Lecture 1/Midterm Flashcards
(171 cards)
1
Q
Memento mori
A
the remembering of death
The consciousness of death in the mindset of Europeans in the middle ages
Common artistic trope
2
Q
A common theme in old art was the theme of what two things that were juxtaposed
A
Both birth/life/knowledge and something to remind them of death
3
Q
The idea that life is ________ is fairly universal
A
Unchanging
4
Q
This course is an intersection of what two disciplines?
A
Religion and thanatology
5
Q
What does thanatology study
A
death
> the physical, psychological, cultural, and social issues surrounding the experience of death
6
Q
Some key questions for this class
A
- What dies?
- When does death occur?
- What is death?
- What happens after death?
- How are the living meant to respond?
7
Q
What are some ideas about when death occurs
A
- cessation of breath
- “brain death”
8
Q
Taphophobia
A
The fear of being buried alive
9
Q
What current medical advancement/procedure that has required us to clearly define when a person is declared death
A
Organ transplants
10
Q
Veatch’s four possibilities of what death is
A
- Irreversible loss of the flow of bodily fluids
- Irreversible loss of soul
- Irreversible loss of brain functions
- Loss of capacity for social function due to loss of higher brain function
11
Q
Is religious studies the same as theology?
A
No, religious studies looks at religion without any assertions about faith
12
Q
Epoche (bracketing)
A
Attitude of purposeful non-judgement
13
Q
Why is the practice of epoche in religious studies
A
Because it removes that question about whether or not a part of a religion is true while studying it
14
Q
Dualistic view of existence
A
The mind and body are separate
15
Q
Monistic view of existence
A
everything that exists can be broken down into its smaller biological parts
16
Q
Discourse communities
A
A group of people that share common rhetorical goals, have a shared vocabulary, have a medium in which they can communicate with each other, and have criteria for knowing whether someone is part of that community with them
17
Q
Historically speaking, even if we do not know who wrote a story, what important information can we gain from it (discourse communities)
A
The context of the place and time. Because so much effort was put in to preserving and passing on the story that it must have been deemed important by the social group at that time
18
Q
Ritual in a religious context characteristics (4)
A
- Embedded in a cultural system
- They are performed for a real or imagined audience
- Formalistic and Rules-Governed
- Traditionalistic and Invariant
19
Q
What do rituals do? (3)
A
- Forms/reinforces communities and communal consensuses
- Provides a means of connecting actions with an authoritative reality
- Provides an experiential and performative explanation of social realities
20
Q
2 types of ritual
A
- Rite of passage
2. Religious ritual(???)
21
Q
Rite of passage 3 stages
A
- Separation (from everyday social circumstances)
- Liminality (being in between two different states of existence [through dress, ritual language])
»lack of individualization - Reintegration (usually with special signs of completing the ritual and change in social status)
22
Q
Are all religious rituals rites of passage?
A
No
23
Q
What was the assumption of the early perspectives on other religions and cultures?
A
They assumed that other cultures were “primitive”; less advanced than their own religion and culture
24
Q
Psychic unity
A
All human beings across time and place more or less have the same minds —> our brains are the same form, but hold different material
25
Perennialist religion
There is a common core of truth or meaning that exists across religious cultures
26
Invisible/ invisible worlds cosmology
Invisible: is there an overlapping other spiritual world with ours, or is the spirit world separate from our world
Visible: when we can see
27
human beings possess ____ or _______ souls
One or more
28
Animism
Some elements of the natural world are inhabited/animated by spiritual beings
29
in the view of animism, are ALL elements of the natural world inhabited or animated by spiritual beings?
Not necessarily, some views are that only inanimate objects that have been implicated in an important even have a spirit. Therefore there are many elements that do not have souls if there has been no interactions with them
30
In ancient usage, what does “kami” refer to?
A concept of a type of soul. Anything whatsoever which is outside of the ordinary, which possessed superior power of which is awe inspiring. Both good and evil things.
31
If the definition of kami is something being awe inspiring, what is the implication of that?
Based on the emotional impact that it has on living people
| >somewhat subjective
32
What culture does kami come from
Japanese
33
_______ is the way that human beings respond to phenomena
Affect
34
The feeling of the numinous
Situation where “numin” are present aka spirits.
| Provoked feelings “mysterium, tremendum, et fascinans” of mysterious, fear and fascination
35
A common theme in indigenous cultures is the profession of a “shaman”, which is what?
