UNIT I - First Black African President

- Imprisoned because he was an activist

- is also Hindu
HINDUISM
Four Vedas
- “You Only Live Once”
- Rig-veda
- Originated from India + Pakistan & China
- Sama-veda
- Hindu is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word
- Yajur-veda
Sindhu “of the Indus (river valley)”
- Atharva-veda
- Hindu Dharma has been described as the
“cradle of spirituality” and “the mother of all
The Salt March and Mahatma Gandhi
religions”
- 1858 - the British began their rule in India
- “To a great degree, the worship of the gods can
- Salt Acts
be seen to be an effort to live successfully amid
- prohibited Indians from collecting or
the awesome nonhuman forces of the natural
selling salt
world.”
- They were forced to buy the vital
mineral from the British government
1. Creed: consists of fundamental religious beliefs
- burdened the poor Indians who needed
and assumptions
salt in their diets
2. Code: norms of behavior that every adherent of
a religion seeking well-being and fulfillment is
expected to observe UNIT II
3. Cult: comprise practices that nourish believers’
spirituality and their union with ultimate JUDAISM
realities
- Israel: Origin of Judaism
Caste System - the religion of the Jews or Israelites.
1. Brahmin (priest and scholar) - monotheistic religion which believes in one god
2. Kshatriya (leader and warrior) and creator called Yahweh.
3. Vaishya (farmer, artisan, and trader) - Yahweh’s teachings are contained in the Torah,
4. Sudra (worker and slave) which means “law and teaching”

