. Shahadah
23. Monotheism
24. Polytheism
25. Monism
26. Dualism
27. Shirk
28. Believers
29. People of the Book
30. Disbelievers (idolaters)
31. Jihad
32. Qibla
33. Mosque
34. Jinn
35. Sufi (Dervish)
36. Prothero’s four-part schema of Islam
37. Hinduism/Sanatana Dharma
38. Origins and distinctive characteristics
39. Vishnu
40. Krishna
Dr. Jason Borders
Midterm Study Guide
41. Avatar
42. Samsara
43. Moksha/spiritual liberation
44. samadhi
45. Karma/reincarnation
46. Karma yoga/ “way of action”
47. Jnana yoga/ “way of wisdom”
48. Bhakti yoga/ “way of devotion”
49. Yoga (to yoke)
50. Guru
51. Atman/soul
52. Brahman
53. Paramatma
54. Puja
55. Vedas/Rig Veda
56. Mantra
57. caste
58. Dharma/duty
59. Bhagavad Gita, “Song of the Lord”
60. Arjuna
61. Main themes in BG books 2-4
62. Prothero’s four-part schema of Hinduism
63. Confucianism: origins and distinctive
characteristics
64. Confucianism’s emphases: order,
harmony, relationships, this life, ethics,
ritual, sacredness of here and now,
ultimacy in relationships, etc.
65. Confucius: life, significance, influence,
contributions
66. K’ung Fu-tzu
67. Wu Ching/Ssu Shu
68. Confucius’s “Golden Rule”
69. Tian/heaven
70. Ethics and ritual
71. Education
72. Five paired relationships
73. Ren/human-heartedness
74. Li/ritual, ethics, ceremony, manners, etc.
75. Junzi/gentleman/exemplary person
76. Key ideas from the Analects, esp. Books 4
77. Prothero’s four-part schema on
Confucianism
78. Key Distinctions: Christianity
(selflessness in Confucianism; violence in
Islam; Duty in Hinduism)