Module 1 Flashcards
(35 cards)
How did the priestly class in ancient Israelite tradition understand evil in their worldview?
- Any deviation from Jewish laws = evil
- Laws (dietary, ritual, and moral behav)
- following laws = holy/good
How are internal and external evil defined in James’ essay?
Internal - Perpetuated by creation (humans)
External - Cosmic force that threatens order to creation
Goldberg’ distinction between natural and moral evil
Natural - evil found in the natural order of the universe
Moral - perpetuated by human’s free will
Why does Goldberg criticized Maimonides’ understanding of evil?
Because the understanding of evil as the absence of good cannot account for the events of the holocaust
Describe the various understandings of evil in traditional Jewish philosophy (ie. the interpretations that are rejected in light of the holocaust)
The punishment and reward teaching system that god uses because nothing count account for sucha punishment
Why did the holocaust cause Jewish theologians to reassess traditional conceptions of evil?
there’s nothing the jewish community couldv’e done to explain why god would punish them so severely
How do both essays on evil in Christianity connect evil and suffering?
zwerner - evil and suffering can have good elements (moral growth
Strenger- suffering is inherent in the cross symbol. and should try to emulated by christians. Evil covers violence and oppression
Does Zwerner successfully defend her definition of evil in her essay? Can it be applied to other religious traditions?
evil is any action or state of affairs which create destructive effects for humans, their relationships, or environment
It can be applied to other religions because evil causes suffering
What is the significance of the “inner transformation” that Zwerner talks about? What/Who is this supposed to emulate?
Inner transformation refers to the transition from the physical/material world to the spiritual world. this is supposed to emulate jesus’ ascension
Why does suffering become such a key component to Christian identity before Constantine (ie. prior to the 4th century)?
Suffering was the ultimate action of faith
- martyrdom was the ultimate christian way to die b/c you died defending the faith
How has the cross been used as a symbol of oppression in various cultural contexts?
- the cross was used as symbol of persecution against witches in the medieval period to jutstify violence against women
How has the cross been used as a symbol of freedom in various cultural contexts?
Marginalized groups have also used the cross as a symbol of freedom and resistance (ie. Liberation Theology)
Explain the difference between Irenaeus’ and Augustine’s understanding of evil.
Irenaeus - evil as being created by god but god is not responsible for propagating evil
Augustine - evil is a punishment for the fall
What might constitute evil in strenger’s essay
Evil in strenger’s essay violence, and oppression would fall under the category of evil
How is making the sign of the cross an ‘apotropaic’ symbol?
It was through to ward off evil in some way because of god’s holy presence in the action
How does free will figure in Al-Ghazali’s theoretical framework in relation to his explanation of evil?
His framework of evil is being inherent to humans.
His duality of humans earthly and spiritual sides connect with the free will notion of good and evil sides
Why is evil a necessary element of human existence in Al-Ghazali’s essay? How does this inherent dualism between good and evil fit into his theological interpretation?
Evil is a necessary element to human existence because it helps people to realize their moral potential
List and explain Al-Ghazali’s three forms of evil.
Evil propagated by the inner will of an individual
Evil which needs to be resisted by a social group,
Political evil which is perpetuated by those in power to reinforce dominant power structures
Describe some similarities and differences between this understanding of evil and the definitions we encountered in our examination of Christianity and Judaism
similarities- that evil is necessary for free will.
-difference is that in Islam, the existence of evil is just a part of life, and in Christ/Juda, its a punishment for sin
What are the three main ‘common interpretations’ of the creation narrative in the Quran according to Hassan
- woman was created from man, which makes women’s existence secondary
- Eve was responsible for the fall and the expulsion from the garden of eden
- The primal woman was created from man and for man
How does she offer counter-points of critique to these common understandings?
- there is no specific reference to adams rib in hadith literature
- man and women were coerced by serpent to eat the fruit
- The Quran does not state that women were created for men, both genders are equal and have the same religious duties
Why does she argue that Islam has been a historically patriarchal tradition despite calls to equality in the Quran?
in Hadith literature, there are assertions of women being inferior and according to Hassan this reflects cultural and social biases in Arabic tribes at the time of writing
How does her chapter contribute to our understanding of ‘evil’?
she brings up points of evil possibly being gender oppression and/or misinterpretation of sacred scripture.
How can good and evil be part of the same entity?
Evil and good can be in the same entity because in hinduism, evil is thought to be the result of the cosmic conflict which occurs in creation.