Religious professionals who can interact with those spiritual entities directly
36
In indigenous cultures, how are shamans chosen
It is thought that they are chosen by the spirits
37
How was it proposed that shamans could heal?
Because they could directly interact with spiritual entities, they were able to dispel the demons that were thought to be the cause of the disease
38
What allowed shamans to interact with the spirit world?
Non-ordinary states of consciousness
| >dreaming, meditation, psychotropic substances
39
Basilov's traits of indigenous religions
1. Animation or spiritualization of the things in the world (objects and creatures have spirits)
2. Belief in mutual all-embracing connections in nature
3. No separation from the surrounding world
4. The cosmos is accessible (shamans)
5. Religion is a form of social consciousness
40
Multiplicity of the soul
The soul can inhabit multiple different parts of the body
| They can also be different souls
41
How does multiplicity of the soul affect the understanding of the body
Physiological experiences can be attributed to the actions of the souls
>Pain might be caused by action of the soul in that body part
42
The perspective of mobility of the soul(s)
The souls ca move around, not just inside the body and out into the world
43
What is a potential problem if the soul can leave the body. What is this used to explain
The soul can get lost
| > Can be used to explain illness (like mental illness)
44
In the perspective of multiple and mobile soul, are you necessarily born with your soul(s)
Not necessarily. In some cultures you only get a soul at certain milestones in a person's life
45
Materiality of souls
In the sense of having specific shapes, and being susceptible to various types of intervention
46
What some examples of interventions on souls
Soul healing and soul combat/attacks
47
What is the common story telling technique in Ind traditions
Oral story telling and discourse communities
48
Near death experiences are cited as evidence for what?
For the existence for various cosmological claims
49
Mortuary rituals are often part of what
Larger ritual systems
50
What are some common concerns in the mortuary rituals
- disposal of human body
- transit of the soul between human and spirit world
- death pollution
51
Wari' death ritual
- Body is never let to touch the ground, supported by a blood relative
- Ritual piling of village members until bottom row passes you to symbolize death
- Disembodiment of the corpse
- Mortuary cannibalism by non-family village members
- All identifying properties of dead individual are destroyed (name, possession, home) and they become a general ancestor
52
Affect in the Wari' mortuary ritual
Detachment of the dead to avoid grief because grief is seen as bad
53
Using the Wari' mortuary ritual:
1. Explain how it fits into the 4 characteristics of a religious ritual
2. How it fits in with the 3 things that rituals do
3. How it follows the 3 stages of the rite of passage
Long answer, at home
54
Graves in the Ancient World often contained what kind of items?
Items they believed would be useful in the afterlife.
| E.g. Tools, and gold
55
Ancient Civilizations formed around what geological landmark?
Rivers
56
"Brain death" as defined by Harvard
“if brain function was irreversibly lost, even though heart and lung activity was present due to mechanical support”
57
The story of Iron Crutch Lee
Iron Crutch Lee was an adept that could leave his body. His body was burned before he returned so he entered the body of this beggar with an iron crutch
58
Teachings VS Narratives
Teachings: doctrines. The formalized teachings of a religion
Narratives: stories told by individuals of their own experience
59
EGYPT
| The flooding of the Nile river symbolized what to the Egyptians? (2)
rebirth and renewal
| Triumph of life over death
60
EGYPT
| Who is Osiris
Originally the ruler of the living world, he was killed and dismembered by his brother Set. After being re-assembled by his wife Isis, he was mummified and became the Egyptian ruler of the land of the dead.
61
EGYPT
| Who is Isis
The wife of Osiris and mother of Horus
62
EGYPT
| Who is Horus
Hawk-headed sun god, son of Osiris and Isis, became the ruler of the living world when his father died. He fought and defeated his uncle Set.
63
EGYPT
| Who is Anubis
Jakal-headed guide of the dead. In charge of administering the judgement of the dead.
Originally seen as the "consumer/destroyer" of the dead
64
EGYPT
| Who is Thoth
Ibis-headed god of wisdom.
| Writes the results of the judgement of the dead.
