23 Sep Methodology of the class - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

23 SepMethodology of the class 30 SepWhat is the religion?Theories on origin of the religions: animism, hedonism, revelation etc.Basic features of major religions 7 OctClassification of ReligionsHistory of JudaismBasic teachings of Judaism: Testament, Holy Ground, Sin and Suffering, Salvation, Myths and Rituals 14 OctSacred texts of JudaismConcept of God in JudaismMain sects of Judaism  21 OctHistory of ChristianityBasic teachings of Christianity: Sin and Suffering, Salvation, Myths and Rituals 28 OctSacred texts of ChristianityConcept of God in ChristianityMain sects of Christianity 4 NovWhat is the comparative method?Comparative approach: Judaism, Christianity and Islam 11 NovTerm of Indian ReligionsHistory of HinduismBasic teachings of Hinduism: samsara, karma, moksha, avatara, Myths and Rituals 2 Dec Sacred texts of HinduismConcept of God in HinduismMain sects of Hinduism Hinduism in today’s world 9 DecHistory of BuddhismBasic teachings of Buddhism: samsara, karma, nirvana, Myths and Rituals 16 DecSacred texts of BuddhismDoes Buddhism accept concept of God?Main sects of Buddhism  23 DecSikhism and Jainism: their history and basic beliefs  30 DecReading on Hindu Muslim Interaction in medieval period“Amrakunda” (Havdu’l Haya) and “Macmuat’ul Bahrayn”  

Cemil

Kutluturk

,

Asist

. Prof.,

“History

fo

Religions

”

–

2016-2017

academik

year

, I.

smester

Slide2

What

is

the

history

and

religion

?

«

deen

,

dharma

,

tao

,

religion

»

Slide3

Slide4

In brief,

A chronological record of events, as of the life or development of a people or institution, often including an explanation of or commentary on those events

The branch of knowledge that records and analyzes past events

The past events relating to a particular thing

a continuous, systematic narrative of past events as relating to a particular people, country, period, person, etc., written as a chronological account

Slide5

Definition of the Word

Deen

Deen

is a word in Arabic roughly meaning "creed" or "religion" that features heavily in Islam.

The

term is loosely associated with religion, but in the Qur'an, it means the way of life in which righteous Muslims must adopt to comply with divine law (Quran and

sunnah

), or

Shari'a

, and to the divine

judgment

t

.

The

Hebrew

term

t

ra

nsliterated

as "

dīn

",

means

either

"

law

"

or

"

judgement

.

In

Judaism

,

the

word

Dīn

appears

in

the

Tanakh

(

the

Hebrew

Bible

)

which

occurs

24

times

.

It

often

means

"

to

judge

", "

judgment

"

and

"

to

vindicate

".

The

transitive

verb

usage

denotes

"

requite

,

compensate

,

rule

,

govern

,

obedience

,

abasement

,

recompense

,

requiter

,

governor

.

Slide6

“1:4 مَٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ transliterated as "Maliki yawmi ad-Dīni," and (usually) translated as "Master of the Day of Judgment".”

W

hat

is

the

meaning

of “

deen

” in

Quran

?

Some

Qur'anic

scholars

have

translated

Dīn

in

places

as "

faith

"

[

Others

suggest

that

the

term

"has

been

used

in

various

forms

and

meanings

, e.g.,

system

,

power

,

supremacy

,

ascendancy

,

sovereignty

or

lordship

,

dominion

,

law

,

constitution

,

government

,

realm

,

decision

,

definite

outcome

,

reward

and

punishment

. On

the

other

hand

,

this

word

is

also

used

in

the

sense of “

obedience

,

submission

and

allegiance

".

[9

that

the

term

Dīn

is

also

widely

used

in

translations

of

the

Qur'an

in a

third

sense.

Most

famously

in

its

opening

chapter

, al-

Fātiḥah

,

the

term

is

translated

in

almost

all

English

translations

as "

judgment

":

The

well-known

Islamic

scholar

,

Fazlur

Rahman Malik,

suggested

that

Dīn

is

best

considered

as "

the

way

-

to

-be-

followed

".

Slide7

What is the meaning of 'millah‘?

Milel

and

Nihal”

Slide8

What is the meaning of the work '

millah

', and how does its meaning differ to that of '

deen

'?

Millah

and

dîn

are two words that are quite close in their meaning. We can refer to the

millah

of Islam or to the

dîn

of Islam.

Both words are mentioned in

Qur’ân

in this context.

Allah say: “And the Jews will not be pleased with you, nor the Christians, until you follow their religion (

millah

).” [

Sûrah

al-

Baqarah

: 120]

He says

says

: “And that is the religion (

dîn

) right and straight” [

Sûrah

al-

Bayyinah

: 5]

This does not mean that these two words are identical in meaning. Each has its separate meaning but they also converge in a shared general meaning. If one of these words is mentioned on its own, it will indicate the other.

