Study Questions for Smith's The World's Religions , "Primal Religions"
1. About how long was humankind religious before the coming of the historical religions that we will be studying in this course?
2. Why do we call these ancient religions primal? Oral? Tribal?
3. What is "the Dreaming"? Who lives in "the Dreaming" and how did they attain this status?
4. Aboriginal religion turns not on worship but on identification, says Smith. How so?
5. According to Smith, as human beings gained the art of writing what three talents or advantages did they gradually lose?
6. If members of a tribal religion were suddenly transported to a village similar to their own but 200 miles away, their religion would be destroyed. Why so? (Answer is not directly in book; it must be deduced from the section on "place versus space").
7. How do primal religions "renew the world" annually?
8. Describe how primal religious peoples relate to the passage of time in terms of your answer to number 4, above. In other words, how is it that identification with and participation in archetypal paradigms abolishes time?
9. Characterize totemism.
10. Smith would say that primal religion is characterized by "embeddedness" and that the primal way of life is characterized by "absence of compartmentalization". What does he mean?
11. What are the chief concerns of primal peoples? What is their general notion of the afterlife?
12. In the section "The Symbolic Mind" smith seems to say that we can characterize primal religions as both polytheistic and monotheistic without necessarily contradicting ourselves. How so?
13. What is a shaman?
H. Smith's The World's Religions Study Questions: Hinduism
1. What are the four goals (basic desires) of human beings? (What do people want?)
2. What do people really want?
3. In what way do we already possess infinite being(sat), infinite awareness (chit) and infinite bliss (ananda)? Why are we not aware of it?
4. What is Atman? What is Brahman? What is the relationship between the two?
5. What three things hinder our happiness.
6. What is the general meaning of yoga ?
7. What are the four yogas? Describe each. Why, according to Smith, is there more than one way to get to God?
8. Why does Smith introduce the word "persona" ?
9. What is japam ?
10.What is the hypothesis that underlies the practice of raja yoga ? What is the structure of the self according to raja yoga ?
11. What are the four stages of life?
12. What is a caste? How many are there? Describe each briefly.
13. What are sat , chit , and ananda ? (Hint, see above for a clue)
14. What is the difference between Saguna and Nirguna Brahman? In your opinion, is the Christian God more like Saguna or Nirguna Brahman?
15. What is a jiva ?
16. What is samsara ? (63) karma? What is the relationship between the two?
17. What is Atman ? If one comes to a spiritual realization of Atman , what effect does this have on karma and samsara ?
18. What do Hindus think of the possibility of achieving a Utopia, a heaven on earth?
19. What is maya ? Lila ?
20. Is the Hindu religious person basically tolerant or intolerant of other faiths? Why?
H. Smith's The World's Religions Study Questions: Buddhism
1. What does "Buddha" mean?
2. What are the "Four Passing Sights"? What is their significance in the story of the Buddha's life?
3. To what does the term "Middle Way" refer?
4. Smith says that there are six elements that are present in most religions. What are they? Why does smith introduce these six elements?
5. Summarize the parable of the arrow and tell its point.
6. What is the Buddha's First Noble Truth?
7. What are some of the meanings of " dukkha "? What six common experiences of human beings does the Buddha cite in support of his contention that life is pervaded by dukkha ?
8. What is the Buddha's Second Noble Truth?
9. What nuances does Smith add to the usual translation of tanha as "desire"?
10. What are the Third and Fourth Noble Truths?
11. Note the steps of the Eightfold Path.
12. What is the etymological meaning of "Nirvana"?
13. If Nirvana doesn't mean "nonexistence," what does it mean? (S. gives two answers; one stated affirmatively, the other negatively).
14. How does S. answer the question: "Is Nirvana God?"
15. What did the Buddha deny in his doctrine of anatta ?
16. The Buddha taught reincarnation, but he did not believe that a "soul" goes from body to body over many lives. What did he believe?
17. What are the skandas ?
18. According to Buddhism, what happens to most of us after death? What happens to the Arhat (perfected Buddhist saint)?
19. Name the two basic divisions of Buddhism and their differences regarding the spiritual ideal for human beings.
20. What is the Buddha's Flower Sermon and what does it have to do with the form of Buddhism called "Zen"?
21. What is Zen's attitude toward the use of words and the use of rational thought?
22. What is zazen ?
23. What is a koan ? What is sanzen or dokusan ?
24. What is satori ?
25. How does Smith envision the life of someone who has reached Zen enlightenment? (5 characteristics)
26. Tibetan Buddhism is also called Vajrayana and also Tantric Buddhism. What are the Tantras?
27. What is the "major claim" of Tibetan Buddhism?
28. Summarize the Tantric view of human sexuality.
29. What is a mudra ? A mantra ? A mandala ?
30. The winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize was the Dalai Lama. What is the function of the Dalai Lama within Tibetan Buddhism?
H. Smith's The World's Religions Study Questions: Confucianism
1. After reading the chapter's first section on Confucius' life, how would you describe the difference between the Buddha and Confucius?