65
Four Components in the Ancient Egyptian Theory of Persons:
1. The material body
2. Immaterial souls
3. The name of the person
4. Shadow or shade
66
EGYPT
Theory of Persons:
3 types of material body
Living body
corpse
transformed, mummified body
67
EGYPT
Theory of Persons:
2 Immaterial souls
Ka soul – Animates the bodyspirit double/vital force / life force
Ba soul – makes up a person's personality, it returns to the body periodically after death
68
EGYPT
| Theory of Persons: the name of the person represents...
personality / unique spirit
69
EGYPT
Theory of Persons:
What is the shadow or shade
ghost-like figure associated with the tomb
70
3 types of Funeral Texts in Ancient Egyptian History
1. pyramid texts: Found in the pyramids built for rulers and other noble people
2. coffin texts: Found on the insides and lids of coffins of ordinary people.
3. "going out into the day" texts: AKA the Book of the Dead
71
EGYPT
| 3 possible afterlife destinations according to pyramid texts
1. Among the stars – found in the earliest texts
2. With the sun god Ra – a later development
3. In the kingdom of Osiris – by 1500 BCE this becomes the predominant afterlife goal
72
EGYPT
| What are shabti
small statues of servants for the afterlife included in burial.
73
EGYPT
| The feather of Maat
The heart of the deceased was weighed against the feather of Maat, the goddess of truth and justice.
74
Mesopotamian view of the person
Created from the mixture of the blood of a sacrificed god and clay
Upon death, the person becomes bones and ghost
75
What is Zoroastrianism
First monothestic religion. Dualistic religion that believes in a being of ultimate good that is in conflict with a being of ultimate evil. Good will always prevale.
It was founded by the Prophet Zoroaster in ancient Iran.
76
The Fravashi
A spiritual double of a person that accompanies us throughout life. The voice of your conscious, pushing you to make good decisions that lead you to Ahura Mazda
77
Zoroastrian's buried their dead where?
In a "Tower of Silence/Solitude"
78
Burial at sea, in the ground, or by cremation was not an option for the Zoroastrian's due to...
Therefore, they allowed the body to be....
A fear of polluting the world that was created by the good Ahura Mazda
(Fire is the most pure source, so cremation pollutes the fire)
Consumed by other living things.
79
Zoroastrianism:
| What happened at the Tower of Solitude?
Dead bodies of the Zoroastrians were picked clean by Karian birds and then bleached by the sun.
Once the bones are bleached white, they are now pure.
80
JUDAISM
| The three key covenants
Noahide, Abrahamic, Mosaic
81
JUDAISM
| The Noahide Convenant
God will never destroy the world again with water
82
JUDAISM
| The Abrahamic covenant
God will allow Abraham to have innumerable descendants, making a nation; in exchange for all the males circumcising themselves.
83
JUDAISM
| The Mosaic Covenant
Follow the 10 Commandments and [they] will be granted the land of "milk and honey" that as promised to them by God.
84
JUDAISM
| 1900-1700 BCE is referred to as
The age of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Issac, Jacob)
85
JUDAISM
| 1020-920 BCE is referred to as... and is comprised of...
The United Kingdom of Israel
| The 12 Tribes of Israel, descendants of the 12 sons of Jacob
86
JUDAISM
In 722 BCE, the Northern Kingdom of Israel is conquered by __________, the Southern half is referred to as the Kingdom of _________
In 586 BCE (The ________ Period), The Kingdom of ________ is conquered by the ______________ and ___________'s ________ in Jerusalem is destroyed. The Leaders of the community are ______ in __________
Assyrians
Judah
```
Biblical
Judah
Babylonians
Solomon's Temple
exiled
Babylon
```
87
JUDAISM
In 538 BCE (The ____ _________ Period) , the community returns to _____________ and rebuilds the ________ of ___________, however in 70 CE it is __________ again.
2nd Temple
Jerusalem
temple of Solomon
destroyed
88
JUDAISM
The Rabbinic Period (70 CE - 6th century CE) is defined by the community learning how to...
This marks the _________ period
How to practice Judaism and how to be Jewish without a religious temple.
Diaspora
89
JUDAISM
| The majority of the 613 mitzvot were rules about...
temple life, meaning most of them were useless without the temple of Solomon.