If they are mentioned together in one context, the word

millah

will mean the community of people following the religion and the whole of the message brought by the Messengers, while the word

dîn

will mean the religious devotion and conviction of the people.

Slide9

History

of

history

of

religions

in

islamic

World

Three

types

1.

the

books

related

with

o

ther

religions

and

sects

Abdülkerim

Şehristanî

(ö. 479

h.k

.) "Milel ve Nihal«,

İbn

Hazm

(ö. 456

h.k

.) "el-

Faslu

fi’l

-Milel

ve’l-Ehva

ve’n-Nihal«

2.

the

books

related

with

religions

/

sects

which

were

occured

only

in

Islamic

landscape

.

Ebu’l

-Hasan

Eş’arî

, «

Makalâtu’l-İslâmîyyin

ve

İhtilâfu’l-Musallîn

»

Abdulkahir

Bağdadî (ö. 429

h.k

.), «el-

Farku

Beyne’l-Fırak

»

3.

focused

on

only

a

specific

islamic

sect

Nevbahtî

,

"

Fıraku’s

-Şia”

Saad

b. Abdullah

Eş’arî

, “el-

Makalât

ve’l

-

Fırak

«

Slide10

JUDAISM

–I

history

,

basic

terms

Slide11

Basic terms

Hebrew

means “From across”- name given to Abraham and his followers

Israelites

: Abraham’s grandson Jacob renamed Israel which means “he who has wrestled with God”. His descendants were called “Israelites”

Jews

: named after Jacob’s son Judah

(

Yahuda

)

, ancient father of tribe of King David’s dynasty

Population

of J.

That's a difficult question to answer, because not every country keeps track of such things, and not every Jew chooses to admit such things, particularly in countries where Jews are persecuted.

Most estimates I have seen suggest that there are about 14 million Jews in the world. The vast majority of these Jews live in either the United States and

Israel

; Israel with over 6 million Jews and America with about 5.5 million. There are about

2

.5 million Jews in Europe (a third of them in France), 400,000 in Latin America and 400,000 in Canada. In Africa, there are less than 75,000 Jews, about 90% of whom live in the country of South Africa. There are about 125,000 Jews in Australia and New Zealand combined. There are about 40,000 Jews in Asia (not including Israel), half of them in former Soviet Union countries.

Slide12

13 Principles of

Faith

-

Essence

o

f J.

The closest that anyone has ever come to creating a widely-accepted list of Jewish beliefs is

Rambam

’

s

thirteen principles of faith. These principles, which

Rambam

thought were the minimum requirements of Jewish belief, are:

G

od

exists

G

o

d

is one and unique

G

o

d

is incorporeal

G

o

d

is eternal

Praye

r

is to be directed to G-d alone and to no other

The words of the prophets are true

Moses

’

prophecies are true, and Moses was the greatest of the prophets

The Written Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) and Oral Torah (teachings now contained in the Talmud and other writings) were given to Moses

There

will be no other Torah

G

o

d knows the thoughts and deeds of men

G

o

d

will reward the good and punish the wicked

The Messiah will come

The dead will be

resurrected

Slide13

The Nature of God

Covenants with good people

Responds to their needs

deliverance

Guides & directs His people

Compassionate

Controls with justice

Source of forgiving, redeeming love

Establishes peace on earth

Slide14

Next class: Sacred Texts

The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh

Known by Christians as "Old Testament“

contains the same books as the Christian version but in a different order after the first five

Considered revealed and inspired by God

Interpretation of early history of the Hebrew people, establishment of a nation

Story of God’s interaction with His "Chosen People" (His-Story)

Foundation of Jewish life

Called the Bible

(Biblia) means "little books“

Actually a library of 39 independent books divided into 3 categories:

Slide15

The 3 Categories

Torah

Most important text

Divine instruction and guidance or "Written Law”

Books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Covers history from creation through the Exodus and wandering in the desert

613 commandments from God

Slide16

Continued…

2.

Prophets

: Words and revelations of the minor and major prophets

Ezekiel, Isaiah, Amos, Jonah, etc.

3. Writings

: poetic and devotional material written and used during the same time as the Prophets, words and works of the sages

Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ruth, Esther, Daniel, etc.

The Talmud

Oral tradition passed to Moses and beyond

Finally written down in the 2

nd

century

Contains info on rituals, marriages, agricultural laws, festivals, etc.

Slide17

Ten Commandments

I am the Lord your God

You shall have no other gods before me

You shall not make for yourself an idol

Do not take the name of the Lord in vain

Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy

Honor your father and mother

You shall not kill/murder†

You shall not commit adultery

You shall not steal††

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor

You shall not covet‡ your neighbor's wife

You shall not covet‡ anything that belongs to your neighbor

Slide18

Chosness,

Casiye, 16 (blessings, boons)

Bakara, 40 (essence of covinent, ahit)

Bakara, 83-84 / maide 12 (what were the ahits)

Slide19

Please

write

the

concept

of «

chosenness

»

and

«

promised

land

»

according

to

Quran

?

