rel exam review

RELIGION EXAM REVIEW
Multicultural: consisting of multiple ethnic groups, cultures, languages and religions
Multiculturalism: a policy and law that recognizes and supports the diversity of a nation’s or province’s population
Religion Pluralism: the co-existence of many religions in a society: Canada, India and the US are examples
Tolerance: an attitude that recognizes the rights of others to think, live or worship according to their own beliefs
Evangelization: the church’s mission to bring the good news of Jesus and his love to people in places where the Gospel has not been heard or forgotten
Ecumenical Council: the highest exercise of the Church’s power. All the bishops come together with the Pope to decide an important issue for the whole church
Atheism: disbelief in the existence of God (no hate/disrespect to religion)
Agnosticism: the belief that there can be no proof of the existence of God without denying the possibility that God exists (“I don’t know”)
Persecution: hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of a person’s race or political or religious beliefs.
Section 27 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom is a declaration of a national value of multiculturalism
Empathy: to understand another person’s thoughts, feelings or state of being
Monotheism: the belief that there is only one god
Polytheism: the belief that there is more than one god
Syncretism: the attempt to blend the beliefs and practices of different religions into one system
Cult: small religious group devoted to a particular religious doctrine, ideas and principles
Stereotype: a widely held image or idea of a particular type of person or thing
Four rules for Religions living together:
1.	Respect the faith and religion for others: tolerance. To respect the faith and religion of others
2.	There is no neutral stance: to acknowledge that we cannot be neutral observers of other religions
3.	The Truth of other religions: people believe that their beliefs are the truth, we must respect this while believing in our truth
4.	Accept the importance of religion: provides us hope, gives us something to believe in
Four types of interreligious dialogue:
1.	The Dialogue of Everyday Life
•	Dialogue of courtesy, openness, and becoming good neighbours
•	We can seek to understand the challenges of others who may be part of a minority religion and culture in Canada

2.	The Dialogue of Action
•	As Christians, we are encouraged to work with members of other religions for:
	well-being of humanity
	to safeguard the rights of individuals
	to protect nature
	to show solidarity with the victims of injustice, to struggle for peace and justice

3.	The Dialogue of Theological Exchange
•	We need to understand each other’s religious traditions, ways of life, and spiritual values
	Could be difficult due to past actions

4.	The Dialogue of Religious Experience
•	People from different religious traditions come together to speak with each other about their spirituality
	Talk about their beliefs, how they search for God
	Prayer life and meditation

The three C’s of Religion:
Celebration: ceremonies or rituals that celebrate certain milestones in our lives, including birth, marriage, death, etc.
Community: the gathering of friends and neighbours in a positive environment
Creed: A formal statement of religious belief; a confession of faith.  Examples:  Apostle’s Creed, Shema, Shahadah