90
JUDAISM
| The Torah has broad and Narrow definitions of the Torah
Narrow definition: the first 5 books of the bible
Broad: Includes later rabbinical discourse about what it means to be Jewish/how to practice Judaism as well.
91
JUDAISM
The Tanakn is an acronym for 3 sections of Torah/rabbinical texts:
Ta - Na - Kn
TA: Torah
Na: Neviim (prophets, prophetic writings)
Kh: Ketuvim (poetic and philosophical literature)
92
Early Hebrew Views:
| God's breath as the animating principle means...
The breath of life is not a soul that is discrete from the body, but a being that is animated by the breath/spirit of God.
93
JUDAISM
| What is Sheol?
The unpleasant world of the dead, where the breath of God that animated them goes to exist without their physical self.
The spirit is cut off from communion with God.
94
Early Hebrew Views:
| Cosmology, where were heaven and hell located?
Both the heavens and Sheol were believed to be physical realms, with heaven directly above the earth, and Sheol directly below the earth.
95
JUDAISM
| Due to the negative and bleak views of the afterlife (Sheol), there was a focus on...
enjoyment of embodied life prior to death.
96
JUDAISM
| Death pollution
Death is one of the things that renders you ritually unpure, meaning you cannot participate in rituals in the temple.
97
JUDAISM
| What was the Apocalyptic view
Human beings would eventually be resurrected, judged, and a period of reward would follow this life.
98
JUDAISM
Death and Resurrection in Hellenistic Judaism:
Perspective of the Pharisees on Apolcalyptic views:
Became the rabbis. Argued for a broader reading of Torah, and did believe in resurrection, and posthumous punishment/reward
99
JUDAISM
| Exegetical Perspectives: Maimonides believed in what form of resurrection?
when the messiah comes, the resurrected body rejoins the spirit, and then after a time the spirit goes on to live an eternal life.
A bodily resurrection and a spiritual resurrection.
100
JUDAISM
| Exegetical Perspectives: The Talmud believed in what form of resurrection?
Bodily Resurrection(?)
101
JUDAISM
| What does D'vekut mean
"clinging to God" by practicing Kabbalah = trying to reunite the 10 Sefirot powers
102
JUDAISM
| What are the Sefirot
10 the creative powers or attributes of God.
Sefirot/vessels sent forth into the world, but the vessels could not contain God’s magnitude and broke, scattering across the cosmos.
103
JUDAISM
| Important point about the perspectives of Afterlife
no unilaterally accepted position
104
JUDAISM
| "The Good Death" is to die while reciting the...
The Shema Yisreal (Sh'ma Yis'ra'eil)
"The Lord is our God, the Lord alone"
105
JUDAISM
| What is Tahara
the ritual washing and purifying of the dead
| Three phases: cleansing, purifying, and dressing in shrouds.
106
JUDAISM
| What is "sitting shiva"
sitting on low seats after the death of a family member, wearing special clothing. Mourning lasts 7 days.
Excluded from their normal duties/working/hygiene. Taken care of by members of the community.
>Rite of passage
107
Platonic view of the soul
Dualistic view of a division between the body and the soul. The soul is a pre-existing, immortal aspect of a person. The soul is bound to the body.
108
JUDAISM
Death and Resurrection in Hellenistic Judaism:
Perspective of the Sadducees on Apolcalyptic views:
rejected the notion of the resurrection of the dead. Most materially well-off, more inclined to be satisfied with status quo
109
JUDAISM
Death and Resurrection in Hellenistic Judaism:
Perspective of the Essenes on Apolcalyptic views:
mystical community that embraced the Hellenistic idea of the separation of soul and body. Strongly believed in immortality of the soul, but were less concerned with the apocalyptic vision. Separated from mainstream society.
110
JUDAISM
Death and Resurrection in Hellenistic Judaism:
Perspective of the Zealots (Christians) on Apolcalyptic views:
Focused on a “this world” rebellion. Waiting for a messiah that would be a political leader to overthrow the yoke of Roman oppression.
Viewed Jesus as an apocalyptic preacher.
111
CHRISTIANITY
| Define creed
a formal statement of Christian beliefs, especially the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed.
112
CHRISTIANITY
| What is a messiah
"anointed with oil" the promised deliverer of the Jewish nation prophesied in the Hebrew Bible.
