Exploring The Religions Of Our World 3rd Edition Pdf

[Erminia Scharnberg]

Bepart of a community of students interested in exploring religion intellectually and culturally. Tap into Iowa's writing and research infrastructure and work with faculty to publish knowledge and findings.

"Having great professors in the Religious Studies department has been such an enriching experience. The curriculum is diverse, delving into the complexities of worldwide belief systems and deepening my understanding of other cultures and perspectives."

Join a network of graduates who have gone on to pursue exciting careers in law, health care, business, community, academia, and more. You'll leave this program a more nuanced thinker with a deep understanding of how religion impacts our world.

On average, Americans correctly answer 16 of the 32 religious knowledge questions on the survey. Atheists and agnostics average 20.9 correct answers. Jews and Mormons do about as well, averaging 20.5 and 20.3 correct answers, respectively. Protestants as a whole average 16 correct answers; Catholics as a whole, 14.7. Atheists and agnostics, Jews and Mormons perform better than other groups on the survey even after controlling for different levels of education.

On questions about Christianity (including the Bible), Mormons and white evangelical Protestants show the highest levels of knowledge. Jews, atheists and agnostics stand out for their knowledge of world religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism. Jews, atheists and agnostics also do particularly well on questions about the role of religion in public life, including what the U.S. Constitution says about religion.

Religious ethics are the moral principles that guide religions and that set the standard for what is and isn't acceptable behavior. Surprisingly similar from one religion to the next, these fundamental principles flow from the core beliefs and ancient wisdom of religion, as well as its teachers and traditions.

As a small child, you may have grabbed a toy from your playmate, who, of course, immediately started to wail. You'd then hear your mom/dad/teacher say something like, "Well, how would you like it if someone did that to you?!"

Sound familiar? The lesson these adults were trying to teach is what is popularly known in the West as the "golden rule." This rule commands people to get beyond their own selfishness and self-absorbed isolation. The golden rule serves as a reminder that what hurts us hurts others, and that what heals us, heals others.

The word compassion means, "to suffer with." Having compassion means that you can feel others' pain. In Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, showing compassion to others is how believers imitate the infinite kindness and mercy that God showers upon them. Although humans' capacity for compassion and kindness isn't limitless, as God's is, believers strive to nurture it, even when doing so is hard, because it brings them closer to God.

One of the central virtues of Buddhism is karuna, understanding and identifying with the suffering of all living beings. Karuna is the reason that some people who achieve enlightenment return to this world as Bodhisattvas to teach others. Their compassion is so great, they return to a world that needs them. In Hinduism, compassion is called daya, and, along with charity and self-control, it is one of the three central virtues in Hinduism.

In the monotheistic religions, humility is a sign of respect for God and awareness that all blessings flow from God to whom all thanks are due. In Judaism, for example, Moses is considered virtuous primarily because of his humility.

Christianity provides the classic religious statement of humility in the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed be the meek for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Jesus' point here, which other religious traditions echo, is that the secular world recognizes and rewards power and wealth, but the religious world lifts up the ones whom the world has passed over and crushed. Humility, therefore, is not just a virtue, but also an opposite virtue from the ones that the nonreligious world prizes.

In Islam (which itself means surrender), humility is a primary virtue. Muslims demonstrate their awareness of the greatness of God and humankind's place in the world by observing the Five Pillars of their faith. Each pillar reinforces the proper order of the universe.

Many of the sacred Jewish, Christian, and Islamic texts and rituals include the idea of hope. In Christianity, it's one of the three cardinal virtues (the other two being faith and love). In Islam, it's the understanding that Allah knows all; what happens, happens for a reason, and the faithful will be rewarded in paradise and the irreligious punished in hell.

For Christians, the hope that sustains them is the hope for the speedy second coming of Jesus as the Christ and eternal life in Heaven. This hope sustains Christians through what they often perceive to be the immorality of the earthly kingdom.