Three Main Gods Core Teachings

- Brahma: The Creator - Set of moral principles that require people to
- Vishnu: The Preserver treat one another with dignity and love, and
- Shiva: The Destroyer ensure justice and equality
- The worship of a single god in prayer, study and
Reincarnation adherence to the commandments set out in the
- Karma: is the sum total of his/her activities Torah.
- A person’s goal is to achieve good - The idea of a complete surrender to faith, a
karma in order to cleanse his/ her life to surrender to God, is harmonious with many
avoid reincarnation Christians and Muslim faiths, it’s much less
- Moksha: end of the cycle of birth and rebirth comfortable for most Jews, who are traditionally
while taught to question in order to learn more
- Nirvana: the soul attaining true peace and deeply.
happiness. - Commandments that spread throughout the
Torah include:
Nelson Mandela - eating restrictions known as kashrut or
- “ Education is the most powerful weapon which kosher laws
you can use to change the world.”
 - the wearing of fringes on every
four-cornered garment
- the periodic dwelling in temporary
shelters during the Succot season in
memory of the years the Jews spent in
the desert.
Core Teachings
- Torah: which means “law and teaching” that
comprised of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy
- The book of Exodus: narrates how Yahweh,
through Moses, delivered the Jews from the
hands of the Egyptians. Yahweh told Moses to
free the Jews from slavery. The Jews were called
by Yahweh his chosen people.
Basic Doctrines
- 13 Principles of Faith
1. God exists
2. God is one and unique
3. God is incorporeal
4. God is eternal
5. Prayer is to be directed to God alone
and to no other
6. The words of the prophets are true
7. Moses' prophecies are true, and Moses
was the greatest of the prophets
8. The Written Torah and Oral Torah were
given to Moses
9. There will be no other Torah
10. God knows the thoughts and deeds of
men
11. God will reward the good and punish
the wicked
12. The Messiah will come
13. The dead will be resurrected
Origins of Judaism
Search for the Promised Land
- A group of people claimed an important piece
of land- Palestine/Israel.
- This region sat on the eastern edge of the
Mediterranean Sea and on the Red Sea, which
led to the Indian Ocean.
- An advantageous location for trade.
The First Covenant
- The people who settled in Canaan were the
Hebrews, and they believed that the land had
been promised to them by God.
- In return for their devotion, God told Abraham
that the Hebrews would build a great nation in
the promised land.
- Today the Jewish people are the descendants of
the ancient Hebrews.
Monotheism
- The Hebrews were among the world’s earliest
peoples to believe in one god. Their story began
in Mesopotamia (Ur), where a man named
Abraham lived.
- God told him to move his family to Palestine,
where he would prosper. Abraham promised
that he and his people would always obey God.
- God, in turn, promised to always protect them
from their enemies.
- Significance of Monotheism:
- With monotheism, religion was
changing.
- Instead of being a part of life run by
priests who followed certain rituals, it
was now a matter of each person living
a moral life.
- The idea emerged that each individual
was important and valuable to God; and
God was accessible to everyone, not
just the priests.
The Exodus
- Later the Hebrews suffered from the failure of
their crops. They moved to Egypt, but over time
they were made into slaves.
- After many years, they left in a mass departure
that Jews called the Exodus.
- According to the sacred book of the Jews, a man
named Moses led them out of Egypt. They
wandered for 40 years in the wilderness.
The Second Covenant
- During that time, the story says, Moses received
from God the Ten Commandments.
- These were the laws that the Hebrews were to
follow. For the second time, God promised to
protect these people in return for their
obedience to his laws.
 Twelve Tribes of Israel
- After Moses died, the people finally reached
Palestine and settled down. They began to
adopt new ways of life. They often fought with
other people living in the area, as each group
tried to control the best land and other
resources.
- Twelve Tribes of Israel:
- Reuben
- Simeon
- Levi
- Judah
- Dan
- Naphtal
- Gad
- Asher
- Issachar
- Zebulun
- Joseph
- Benjamin
The Philistines
- The Philistines were another people who lived
in Canaan. They disliked the Hebrews and the
Hebrews disliked them. Much of what we know
about the Philistines was written in the Torah
which may be a little biased.
- We do know that they had a military advantage
over the Hebrews. They had ships and chariots
as well as the ability to forge steel into swords
and shields. Eventually, the Hebrews learned
how to create metal weapons from the
Philistines.
The Judges
- Each tribe was separate from the others, but in
times of danger, they would all get together
under leaders called judges.
- One of those judges was a woman named
Deborah. This was unusual for women in
Hebrew society, who were expected to stay
home and raise children.
Duties of the Hebrews
- The Hebrews had other leaders called prophets.
They said that they were messengers sent by
God to tell the people how he wanted them to
act.
- These prophets told the people that they had
two duties:
1. To worship God
2. To deal in just and fair ways with each
other.
Two Kingdoms of Israel
- From about 1020 to 922 B.C., the Hebrews were
united under three kings.
1. Saul drove off enemy peoples;
2. David made Jerusalem the capital;
3. Solomon built a magnificent temple to
be used to worship God.
- After his death, though, the kingdom split into
two parts (Israel and Judea).
- For the next two centuries, these kingdoms had
their ups and downs.
King Solomon
- Solomon had a great temple built in Jerusalem
to house the Ark of the Covenant which housed
the Ten Commandments.
- He asked his friend, King Hiram, from the
Phoenician city of Tyre to help him with the
design. Hiram sent his architects to Jerusalem
to create the building.
- Solomon was very grateful and repaid the
Phoenicians with ample supplies of wheat and
oil.
- Achievements of Solomon:
- Solomon is the most powerful of the
Hebrew kings:
1. He built a trading empire with
the help of his friend King
Hiram of Tyre.
2. He beautified the city of
Jerusalem.
3. He built the temple to hose the
Ark of the Covenant- Solomon’s
Temple
4. He built a great royal palace.
The Kingdom Divides
- Solomon’s building projects were costly and he
had to raise taxes to pay for them.
- After his death, stressed by the high tax burdens
of the past, the Hebrews in the North revolted
and the kingdom was divided into two smaller
 kingdoms- Israel in the North and Judah in the - Showed extraordinary compassion for the poor
South. and marginalized

