RS1022+-+Sample+questions+-+Gody%2C+religion%2C+myth%2C+Abhrahamic+religions%2C+Hinduism%2C+etc
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Religious Studies 1022
Sample Multiple Choice Questions
NOTE:
The actual test questions may be more difficult than those included here.
Please
be sure you feel comfortable responding to different types of questions at a variety of
difficulty levels, including true/false questions, memory/recall questions, and application
questions.
Thank you!
1.
In his interview with CBC Sunday, which of the following beliefs does scholar
Richard Dawkins NOT suggest?
a.
People who have a religious experience are delusional
b.
The world would be better off without religion
c.
The impulse to do good is actually a Darwinian ‘misfire’
d.
There is a god
2.
Prior to the 16
th
century, the term ‘religion’ was most often associated with
_____, where as during and after the 16
th
century, Protestant Reformers tended
to associate ‘religion’ with _____.
a.
Rational story-telling, salvation
b.
Abnormal psychological behaviour on the part of slaves, piety.
c.
Chinese dynasties, the Catholic Church.
d.
Cultic obligations and ritual activities, piety.
e.
Social forces opposed to spirituality, the Catholic Church.
3.
In class we discussed the differences between spirituality and religion.
Spirituality and religion are distinguished from each other in that:
a.
Religion is a modern invention, whereas spirituality is deeply rooted in
tradition and history.
b.
Spirituality is intensely personal, whereas religion is tied to institutions
and organizations.
c.
Religion developed out of alienation from spiritual trends, whereas
spirituality is rooted in disillusionment of organized spirituality.
d.
All of the above.
e.
There is no difference between spirituality and religion.
4.
Saba and Joel are talking about faith.
They both believe in Ultimate Reality,
though their beliefs are based on different reasonings.
Saba’s asserts her faith is
based on ‘beliefs’, whereas Joel suggests his faith is based on logical reasoning.
Therefore, we can describe Saba’s belief system as that of a(n) _____, and Joel’s
belief system as that of a(n) _____.
a.
Evidentialist monotheist, fidesit monotheist
b.
Fideist monotheist, evidentialist monotheist
c.
Evidentialist polytheist, fideist polytheist
d.
Fideist polytheist, evidentialist polytheist
e.
Evidentialist theist, fideist theist
f.
Fideist theist, evidentialist theist
g.
Evidentialist agnostic, fideist agnostic
h.
Fideist agnostic, evidentialist agnostic
5.
In his article, James Livingston notes that the goal of the phenomenological
approach to the study of religion is to:
a.
Interpret religion according to the psychological dimensions of religious
experience
b.
Portray religion in its own terms as a unique expression
c.
Elicit acceptance of human behavior by providing moral sanctions and
sacred stories
d.
Understand the historical context of religious traditions, experiences and
sacred texts
e.
Use experience to observe religious phenomena
6.
For the purpose of this course, ‘myth’ refers to _____.
a.
Stories that are true
b.
Stories that are false
c.
Stories that are supported by historical evidence
d.
Stories that are sacred
e.
All of the above
f.
None of the above
7.
Scholar Bartimaeus (Bart) Simpson advocates that many of the world’s sacred
stories explain the origins of human belief in supernatural beings through the
ancient worship of ancestors who, over time, came to be venerated as powerful
beings.
According to Russell McCutcheon’s article ‘Myth’, what time of type has
Simpson described?
a.
Social dreaming
b.
Tale of heroes
c.
Mythopoeic mentality
d.
Pre-scientific explanations of natural phenomena
e.
None of the above
8.
According to the studies noted in Richard Handler’s article ‘How God Lights Up
the Brain’, some research suggests:
a.
The human brain is decidedly atheistic
b.
The human brain is decidedly agnostic
c.
Our brains have evolved to respond to the presence of God as a real,
concrete person
d.
The human brain can only understand ‘God’ as an abstraction
e.
The human brain cannot understand the concept of ‘God’
9.
True/False:
The term ‘cosmology’ refers to the study of the purpose of things
and stems from the Greek word cosmos meaning ‘end or purpose’.
a.
