World religions include the following. World religions
SELF-TEST QUESTIONS
1. What features are inherent in religious consciousness?
Religious consciousness has the following features:
The belief that the source of the main guidelines and values of humanity is God - the highest power in the world;
Moral requirements and norms are perceived in the religious consciousness as a derivative of the will of God, expressed in his covenants, commandments and holy books (the Bible, the Koran, etc., based on certain contacts with a supernatural source;
The combination of content adequate to reality with illusions;
Symbolism;
Allegorical;
Dialogue;
Strong emotional intensity, functioning with the help of religious vocabulary (and other signs).
2. What religions and why are they considered world religions?
World religions include Christianity, Islam, Buddhism. The listed world religions are so called because their followers are represented by a variety of national and ethnic groups. Their belonging to a given religion is not determined by consanguinity and relationships. These religions place their values above the ethno-national identity of their followers.
3. What characterizes religion as a social institution?
Religion is complicated social phenomenon having a variety of forms, cults, functions, methods of influencing social life. Most religions modern world has a special organization - the church with a clear distribution of responsibilities at each level of its hierarchy (structure). For example, in Catholicism and Orthodoxy these are the laity, white clergy, black clergy (monks), episcopate, metropolitanates, patriarchies, etc.
4. What is it characterized by? modern stage state-church relations in our country?
According to the Constitution adopted in 1993, Russian Federation is a secular state, no religion is established as state or compulsory. Religious associations are separated from the state and are equal before the law. Citizens are equal in their rights and freedoms, regardless of their attitude to religion. Any form of restriction of rights on this basis is prohibited. Every citizen is guaranteed freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, including the right to profess, individually or together with others, any religion or not to profess any, to freely choose, have and disseminate religious and other beliefs and to act in accordance with them. Agitation and propaganda of religious hatred and enmity, as well as religious superiority, are prohibited.
In Russia in recent decades there has been an increase in the number of religious associations and organizations. Along with numerous religious associations and organizations of traditional Russian faiths, many new cults and religious movements, non-traditional for our country and its peoples, were registered.
5. What, in your opinion, is responsible for the sharp rise in interest in religion in Russian society in recent decades?
A sharp rise in interest in religion is a very characteristic feature of the spiritual life of Russia last decade. It should be noted that in many countries of the world, the approaching end of the century and millennium is associated with apocalyptic prophecies of the “end of the world,” and primarily due to deepening problems of an environmental, demographic and other planetary nature, threatening catastrophe and the death of all life on Earth. In Russia, universal anxieties about impending disasters were combined with specific negative phenomena of a protracted social crisis, which seemed to have been predicted by religion. Therefore, they were very, very drawn to her, trying to find hope and salvation in this.
6. What helps maintain interfaith peace?
The state and society actively support various forms of social service of religious associations. Funds are allocated from the state budget for the restoration, maintenance and protection of churches and other objects that are historical and cultural monuments. For everyone who visits a place memorable for Russians - a monument to Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow, it is striking that religious buildings of Orthodox, Jews and Muslims are located here not far from each other. This is a place of worship for those who died for their Motherland, who were not separated by belonging to different religions.
A system of government bodies is taking shape, and there is a staff of employees who communicate with religious associations. Religious leaders are invited to serve on various advisory councils of federal and regional bodies authorities.
TASKS
3. One of the manifestations of interfaith contradictions in the past of mankind was religious wars. From your history course you know what tragic consequences they led to. What measures can prevent the risk of armed clashes based on sectarian hostility? Name the facts that, from your point of view, characterize the development of dialogue between various religious organizations in Russia.
First of all, state policy should be aimed at tolerance in society and this should be provided for at the legislative level.
A. Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity;
B. Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism;
C. Islam, Christianity, Hinduism;
D. Islam, Buddhism, Christianity.
13. National religions include:
A. Buddhism; B. Hinduism; D. Shintoism;
S. Islam; E. Baha'ism; N. Theosophy.
14. The Holy Scripture of the Jews is:
A. Bible; D. Koran;
V. Talmud; E. Mahabharata;
S. Torah; N. Cabal.
15. God of the Israelite people:
A. Shiva; D. Judas;
V. Moses; E. Vishnu;
S. David; N. Yahweh.
16. What functions are inherent in the religious form of consciousness: 1. Worldview; 5.Prognostic;
2. Compensatory; 6.Cognitive;
3.Communicative; 7.Axiological;
4.Regulatory; 8. Methodological.