The Babylonian Captivity Roman Catholicism

- Both of the Hebrew kingdoms came under - Catholic means “universal”
attack from invaders. - Emphasize the universal scope of the Christian
- Both Israel and Judah began paying tribute community
(peace money) to keep the Assyrians from - Bishop of Rome - successor of the apostle
attacking. This only worked for a few years and Simon Peter
Israel was eventually conquered. - Pope speaks to lead the Christian Church in
knowledge and understanding
Judah falls to the Babylonians - Leo IX (West-Roman) and Patriarch Michael
- Judah was able to remain free from Assyrian Keroularious (East-Orthodox) ended up mutually
domination but a new threat emerged- Babylon. excommunicating each other.
- Led by King Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonians
conquered Jerusalem and sent the Hebrew Eastern Orthodox Church
survivors into exile in Babylon. - Orthodox: “right belief”
- Affirm the universality of the church
The Temple is Rebuilt - Developed an equally firm understanding of the
- Fifty years after the fall of Jerusalem, a new pure and unchanging nature of Christian
power emerged, the Persians. Led by King Doctrine
Cyrus, the Persians took control of the lands - Conforming the Christian tradition of beliefs and
previously held by the Assyrians and practices as presented in the creeds of the
Babylonians. primitive church
- King Cyrus allowed 40,000 Hebrews to return to
Jerusalem to rebuild their temple. The Second Roman Catholicism Eastern Orthodox
Temple was completed in 515 B.C. Cyrus is
mentioned in the Old Testament for his - Holy spirit proceeds - Holy spirit proceeds
compassion toward the Hebrews. from the Father and only from Father
Son - Allow marriages
- Cyrus allowed for religious freedom among his
- Didn’t allow marriages (priests/bishops)
captive peoples. (priests/bishops) - Does not believe in
- Believe in the purgatory
UNIT III cleansing of the dead - Rejects the declaration
in the purgatory of Mary’s Immaculate
- Declaration of Mary’s Conception
CHRISTIANITY Immaculate - Reject the universal
Conception jurisdiction and
- Accept universal doctrinal infallibility of
Jesus (c. 7 BC - 30 AD)
jurisdiction and the bishop of Rome
- “Son of Mary and Joseph” doctrinal infallibility of
- Jesus was born in a turbulent period of history the bishop of Rome
in an explosive place, filled with poverty, greed,
class division, repeated bloodshed, and massive
unrest.
- Baptized by John the Baptizer Similarities
- Raised in a provincial boondocks of Galilee in
Northern Israel - Divine and human natives of Jesus
- Worked as a tekton - Sinless life of Virgin Mary
- Ministry of deacons and presbyter
- Believed that the Torah was sacred and that one
- Bishops
enters into a closer relationship with Adonai - 7 Sacraments
- Known in Galilee as a prophet and healer

Protestantism (16th century)
- 16th century – Protestant Reformation
- Political struggles and corruption in West
Church
- Protestant: “protesting against the errors of the
Roman Catholic Church”
- Represent the original teaching of bible.
- Well-being depends on God’s grace and is
obtained by faith without reference to any
human merit
- Key Beliefs:
- Sola Scriptura (only by scripture): one is
saved through faith – Bible
- Sola Fide (only by Faith): holiness is a
gift from God
- Sola Gratia (only by grace): God grants
grace independently without any
human cooperation
UNIT IV
ISLAM
Islam: “Submission to the will of God”
- The people who practice Islam are called
Muslims.
The Qur’an
- Holy Book of Islam
- Written in Arabic
- Muslims believe that Allah revealed the Qur’an
to Muhammad.
- Many Muslims memorize the Qur’an
- The Qur’an has the rules Muslims live by.
The Sunnah
- “Sunnah”: means the way Prophet Muhammad,
the Messenger of Allah, lived his life.
- Muslims strive to live their life as Muhammad
did.
Mosque
- the place of worship for Muslims.
5 Pillars of Islam
1. Shahada (Faith): There is only one God, and
Muhammad is the prophet
2. Salah (Prayer): Five Times a day
3. Sawm (Fasting): Not eating or drinking during
daylight during the month of Ramadan
4. Zakat (Almsgiving): All Muslims pay a tax to
help the poor
5. Hajj (Pilgrimage): All Muslims want to make a
pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca once in
their lifetimes.

Muhammad
Ramadan
- Revered Prophet in Islam
- the most important holiday
- the founder of Islam and the proclaimer of the
- Muslims fast from sun up till sundown during
Qurʾan, Islam's sacred scripture. He spent his
the month of Ramadan
entire life in what is now the country of Saudi
- Ramadan celebrates Muhammad receiving the
Arabia, from his birth in about 570 CE in Mecca
Qur’an from Allah
- A prophet is a messenger of God.
- Muhammad was born in 570 AD.
Islamic Symbol
- His parents died when he was 7.
- The Star and Crescent Moon
- Liked to go off by himself and pray in the desert.
- You will find the Star and Crescent
- He heard the voice of the angel Gabriel telling
Moon on many Islamic nation’s
him to proclaim the one true God.
flags.
- Muslims do not believe that the face of
Muhammad should be shown.