Slide20

Rituals

Jewish calendar based on lunar month

Sabbath/

Shabbat

Observed each week

Sundown on Friday

sundown on Saturday

Rosh Hashanah

New year

Begins the

Days of Awe

Concentrate on prayer, contemplation, self-searching

Yom Kippur

10

th

day (of awe)

Holiest day observed

Repentance: 24 hours of atonement and fasting

Slide21

Rise and Spread of Christianity

Slide22

Attention!!

Today, Christianity is the largest world religion, with about 2 billion adherents. It is the majority religion of Europe and the Americas, and there are churches in almost every nation in the world.

There are perhaps thousands of Christian denominations, all of whom believe in the basic doctrines established at the Council of

Nicea

but differ in other matters of doctrine and practice. In recent years, there has been a growing movement among these denominations to work together in unity for the good of the world. In 1948, the World Council of Churches was founded to that end.

Slide23

MAIN IDEAS

Christianity built upon the Jewish belief in one God and the concept of a Messiah.

The disciples of Jesus came to believe that he was the Messiah.

According to the Gospels, Jesus was executed but rose from the dead. Christians believe that this makes freedom from sin and death possible for everyone.

Christianity emerged at a time of widespread unrest in the Roman province of Judaea (Palestine).

Christianity is based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth

Christ comes from the Greek word “

christos

” which means “messiah” or “anointed one”

Slide24

Looking for a Messiah

Christianity grew from Judaism and ideas of

Jesus

—a Jewish teacher

Romans conquered Jewish kingdom of Judah (Judea) in 63 B.C.

Jewish kings had to be approved by Rome

Many Jews sought freedom from foreign rulers

Sacred writings promised a Messiah who would free them

Some believed the ruler would be descended from King David

Slide25

REVIEW QUESTION

What event made Jesus’ followers believe their leader was divine?

Slide26

The Early Christians & The New Faith

Romans followed a number of religions and also allowed a great deal of freedom to other religions.

Jews and Christians began to disagree on religious grounds, and Christianity slowly became a separate religion.

Jews and early Christians shared the same basic beliefs, but differed on the idea of the messiah.

At first, Christians concentrated on trying to convert other Jews.

After serious debate, the early Christians decided to preach Christianity to the Gentiles.

Slide27

How did the Roman Empire help spread Christianity?

During Pax Romana, missionaries traveled safely

Roman Roads helped to spread quickly

Constantine converted

Constantine built churches in Rome and Jerusalem

Religious freedom

Christianity becomes official religion of the Roman Empire

Slide28

The Spread of Christianity

After Jesus’s death, his disciples began teaching that all people could achieve salvation—the forgiveness of sins and the promise of everlasting life

.

Apostles

:

Jesus’s 12

disciples

worked to spread message

Earliest Christian missionaries

Apostles

traveled widely, teaching mostly in Jewish

communities

Paul

,

originally known as Saul, born in Tarsus, in Asia Minor

Had actively opposed those teaching that Jesus was the Messiah

Paul had conversion on way to Damascus, became Christian

If not for his work, Christianity might have remained a branch of Judaism

Slide29

Then,

What helped spread Christianity through the Roman world?

Slide30

Answer(s):

Paul of Tarsus and other disciples; Constantine’s conversion; outlawing of public non-Christian sacrifices by Theodosius

(d. 395)

Slide31

Converting the Gentiles

Paul believed God sent him to convert non-Jews, or Gentiles

Paul helped make Christianity broader religion, attracted many new followers

Helped establish Christian churches throughout eastern Mediterranean

Paul’s epistles, or letters, to those churches later became part of the New Testament

Paul found some Jewish customs hindered missionary work among non-Jews, dispensed with those requirements for Christians

Paul emphasized new doctrines that helped distinguish Christianity from Judaism

Christianity spread; message of love, eternal life after death found appealing

By AD 300, some 10 percent of Roman people were Christian

Slide32

What is the difference between Christianity and Judaism?

Slide33

Of the major world religions, Christianity and Judaism are likely the most similar. Christianity and Judaism both believe in one God who is almighty, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, and infinite. Both religions believe in a God who is holy, righteous, and just, while at the same time loving, forgiving, and merciful. Christianity and Judaism share the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) as the authoritative Word of God, although Christianity includes the New Testament as well. Both Christianity and Judaism believe in the existence of heaven, the eternal dwelling place of the righteous, and hell, the eternal dwelling place of the wicked (although not all Christians and not all Jews believe in the eternality of hell). Christianity and Judaism have basically the same ethical code, commonly known today as Judeo-Christian. Both Judaism and Christianity teach that God has a special plan for the nation of Israel and the Jewish peopleRead more:

Slide34

The all-important difference between Christianity and Judaism is the Person of Jesus Christ. Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of a coming Messiah / Savior (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Micah 5:2). Judaism often recognizes Jesus as a good teacher, and perhaps even a prophet of God. Judaism does not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Taking it a step further, Christianity teaches that Jesus was God in the flesh

(Hebrews

1:8). Christianity teaches that God became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ so He could lay down His life to pay the price for our sins (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Judaism strongly denies that Jesus was God or that such a sacrifice was necessary.