Unit 2: Native Spiritually
Wampum: “white strings” When given to someone, that person was assured of honest and integrity from the other party
4 sacred medicines are
Sweetgrass: Most sacred of plants; pleasant aroma, burned in smudging ceremonies
Cedar: Burned to cleanse the person of evil
Sage: Drive out evil feelings or temptations
Tobacco: Given to them by the Creator to be used in sacred ceremonies and social gatherings
Iroquoian Confederacy: At a time of war, theft and slavery, this united group had strengths by their large numbers, similar languages and beliefs.  Each nation kept its own language and territory. Includes Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk and Tuscarora
Pipe: A tobacco filled pipe is passed from person to person as a symbol of spiritual grounding and sharing of common breath
Shaman: an aboriginal spiritual leader: a medicine person
False Face Curing Society: wooden portraits of several types of mythical beings or apparitions that appeared in dreams,
Great Spirit: the creator and sustainer of life divine figure who lived in the spiritual realm and cared for all living things
Vision Quest: to gain access to spiritual power in order to assure greater success in activities such as hunting, warfare, or curing the ill
Sun dance: renewal of dedication to the Great Spirit. Celebrated by peoples of the Prairies in June or July, during the full moon
Three sisters: corn, beans and squash. provided food for all of humanity. These special gifts ensured the survival of the Iroquois people.
Medicine Wheel: a circle that represents the continuous cycle of life and the connection among species
Sweat Lodge: a small dome structure made of bent willow poles covered with hide, bark or tarps. to purge impurities and reconnect to our spirituality
Dreams: an expression of a person’s innermost desires
Sacred objects: smudging, pipe, rattle, medicine bundle, sweat lodge and drum
Rites of passage: birth and naming rituals, adolescence, hair and death
Holy days and feasts: harvest feast, the powwow and sun dance
Six festivals of the Natives:
1.	Maple Festival: gives thanks to the creator for the forests and maple trees
2.	Seed planting Festival: an invocation to the great creator to bless the seeds
3.	Strawberry Festival: signals the fertility of Mother Earth and the creator’s loving care for his people
4.	Bean and Green Corn festival: to honour the creator of life and the Corn mother who gave the three sisters (corn, beans and squash)
5.	Harvest Moon festival: to honour the three sisters
6.	Mid Winter Festival: the killing of the white dog that would protect the Great Spirit through the coming year
Treatment of the native people by the invasion of the European settlers: they believed that Aboriginal people should give their own traditions. By 1701, treats were signed, they define promises, obligations and benefits. they covered land, hunting and fishing rights. Reserves were created. The Gradual Civilization Act in 1857 (assimilated into European culture)). The Indian Act in 1876 (allowed for residential schools). Ceremonies, festivals and dances were banned in 1895.
Iroquois views on environment: Iroquois show a deep sense that all that exists; trees, plants, animals, humans, the earth even certain rocks were alive
Steps of vision quest:
1.	heated stones are placed in the centre, water is sprinkled over them by medicine man
2.	Intense heat causes participant to sweat profusely, leading to both physical and spiritual purification
3.	The participant then goes off alone to a place far from camp, usually a hilltop
4.	Certain rituals are performed
5.	Eventually the vision comes, in the form of an animal or other object or force of nature and message is interpreted by a shaman
UNIT 3: JUDAISM
Synagogue: Jewish house of worship
Rosh Hashanah: Jewish New Year festival
Hanukkah: Celebrates the defeat of the Syrian Greeks and the rededication of King Solomon's Temple by the Maccabees
Menorah: 7-branched candelabra. The 7 branches of the menorah symbolize the 7 days of creation
Mezuzah: a container inside which a parchment with “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one”
Tzedakah Box: The giving of Tzedakah (charity) is a fundamental mitzvah in Jewish life. Boxes are used to collect money for charity
State of Israel
	The UN pressured by Western Nations voted to divide Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state, with Jerusalem under international control.
	Jews proclaimed the independent State of Israel. The very next day Arab Nations invaded Israel in an attempt to destroy the new Jewish State
	Palestinian people were shocked because they felt betrayed by the Western Nations whom the helped during WWII.
	Nearly a million of Palestine’s Arabs inhabitants left the country of were expelled. Most of them became refugees with no homes.
Kosher/Kashrut is the body of Jewish law dealing with what food can and cannot be eaten and how those foods must be prepared and eaten
Zionism: a movement that began in the 19th century for the purpose of creating a Jewish state in what is now modern Israel
Shabbat: Hebrew word meaning “Sabbath”
Shema (creed): the great affirmation of belief in One God. A Jewish prayer that reminds Jews of the whole Torah of which the Shema is the essence
Chosen People were the Jews. They were chosen for a mission
Covenant: an agreement of mutual faithfulness; a contract or alliance between 2 parties
Abraham: “the father of the faithful” born 3rd century BCE (modern day Iraq)
	First Jew and creator of Judaism, Islam and Christianity
	Patriarch of Judaism and a model of faith in one God
Patriarch: male head of a family/tribe. In this case, Abraham
Moses: prophet who led the Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red Sea, after they based themselves on Mount Sinai where Moses received the 10 commandments
King David: the anointed King over all of Israel. Model of the Messiah.
Temples:
	1st temple destroyed: Solomon’s temple survival several attacks but in 586 BCE, it was destroyed by an army of the Babylonian King
	2nd temple destroyed: the Romans destroyed the 2nd temple in 70 BCE Jerusalem for ongoing Jewish revolt
Passover: liberation from Egyptian slavery that lasts 8 days
Star of David: A 6-pointed star that is formed from two overlapping triangles. It has 7 spaces.
Shofar: A rabbi blows into the ram's horn, during the Rosh Hashanah synagogue service
YAHWEH:  Hebrew name of God
Messiah: “the anointed one”, “Christ” comes from the Greek word “christos”
Torah: the most sacred Jewish ritual object is the Torah scroll. The Torah ("teaching") is the centre of Jewish life\
Promised Land: central among the biblical commandments incumbent among Jews to fulfill
Yom Kippur: day of Atonement where Jews seek forgiveness from anyone they have wronged. Last day of the Jewish New Year
Isaac: one of the 3 patriarchs, Abraham’s son, that he had to sacrifice to test his faith, but the angel stopped him
Exodus: the departure of the Israelites from Egypt
Diaspora: the scattering of Jews outside of Israel
Kippa: skullcap traditionally worn by Jewish men
Tefillin: Two small black boxes with black straps attached; helps them to be focused on the words of Torah at all times.
Rabbi: a religious leader and teacher of a congregation
Holocaust: the systematic killing of over 6 million Jews before and during WWII
THE FOUR CORNCERSTONES OF JUDAISM
1.	Yahweh; love for their one and only God
2.	The People; the Jews who were chosen for mission
3.	The Torah; refers to the entire Hebrew Scripture
4.	The Promised Land: the land of Israel as promised to them by God
3 branches of Judaism
Reform: in the 19th century, willing to adapt Jewish laws to the needs of historical context (temple)
Conservative: in the 20th century, willing to adapt Jewish laws to contemporary life, but traditions must not be compromised (synagogue)
Orthodox: oldest and largest branch worldwide, the Torah is their anchor and must keep strict Kosher kitchens (separate fridges/dishes/pots for dairy and meat products) (synagogue)
Major Jewish holidays and celebrations are Passover, Shavuot, Tisha b’Av, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Purim, and Hanukkah

