Exam 17: Religion

The central themes in the teachings of Jesus are the kingdom of God and standards of personal conduct for adherents of __________.Jesus emphasized the importance of righteousness before God and of praying to the Supreme Being for guidance in the daily affairs of life.

Political leaders often use religion to justify their decisions,stating that they have prayed for guidance in deciding what to do.This informal relationship between religion and the state has been referred to as:

Horticultural societies were among the first to practice monotheism,a belief in a single,supreme being or god who is responsible for significant events such as the creation of the world.Three of the major world religions-Christianity,Judaism,and Islam-are monotheistic.

When Muslims bow toward Mecca,the holy city of Islam,five times a day at fixed times to pray to God,and Christians participate in the celebration of communion to commemorate the life,death,and resurrection of Jesus,they are engaging in:

__________ is the process by which religious beliefs,practices,and institutions lose their significance in sectors of society and non-religious values,principles,and institutions take their place.

Mahayana Hinduism is centered in Japan,China,and Korea and primarily focuses on meditation and the Four Noble Truths.One of the Four Noble Truths professes that overcoming desire can be accomplished through the Eightfold Path to Nirvana-this path is a way of living that avoids extremes of indulgence.

__________ is based on the belief that Heaven and Earth are not separated places but rather a continuum in which both realms are constantly in touch with each other.

__________ is a system of beliefs and practices (rituals)-based on some sacred or supernatural realm-that guides human behavior,gives meaning to life,and unites believers into a single moral community.

The Christian ritual of communion not only commemorates a historical event but also allows followers to participate in the unity of themselves with other believers.From a functionalist perspective,this ritual serves the function of:

A(n) __________ is a religious organization that is so integrated into the dominant culture that it claims as its membership all members of a society. Membership occurs as a result of being born into the society,rather than by any conscious decision on the part of individual members.

The __________ perspective focuses on the relationship between religion and women's inequality,searches for ways to highlight the patriarchal nature of religion,and seeks to reform religious language,symbols,and rituals to eliminate those elements of patriarchy.

Summarize the controversy surrounding teaching intelligent design in the classroom.

According to sociologist Emile Durkheim,__________ refers to those aspects of life that are extraordinary or supernatural-in other words,those things that are set apart as "holy."

Today,approximately _________ people refer to themselves as Christians.The majority of Christians live in North or South America or in Europe.

__________ has universalistic criteria for membership,meaning that it does not have ethnic or tribal qualifications based on an acceptance of a set of beliefs.

__________ is associated with early hunting and gathering societies and with many Native American societies,in which everyday life was not separated from the elements of the natural world.

The belief that human beings can become better through their own efforts rather than through belief in God and a religious conversion is known as:

Horticultural societies were among the first to practice __________,which is a belief in a single,supreme being or god who is responsible for significant events such as the creation of the world.

Describe the sociological study of religion.

Since Hinduism has no scriptures that are thought to be inspired by a god or gods and is not based on the teachings of any one person,religion scholars refer to it as a(n) __________-a system of beliefs that calls upon adherents to follow an ideal way of life.