INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND JUDAISM

BELIEFS SYSTEMS - An ancient monotheistic religion that traces the origin as an organized
belief system during the BRONZE AGE in WEST ASIA.
RELIGION – combinations of the grassroots practices and cultural norms of the lay - Professed by the Jews known as the “people of the book”
believers, with the high-brow theologizing and intellectualization of the religious - The Origin of the Jewish people and the beginning of judaism are
professionals. recorded in the FIRST FIVE book of the hebrew bible, THE PENTATEUCH
- An institution established by man for various reasons: exert control, instill HEBREWS – The ancestors of the Jews
morality, stroke egos
ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JACOB – Founding figures of Patriarchs
SPIRITUALITY – born in a person and develops in the person. Extends to all facets
of a person’s life. (spirituality is chosen while religion is often forced) TANAKH – The Hebrew Bible, it has been authority, guide and inspiration of the
many forms of judaism
THEOLOGY – is the study of theistic thought.
- TORAH – Believed to be authored by Moses, Basic laws for Jewish,
THEISM – is the acceptance of the presence of God or superhuman power {Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deyteronomy}, Narrates the
- ELEMENTS OF RELIGION history
Belief in the Supernatural Powers - NEVI’IM – Prophets served as spokespersons, specifically chosen by God
Belief in the Holy or Sacred to preach his message
System of rituals - KETUVIM – Writings, 3rd section of Tanakh, Works on Poetry, Temple,
Sinful Acts ritual, private prayer and philosophical explorations
The method of salvation
Mode of Worship - TALMUD – Oral torah that means STUDY
Litrugy and Ideology
Place of Worship PENTATEUCH – Single most important scripture for Jewish People
BELIEF SYSTEMS BRIT MILAH – Jewish males are brought into the community of Israel, marked for
MONISM – No distinction between God and the Universe life as Jews and given a Hebrew name.

POLYTHEISM – Worship many Gods BAR and BAT MITZVAH – Thirteenth birthday, boys and girls are initiated into
adulthood in the Jewish community(Child of the Commandments)
MONOTHEISM – Belief in only one supreme God
KIDDUSHIN – Jewish wedding ceremony.
ATHEISM – Disbelief of the existence of a personal god
HANUKKAH – A jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy
AGNOTICISM – Doubt in the existence of God/God cannot be known Tenple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid
Empire.
 - Observed for 8 nights and days
- 25th day of Kislev hebrew calendar (late november to late december in
gregorian calendar) CHRISTIANITY
- Festival of Light and the Feast if Dedication
- Began in Judea (Modern day Israel), controlled by romans
MAGEN DAVID – Hebrew term for the star of david ( Universal symbol of - Their religion at the time was Pagan, a polytheistic religion
Judaism)
JESUS CHRIST – was born around 4 BC into a jewish family. “Christ” is a greek
- Made of two triangles word meaning savior
- State flag of israel
MESSIAH – a person described in the Torah who would be the savior of the Jewish
WESTERN WALL – located in the holy city of Jerusalem, 160 feet in Length, 40 Feet people
in Height. 19 rows of stones extended 20 feet underground.
PONTIUS PILATE – The roman governor who sentenced Jesus to crucifixion
COMMANDMENTS – has 613 commandments but 10 is the most important
JUDAS – no halo, holding a small bag indicating the pieces of silver

RESURRECTION – When Jesus died, he gave mindkind the ability to be forgiven of

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF RELIGION sins and to live in heaven after death

NEW TESTAMENT – composed of 27 books, 2 sections. THE GOSPEL and THE

XIAO (FILIAL PIETY) – a significant aspect of confucianism that promotes social
LETTERS
harmony.
REVELATION – is the last book of the New Testament
AHIMSA – Concept of non violence (Jainism)
CATHOLIC CALENDAR –
DHARMA – Moral and Social Obligation
Advent
BRAHMA – Universal soul
Christmas
ATMAN – Individual soul
Ordinary time
JIHAD (muslims) – dying in a struggle against unbelievers
Lent
HAJJ – muslim pilgrimage to Mecca
Paschal Triduum
SELF-IMMOLATION – the killing of oneself as a form of sacrifice, setting oneself on
fire Easter
SATI – is the practice among some hindi communities by which a widwed woman Ordinary time II
either voluntarily or by force commit suicide as a result of husband’s death
ADVENT – the season of waiting for the birth of the Messiah (Four Sundays before
STRAPPADO – wherein the hands were bound behind back with a rope christmas
LENT – Begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later, before THE CREED (SHAHADA) – Acceptance of the prophethood, “there is God but
easter Sunday Allah”

PENTECOST – commemorates the descent of the holy spirit upon the apostles and THE OBLIGATORY PRAYER (SALAT) – Pray five times a day facing in the direction of
other followers of Jesus Christ Mecca

MATTHEW – A former tax collector who was called by Jesus to be one of the POOR TAX (ZAKAT) – Mandatory for wealthy Muslims to share his wealth to the
twelve Apostles (WINGED MAN OR ANGEL) poor, 2.5 percent of their total wealth

MARK – A follower of Peter and so an “apostolic man” (WINGED LION) FASTING (SAWM) – done in the entire 30 days of Ramadan, ninth month of the
Islamic Calendar
LUKE – a doctor who wrote what is now the book of Luke Theophilus (WINGED OX
or BULL) PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA (HAJJ) – All muslim must undertake a pilgrimage to
Mecca or Hajj
JOHN – a disciple of Jesus and possibly the youngest of his Twelve apostles
(EAGLE) MUHARRAM – one of the most significant festivals celebrated by the muslim
community in India as it marks the beginning of the Islamic New Year

RABI AL-AWWAL – the third month in the Islamic calendar and a significant time
ISLAMIC RELIGION for muslims, birth month of the beloved Prophet Muhammad

HILAL – star and crescent moon become the representation of the islamic faith RAMADAN – the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the Holy month of
Fasting
Q’URAN – recitation or reading in english, is the revelation from the God of his
speech THE SUNNIS – compromised around 87% to 90% of the muslim population, ANY
MUSLIM CAN BE RULER AS LONG THE UMMAH APPROVES
- Divided into thirty equal parts and each part is known as JUZ
- HAFIZ – Male SHI’ITES – They believe that after the death of muhammad his cousin Ali Ibn Abi
- HAFIZA – Female Talibs should succeed in spiritual and political

CHAPTERS – 114 chapters, 86 as meccan(religious) and 28 are TWELVERS – claim that there are twelve imam which is located in Iran and the
medinian(Community) Ibadis

THE HADITH – The collection of deed and sayings of Muhammad and his follower SUFI – Mystical Union with God
and the second source of the Shariah law.
HOLY WAR (JIHAD) – efforts or struggle to convince non believers to pursue
KUTUB AL-SITTAH – Systematic collections of Hadith Muslim way of life

ISLAM – to submit or to surrender and submit oneself to God MIGRATION – Syria and Lebanon and Jordan to the US, European countries
encourage migration
MUSLIM – a person who submits