Philosophy

GROUP ONE:  YOU MUST ANSWER THE FOLLOWING TWO QUESTIONS worth 30% each for a total of 60%

1. Name five dimensions of religion and discuss how they apply to three religions, one Eastern religion, Western religions and one indigenous religion.

2. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are called “Religions of the Book.” Discuss the scriptures of two of these religions including
a. authorship,
b. major divisions of the scriptures and their content,
c. interpretation issues and role of the writings in the religion’s history.
d. importance/place of scripture in religious life

GROUP TWO: CHOOSE TWO FROM THESE QUESTIONS 20% EACH

3. In The Transcendent Unity of Religions, author Frithjof Schuon argues that religions differ only in their exoteric or surface cultural forms while their mystical or esoteric forms are virtually the same. Discuss the mystical doctrines or techniques of Hinduism and Judaism that would support Schuon’s argument, giving specific information about the mystical schools and practices you choose for comparison and the kinds of experience produced. Give diagrams where appropriate. How do these similarities contribute to  post-critical hieraphanies in our time?

4. One of the functions of religion is to provide hope that there will be life after death and thereby allay human anxiety over the fact of mortality. Discuss the ideas of an afterlife provided by two different religions, one Eastern the other Western. Provide some detail of the afterlives predicted and what is required to attain it..

5. Name and briefly describe the major denominations schools or sects of two religions.  Choose one from among the following: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism.  Tell how they came to be formed. Tell the distinguishing characteristics of each denomination and something of the history of conflict between them.

6. Western religions differ from indigenous and Eastern religions on a number of basic metaphysical issues. Name four of these issues and the contrast occurring between the two camps.  You may refer to any religion(s) you choose to make the comparison, but be sure to name them.  What has the result been to the modern world of the dominance of any of these contrasts?

7. Discuss the role of women in Christianity and one other religion.. Include practices of discrimination or inclusion in each religion, role of the feminine in notions of the divine, leadership positions or women in the history of the religion, significance to the religion of its attitude toward the feminine in general.

8.  Name the four different paths of yoga taught by Hinduism and give examples of each.  Compare and contrast to  the different forms of the Daoist religion.

9.  Both the Buddha and Jesus are figures of vast religious significance.  List and discuss four ways in which the life, teachings and impact of each figure and/or the religion which grew from his teachings are similar.  Be sure to include reference to specific teachings, myths, and characteristics of the religions involved as you answer this question.