All mentions of the messiah in the Torah refer to one specific messiah. Christians believe Jesus is the messiah referred to in the old testament.
113
Define Docetism
Christian heresy and one of the earliest Christian sectarian doctrines, affirming that Christ did not have a real or natural body during his life on earth but only an apparent or phantom one. ... They consequently denied Christ's Resurrection and Ascension into heaven
114
Define Soteriology
tied to belief in the saving power of Jesus (and his death). Salvation through Jesus
115
Direct translation of martyr
"witness", a person who has died for their faith
116
Imitatio Christi
"imitation of Christ"
| Christians believe the truest form of imitatio christi is to die for one's beliefs as Jesus did.
117
Purgatory
Medieval Catholic compromise: a
a place or state of suffering inhabited by the souls of sinners who are atoning for their sins before going to heaven. Is NOT hell, is an intermediate realm.
118
Intercessory Prayer
The act of praying to a deity on behalf of others, specifically the living praying for the dead to help them
119
3 Stages of Resurrection
- Jesus’ resurrection 3 days after his death
- Resurrection of saints/martyrs
- All people will be resurrected to face a final judgement
120
4 Theories of the Atonement:
1. Christ's death as _________: Christ is the "________ of ______", a ____________
2. Christ's death as _______________: ______________ atonement for the sins of all others
3. Christ's death as _______ __________
4. __________ Christian View: Atonement is provided by the ________ of Christ's ______ (_________)
ransom... lamb... God... sacrifice
satisfaction... substitutionary
moral example
Eastern... entirety... life... (Theosis)
121
Eastern Christianity: What is Theosis
(aka deification) a transformative process whose aim is likeness to or union with God
122
What seemed to be the antecedent to religion in the Neanderthal era, a ritual?
A purposeful grave
123
ISLAM
| What is Shahada
A declaration of faith:
“There is no god but God [Allah], and Muhammad is the messenger of God.”
- always recited in Arabic, is recited 5 times a day.
- it is the first person a Muslim hears when born, and the last thing a Muslim says on their deathbed.
124
ISALM
| Which direction does the prayer mat and the body when buried face?
Towards Mecca
125
ISLAM
| What is qiblah
the direction of the Kaaba (the sacred building at Mecca), to which Muslims turn at prayer.
126
ISLAM
| What is Hadith
A collection of traditions containing sayings of the prophet Muhammad which, with accounts of his daily practice (the Sunna), constitute the major source of guidance for Muslims apart from the Qur'an.
127
ISLAM
| 3 Themes within the Qur'an
- Oneness with God (tawhid) :nothing can be associated with God, nothing can be like God
- Power, authority, and transcendence of God: God is present in the world while also being transcendent
- God’s mercy and justice: human beings are given a tendency towards the divine and the instructions for how to live. But since everyone could follow the divine teaching if they chose, those that do not are punished
128
ISLAM
| The 99 names of God are used as...
ways of describing the various traits of the Divine.
129
ISLAM
| What is the naf
the self, psyche, soul, rationality
130
ISLAM
| What is the ruf
the "life breath" that enlives and animates the body
131
ISLAM
| Three aspects of final judgement after death
1. Weight on the scales
2. Assessment of the Scrolls: Scroll handed to the right hand: paradise, to the left hand: perdition/damnation
3. Traverse: the thin path between the moral world and the afterlife. Can be as thin as a knife, but if you were a good person the path widens for you
132
ISLAM
| what is the barzakh
The in-between space between life and death.
| Possibility of dream communication with the dead due to the soul being in the barzakh place while sleeping.
133
ISLAM
| Who are Munkar and Nakir
"The Denied and The Denier"
| angels who test the faith of the dead in their graves
134
ISLAM: Sufism
| What are Dhikr`
devotional acts in Islam in which short phrases or prayers are repeatedly recited silently within the mind or aloud
135
ISLAM: Sufism
| Fana and baqa
“annihilation” and “subsistence,”
two contrasting states of the human being on the path to God.
"Everything upon the earth is undergoing annihilation, but there subsists the face of your Lord"
136
ISLAM:
| Funerary practices about grief
Avoidance of excessive grief:
| - could be a sign that one does not submit to God's plan
137
ISLAM
| What is Ablution
ritual cleaning/to make oneself ritually pure. Done before prayer. Also done after death as a ritual purification of the deceased.