17. The mythological type of worldview is characterized by:
1.Naive descriptive nature;
2. Absence of contradictions in the picture of the world;
3. Division of the world into material and ideal;
4.Imaginative and symbolic vision of the world;
5. The presence of an organization of followers of this type of worldview;
6. Syncritism (non-dividedness, integrity of worldview).
18. The Slavs called a priest:
A. Magus; D. Lad;
V. Brahman; E. Yarilo;
S. Priest; N. Witcher.
19. Trimurti–This:
A. Sacred texts in Hinduism - Mahabharata, Ramayana and Vedas;
B. Three supreme deities - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva;
C. Three castes recognized as Aryan - Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas;
D. The three wisdoms that make up the complex of doctrines are samsara, karma and maya.
20. The vertical division of the world into three components is inherent:
A. For world religions;
B. For early national religions;
C. For later national religions;
D. For primitive religions.
3. World religions
Problem-search questions
What contributed to the emergence and flourishing of Buddhism in Ancient India?
What is attractive about the Buddha's teaching?
What do you understand by nirvana, samsara and karma?
Do you think that getting rid of desires should really be a goal for a person to achieve?
Does Christianity have its roots in other religions?
Does Christ have prototypes in older religions?
Do you think the division of Christianity is human or divine in nature? Why was Christianity divided and which direction is truly from God?
Why is the creed perceived as a dogma and does not require reflection?
What are the features of Muhammad's religious constructions? What are the main ideas of his sermons?
Describe the basic concepts of the Muslim religion (Islam, din, iman).
What is the general structure and content of the Quran?
What are the features of the Sunnah as one of the sources of Islam?
What role does religious ritual play in Islam?
How does Shiism differ from Sunism?
What do you think is attractive about Islam?
What religions are considered world religions?
What type of philosophical ideas about the origin of religion believes that man creates God because he alienates the best spiritual qualities from himself and transfers them to a fictional being?
Who first used the word “religion”?
III. Test knowledge control
II. Exercises and tasks
Knowledge control
I. Self-test questions:
1. Define the concept of religion
2. What meaning did Cicero and Lactantius put into the concept of “religion”?
3. What functions does religion perform in the life of society?
4. What concepts of the origin of religion exist?
5. What approaches exist to understanding the essence of God?
6. Uncover the structure of religion
7. List the forms of religions
8. Uncover the essence of primitive beliefs
9. Reveal the features of national religions
10. What are common features world religions?
11. What is the relationship between religion and science at the present time?
1. In the Christian religion, God is love. Does this mean that loving person is already in a certain sense a believer?
2. Do you agree that a people without religion and faith ceases to be a people and becomes a population? Perhaps this stage has already arrived, since now there are few true believers and religion does not have much meaning for most people?
3. When the Germans came close to Moscow, I. Stalin gave the order to open long-closed churches and resume worship in them. What do you think were his reasons?