True
b.
False
10. Carolyn and Rebekah are debating the existence of God.
Carolyn argues the
existence of God is clear – there is no God.
Which of the following terms best
describes Carolyn’s position?
a.
Cosmological
b.
Teleological
c.
Theistic
d.
Atheistic
e.
Agnostic
11. Carolyn and Rebekah are debating the existence of God.
Rebekah refutes
Carolyn’s argument saying that of course there is a God. After all, the world is too
complex, beautiful and purposeful to be random.
It must have been created by
God. Which of the following terms best describes Rebekah’s position?
a.
Cosmological
b.
Teleological
c.
Theistic
d.
Atheistic
e.
Agnostic
12. The implied argument in the Handler article suggests that belief in a supreme,
abstract being occurred as part of our evolutionary heritage whereby human
beings have been evolved to respond to the presence of God as a real, concrete
person.
a.
True
b.
False
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13. According to Livingston what are some things that are certain about religion?
a.
Religion is as old as humankind
b.
All cultures and societies reveal belief in an afterlife and in a higher power
c.
Nothing is certain about religion
d.
A and B
e.
A and C
f.
None of the above
14. As discussed in the Fischer and Hart articles, “Agnosticism” and “Atheism”, what
theory did Newman develop to give a more adequate accounting of theism?
a.
Militant theism
b.
Theory of relativity
c.
Convergence of probabilities
d.
The God particle
15.
As discussed in the Fischer and Hart articles, “Agnosticism” and “Atheism”,
what
is illative sense?
a.
Supernatural senses
b.
Concrete reasoning (intuition) formed from abstract evidence
c.
Abstract reasoning due to intangible evidence
d.
None of the above
16. Mariah and Sebastian are doing a class presentation on their theist beliefs. They
conclude the presentation by sharing a testimony of many personal experiences
that have confirmed to them the existence of God, including: the marvel of
nature, the beauty and kindness around us.
These experiences are examples of…
a.
Signals of transcendence
b.
Illative sense
c.
Convergence of probabilities
d.
All of the above
e.
None of the above
17. According to McCutcheon in his article, “Myth”, after a redescriptive turn, myths
are no longer merely stories but instead become the _____ and the _____ of
creating authority.
a.
Product, entity
b.
Product, means
c.
Truth, reason
d.
Truth, means
18. True/False:
According to McCutcheon, the apparently straightforward
distinction between false and true stories (
mythos vs. logos
) is loaded with social
meaning and consequence. True or False?
a.
True
b.
False
19. Which of these meanings for the word myth is the one preferred and proposed
by McCutcheon in his article?
a.
Shared beliefs that are simply false
b.
Fictional stories originated in early human communities to explain origins
or causes of something that cannot be explained by scientific accounts
c.
Modernist supposition that we can perceive and distinguish between
reality as it really is and as it happens to be (mis)represented
d.
Ordinary human means of fashioning and authorizing lived-in and
believed-in worlds.
20. According to Richard Handler’s article “How God Lights Up the Brain,” the
research of Danish neuroscientist Uffe Schjodt examined how the brains of
believing Christians reacted during times of prayer. His research suggests:
a.
Prayer activates unique and special parts of the brain
b.
Prayer activates the same parts of the brain as our interactions with other
human beings
c.
The brains of believing Christians show fewer signs of rational analysis
than those of non-believers.
21. The sacred literature of Hindus is known as the _____, the sacred literature of
Christians is known as the _____, the sacred literature of Muslims is known as
the _____, and the sacred literature of Jews is known as the _____.
a.
Vedas, Bible, Qu’ran, Tanakh
b.
Vedas, Bible, Tanakh, Qu’ran
c.
Bible, Vedas, Qu’ran, Bible
d.
Qu’ran, Bible, Vedas, Tanakh
e.
None of the above
22. According to Robert Monk’s article “Christianity,” _____ is the rite
commemorating the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
a.
Baptism
b.
Eucharist
c.
Confirmation
d.
Christmas
e.
Good Friday
f.