Slide35

J

esus

Christ is the all-important distinction between Christianity and Judaism. The Person and work of Jesus Christ is the one primary issue that Christianity and Judaism cannot agree upon. In Matthew 15:24, Jesus declared, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The religious leaders of Israel in Jesus' time asked Him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus replied, 'I am,' ... And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven" (Mark 14:61-62). But they didn’t believe His words or accept Him as the Messiah.

Slide36

DOCTRINES

OF TRINITY

Slide37

T

rinity

,

 in Christian doctrine, the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead.

Neither the word Trinity nor the explicit doctrine appears in the New Testament, nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Hebrew Scriptures: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4). The earliest Christians, however, had to cope with the implications of the coming of Jesus Christ and of the presumed presence and power of God among them—

i.e.,

the Holy Spirit, whose coming was connected with the celebration of the Pentecost. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were associated in such New Testament passages as the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19); and in the apostolic benediction: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14). Thus, the New Testament established the basis for the doctrine of the Trinity.

Slide38

The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies. Initially, both the requirements of monotheism inherited from the Hebrew Scriptures and the implications of the need to interpret the biblical teaching to Greco-Roman religions seemed to demand that the divine in Christ as the Word, or Logos, be interpreted as subordinate to the Supreme Being. An alternative solution was to interpret Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three modes of the self-disclosure of the one God but not as distinct within the being of God itself. The first tendency recognized the distinctness among the three, but at the cost of their equality and hence of their unity (

subordinationism

); the second came to terms with their unity, but at the cost of their distinctness as “persons” (modalism). It was not until the 4th century that the distinctness of the three and their unity were brought together in a single orthodox doctrine of one essence and three persons.

Slide39

The Council of Nicaea in 325 stated the crucial formula for that doctrine in its confession that the Son is “of the same substance

as

the Father,” even though it said very little about the Holy Spirit. Over the next half century, Athanasius defended and refined the Nicene formula, and, by the end of the 4th century, under the leadership of Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory of

Nazianzus

(the Cappadocian Fathers), the doctrine of the Trinity took substantially the form it has maintained ever since. It is accepted in all of the historic confessions of Christianity, even though the impact of the Enlightenment decreased its importance.

Slide40

In 325 AD, Constantine called the Council of

Nicea so that the bishops could work out their differences. They declared the Son (Christ) to be of "one substance" with the Father.

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.  We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human.  

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.  We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Nicene Creed

Slide41

Scriptures?

Hebrew

Scriptures

The

Tanakh

(TNK) is an acronym of the initial Hebrew letters of the

Tanakh's

three traditional subdivisions: Torah (Law)

Nevi'im

(Prophets) and

Ketuvim

(Writings). According to Jewish tradition, the

Tanakh

consists of twenty-four books.

“

Protestant

” OT: 39 books

“

Catholic

” OT: 46 books

add 1,2 Maccabees; Wisdom,

Ecclesiasticus

; Baruch (

Deutero

-canonicals)

Slide42

Old Testament, New Testament

Jewish Scholars have no issue with this nomenclature.

The Christian Old Testament (39, 46 books) is not the same as the Hebrew Scriptures (24 books)

The structure of the Jewish Sacred Writings is not the same as that of the Christian Old Testament.

The Jewish Texts are structured so as to point to reconstruction and renewal of Israel.

While all Christians agree there are 27 books in the New Testament, Catholics (46)and Protestants (39) disagree on the number of books of the Old Testament.

Protestant scholars follow Martin Luther who accepted only those texts originally written in Hebrew, rejecting the texts first recorded in Greek. Hence seven

Deutero

- (extra)canonical books of the Catholic Bible (Septuagint)

Slide43

The Great Schism of 1054

Slide44

What was the Big Deal?

There was already tension between the Byzantine and old Roman Empire.

The Eastern priests could

marry

before they became priests. Rome

didn

’

t agree.

The Roman church used

unleavened

bread in their mass. The east thought this was too

“

Jewish

”

.

The Eastern church had Greek mass. The Roman Church used Latin

.

The Eastern churches did not like how the Pope of Rome claimed himself to be the head of the Christian church.

If anyone, the Eastern church believed the patriarch (bishop) of Constantinople should be the head.

