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

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" »

Revenge Tragedy

Revenge Tragedy in Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama-Renaissance Lit: The Revenge Plot - The Spanish Tragedy (a revenge play) follows the Senecan model:

• A secret murder, usually of a benign ruler by a bad one
• A ghostly visitation of the murder victim to a younger kinsman, generally a son
• A period of disguise, intrigue, or plotting, in which the murderer and the avenger scheme against each other, with a slowly rising body count
• An eruption of general violence at the end, often accomplished by means of a feigned masque or festivity
• A catastrophe that generally decimates the dramatis personae, including the avenger

Early Works

The Spanish Tragedy (Thomas Kyd 1582-1592), The Battle of Alcazar (George Peele c.1590), Titus Andronicus (William... Continue reading "Revenge Tragedy in Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama: Themes and Context" »

Foundations of Hinduism: Texts, Deities, Society

The Vedas: Ancient Sacred Scriptures

The Vedas are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India, considered sacred scriptures in Hinduism. There are four primary Vedas: the Rigveda, the Samaveda, the Yajurveda, and the Atharvaveda.

Vedic Influence on Indian Religions

The Vedas have had a vast influence on later Indian philosophies and religions, including Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. They also touch upon concepts related to the coordination and order of the universe.

Indian Epics: Heroic Tales and Moral Lessons

Indian epics are long narrative poems, typically recounting heroic deeds, adventurous quests, and often featuring fantastic creatures and divine interventions.

Mahabharata: