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

Historical Background

The origin of Buddhism was a founder, Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, who was born in Lumbini (in present-day Nepal) during the 5th century BCE.

Basic Belief System

One fundamental belief of Buddhism is often referred to as reincarnation, the concept that people are reborn after dying. In fact, most individuals go through many cycles of birth, living, death, and rebirth.

The Four Noble Truths

• Dukkha: Suffering exists, is real, and almost universal.
• Samudaya: There is a cause of suffering; people desire worldly things and self-satisfaction.
• Nirodha: There is an end to suffering, which is to stop desiring things.
• Magga: In order to end suffering, you must follow the Eightfold Path.

Eightfold Path

1. Know and understand the

Tariq bin Ziyad

Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād was a Muslim commander who led the Islamic Umayyad conquest of Visigothic Hispania in 711–718 A.D. Under the orders of the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid I, he led a large army across the Strait of Gibraltar from the North African coast, consolidating his troops at what is today known as the Rock of Gibraltar.

Treaty of Granada

The Treaty of Granada, signed and ratified on November 25, 1491, between Boabdil (the sultan of Granada), Ferdinand, and Isabella, stipulated the surrender of Granada and its territory by a certain time. The conditions were favorable: The Moors were to keep their religious freedom, their civil laws, and their right to leave the country. They were only required to pay the taxes they previously... Continue reading "Key Figures and Concepts in Islamic History" »

Argument for Divine Simplicity

1. Anything that has a metaphysical distinction between what it is and the attributes that characterize it first one way and then another is something that changes.
2. God does not change.
3. God does not have a metaphysical distinction between what it is and the attributes that characterize it first one way and then another.

Argument that Meaning is not Physical

1. All physical reality is underdetermined.
2. Meaning is not underdetermined.
3. Meaning is not physical.
4. If meaning is not physical, then meaning is not acquired through physical means.
5. Meaning is not acquired through physical means.

I.XI.18 Argument

1. No one says (nor should say) “let him be wounded worse, he is not yet cured” regarding the body.
2. The health of the body is like

The Life of Irena Sendler

A Holocaust Hero

Irena Sendler was 29 when Nazi forces invaded Warsaw, Poland, and began imprisoning Jewish people in ghettos. Before this, Irena grew up with strong morals and kindness in her heart. She believed that no matter a person's ethnicity or social status, they should always be treated with kindness, respect, and love. Irena learned these strong morals from her father, whose dying words to her were, "*If you see someone drowning, you must jump in and save them, whether you can swim or not*." These kind words of advice stuck with Irena throughout the rest of her life.

When Jews were forced to sit separately from "Aryan" students at Warsaw University, where Irena attended, she stood up for her Jewish friends.... Continue reading "Irena Sendler: Saving 2,500 Jewish Children from the Warsaw Ghetto" »

Symbols

Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

Daisy and Randolph

The most frequently noted symbols in Daisy Miller are Daisy herself and her younger brother, Randolph. Daisy is often seen as representing America: she is young, fresh, ingenuous, clueless, naïve, innocent, well meaning, self-centered, untaught, scornful of convention, unaware of social distinctions, utterly lacking in any sense of propriety, and unwilling to adapt to the mores and standards of others. These traits have no fixed moral content, and nearly all of them can be regarded as either virtues or faults. However, Randolph is a different matter. He is a thinly veiled comment on the type of the “ugly American”... Continue reading "Symbolism in Henry James's Daisy Miller" »

The Catholic Church began its own reform to stop the spread of Lutheranism.

The Pope Paul III called the Council of Trent to correct the mistakes of Catholics.

• Prohibition of the sale of indulgences
• Creation of seminaries to improve the education of the clergy
• Obligation of the clergy to lead an exemplary life
• Creation of the catechism (basic teachings)

The Pope created the Inquisition in 1542, a tribunal that persecuted and punished those who didn't follow the Catholic doctrine. The Index Prohibitorum was written, with the list of forbidden books. For example: "95 Theses".

The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) spread the ideas of the Counter Reformation.

Beowulf: An Old English Epic Poem

Origins and Manuscript

Beowulf, the oldest surviving English epic poem, dates back to the first half of the eighth century. The sole surviving manuscript, from the late tenth century, originated in the West Saxon kingdom. Damage from a 1731 fire resulted in the loss of some text. While the poem is English, it focuses on the Germanic forebears of the English, specifically the Danes and Geats of Zealand and southern Sweden. The historical setting predates the poem by roughly two centuries, falling between the initial Germanic invasion of England in 449 and the completion of the Anglo-Saxon migration. The audience may have identified as Geats, like Beowulf himself. The poem references Hygelac's raid on the Franks... Continue reading "Beowulf: An Old English Epic Poem Analysis" »

M7 - Anglicana Currens (1453)

1 - Item, the said little house draws not 5,000 tiles, which after 16 pence the thousand

2 - Should draw 6 shillings, 8 pence. Notwithstanding, if Sir Thomas thinks that he should be allowed

3 - He shall be. And you must remember in this new work how that he, for the said work, noble

4 - Has received 6 shillings, 8 pence of you, and 8 shillings of Robert Tolle before Michaelmas, as appears

5 - In his account, 8 shillings. And what he has received of Tolle since Michaelmas, 5 shillings, 4 pence.

6 - Tell you, I suppose it is 10 shillings. And then by this reckoning, he should be 13 shillings, 4 pence ahead.

7 - Hand, which I would you should gather up in this new work as well as you might.

8 - For I am beholden to do him... Continue reading "Historical Documents: Anglicana Currens and Textura Formata" »

The Age of Realism and Precision

The main characteristics of the Restoration period—Realism and Precision—were carried to further perfection. They are found in their excellent form in the poetry of Pope, and in the prose of Addison, who developed it into a clear, precise, and elegant form of expression. The Whigs and the Tories—members of two important political parties which were constantly contending to control the government of the country—used and rewarded writers for satirizing their enemies and undermining their reputations. A satire is concerned mainly with finding fault with opponents and is destructive in its intention.

Development of the Novel

Several conditions and factors contributed to the development of the novel:

• Growing

Q. Why, according to the writer, does the advice she gave to Saheb seem hollow?

Ans The author's suggestion for Saheb to go to school didn't make sense because there wasn't a school nearby where he lived. Building a new school in his poor neighborhood wasn't realistic because of the lack of resources and attention from authorities.

Q. What explanation does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?

Ans The author elucidates that the children go barefoot because they're accustomed to the rough streets and their families can't afford shoes. This lack of footwear becomes a symbol of their poverty and the harsh realities they face daily.

Q. Was Saheb happy with his job at the tea stall?

Ans Saheb isn't really happy working at the tea stall... Continue reading "Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood - A Study Guide" »