In 1054, the final straw came when the Western Church added the

filioque

to their creed which included the

“

Holy Spirit

”

in the Christian Trinity.

Slide45

In 1054, Pope Leo IX of Rome and the Patriarch/Bishop of Constantinople decided to

excommunicate

each other.

Excommunication is the worst punishment a member of the Christian Church can receive.

They are not allowed to receive sacraments and have no hope of entering heaven, according to Christian beliefs.

The result of the 1054 Schism is the division between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church.

The word

Orthodox

means

dedication to the traditional faith.

The Eastern church believed that they followed traditional Christian beliefs and unlike the Roman church with they viewed as greedy and too close to Judaism

.

Divided church for 100 years; final straw in the split

Some believed icons to be worshipped, some saw them as symbols of God’s presence.

AD 726 – Byzantine Emperor Leo III ends use of icons in church.

Followers known as iconoclasts = image breakers.

Many refused to follow; AD 787 church appeals decision

Slide46

Roman Catholicism v. Eastern Orthodox

Roman Catholicism – In WestCentered in RomePriests were celibateLatin used in servicesSupported use of iconsHeaded by PopeBecomes Roman Catholic Church

Eastern Orthodox – In East

Centered in Constantinople

Priests could marry

Greek used in services

Forbid use of icons

Headed by Patriarch

Becomes Eastern Orthodox Church

Slide47

Protestantism

It

is

one of the three major branches of Christianity, along with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. It shares with all other Christians core beliefs in the doctrines of the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus, the necessity of grace to save humans from the consequences of sin, and the centrality of Jesus' death and resurrection for salvation. Composed of hundreds of denominations with an expansive variety of doctrines, rituals, and religious practices, Protestantism formed from the split with Roman Catholicism during the Reformation in the 16th century. Led by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others, the reformers broke from the Roman Catholic Church due to abusive ecclesiological structures and theological differences. Protestants share an adherence to the centrality of scripture (both the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament) as well as a doctrine of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Different Protestant denominations have to varying degrees maintained or rejected Roman Catholic forms of worship. Anglican and Lutheran churches have maintained liturgies and rituals similar to those of the Roman Catholic Church, whereas other denominations, such as Baptists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, and United Church of Christ, have developed less liturgical forms of worship. Most Protestants practice baptism and communion as key rites of Christian initiation and ongoing devotion. Though originating in Europe, Protestant Christianity has spread across the globe through missionary activity and now has members from nearly every country, race, and ethnicity.

Slide48

Core

of

his teachings rest in three “alones” or “

onlys

.”

Sola Fide

—Salvation is “by faith alone.” Faith is free and is a gift from God.

(Erasmus—an exercise of free will, people could choose to believe

);

Sola Gratia

—salvation depends on the grace of God alone—his gift is independent of human action—it is because of Christ’s death on the Cross—man need only have faith, believe, accept, and ask

…

3)

Sola Scriptura

—the “Bible alone” teaches all we need to know and is the single source of authority—Popes, councils, and traditions were sinful man-made inventions to keep people loyal to a human endeavor—not to God as it should be …

Slide49

Sacramentalism

Sacramentalism is a central and vital component within Catholic theology. For Catholics, sacraments are “effective signs” of grace instituted by Christ. Catholicism’s seven sacraments (baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, extreme unction[last rites], holy orders[ordination into the priesthood], and matrimony) both signify grace and cause it to happen

ex opere operato

(“they work by their own working”).

While various evangelical denominations differ in their acceptance and approach to sacraments (or ordinances), generally speaking evangelicals differ with the Catholic view in number, nature, and operation of the sacraments. The Eucharist and the sacrificial nature of the mass in particular engender great dispute between Catholics and evangelicals. Both of these areas of concern have direct Christological implications

Slide50

The Eucharist

is the celebration of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

In the Bible, it is called the Lord's Supper.

Christians are invited to celebrate the Eucharist every week during Mass.

Children usually make their First Holy Communion at the age of 7 or 8.

This is a formal affair, and children completing their First Holy Communion wear formal attire

.

…

Water baptism makes believers a part of the

church

. It is a custom of the Catholic Church

to

baptize infants.

Slide51

The

term

of

Indian

Religions

Indian religions, also termed as

Dharmic

faiths or religions, are the religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent; namely Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism that follow the rules of Dharma.

These religions are also classified as Eastern religions. Although Indian religions are connected through the history of India, they constitute a wide range of religious communities, and are not confined to the Indian subcontinent

Slide52

Slide53

History of HinduismHinduism is a term for a wide variety of related religious traditions native to India. Historically, it encompasses the development of Religion in India since the Iron Age traditions, which in turn hark back to prehistoric religions such as that of the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilization followed by the Vedic religion.