Allah
- Allah is the name of God to Muslims
- You will never see an image of Allah.
Muslims believe that He does not
resemble any other form in creation in
any way.”
 UNIT V elderly driven away so that he would avoid
encountering them
- He studied languages, philosophy, and arts as
BUDDHISM
well as martial art skills like archery,
horseback-riding, and wrestling
- “Feelings are just visitors. Let them come and
- At 19, he married his cousin, the beautiful
go.”
princess Yashodhara and ended up having one
- “You yourself must strive. The Buddhas only
child, a son named Rahula (fetter)
point the way.” – Shakyamuni Buddha
- In his late 20’s he went on brief excursions
- Buddhism began in India in the sixth century as
outside the palace among the common people
another interpretation of Hindu Dharma
and he encountered four deeply disturbing
- While Buddhist mission in Sri Lanka, Tibet,
sights:
Korea, Japan, and China were a sweeping
1. A wrinkled bent elderly persons
success, a resurgence of Hindu Dharma in India
2. A man wasting away from a loathsome
and later Muslim conquests led to the decline of
disease
Buddhism in its land of birth
3. A rotting cadaver
- Desire and ignorance lie at the root of suffering.
4. A serene wandering ascetic
By desire, Buddhists refer to craving pleasure,
- He took his best horse Kanthaka and abandoned
material goods, and immortality, all of which are
his sleeping wife and son. He shaved off his hair,
wants that can never be satisfied. As a result,
traded his clothing with a beggar’s, and started
desiring them can only bring suffering.
his quest for answers to life’s miseries as a
wandering ascetic.
Life of Siddhartha Gautama
- He was convinced that one cannot find
1. Buddhism began in history with a founder,
enlightenment nor release from the cycle of
Siddhartha Gautama, better known by his title
samsara as long as one continues to enjoy the
“The Buddha” or “Enlightened One”
pleasures of the flesh.
2. Siddhartha; a name which means (one who has
- He tried everything that was unpleasant,
achieved his goal) was born about 563 BCE in a
painful, or disagreeable:
forest at Lumbini in Northern India
1. Fasting by living only on a single grain of
3. He is the son of Suddhodana, a Kshatriya raja.
rice a day
After his mother, Maja, died giving birth to him,
2. Wore irritating garments and sat in
Siddhartha was raised by Mahapajapati, his
awkward and painful positions for hours
mother’s sister who became his father’s second
3. Sat on thorns, and for a while, slept in a
wife
cremation ground among rotten corpses
4. It was prevailed by a wandering ascetic that
4. He allowed filth and vermin to
Siddhartha could become a king who would rule
accumulate in his body
the entire world---- or if he became conscious of
- Siddhartha went to a grove of trees along the
the harshness of the world and would strive to
riverbank and sat under a fig tree to meditate
alleviate pain and suffering---a great religious
- Meditating under a tree with a mind cleansed
teacher
and concentrated, he had a vision of the endless
cycle of birth and death that is the plight of
Siddhartha Gautama
humanity and the significant insight that tanha
- His father sought to insulate him as mahasattva
(desire, thirst, craving, grasping) kept people like
(one who would be great) from the distress of
himself imprisoned to this cycle.
humanity, giving him 3 places: a warm one for
the winter months, a cool one for the summer
months, and a dry one for the monsoon season
- The raja surrounded him with dancing girls, and
when the prince went out, had beggars and
 Theravada Buddhism
Tripataka: “three baskets”
- The “Way of the Elders”: is the sole surviving
sect among those that arose after the Buddha’s
death.
Mahayana Buddhism
- Mahayana “Great Vehicle”: tradition, which
arose in the 4th century, is now the largest
Buddhist sect in the world.
- from the way in which it was originally
recorded: the text was written on long, narrow
leaves, which were sewn at the edges then
grouped into bunches and stored in baskets.
- The collection is also referred to as the Pali
Canon, after the language in which it was first
written. It is a vast collection of writings,
comprising up to 50 volumes costing $2000 in
some modern sets.