2. To understand Confucius' power and influence over Chinese history we must understand his teaching against the background of a particular problem that he faced. What problem?
3. What is the force that hold society together?
4. What two characteristics does a tradition-oriented life have?
5. How did the thinkers called "the Realists" approach the problem of social disorder? What was the Realist view of human nature?
6. How did Mo Tzu (and his followers, the Mohists) approach the problem of social disorder and what was their view of human nature?
7. In what way(s) did Confucius disagree with the Realists? With the Mohists?
8. What does Smith mean by "deliberate tradition."
9. Under the heading "The Content of Deliberate Tradition" Smith lists 5 key Confucian ideals. List and briefly describe each.
10.In the section on li , what is meant by the Doctrine of the Mean?
11. List the Five Constant Relationships that have been basic to Confucian ethics and Chinese society.
12.The goal of the "Confucian project" is, says Smith, "to become ever more fully human." In general, how is this accomplished? How does the Confucian way toward becoming ever more fully human differ, for instance, from the yogic way of Buddhism?
13. What three pieces of evidence does Smith cite to suggest that Confucianism was concerned with the spiritual or transcendental realm and can thus be considered a religion? .
14. Smith admits that even if Confucianism can be considered a religion it is a "muted" one . Why muted? In other words, what aspects of Confucianism suggest that it is more a humanistic ethic than a transcendentally oriented religion?
15.Name a few of the enduring characteristics of the Chinese mind to which Confucian influence has contributed.
16. What is "the real religion of the Chinese people"?
H. Smith's The World's Religions Study Questions: Taoism
1. How did the legendary Lao Tzu come to write the Tao Te Ching ? What is the literal meaning of the words Tao Te Ching ?
2. What, accord. to Smith, are the three meaning of the word Tao ?
3. Smith says there are three types of Taoism corresponding to three different ways of working with the Tao's power as it flows through human beings.
a. How do philosophical Taoists differ from "vitality" Taoists?
b. What is ch'i and how does it help Smith describe the general aim of the vitality Taoists (those interested in Taoist hygiene and yoga)?
c. Why does Smith use the term "vicarious power" to summarize the concern of popular or religious Taoism?
d. Smith summarizes the distinctions between the three Taoisms with reference to ch'i . What does he say?
4. Smith translates the important Taoist virtue of wu-wei as "creative quietude." How would a person live the virtue of creative quietude or wu-wei ?
5. Why do Taoists feel that water is an expressive symbol of the Tao?
6. Describe the meaning of the diagram below
including in your answer definitions of the
words yin and yang .
H. Smith's The World's Religions Study Questions: Islam
1. Why is it incorrect to call Islam "Muhammadanism:?
2. From what Arabic word are the words "Islam" and "Muslim" derived? What is the meaning of that word?
3. What is the meaning of "Allah"?
4. What is a Semite? (use a dictionary). From what word is the word "Semite" derived?
5. What is the traditional account of how Semites became split into Arabs and Jews?
6. What is meant by the title "Seal of the Prophets."
7. Briefly relate Smith's characterization of pre-Islamic Arabia. What sort of culture was it?
8. Who was Khadija? At what age did Muhammad's ministry begin?
9. Did Muhammad coin the term "Allah"? Who were the hanifs ?
10. What is the meaning of "La ilaha illa'llah"?
11. Briefly describe the circumstances of the first Revelation to Muhammed.
12. How long did it take for Allah's Revelation to be expressed through Muhammed?
13. Summarize Muhammed's own understanding of his role, his identity.
14. What three reasons does Smith give for the hostile reaction against the message of Muhammed in the early days of Islam?
15. How many Muslims were there after the first three years of Muhammed's ministry? How many are there today? (not in book)
16. Identify the following and briefly state their role in the early history of Islam: Hijra, Yathrib, Medina, Mecca, Ka'ba.
17. What is the center of the Muslim faith?
18. What is the literal mean of qur'an ?
19. To what is Smith referring when he speaks of the Uncreated Koran?
20. What is a surah ?
21. Who are the "People of the Book"?
22. What two defects do Muslims find in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the New Testament?
23. And there is a third defect. What is it?
24. What does Smith describe as the "overwhelming thrust of the Koran"?
25. What attribute of Allah is mentioned much more often than his vengeance?
26. What does the Koran say is the besetting weakness of human beings?
27. Briefly relate the Islamic view of other defects of Judaism and Christianity.
28. Characterize Islamic beliefs about Judgement Day and the afterlife.
29. Name and briefly describe each of the "five pillars" of Islam.
30. What is the basic principle of Islam's economic teaching?
31. Name at least two ways in which Smith says Islam improved the status of women (compared to their status in pre-Islamic Arabia)
32. How may wives does the Koran permit a Muslim man? What does Smith say about the frequency of the modern practice of polygyny?