According to historians, the origin of Hinduism dates back to 5,000 or more years. The word "Hindu" is derived from the name of River Indus, which flows through north-western India. In ancient times the river was called the "Sindhu", but the Persians who migrated to India called the river "Hindu," the land "Hindustan" (Sanskrit, Hindi), and its inhabitants "Hindus". Thus the daily life practices evolved as the religion followed by the Hindus came to be known as "Hinduism

Slide54

Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, with approximately 900 million adherents

It is also the oldest known religion in the world today

The origins cannot be ascribed to any single founder or a specific time or a single place

Slide55

Hinduism is Sanatana Dharma

Hinduism is often referred to as Sanatana Dharma meaning 'the eternal path'. The belief is a conglomerate of religious, philosophical and cultural ideas characterized by the belief in reincarnation, the path to righteousness, and the desire to liberate from the cycle of births and deaths.

Slide56

Caste ???

Slide57

The Development of the Caste System:

The term

caste

—a social class of hereditary and unchangeable status—was first used in India by Portuguese merchants and mariners during the 16

th

century CE when they observed sharp social distinctions among the Indian people.

The Aryans used the term

varna

, a Sanskrit word meaning “color,” to refer to their social classes.

Slide58

Brahmins

: the highest social classes were the priests and scholars, who sprang from

Purusha’s

mouth, and represented intellect, knowledge, and wisdom.

Brahmins were the “lightest” in skin color

.

Kshatriya

s:

the

warrior-aristocracy, the rulers and government officials who came from the arms of

Purusha

.

Slide59

SCRİPTURES OF HİNDUİSM

Sruti

in Sanskrit means "that which is heard." Thus the Vedas are the eternal

truths that the Vedic seers, called rishis, are said to have heard during their deep

meditations. The Vedas are not considered the works of the human mind, but an

expression of what has been realized through intuitive perception by Vedic rishis,

who had powers to see beyond the physical phenomena. As such, Vedas are

considered of divine origin. The Vedic truths were originally transmitted by the rishis

to their disciples over thousands of years. At a later date, these were compiled by

Sage Vyasa for the benefit of future generations. India's teachings are not

speculative. They are based on divine revelations. Indeed, the revelations are so

cosmic that they approach more closely the findings of physics and astronomy than

the pious pronouncements of preachers. The rishis made claims so cosmic that even

modern physics seems only to be catching up with them and realizing, after every

scientific breakthrough, that the ancients were there long before them.

Sruti

include

the Vedas (Rig,

Yajur

,

Sama

and

Atharva

) and the Bhagavad Gita. The Vedas are the

primary scriptures of Hinduism. Each of the four Vedas consists of four parts:

Samhitas

,

Brahmanas

,

Aranyakas

,

and

Upanishads

.

Slide60

Smriti

means "that which is remembered."

Smriti

scriptures are derived from the

Vedas and are considered to be of human origin and not of divine origin. They were

written to explain and elaborate the Vedas, making them understandable and more

meaningful to the general population. All authoritative writings outside the Vedas are

collectively referred to as

Smriti

.

Smriti

inlcude

the Dharma

Shastras

,

Nibhandas

,

Puranas

,

The

Epics

,

Agamas

or

Tantras

,

Darshanas

and

Vedangas

(

Upa

Vedas

).

According to Alain

Danielou

distingused

Orientalist, " The

Puranas

provide

genealogies, which go back to the sixth millennium B.C. E. and are probably largely

authentic. The stories and descriptions of the various regions of the earth and the

various civilizations living on the "seven continents" provide priceless

documentation on the world's oldest civilization.«

The

Smriti

are considered the secondary scriptures of Hinduism. These scriptures

are classified in the following diagram:

Slide61

Dharmaśāstra

(

धर्मशास्त्र

) is a genre of S

anskrit

texts, and refers to the treatises

(

shastras

)

of

Hinduism

m on

Dharma

. There are many

Dharmashastras

, variously estimated to be 18 to about 100, with different and conflicting points of view

.

The textual corpus of

Dharmaśāstra

were composed in poetic verses,

are part of the Hindu

Smritis

,

constituting divergent commentaries and treatises on duties, responsibilities and ethics to oneself, to family and as a member of society. The texts include discussion of

ashrama

(stages of life),

varna

(social classes),

purushartha

(proper goals of life), personal virtues and duties such as ahimsa (non-violence) against all living beings, rules of just war, and other topics

.

Bhagavadgita

, 18:42

śamo

damas

tapaḥ

śaucaṁ

/

kṣāntir

ārjavam

eva

ca

jñānaṁ

vijñānam

āstikyaṁ

/ brahma-karma

svabhāva-jam

Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness-these are the qualities by which the

brāhmaṇas

work.

Slide62

The word

Puranas

(Sanskrit

:

पुराण

,

purāṇa

)

literally means "ancient, old", and it is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly myths, legends and other traditional lore. Composed primarily in Sanskrit, but also in regional languages, several of these texts are named after major Hindu deities such as Vishnu, Shiva and Dev

i.