Easter
23. True/False:
In his article, “The Spirit of Judaism,” Abraham Heschel asserts
that Jewish existence is primarily about adherence to specific cultural practices
(e.g., food, customs, music, language) rather than adherence to religious
doctrine.
a.
True
b.
False
24. The genres of texts found in the Christian Bible include:
a.
Gospels
b.
History
c.
Epistles
d.
Apocalyptic eschatology
e.
Non-canonical
f.
All of the above
g.
A, B, C, D
h.
A, C, D, E
i.
A, B, D, E
25. In Judaism, the written collection of laws known as the ‘oral Torah’ is called the
_____.
a.
Talmud
b.
Shema
c.
Mishnah
d.
Tanakh
26. In Islam, the Arabic word _____ means ‘recitation’.
a.
Tanakh
b.
Nevi’im
c.
Nabi
d.
Navi
e.
Qu’ran
27. In Islam, the oneness of God is referred to by the term _____.
a.
Tawhid
b.
Olam
c.
Wahy
d.
Navi
e.
Rishi
28. According to Theodore Ludwig’s article “Hindu Worlds of Meaning,” central to
the theology of the Hindu god Shiva is:
a.
Brahmanism
b.
The importance of the fire sacrifices
c.
The Vedas
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d.
The encompassing of all dualities (e.g., male and female, creation and
destruction, good and evil)
e.
The varna
f.
All of the above
g.
None of the above
29. The oldest source of Hindu myth is:
a.
The Upanishads
b.
The Bhagavad Gita
c.
The Vedas
d.
The Smruti
e.
None of the above
30. Which of the following is not one of the Hindu goals of life?
a.
Moksha
b.
Nirvana
c.
Artha
d.
Kama
e.
Dharma
31. Who is the founder of Hinduism?
a.
Jesus
b.
Siddhartha Gautama
c.
The Shruti
d.
Muhammad
e.
None of the above
32. True/False:
In her article, “Why are we here? Everyday questions for the
Christian life,” Kathryn Tanner argues Christians respond to the question ‘Why
are we here?’ by asserting the meaning of human life is to exercise a strong
Christian work ethic, to strive for justice and live a life of compassion and love.
a.
True
b.
False
33. In Judaism, the written collection of laws referred to as the ‘oral Torah’ is called
the _____.
The section of this text containing the laws or legal code of the oral
Torah is known as _____.
a.
Talmud, Mishnah
b.
Shema, Shahada
c.
Bible, Zakat
d.
Gemara, Apocalyptic eschatology
e.
Sunnah,Tanakh
f.
Tanakh, Gemara
34. Which of the following is not one of the major genres of literature found in the
Christian Second/New Testament?
a.
Epistles
b.
Apocalyptic literature
c.
Torah
d.
Gospels
e.
Historical literature
f.
None of the above – all of these are found in the Christian New
Testament
35. According to the Robert Monk article ‘Judaism’, in Jewish understanding,
humanity is given free will and therefore is responsible for its actions (obedience
and disobedience) to God’s universal laws.
a.
True
b.
False
36. True/False:
Muslims believe in the tradition of the prophets that extends from
Abraham, includes Moses and Jesus, and ends with Muhammad.
a.
True
b.
False
37. True/False:
Primary to the Upanishads is the idea that, with spiritual discipline
and meditation, both priests and non-priests can experience the spiritual reality
that underlies all seemingly separate realities.
a.
True
b.
False
38. True/False:
The implied argument in the Handler article suggests that belief in
a supreme, abstract being occurred as part of our evolutionary heritage whereby
human beings have been evolved to respond to the presence of God as a real,
concrete person.
a.
True
b.
False
39. According to Livingston what are some things that are certain about religion?
a.
Religion is as old as humankind
b.
All cultures and societies reveal belief in an afterlife and in a higher power
c.
Nothing is certain about religion
d.
A and B
e.
A and C
f.
None of the above
40. As discussed in Fischer and Hart articles, “Agnotisticm” and “Atheism”, what
theory did Newman develop to give a more adequate accounting of theism?
a.
Militant theism
b.
Theory of relativity
c.
Convergence of probabilities
d.