Option I
a) Lakatos;
b) Cicero;
c) Caesar;
d) Lactantium
a) theological theory of a person’s internal religiosity;
b) idealistic theory;
c) anthropological theory;
d) materialistic theory;
e) psychological concept;
f) theosophical concept
3. Correlate the philosophical idea of the origin of religions and its essence:
1) theological theory a) religion is inherent in man from the beginning, since his spirit is a reflection of the World Spirit, which through man knows himself;
2) idealistic theory; b) man creates God because he alienates the best spiritual qualities from himself and transfers them to a fictional being;
3) anthropological theory; c) religion is a fantastic reflection in the minds of people of real external forces that are perceived as supernatural;
4) materialistic theory; d) religion is a mechanism of psychological compensation of a person before the unknown and hostile world of external nature and internal instincts;
5) psychological concept; e) religion is an idea accessible to human consciousness outer worlds and spiritual Beings who actually exist in nature, but are not supernatural;
6) theosophical concept e) a person internally feels the presence of God, and this feeling gives rise to the desire to understand God and religion
4. Deism is:
a) the idea of many gods;
b) a system of religious beliefs based on the concept of one God;
c) a religious worldview, based on the understanding of God as an absolute personality residing outside the world, freely creating it and acting in it;
d) religious and philosophical doctrine, which recognizes God as the world mind, which designed the purposeful “machine” of nature and gave it laws and movement, but rejects further intervention of God in the self-development of nature
5. Zoomorphism is:
a) religious and philosophical teachings that identify God and the world as a whole;
b) religious and philosophical doctrine, according to which the world abides in God;
c) assimilation to a person, endowing objects and phenomena of inanimate nature with human properties, celestial bodies, mythical creatures;
d) likening to an animal, endowing with animal properties objects and phenomena of inanimate nature, celestial bodies, mythical creatures
6. Social form organizations that unite believers, both clergy and laity:
a) church;
c) denomination;
d) creed
7. Extreme form of sect:
a) church;
c) denomination;
d) creed
a) Zoroastrianism, Shintoism, Taoism;
b) Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism;
c) animism, fetishism, totemism;
d) Buddhism, Christianity, Islam
9. Cult of inanimate objects:
a) animism;
b) totemism;
c) fetishism;
World religions include: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam.
Buddhism- the most ancient world religion. It arose in the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. in India, but, having flourished there, became entrenched in the consciousness and practice of the peoples of other regions: South, Southeast, Central Asia, and the Far East.
Tradition says that a noble member of the Shakya tribal formation, Prince Siddhartha Gautama (from the Gotama clan), after a carefree and happy youth, acutely felt the frailty and hopelessness of life, the horror of the endless series of reincarnations of the soul. Ethical interpretation sacred texts, as well as intuitive methods of cognition remained within the framework of traditional Brahmanical thinking and did not satisfy it, since they did not make it possible to understand the meaning of human existence and come to terms with the idea of cosmic retribution - karma, which determines the fate of a person in the alternation of his births. The insight that came to Gautama allowed him to become Buddha (“buddha” - enlightened). It was Buddha Shakyamuni (“the sage from the Shakya tribe”) who managed to clearly and convincingly express the expectations of society: life is suffering, one can be saved from suffering, there is a path to salvation - this path was found and described by the Buddha. The main goal of a Buddhist is to escape the chain of reincarnations. The ideas of original Buddhism contributed to its spread. The idea of the “three jewels” of Buddhism was established: the teacher - Buddha, the teaching - dharma, the guardian of truth - the sangha. According to Buddhism, life in all its manifestations is a combination of dharmas that determine the existence of a particular person, animal, plant, stone, etc. After the disintegration of the corresponding combination, death occurs, but the dharmas do not disappear without a trace, but form a new combination; this determines the rebirth of the individual in accordance with the law of karma - retribution depending on behavior in a previous life. The endless chain of rebirths (samsara, or the wheel of life) can be interrupted, and everyone should strive for this; the cessation of rebirths that cause suffering means the achievement of nirvana - a state of peace, bliss, merging with the Buddha. But achieving such a super-existence is possible only by leading a virtuous life.
Main directions in Buddhism -“four great truths” proclaiming that 1) life is suffering, 2) the cause of all suffering is desires, 3) suffering can be stopped by getting rid of desires, “extinguishing” the latter, and for this it is necessary 4) to lead a virtuous life according to the laws of “correct” behavior" and "correct knowledge". "Right conduct" means living in accordance with the following principles: do not kill or harm anyone (principle of ahimsa), do not steal, do not lie, do not commit adultery, and do not drink mind-numbing drinks.
Lamaism – a special direction in Buddhism (the concept comes from the word “Lama” - the name of a monk or priest, the main figure in this Tibetan version of Vajrayana Buddhism). The synthesis of various beliefs of the peoples of the Himalayan region was initiated by preachers from India and took shape in the 7th - 15th centuries.
From the 7th century Tibet became the area where Vajrayana Buddhism spread. Chan Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism entered China in the 1st century. AD and already during the period of civil strife III - VI centuries. is gaining significant distribution and development. His teaching actually rejects canonical Buddhist values: thus, according to Chan, nirvana and insight can only be achieved when a person lives without a goal (wu xin) and without directed activity (wu wei). In the statement about the inability to comprehend truth in words and signs, Chan outwardly agrees with Taoism. And yet, we can rather talk about the influence of Buddhism on Taoism and the entire Chinese religious and philosophical tradition as a whole, about its assimilation into the Buddhist tradition, and not vice versa. Chan Buddhism is widespread in Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and is currently spreading quite successfully in Western countries, especially in its Japanese variety - Zen.
