Exam 8: A Flowering of Faith

Buddhism entered China during the first century C.E.and rose to prominence during the last decades of the

This man is named the "Apostle to the Gentiles" because of his extensive work to promote and grow a then-largely Hebraic Christianity.

The differences between the Pharisees and the Sadducees basically revolved around

Explain how Buddhism spread in India and China.B.C.E. ,the emperor Ashoka made Buddhism the state religion of India.Ashoka's role in spreading Buddhism foreshadowed Constantine's labors on behalf of Christianity;but Ashoka went even further.He initiated official policies of non-violence,promoted vegetarianism,and defended egalitarianism.He built monuments and shrines honoring the Buddha throughout India and he sent Buddhist missionaries as far west as Greece and southeast into Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka). Despite Ashoka's efforts,Buddhism never gained widespread popularity in India.The strength of the established Hindu tradition there (like that of Judaism in Judea)and the resistance of the Brahmin caste to Buddhist egalitarianism ultimately hindered the success of the new faith.Buddhist communities nevertheless continued to 
flourish in India until the
 Islamic invasion of north
ern India in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries,during which
 time Buddhism became all
 but extinct.Buddhism did,however,continue to thrive
 in lands far from its place 
of birth.In China,Mahayana Buddhism gained an overwhelming following and influence.From China,the new religion spread also to Korea,Japan,and Vietnam,where its impact was similarly great.Buddhism's tolerance for other religions enhanced its popularity and universal appeal.

Which of the following describes how the Buddha worked toward enlightenment?

The ________ practiced strict self-denial and self-discipline in a form of asceticism.

The Buddha's truly revolutionary social ideas centered on

Buddhism was never able to overtake ________ as the religion of majority in India.

Which of the following best explains a bodhisattva?

The Emperor Asoka made Buddhism the official religion of

Explain the contributions of Paul to the rise of Christianity.

The purpose of the Eightfold Path

Who of the following is thought to be a chronological contemporary to Jesus Christ?

In your own words,describe the message of Jesus Christ as recounted in the Bible.C.E.What we know of his message comes from the Gospels (literally "Good News"),which date from at least forty years after his death. In keeping with his Jewish background,Jesus embraced the ethical monotheism of traditional Judaism,while putting a new emphasis on the virtues of pacifism and compassion.He warned that wealth and secular achievements mattered little in the larger cosmic sense,and that one should prepare for eternal life by doing good deeds to achieve the ultimate reward in "the kingdom of heaven." He held that love-for God and for other people-was the ultimate goal.

Not until the Edict of Milan in the year 313 was public persecution of ________ forbidden by decree.

In 63 B.C.E. ,which of the following was the Roman-administered homeland of the Hebrews in the eastern Mediterranean region?

Zoroastrianism and Mithraism were influences on early Christianity and developed in

Discuss the background out of which Christianity emerged.

List the similarities and differences between early Christian and early Buddhist teachings.

Christianity is tied to all of the following backgrounds EXCEPT