Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Religion

1. The Crusades and Anti-Semitism

Why do some historians mark the Crusades as the beginning of anti-Semitism in Europe?

Some historians view the Crusades as a catalyst for anti-Semitism in Europe. The crusaders' primary goal was to conquer Jerusalem, a city of immense religious significance to both Christians and Jews. During their journey, crusaders perpetrated violence against Jewish communities along the way, engaging in massacres and plunder. This violence stemmed from the belief that Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus, a sentiment deeply ingrained in the Christian world at the time. These events are seen by some historians as an early manifestation of organized Christian violence against Jews, fueled by religious intolerance and... Continue reading "The Crusades: Origins, Impact, and Key Figures" »

The Protestant Reformation

The Spiritual Crisis of the Church

At the end of the Middle Ages, people began to question the practices of the Church, including:

• The luxurious lifestyles of the high clergy.
• The lack of culture and weakening of moral standards of the clergy, who set a bad example.
• The buying and selling of ecclesiastical positions for personal economic benefit.
• The selling of papal bulls and indulgences, which made the Church wealthy under the pretense of pardoning sins and granting access to heaven.

The Lutheran Reformation

In 1517, Martin Luther condemned the wealth of the Church, denied the value of indulgences, and advocated a new religion based on:

• Salvation through faith: Only faith in God could lead to eternal salvation, regardless

The author of Revelations is believed to be John. The overall theme of Revelations is the end of the world and the rise of a New Earth and New Heaven.

One criticism is falling into sin and following the devil.

One complement is keeping the faith and following Christ.

Babylon represents the Roman Empire falling. The jewelry represents wealth and the color purple represents royalty. These two are allusions to powerful people. The people who are given the names that God should have, we might apply this to today by saying that people are given the name "Lord" and that should not happen.

John is referring to when people are pure and time is right, everyone will enter heaven. This is also a reference to purgatory. We see this in scripture again when... Continue reading "The Themes and Symbolism in the Book of Revelations" »

Early Roman Persecutions and Imperial Decrees

• 64 AD: First Roman persecution under Emperor Nero.
• 250 AD: Decius issues an edict requiring sacrifices to Roman gods (marking the first systematic Roman persecution).
• 257 AD: Valerian orders Christian clergy to perform sacrifices to Roman gods and prohibits Christians from holding meetings in cemeteries (Edict of Persecution).
• 303 AD: General persecution of all Christians under Diocletian (considered the worst and most severe persecution).

The Tetrarchy and the Rise of Constantine

293 AD: Seeing the need for further governance, Diocletian establishes the Tetrarchy, featuring both an Augustus and a Caesar in the East and the West.

• The East: Diocletian (Augustus) and Galerius (Caesar).
• The West: Maximian

BIOETHICS

Utilitarianism

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Consequentialism

Takes into account consequences that are different to life’s support.

CHARACTERISTICS OF BIOETHICS

• Positive: related to personal conditions and circumstances.
• Negative (prohibition): some are non-conditional and others are relative (avoiding less evil).

GENERAL BIOETHICAL PRINCIPLES (Belmont’s report)

• You shall represent human life at all levels.
• Respect human dignity.
• Both an embryo and an adult person must have independence of their life.
• Procure the good and avoid malfeasance.

HUMAN LIFE

• ‘A human being is a rational individual’.
• Rational Soul: men need to think in order to live (thinking is fundamental).
• Body: relation between human intelligence and body morphology.

ABORTION

• The

Christian Family and Marriage: Core Principles

The Christian Conception of Family

• The family serves as the initial cell of social life, where individuals learn moral values and the proper use of freedom.
• The relationship between the State and the Family is based on subsidiarity: the State should provide support without usurping the family's functions.
• The concept of building a family is intrinsically linked to love, as it forms the foundation of matrimony. It is a lifelong commitment to a partner with whom one builds a family and provides for its needs.
• The sexual relationship is a participation in the co-creation of life. Men and women complement each other in every way.
• A primary goal of marriage is procreation.
• Marriage benefits the community.
• Marriage

Hinduism

Hinduism is one of the world's major religions and the dominant religion in the South Asian subcontinent. It encompasses a variety of different traditions, beliefs, and practices, forming a broad daily ethic. Hinduism is mostly distributed in India, making it a regional religion. As an all-encompassing complex, it is both a religion and a way of life.

Core Beliefs

Hinduism emphasizes the eternal nature of the human soul and the concept of reincarnation. It teaches that karma, the law of cause and effect, influences the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Through spiritual practices and righteous living, individuals strive for liberation (moksha) from this cycle.

Buddhism

tells us that we must transcend ourselves and learn to create new... Continue reading "Hinduism and Buddhism: A Comparison" »

A

Amir: commander or prince, frequently used with reference to the person who leads the community.

Aya: verse of the Quran; also used in a general meaning of “sign” from God.

Ayatollah: In Shia Islam, a high-ranking title given to clerics recognized as experts in Islamic studies.

B

Basmala: the statement at the beginning of each sura of the Quran (except sura 9), “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate”; also used by Muslims as an invocation.

Buraq: the winged horse which carried Muhammad on his “night journey” from Mecca to Jerusalem.

D

Dhimmi: a member of a protected community, especially referring to the Jews and Christians who live under Muslim rule. The right to practise their own religion was guaranteed by their payment... Continue reading "Glossary of Islamic Terms" »