Module 2_Lecture_Introduction to Monotheism
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Arizona State University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
205
Subject
Religion
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
5
Uploaded by Soupandsaladdays
MODULE 2 LECTURE
INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, AND ISLAM
WHAT IS A MYTH?
As you learned in module 1, religion is a discourse
.
This discourse gives a complete interpretation of the universe and the human being’s place in it. It is arranged around central myths
. Myths are symbolic or foundational stories about the origins and destiny of human beings and their world. Myths
answer very important questions:
- how did the universe come into existence?
- what should be our relationship with the world of nature?
- why do human beings exist?
- what powers govern their destiny? What do these powers expect from them?
- why is there suffering in the world?
- how should we deal with it?
- what happens when we die?
- what is time? What should we do with it?
An important scholar who took these stories seriously was Mircea Eliade
. He looked for common symbols between religions.
According to him, one of the critical aspects in the historical study of a religion is to ask: what are its myths? What do they mean? Has their meaning changed over time?
We can group the religions of the world into FOUR main types (each presents a symbolic story about the origins and destiny of humanity):
The Myths of Nature
The Myth of Liberation
[The Religions originating in South Asia (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism)]
1
The Myth of Harmony [
The Religions origination in China, Daoism and Confucianism]
The Myth of History [
The Religions of the Middle East (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)]
THE MYTHS OF NATURE
These are stories about the forces of nature that govern human destiny. The forces of nature can be personified (gods, spirits, animals, sacred ancestors.)
Hunter-gatherer and agrarian stories emphasized the fertility of the earth, the need for the ritual renewal of life in harmony with the seasons, and the eternal place of the tribe in the cosmic order. The shaman is the spiritual leader, making trance journeys to the spirit world to bargain with ancestral spirits and restore harmony between human community and the forces of nature.
These beliefs did not disappear with the coming of the city. In fact, they were often integrated/transformed into the so-called world religions.
THE RELIGIONS ORIGINATING IN SOUTH ASIA AND THEIR MYTH OF LIBERATION
In India, life is seen as suffering. Why? Not because there is nothing good in life but because no matter how good life is, it always ends in old age, sickness, and death. Human beings are entrapped in an endless round of death and rebirth (samsara). Because humans ignore their true self and do not realize that this world is an illusion
, they are caught in an endless cycle of suffering, death, and rebirth. The goal of religion is to destroy the illusions fostered by our selfish desires. Only when these illusions are destroyed or mastered can humans be freed from the wheel of death and rebirth (samsara). In that moment of liberation (moksha), humans will come to experience the ultimate reality and find union with it. 2
Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism are different versions of the myth of Liberation (moksha).
THE RELIGIONS ORIGINATING IN EAST ASIA AND THEIR MYTH OF HARMONY
In China, there emerged the great cosmic story of the Dao. The Dao is the mysterious source and ordering principle of the universe. In this worldview, the world is not an illusion.
All of creation works via the opposites of yin and yang, of dark and light, of earth and heaven, of female and male. There is always a little day in every night, a little male in every female (and vice-versa). The ideal of life is balance and harmony
between these patterns of energy. The great problem of existence is disharmony caused by a lack of virtue. Daoism and Confucianism offer different means to reestablish harmony in the body and society. THE RELIGIONS ORIGINATING IN THE MIDDLE EAST
AND THE MYTH OF HISTORY
In India and China, life was seen through the metaphors of natural cycles and rhythms of nature. In the Middle East, history and not nature comprises the realm
of human experience. The metaphors for religious experience are drawn from history. God is the creator of all things. He is the storyteller. In the beginning God spoke, the world was created, and the story began. The story is the story of the God who acts in time and leads his people through time toward a final fulfillment. The story begins with an initial harmony. Then, human idolatry and sin disrupt this
harmony. Death ultimately will be overcome and those wronged will be compensated. There will be a time when the dead shall be raised and the whole of creation transformed. 3
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
Judaism, Christianity, Islam trace themselves back to the Patriarch Abraham. In all
three, the problem is “sin” and the goal is to restore harmony with the will of God
so that death can be overcome.
MAIN SIMILARITIES BETWEEN JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, AND ISLAM
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam originated in the Middle East. They each claim descent from a common ancestor, Abraham. Abraham was called by God to renounce the worship of other gods and live by faith in the one true God. 1. In all three religions, God is one, holy, righteous, immortal, and generous. - He is the creator of all. He is all-powerful, all-knowing. He has no equals.
- He is transcendent (he is separate from creation)
- He is personal. God relates to the creation, with characteristics such as love and anger
- He is beyond gender. However, it is common to encounter male metaphors for God. God is pictured a heavenly father, a warrior, or a divine King. - He uses spiritual intermediaries, such as angels.
2. In all three religions, humanity is at the center of creation. - Humans are superior to other living beings in the created world
- They enjoy a special relationship with God. - Because of their special status, humans have a special responsibility in caring for
God’s creation. Part of the special human status is * the ability to reason
* the freedom to choose how to lead one’s life. This freedom gives humanity the capacity for goodness. But this freedom also gives them the ability to cause great evil.
3. In all three religions, there is tension between humans and Creator. 4
- The Creator has revealed a path of goodness for humans to follow through scripture
- Humans often turn the wrong way. In their desire for independence and power, humans often or always choose a path in conflict with the divine will. Why? There are two possible explanations often in tension with one another:
* Humans are free to choose the right or wrong path
* A force of evil in the cosmos seeks to draw humans away from God. This personified force is not equal in power to God, but can tempt people to disobey God. 4. In all three religions, humans have only one life in which to choose the path of righteousness. 5. All three religions are advocates of eschatological doctrine (eschatology is a reflection on the end of times). 6. In all three religions, the goal is the restoration of the relationship with God.
What brings about this restoration? Each religion has its own distinct prescription.
What they share is the image of a “way” revealed by God. The “way” is revealed through a person, and includes the concept of living in obedience to God. In each religion, sacred writings play a central role in making known God’s way to salvation. 7. All three religions understand time from a perspective that is opposed to the cyclical view of time in the religions of South and Southeast Asia. For them, time
is linear.
Existence moves from its creation by God to a final culmination. The world is real; it is not an illusion. It is the proving ground for humans.
Finally, in all three Abrahamic religions, historical occurrences take on a mythic meaning.
For instance, in Christianity, it is the birth of Jesus; in Judaism, the exodus; in Islam, the migration of the prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.
5