Jewish Rites of Passage are brit milah, bar/bat mitzvah (son /daughter of commandment), weddings, and death
Jewish House of Worship: Synagogue



UNIT 4 CHRISTIANITY:
Orthodox church: separation between the Eastern and Western Church. The eastern churchs are known as the Orthodox Church
Martin Luther: a 34-year old teacher of the New Testament that began to criticize the way indulgences seemed to be sold
Indulgences: a remission of penalty due to sin. The greater the sin, the greater the penalty.
95 Theses: Luther presented his criticisms in the form of 95 theses (book). He felt that Church authority was going against the authority of scripture
St. Paul: known as one of the most influential early Christian missionary
Monasteries: a place where a community of monks or nuns live in prayer and work
Chi-rho: Christ’s name on soldier’s banners and shields
Constantine: chosen to be emperor by the Roman troops after Diocletian’s rule
Disciple: follower of Jesus
New Testament: collection of books of the Bible that were produced by early Christian Church
Iconoclasm: the destruction of icons
Protestant: refers to the protests made by the princes who sided with Martin Luther
Bishops: the successors of the Apostles
Ichthus: Greek word for the symbol of fish
Sacraments: special occasions for experiencing God's saving presence. Include: baptism, confirmation, eucharist, reconciliation, marriage, holy orders and anointing of the sick
Evangelist: writer of a gospel of the new testament
Apostle: followers of Jesus who were sent forth to bring the Gospel to others; the 12 chosen by Jesus
Schism: a separation, but not a full break, of 2 churches on the basis of a dispute over beliefs or practices
Apostles Creed: created AD 390, final form reached late 6th century. Statement of Christian belief
Nicene Creed: created year A.D. 325 at the first council of Nicaea. Statement of Christian belief
Council of Trent: council called Pope Paul III which was held between 1545 and 1563
Constantinople: new capital city in the eastern part of the roman empire
Pope: the leader of all bishops
The Foundation Stones of Christianity:
1.	Keeping Alive the Memory of Jesus
2.	Professing the One Faith: The Creeds
3.	The Ministers of the Church
4.	Ecumenical Councils
The main reason that the Eastern churches split from the West is because they developed differences over key issues about they lived their faith and how they interacted