The Four Noble Truths

The Buddha Only the historical Besides Sakyamuni - Life is suffering
Gautama Buddha, other - Suffering is due to craving
(Sakyamuni) Buddha contemporary
- There is a way to overcome craving
and past Buddhas Buddhas like
are accepted. Amitabha and - The way to overcome craving is the Eightfold
Medicine Buddha Path
are also very
popular. The Eightfold Path
- Appropriate Outlook
Bodhisattvas Only Maitreya Avalokitesvara,
bodhisattva is Mansjuri, - Appropriate Determination
accepted. Ksitigarbha, and - Appropriate Communication
Samanthabadra are - Appropriate Conduct
four very - Appropriate Occupation
well-known - Appropriate Effort
bodhisattvas besides
Maitreya.
- Appropriate Mindfulness
- Appropriate Samadhi
Organization of The Pali Canon is Accepts the Pali
Buddhist Scriptures divided into 3 Canon as well, but
baskets (Tipitaka): also includes
UNIT VI
Vinaya Pitaka of 5 hundreds of other
books, Sutta Pitaka teachings known as CONFUCIANISM
of 5 collections sutras (not found in
(many suttas), and the Pali Canon) as
Abhidhamma Pitaka central texts (varies - The story of the Coconut Shell Bowl
of 7 books. by school)
Confucious
Similarities - our greatest glory is not in ever falling, but in
- The Buddha (Prince Siddhartha / Shakyamuni Buddha: as
getting up every time we do.
the historical and original founder of Buddhism - I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do
- The Sangha: having a monastic community and I understand.
- The Dharma: literally means “truth” which are the - “Before you embark on a journey of revenge,
teachings dig two graves.”
- The Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, The
- “Do not impose on others what you do not wish
Triple Gem, The Three Universal Seals, The
Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, The for yourself.” (The Golden Rule)
Tripitaka: collection of Buddhist scripture which
includes the Dhammapada which is the sayings of Origins of Confucianism
the Buddha) - How did Confucianism Start?
- Threefold Training: Precepts, Meditation, and Wisdom
1. Confucius lived during the Warring
States Period in Ancient China when
 many different families were fighting for
power.
2. It was at this time that philosophers
were thinking of ways to bring order to
their society.
3. Confucius looked for solutions to these
problems.
4. His students collected statements into a
book called The Analects.
- Although he was not famous when he
lived, he became the most influential
thinker in Chinese history. His
philosophy came to be known as
Confucianism.
- When did Confucianism Start?
- Around 500 B.C.
- Does Confucianism believe in God?
- No, it’s more of a philosophy than a
religion
- Does Confucianism believe in the afterlife?
- No, Confucius thought that you should
do the right thing without wanting the
reward of heaven.
- Analects: Written during the Spring and Autumn
period through the Warring States period, the
Analects is a collection of Kongzi's teachings and
discussions with disciples. In addition to
learning, the Analects emphasize the
importance of good governance, filial piety,
virtue, and ritual.
- Mencius: Mencius is a collection of
conversations Mencius had with Kongzi.
Mencius places a strong emphasis on the
responsibility of the emperor to practice good
governance by following the Way.
- The Doctrine of the Mean: The Doctrine of the
Mean has been translated in many ways,
including The Constant Mean (Legge) and
Maintaining Perfect Balance (Gardener).

- What are Confucianism’s main beliefs?

- Filial Piety: Deep respect for one’s
elders
- Five Relationships:
1. Ruler to subjects
2. Father to son
3. Older brother to younger
brother
4. Husband to wife
5. Friend to Friend
- *Takes care of the inferior
person while the inferior listens
and obeys the superior person*

Sacred Texts
- Confucian Classics
- Four Books
- Five Classics
- The Great Learning: a guide for moral
self-cultivation. According to the Great Learning,
the key to moral self-cultivation is learning, or
the investigation of things. read, as the message
contained in The Great Learning would orient
scholars to think about the value of their
studies.