Christianity assimilated and rethought the previous ideological concepts of Judaism, Mithraism, ancient Eastern religions, and philosophical views. All this enriched and cemented the new religion, turning it into a powerful cultural and intellectual force, capable of opposing itself to all national-ethnic cults and turning into a mass supranational movement.
God is defined as the unity of three persons (hypostases), where the son, eternally born from the father, is consubstantial with the father, is the true God and an independent person.
Christianity did not represent a single religious movement.
One of the largest divisions of Christianity was the emergence of two main directions - Orthodoxy and Catholicism. This split has been brewing for several centuries. It was determined by the peculiarities of the development of feudal relations in the eastern and western parts of the Roman Empire and the competitive struggle between them.
Orthodoxy. Summary, the basic dogmas of Christianity, formulated at the first two ecumenical councils, is called the creed. Every Christian must know it by heart. The interpretation of the creed forms the basis of " Orthodox catechism".
Distinctive feature Orthodoxy is that since the time of the first seven ecumenical councils it has not added a single dogma to its doctrine, unlike Catholicism, and has not abandoned any of them, as was the case in Protestantism. This is exactly what Orthodox Church considers one of his main merits to be evidence of fidelity to original Christianity. Orthodoxy attaches dogmatic significance not only to one of the most important sacraments - baptism, but also to all others (communion, repentance, priesthood, confirmation, marriage, consecration of oil) and related rites.
Rituals and symbols constitute the content of all liturgical practice or cult.
Catholicism is the largest movement in Christianity.
The basis of the doctrine of Catholicism is the Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition.
Catholicism recognizes seven sacraments: communion (Eucharist), baptism, repentance, confirmation, unction, priesthood and marriage.
Catholicism is characterized by sublime veneration of the Mother of God - the Virgin Mary.
Head catholic church, the Vicar of Jesus Christ, the supreme ruler of the Vatican State is the Pope. The special status of the popes is justified by their inheritance of the power transferred by Jesus Christ to the Apostle Peter, according to church tradition former first Bishop of Rome. The pope is elected for life by a conclave of cardinals. + Protestantism see question 19
Islam.(see question 22) The main provisions of the doctrine of Islam are set out in the main “holy” book - the Koran. Muslims consider the Koran (Ar. "Kuran" - reading) the highest and most complete of the existing holy scriptures. The Muslim clergy teaches that Allah transmitted the Koran to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel in separate revelations, mainly at night, through visions. Islam is based on five "pillars of faith" (arkan al-din), indicating the most important duties of a Muslim. The first duty is confession of faith, i.e. pronouncing the shahada (“There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah”) out loud, understanding the meaning of this formula of faith, sincerely believing in its truth. The second duty is daily prayer five times a day (Persian, “namaz”, Ar. “salat”). Namaz played an important role in consolidating Islam in the minds of people - the more often a Muslim fulfilled these instructions, the deeper his religiosity became. Friday is a day of congregational prayer, which is held in the main mosques and is accompanied by a sermon. The third ritual duty of a Muslim is fasting (Persian "eid", Ar. "saum") during the month of Ramadan. For thirty days a year, a fasting Muslim from dawn until dark has no right to drink, eat, or smoke. Islam provides for the exemption from fasting of the sick, very old people, pregnant women, etc. The fourth duty of a Muslim is zakat - the mandatory payment of tax, the collection of which is prescribed in the Koran, and the amounts of taxation are developed in Sharia. The original zakat was a voluntary charity in the name of Allah, then it became an obligation for cleansing from sins. The fifth duty of every Muslim (if physical and material opportunity allows) is the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj), which must be performed in the 12th month of the Muslim calendar. Hajj consists of visiting Mecca, especially the Kaaba, the main shrine of Islam, the tomb of Muhammad in Medina, as well as other sacred places of the Hijaz and performing various rituals. + directions Shiites, Sunnis(see question 23)