They have been influential in the Hindu culture, inspiring major national and regional annual festivals of

Hinduis

m.

Slide63

During the early classical period another of the world’s major religions developed,

Buddhism

.

Founded by Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE), a member of a Kshatriya family in northeastern India.

He led the life of a prince, comfortable and isolated. But he wanted to know the true meaning of existence, so he abandoned the life of pleasure.

Slide64

The Buddha believed that “desire” was the root cause of all human suffering and that to end suffering, one must end desire.

Once he attained “enlightenment,” the Buddha spent the rest of his life spreading his knowledge to others

.

The Buddha never claimed to be divine, but after his death some of his disciples elevated him to that status (Mahayana)

.

Even though Buddhism spread, by the third century BCE, it looked as though it would remain a small regional religion.

Slide65

I. Generalizations of Indian Religion

It is complex and indefinable—no creeds

1. Indian religion is given to a functional definition of religion and emphasizes evolutionary change

2. Hinduism can be considered more of a league of religions, than a single religion

3. It seems not to want any boundary around it.

Slide66

It is a highly inclusive religious system.

1. May believe anything or nothing

2. Room for all types of souls

It

is a system of rationalism and esoteric wisdom.

1. One must go to the wisdom of the ages, a metaphysical view of history.

2. Ultimately all is question of knowledge.

3. Sin is delusion,

maya

is sin or delusion.

Slide67

Moksha

 (

Sanskrit

: 

मोक्ष 

mokṣa

),

 

means

emancipation

,

liberation

or

release

.

 

In

eschatological

sense, it

connotes

freedom

from

saṃsāra

,

the

cycle

of

death

and

rebirth

.

 

In

epistemological

and

psychological

sense,

moksha

connotes

freedom

, self-

realization

and

self-

knowledge

.

Slide68

I

n

Hindu traditions, Moksha is a central

concept

 and included as one of the four aspects and goals of human life; the other three goals are 

Dharma

 (virtuous, proper, moral life), 

Artha

 (material prosperity, income security, means of life), and 

Kama

(

pleasure, sensuality, emotional fulfillment

).

 Together, these four aims of life are called 

Puruṣārtha

 in Hinduism.

[7]

Slide69

Puruṣārtha (पुरुषार्थ:)

Dharma

: "law, religious duty"

Artha

: "prosperity"

Kāma

: "pleasure"

Mokṣa

: "(spiritual) liberation"

Slide70

How do Hindus achieve Moksha?

There are four different paths to achieve Moksha which a Hindu can take. 

The Hindu can choose one or all four of the paths they are: 

1.The path of knowledge -

Jnana

-Yoga 

(

Marga

)

Spiritual knowledge -leading to the knowledge of the relationship between the soul (atman) and God (Brahman) 

2.The path of meditation -

Dhyana

-yoga 

The idea is to concentrate so you can reach the real self within you and become one with Brahman 

Slide71

3.The Path of Devotion -

Bhakti-yoga 

Choosing a particular god or goddess and worshipping them throughout your life in actions, words and deeds. 

4.The path of good works -

Karma-yoga 

This involves doing all your duties correctly throughout your life. 

Slide72

Moksha is also a concept that means liberation from rebirth or 

saṃsāra

.

 This liberation can be attained while one is on earth (

jivanmukti

), or 

eschatologically

 (

karmamukti

,

 

videhamukti

)

Some

Indian traditions have emphasized liberation on concrete, ethical action within the world. This liberation is an epistemological transformation that permits one to see the truth and reality behind the fog of ignorance

Slide73

«

Those

whose conduct during the previous life has been good presently obtain good birth, such as the birth of a Brahmin, a Kshatriya, or a

Vaisya

; those whose conduct has been bad presently obtain some evil birth such as that of a dog or a pig

.

»

Chandogya

Upanishad V.

107

Slide74

What is Karma Marga?

Karma

Marga

, in Hinduism the way to Self-

realisation

through selfless action. The disciple surrenders his life to

brahman

(also called God), the Source of the manifest world; he acts in the consciousness that God is the doer, God the thinker and God the feeler. When he ceases to be possessive of body and ideas, he

realises

that everything

,

Real belief that he possesses nothing in this way means in Hinduism that he merges with God, and in Karma

Marga

his purified actions are then directed towards the service of mankind. The individual who has accomplished this is no longer discouraged by failure, for where there is no personal attachment to the results of deeds, there can be no swinging back and forth between the elation of achievement and the dejection of failure.

Slide75

Bhakti Marga

Bhakti

Marga

is Sanskrit and means path (

marga

) of devotion (

bhakti

). It is a way of life, a path to the Heart and connection to the inner Self and Divine Love.

When there is spiritual awakening within the soul, a deep desire for inner change surfaces, that “calling” can be overwhelming and seem intangible. The path of devotion offers a direct way to answer the “calling”.