33. Is Islam racially exclusive in any way?
34. What is jihad ? Do Muslims believe in conversion by force? What is Smith's view?
35. What are the two main sectarian divisions in Islam?
36. What is a Sufi? What is a shaikh ? What is the central aim of a Sufi?
37. What does dhikr mean? How do Sufis practice dhikr ?
Smith's The World's Religions "A Final Examination"
1. What is Smith's position on whether or not some religions might be superior to all others?
2. Why does Smith doubt that we could ever have one world religion?
3. What image does Smith use to explain how he sees the relation between religions (i.e., his "third conception")?
4. What three virtues does Smith find universally promoted in the world's religions?
5. What three phrases does Smith use to summarize what the visions of the world's religions have in common?
H. Smith's The World's Religions Study Questions: Judaism
1. What characteristic of the Jews gives them their greatness and explains their impact on history?
2. Why does Smith say that whatever a peoples' philosophy, it must take account of the "other."
3. Smith argues that the Jewish conception of the "Divine Other"--i.e., God--was unique to the world at the time, because the Jews saw God as personal , transcendent to nature , One , Just , and Merciful . Indicate why this vision of the Divine was unique. How did contemporary civilizations tend to see God? (273-76)
4. What is the significance of affirming or denying that this is a God-created world? (276)
5. How do Jews assess the natural world and other material things? (278)
6. Smith says that unlike Indian religions, the 3 western monotheisms (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) all affirm that man is fundamentally soul and body. What three corollaries follows from his emphasis on the importance of the body? (279)
7. The Jewish doctrine of sin has been misunderstood. First, what does it not mean? Second what is its real meaning? (281)
8. What four adjectives does Smith use to summarize the Jewish conception of the nature of human beings?
9. How does the Hebraic (or Judaistic) conception of time and history differ from the Indian (i.e., Hindu-Buddhist)? (282-283)
10. What aspects of the Ten Commandments does Smith treat as universal?
11. What is the meaning of "prophet"? (288) What is the Prophetic Principle? (292) What is common to all the Hebrew prophets? (292)
12. What is messianism? What are its three basic features? (296-97)
13. What does Smith say is the "basic manual" in Judaism for the hallowing of life? (303)
14. What does "Revelation" mean? (303)
15. What is the Exodus and what is its religious significance? (304-06) What happened at Mt. Sinai after the Exodus? What is the Covenant?(306)
16. Jews call themselves "The Chosen People." In their interpretation, what are they chosen for? (307) What is contemporary Jewish opinion on the idea of election or chosenness? (310)
17. List four reasons leading to the establishment of the Jewish nation of Israel in 1948. Also, what is the Holocaust? (314-315)
H. Smith's The World's Religions Study Questions: Christianity
1. To what religious tradition did Jesus belong (319, 321). In that tradition, what did it mean to be related to "the Spirit"? (320) What kinds of powers could one derive from being intimately related to "the Spirit"? (321)
2. Acc. to Smith, what made Jesus' teaching different from that of the Pharisees, whom Jesus otherwise resembled? (323)
3. From Smith's various descriptions on pp.324-328 of what Jesus did and said, how would you characterize the central thrust of Jesus' teaching?
4. Why does Smith distinguish between resurrection and resuscitation? (330)
5. What, briefly, was the Good News of Christianity? Why was it symbolized by a fish? (332)
6. Smith says that early Christians felt Jesus to be the Son of God and their Savior because Jesus saved them from three burdens. What burdens? (333-34) How did Jesus save them from their burdens? (335-36)
7. What is the literal meaning of ekklesia from which the English word "church" comes? (337)
8. Why is the Christian church called the "Mystical Body of Christ"?
9. Smith makes reference to the "Church Invisible" in order to deal with the question of whether a person who is not a Christian can be saved. What is the Church Invisible and what is Smith's answer to this question? (339)
10. What is the doctrine of the Incarnation? (341)
11. What was the most revolutionary or "newsworthy" aspect of this doctrine at the time? (342)
12. What would be lost if either side of the Incarnation paradox--"fully God, fully man"--were given up? (344, back page).
13. What is meant by the Atonement? (344)
14. We are all sinners insofar as we are cut off from a life of love. Explain. (344-45)
15. What, briefly, is the doctrine of the Trinity? What led Christians to affirm that God is Three-In-One? (345-46)
16. What are the three branches of Christianity? (347)
17. For how long was the Christian Church one, undivided institution? (347)
18. Why does the Roman Catholic Church feel that a Teaching Authority is necessary? (348-49)
19. What is the real meaning of Papal infallibility? (349-350)
20. Acc. to the Roman Catholic Church, why are sacraments necessary? (350)
21. What are the seven sacraments? (351-52) What is a sacrament's basic or general function? (352)
22. In what geographical area of the world is the Eastern Orthodox Church predominant? (353)
23. What are the two differences between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy with regard to the notion of a Teaching Authority? (353-54)
24. Smith says that Eastern Orthodoxy is more encouraging of the mystical life. What is the mystical life? (356)
25. What are the two most distinctive features of Protestantism? Briefly describe each. (358-361)
26. How many denominations of Protestantism are there? (362)
27. If one accused Protestants of being too diverse, what might they say in response? (3 things, 362-63).