Humanities 10: World Religions - Midterm Study Guide
Short short answer:
1. What is animism?
2. What is the difference between atheism and agnosticism?
3. List two common approaches to the study of religion.
4. Give two examples of taboos held by oral religions.
5. What is a shaman?
6. What is Brahman and Atman?
7. What is samsara?
8. What is moksha?
9. What is the Trimurti?
10. What are the Four Noble Truths?
11. What is Nirvana?
12. Why is Buddhism known as the "Middle Way"?
13. Give one example of a Zen koan.
14. What is ahimsa?
15. Who are the Khalsa Singhs?
16. What are the five K’s?
17. Who are the Digambara?
18. What is sallekhana?
19. What are the principles of yin and yang?
20. What is the I Ching?
21. What is the Tao Te Ching?
22. What is the principle of wu wei?
23. What are the five great relationships in Confucianism?
24. What is the principle of shu?
25. What are kami?
26. What is the significance of the torii?
Short answer (quiz length):
1. What is animism? What would it be like to live in an animistic world? What are the implications of such a world view?
2. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the Hindu tradition while including a discussion of the concepts addressed in the Upanishads as well as a discussion of the manifestations of Brahman.
3. Briefly describe the life of the Buddha. How does the life of the Buddha relate to suffering and the way to end suffering? In your opinion does Buddhism offer a compelling solution to the problem of suffering?
4. Discuss the principles of Jain ethics. Are these principles reasonable for all people or only for a small minority?
5. Briefly describe the Sikh worldview paying attention to the Khalsa. What challenges do Sikhs face today?
6. Describe the differences and similarities between Daoism and Confucianism. How would our society be different if we lived under Daoism and Confucianism?
7. Discuss the importance of kami in Shintoism and examine the Shinto themes in the film Grave of the Fireflies.
Format: Identifying religious images (20 pts), 8 short short answer questions (5 pts each), and 4 short answer questions (10 pts each).