Bhakti

 is sometimes used in the broader sense of reverence toward a deity or teacher. 

Bhaktimarga

 is usually used to describe a 

bhakti

 path with complete dedication to one form of God

Slide76

Bhakti Movement

Bhakti (Sanskrit:

भक्ति

) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith or love, devotion, worship, piety

".

Bhakti

, in Hinduism, refers to devotion and the love of a personal god or a representational god by a

devotee.

In

ancient texts such as the

Shvetashvatara

Upanishad, the term simply means participation, devotion and love for any endeavor, while in the Bhagavad Gita, it connotes one of the possible paths of spirituality and moksha as in

bhakti

marga

.

Bhakti in Indian religions is "emotional

devotionalism

", particularly to a personal god or to spiritual

ideas.

The

term also refers to a movement that arose between the 7th century and 10th century CE in India, focused on the gods Vishnu and Shiva, possibly in response to the arrival of Islam in

India.

The

Bhakti movement reached North India during the Delhi Sultanate era and grew throughout the Mughal era. It evolved the characteristics of Hinduism as the religion of the general population as dhimmi under the Islamic rulers in parts of the Indian

subcontinen

t.

The Bhakti movement rose in importance during the medieval history of Hinduism, starting with Southern

India

,

growing

rapidly thereafter with the spread of bhakti poetry and devotion throughout India by the 12th-18th century

CE.

The

Bhagavata

Purana

is a text associated with the Bhakti movement which elaborates the concept of bhakti as found in the

Bhagavad

Gita

.

Slide77

Soul’s Journey After Death

1.

THE PATH OF LIGHT (DEVAYANA

)

2.

THE PATH OF DARKNESS (PITRIYANA

)

3.

The Third Place

Slide78

THE PATH OF LIGHT (DEVAYANA)

The

Uttara

Marga

or

Devayana

path or Northern path or

the

path of light

is the path by which the

Yogins

go to Brahman. This path leads to salvation. This path takes the devotee to

Brahmaloka

.

Having

reached the path of the gods he comes to the world of Agni, to the world of Vayu, to the world of

Varuna

, to the world of

Indra

, to the world of

Prajapati

, to the world of Brahman

.

When the person goes away from this world he comes to Vayu. Then Vayu makes room for him like the hole of a wheel and through it he mounts higher till he comes to Aditya

(

last

stage

)

.

From the moon to the lightning there is a person, not a man (

Amanava

Purusha

), who leads him to Brahman.

Slide79

THE PATH OF DARKNESS (PITRIYANA)

The

Pitriyana

path or the path of darkness or the path of ancestors leads to rebirth. Those who do sacrifices to gods and other charitable works with expectation of fruits go to the

Chandraloka

through this path and come back to this world when their fruits of Karmas are exhausted

.

There are smoke and dark-

coloured

objects throughout the course. There is no illumination when one passes along this path. It is reached by

Avidya

or ignorance. Hence it is called the path of darkness or smoke. The dark path is to the

Pitris

or forefathers—

Pitriyana

or the

Karmins

who do sacrifices or charitable acts with expectation of fruits

.

After enjoying the fruits of his good actions he again descends to the earth with a remainder of the works, by the way he went and differently too.

When the Karma, which gave the soul a birth as a god in heaven, is exhausted, the remaining Karma, good or bad,

brings him back to the earth. 

Slide80

It is not possible that in one life the entire Karma of the previous life is worked out. Because a man might have done both good and bad deeds, as a result of which he is born as a god, or an animal. The working out of both kinds of Karmas simultaneously in one birth is not possible. Hence although the result of virtuous actions is exhausted by the enjoyment of heaven, there are other Karmas in store according to which a man is born again in good or bad environments.

Slide81

T

hese

two paths are not open to the whole world. The bright path is open to the devotees and the dark path to the

Karmins

. Samsara is eternal and so the paths also are eternal.

The

Jivanmuktas

who have attained knowledge of the Self do not depart. They are absorbed in Brahman. The

Jivanmuktas

who attain

Kaivalya

-Moksha or immediate salvation

have no place to go to or return from. They become one with the All-pervading Brahman.

Slide82

The Third Place

The

Sruti

says that those who do not go by means of

Vidya

along the path of

Devayana

to

Brahmaloka

or by means of

Karma

along the path of

Pitriyana

to

Chandraloka

are born often in low bodies and die often. The evil-doers go to the third place (

Tritiyam

sthaanam

).

The

Sruti

passage says: “Now those who go along neither of these ways become those small creatures, flies, worms, etc., continually returning, of whom it may be said: ‘Live and Die’. Theirs is the third place. The sinners are called small creatures because they assume the bodies of insects, gnats, etc. Their place is called the third place because it is neither

Brahmaloka

, nor the

Chandraloka

.