In Zoroastrianism, Islam, and, to a lesser extent, Judaism, the hope is life or some form of existence after death. That belief in the world to come is a sustaining virtue. Knowing that death isn't the end helps people believe that no burden is too great to bear and that they won't be separated forever from the people they love.

Students of religion explore some of the most fascinating areas of the human experience. Among other questions, they inquire into the many understandings of reality and the many manifestations of sacred practice across cultures. Religion is a field of study that is both personally rewarding and highly relevant in its applications to the contemporary world.

Our students learn to discern the role of religion for individuals, cultures, and societies. They study and compare the myths, symbols, and rituals of various religious traditions in a context of free inquiry and critical examination. Through their studies they come to recognize the internal coherence and distinctiveness of diverse worldviews.

In keeping with the enormous changes in the world and the increasing controversy surrounding religious issues, the department seeks to provide students the opportunity to explore religious diversity in many different historic and contemporary forms, including religions of East and South Asia, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Habits of Mind

Through our curriculum, graduates learn to read closely, think critically, discuss insightfully, and write analytically. These skills are the heart of a liberal arts education. Our program of study prepares students for whatever educational and professional paths they may choose and builds their capacity to be lifelong learners.

The World Views speaker series is an opportunity to explore of various religions and cultural communities. This spring's events include World Hijab Day with Ruman Sadiq and the local Muslim community, Contemporary Quaker Tradition with Sharlee DiMenichi and Antisemitism: Past and Present with Hartley Lachter.

RE 101H: Exploring Religion

What makes something religious? This course examines the ways in which religions play a role in culture. Students will explore the history of this interaction and the continuing influence of religion in the contemporary world.

RE 201H: Understanding Religion

This course surveys various approaches to the study of religious phenomena and ideas as expressed in such cultural forms as individual and communal identities, rituals, myths, ethics, scriptures, and material and popular culture.

RE 202H: African American Religions

This course surveys the diverse religious traditions, people, ideas, and practices of the African diaspora in the Americas, from the 1400s through today. Major topics include slavery and Christianity, Afro-Caribbean religions, and new religious movements.

RE 206H: The Bible, Gender, and Sexual Politics

Relations between biblical literature and issues of sexual difference, gender socialization, misogyny, and the question of origins of patriarchy.

RE 212H: Apocalypse, Utopia, Dystopia

Examination of the "apocalypse" as represented in ancient literature and modern media. This course explores predictions and visions of global destruction and transformation in religious traditions, public debates, and popular culture.

RE 214H: Cults and Religious Freedom

This course engages the dynamics of religious innovation, diversity, tolerance, and freedom through an historical, comparative, and multimedia encounter with New Religious Movements.

RE 215H: Religion and Race

This course surveys entwined histories of religion and race, especially in the Americas, from colonization to the present. Students will study a range of religious movements and ideas, as well as critical theories of race.

RE 216H: Religion and Extremism

Extremist groups and ideas are a persistent presence in our world. This course explores the interplay of religion, class, gender and race, examining myth-making practices and ritualized politics in extremist rhetoric and action.

RE 219G: Hindu Myth and Ritual

Students will explore classical Indian mythology, ceremonial traditions of the great Goddess and major gods, veneration of village goddesses and local protector gods, rituals of caste society, aesthetic dimensions of Hindu worship, and Hindu modernity.

RE 220G: Engaged Buddhism

Students will study innovative contemporary Buddhist teachings on the environment, consumerism, human rights, sexuality, and gender equality, along with their roots in classical Buddhist thought and practice.

RE 221H: American Religious Diversity

An examination of the diversity of religions in America today, this class will explore the development of religious pluralism, its impact on American society, and the challenges and opportunities it presents.

RE 224H: Religion, Magic, and Occultism

Magic, occultism, and esotericism offer opportunities to examine religion and spirituality as a constellation linking social order, meaning-making, and ritualizing practices. Through such engagement we make sense of life and create new worlds and values.

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