The God particle
41. Consider the following passage from the Jewish Talmud:
“Come and see! The measure of the Holy One, blessed be He, is unlike the
measure of flesh and blood.
The things fashioned by a creature of flesh and
blood outlast him; the Holy One, blessed be He, outlasts the things he has
fashioned.”
(Ber. 9a)
What does this passage say about God?
Choose the
answer that best fits.
a.
That God is transcendent
b.
That God is eternal
c.
That God is immanent
d.
That God is non-existant
e.
That God is a creature like humans
42. Consider the following passage from the Qu’ran:
“Say, He is God, the One and Only
God, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begets not, nor is He begotten;
And there is none like unto Him.”
(Surra 112)
What does this passage indicate
about God?
Choose the answer that best fits.
a.
That God is One
b.
That God is self-existant
c.
That God is eternal
d.
All of the above
e.
None of the above
43. Consider the following description of God from the Book of Genesis:
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“Then Adam and Eve heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at
the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from
the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.”
(Genesis 3: 8)
What does this passage indicate about God?
Choose the answer that best fits.
a.
That God is immanent and anthropomorphized
b.
That God is anthropomorphized
c.
That God is transcendent
d.
That God is immanent
e.
All of the above
f.
None of the above
44. Consider the following passage from the Jewish and Christian scriptures:
“Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before
God, for God is in heaven, and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few.”
(Ecclesiastes 5:2) What does this passage indicated about God? Choose the
answer that best fits.
a.
God is anthropomorphized
b.
God is a creature like humans
c.
God is transcendent
d.
God is immanent
e.
All of the above
f.
None of the above
45. A participant in a research study describes themselves this way:
I was raised a
Christian but converted to Judaism when I got married. I take deep solace in my
religious path and express it through weekly Shabbat gatherings with my family.
We celebrate all of the major holidays. I especially appreciate the solemn
prayerfulness of Yom Kippur and the joyfulness of Hannukah. Which of the
following terms best describes this person’s faith?
a.
Agnostic
b.
Atheist
c.
Theist
46. A participant in a research study describes themselves this way:
I was raised in a
Muslim family. When I was a teenager, I began to question my faith. While I
appreciate the rituals, prayers and teachings of Islam, I am no longer certain
about the existence of God. I am not sure what I believe but hope to gain more
surety of my spiritual convictions in the future. Which of the following terms best
describes this person’s faith?
a.
Agnostic
b.
Atheist
c.
Theist
47. A participant in a research study describes themselves this way:
I was raised
Hindu by my parents but do not regularly practice my faith. I sometimes attend
major feast days and celebrate Diwali and other gatherings with my family. I do
attend Hindu funerals when a member of the family or friends has died but I do
not find any spiritual meaning in these rituals. I still believe there is something
bigger than me in this universe - a creator of some kind - but I do not know who
or what that creator is and do not think any of the religious paths I have explored
have led me to a deeper understanding of it. Which of the following terms best
describes this person’s faith?
a.
Theist
b.
Atheist
c.
Agnostic
48. You believe that all life is sacred from the moment of conception. This is
something your parents have taught you and your religious tradition’s teachings
have supported. Which one of the following best describes the element of
moralscape principally at play here?
a.
Prejudices
b.
Worldview
c.
Loyalties
d.
Mode of decision-making
49. Mei believes that what is most important is not how something is done but the
results it gets. After all, if you get the right results, then how you got there must
have been the right way. What mode of decision-making is this?
a.
Teleological
b.
Deontological
c.
Utilitarian
ANSWERS
Question
Answer
Question
Answer
1
D
31
E
2
D
32
B
3
B
33
A
4
F
34
C
5
B
35
A
6
D
36
A
7
B
37
A
8
C
38
A
9
B
39
D
10
D
40
C
11
B
41
B
12
A
42
D
13
D
43
A
14
C
44
C
15
B
45
C
16
D
46
A
17
B
47
A
18
A
48
B
19
D
49
A
20
B
21
A
22
B
23
B
24
G
25
A
26
E
27
A
28
D
29
C
30
B
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