138
ISLAM
Funerary practices:
4 points
- washing of body
- shrouding of body
- funeral service
- burial withing 24 hours
139
In ancient Egyptian, terms that described natural laws (like gravity) and human morality was the _____
same
140
Osiris was the god of the ______ world
under (world of the dead)
141
Living pharos are represented what what god? What is the pharo of the dead?
Living: Horus
Dead: Osiris
142
What type of a ritual is mummification?
A rite of passage
143
In Mesopotamia, was the afterlife a good place?
No, it was a dystopian place under the earth
144
Theme of a commensal community
People sharing or offering food with their deceased relatives
145
Where were the dead buried in ancient Mesopotamian culture?
Under the houses of their relatives
146
In Zoroastrianism, there is a conflict between good and evil. When this conflict is ultimately resolved and good wins, what happens to human souls?
All human souls get saved, even people long ago dead
| --> Utopian view of the after life
147
The "good death" in the Zoroastrianism religion.
There is a prayer that people could recite if they thought they were dying to align themselves with the right and moral path before death
148
Why were bodies cleaned in the Zoroastrianism religion
Because decomposition was seen as dirty and associated with Ahriam (evil). The body was then to be placed on the ground which is good and clean (associated with Ahura Mazda), you cannot put something evil and dirty in something good and clean
149
What is a covenant?
A reciprocal relationship between two parties
150
What element was crucial in the ritual cleansing in Judaism (like after a person touches a dead body)
Water
151
What is a common ritualistic waiting period in Judaism?
7 days
152
How can there be so many different view in Judaism
Because Rabbi can put their own interpretation of things, as long as it is based on scripture
153
In Judaism, the hallmarks of being in the group have more to do with ______ than ______
Practice than belief
> you are a Jew if you follow the rules, even if you don't share the belief system
154
What is the goal of the Sefirot belief system
To put the broken parts back together and recreate the world through them by practices like meditating
155
What 2 religious traditions did Christianity emerge from/in what context was it created in?
Helenistic Judaism and Greek philosophy
156
What does it mean to say that christianity is creedal?
It is defined by the creeds that people believe in
157
What does Perpetua's death tell us about death in the early Christian church
- There was a belief at the time that God would allow for a connection between the living and the dead.
- Assumption that the living can pray for the dead and it will help them
- Non-believers were sent to hell
158
What does Perpetua's death tell us about death in the early Christian church
- There was a belief at the time that God would allow for a connection between the living and the dead.
- Assumption that the living can pray for the dead and it will help them
- Non-believers were sent to hell
- Dying as a martyr is seen as dying like a hero
159
Is the Christian afterlife utopian or locative?
Both, heaven on earth
160
4 theories of Jesus's atonement
| Jesus's death as:
1. Ransom
2. Satisfaction (of justice)
3. Moral Example
4. Theosis (by Jesus becoming human, he gave us some of our divinity)
161
What does "Islam" mean?
To surrender oneself to god's will
162
3 key themes of Islam
1. Unicity of God
2. Prophetic tradition
3. The Day of Judgement
163
Allah as _______
creator
- He created us and has a divine plan for us (that we do not know)
- He created nature so the power of God is contained in nature
164
In Islam, what is judgement based on?
Morality, you are judged specifically because of the choices you have made
165
What is The Day of Judgement in Islam?
The final day where all will be judged based on their beliefs and actions
166
ISLAM what is the Traverse?
The narrow bridge between the human world and paradise. Whether one successfully travels across the bridge is determined by Allah's judgement based on their actions
167
ISLAM what is the barzakh
"the barrier" or "separation"
| After death there is an intermediate period between death and one's judgement (liminality).
168
ISLAM in what place of death can living people communicate with the dead in dreams?
the barzakh
169
ISLAM Sufism
An internally directed mystical tradition. The goal is to purify the self and directly experience the divine. A practice of asceticism based on the actions of Mohammad
170
2 key practices of Sufism ISLAM
1. Dhikr (remembrance) = practices that are intended to keep the divine constantly in the person's mind
2. Meditation = silencing the ego to feel the presence of the divine
171
A good death in Islam
the last words spoken before death are the shahada
