01 Feb DQ1 The Five Pillars

Week 1 discussion

DQ1 Religious Experience

Have you ever had an experience that you could properly describe as religious? I have in mind not only dramatic experiences like visions and conversions, but also more commonplace, socially-embedded experiences such as receiving communion, becoming bar mitzvah, serving as a godparent for a young relative, or even simply attending religious services. Think about that experience and ask yourself: Did it put you in touch with the infinite? How would you describe the experience? Was it transcendent? Monotheistic? Elaborate.

DQ2 The Origins of Religion

In this course we will be studying the origins and teachings of religions from across the world. As you begin your studies this week, reflect on the reading and consider the origins of religion and practices of faith? What are some potential factors in the origin of religion? Use one of the key examples you read about this week to help support your response.

Week 2 discussion

DQ1 The Faces of God

Hinduism offers as one explanation for its many gods that humans need concrete representations of the formless absolute. Also, finite minds can perceive the infinite only in a limited way, according to taste and temperament, cultural background, and other factors. Religions such as Christianity or Judaism view God in carefully defined ways that restrict the names and personality that reflect the divine. Yet even here, the way that God is pictured varies. Reflect on the images you have had of the divine, and interview friends about images they have had. How have these pictures in your mind changed since you were a child? Is it possible they will continue to change as you age or as you study religion more deeply? How do you account for this process, and how would you attempt to measure the correctness of one image over another?

DQ2 Jainism and Ahimsa

Jainism has five ethical principles, the first of which is ahimsa, or, nonviolence towards all living creatures. Some Jains sweep the ground in front of them to avoid killing small insects. Jains are also strict vegetarians, and some reject the use of any animal products such as leather and jewelry. Do you think this kind of ethic is reasonable for all people or only a minority? Argue the case for or against such strict principles.

Week 3 discussion

DQ1 The Four Noble Truths

The most important of the Four Noble Truths is the fourth, the Noble Eightfold Path. Did anything in particular strike you about these “paths” (e.g., the idea of “right thoughts,” that we should always try to act with pure motives)? Do you see any similarities between the Noble Eightfold Path and Christianity? Did Jesus say anything similar to Buddha in this regard? Elaborate.

DQ2 Connections between Religion and Art

This week you read about the relationship between Buddhism and Japanese arts. Select one of the arts discussed in the reading for this week and explain the relationship between religion and artistic production. As part of your response, conduct a brief internet search and provide an image or piece of multimedia that illustrates your selected art form and help illustrates your response.

Week 4 discussion

DQ1 Confucius Says

Confucius was once asked if there was one rule that could serve as the guide to one’s whole life. He replied: “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” How does this rule compare with Jesus’ teaching on the Golden Rule? Look at these Biblical verses to see if you can tell the difference: Matthew 7:12; Matthew 5:21-26, 43-48 (see the Modules button > Course Resources > Web Links for an online Bible). Is there one rule that you live by?

DQ2 East Meets West

The ideas of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) have been widely translated into English. Some might recall the delightful children’s version of The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet. Consider this saying: “The best man is like water. Water is good; it benefits all things and does not compete with them. It dwells in places that all disdain…The best man in his dwelling loves the earth…” What does this mean to you? Do you agree with this philosophy? Can you see any connection between Taoism and the environmental movement? Elaborate.

Week 5 discussion

DQ1 Judaism and the Prophetical Tradition

The prophet Amos spoke out against the injustices of the Northern Kings of Israel. He set the tone for centuries of prophetical figures in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. A central theme of the prophetical tradition is social justice. Read Amos 2:6-16; 5:14-15 in this regard (see the Web Links in Course Resources for an online Bible). Do you think churches have done enough with regard to social inequality, poverty, injustice, and so on? What one issue do you think churches should address today?

DQ2 Biblical Themes: The Problem of Evil

Epicurus is generally credited with first expounding the problem of evil, and it is sometimes called “the Epicurean paradox”: “Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?” The problem of evil poses this question: how can a God who is all-powerful, all-wise, and all-good permit so much pain, suffering, and evil in the world? How would you answer this question?

Week 6 discussion

DQ1 Jesus and the Kingdom of God

Describe some of the values Jesus had in mind when he used the phrase “Kingdom of God.” One scholar has called Jesus’s message “ethical apocalypticism.” What do you think this means in light of our discussion of apocalypticism in the text? (You might want to relate this to the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12.)

DQ2 Old and the New

Reflect on the reading and explain one of the key differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament. How do these differences influence the way that Christianity is practiced today? Focus your response on one example that you can deconstruct using the reading for this week and the knowledge you have accumulated in the course.

Week 7 discussion

DQ1 The Five Pillars of Islam

In that it recognizes one God who rules the entire world, Islam may be called a universal religion. However, although Islam grew out of a particular seventh-century Arabian context, Muslims claims that its central document, the Qur’an, must be read in Arabic in order to be fully appreciated. How can Islam or any similar religion resolve the tension between the universal and the particular? How can it (or any other faith) be a religion for people of all races and nationalities without giving up its distinctive cultural heritage?

DQ2 Islam and the Arts

Islam has been very influential in the worlds of architecture and fine art. Provide an example of one expression of Islamic art and explain the context of the work. How does the work provide examples of Islamic philosophy and rule? What are some ways that the Pillars of Islam are represented in these works? Please also provide a visual of the art form you select.