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

Feudalism in Western Europe

When: From the 9th century until the early Modern Period (15th century).

Where: In Western Europe (Charlemagne's Empire).

What: A political, social, and economic system.

The Feudal Pact and Vassalage

The kings lost power and shared it with the clergy and nobility through the feudal pact.

• The Lord: Usually the king, he needs to form an army of faithful warriors. He hands over a fief (an area of land) which the vassal lives on and is in charge of. The pact is sealed at the homage ceremony; in it, the lord invests the vassal with the fief.
• The Vassal: A noble who obtains land in exchange for military aid. He is obliged to assist the lord in war by providing armed men and giving advice. At the homage ceremony, the vassal swears

Immanent Divine Presence

• Describes the divine as existing within and extending into all parts of the creative universe.
• In Buddhism and Hinduism, practitioners believe they can achieve unity with their supernatural being.
• Buddhists strive to follow Buddha's teachings to attain personal enlightenment (Nirvana), which liberates them from the world of pain and suffering.

Transcendent Divine Nature

• Embraces the ideology of a divine power existing beyond human capabilities and experiences.
• Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are considered transcendent religions.
• Jews believe that God is eternal, has always existed, and always will. God has provided laws for Jews to observe, which are found in the Tanakh.
• Adherence to God's instructions is seen as an expression

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.

Understanding the Church and Sacraments

The Four Marks of the Church

• One: Unity in Faith

  We are bound together, united in Christ.

• Holy: Sacredness and Divine Presence

  We are sacred, bringing God into ourselves.

• Catholic: Universal Reach

  Universal; encompassing all people and places.

• Apostolic: Tracing Our Roots

  Our roots trace back to the very beginning, to the Apostles.

Dimensions of Church Sacraments

• Memorial: Remembering God's Presence

  Sacraments help us remember that God is present with us at all times and has acted for our benefit in the past.

• Celebration: Worship and Thanksgiving

  All seven sacraments are rituals that give worship and thanks to God.

• Communion: Connection with Christ and Community

  • Christ and the Church
  • Other Catholics
  • People throughout the

Act 1 Scene 1: Town's Reaction to the Trial

• Howard and Melinda discuss the theory of evolution, questioning if humans descended from worms.
• Rachel Brown arrives at the courthouse, searching for Bert Cates.
• Rachel attempts to persuade Bert to apologize and retract his statements, suggesting that teaching Darwin's theory of evolution in school was a mistake.
• Townspeople sing hymns to welcome Matthew Harrison Brady to town, celebrating his arrival.

Act 1 Scene 2: Jury Selection and Objections

• The scene opens inside the courtroom, setting the stage for the trial.
• Henry Drummond begins the process of selecting the jury.
• Drummond rejects a potential juror who openly states a belief in the literal interpretation of the Bible, citing potential bias.
• Towards

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" »

Origins and Core Beliefs

Christianity is a religion founded by Jesus of Nazareth, who preached in Judea with his apostles from AD 30 onwards. Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate's rule in Jerusalem.

Christianity's main pillars are collected in the Gospels (St. John, St. Matthew, St. Luke, and St. Mark). It is a monotheistic religion, believing in one God with three forms: God the Father, Jesus Christ (God the Son), and the Holy Spirit. Core tenets include the promise of eternal life in the Kingdom of God for those who follow Christian laws, and the emphasis on love and forgiveness as the basis of human relationships.

Early Christian Communities and Expansion

The first Christian communities were organized by Jesus' apostles:

• St. Paul extended

Quranic Verses on Revelation and Divine Authority

Section 1: The Book and the Unbelievers

Tā Sīn Mīm.

1. These are verses of the Book that makes things clear.
2. It may be thou frettest thy soul with grief, that they do not become Believers.
3. If such were Our Will, We could send down to them from the sky a Sign, to which they would bend their necks in humility.
4. But there comes not to them a newly-revealed Message from Allah Most Gracious, but they turn away therefrom.
5. They have indeed rejected the Message: so they will know soon enough the truth of what they mocked at!
6. Do they not look at the earth—how many noble things of all kinds We have produced therein?
7. Verily, in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.
8. And verily, thy Lord is He, the Exalted