About Religion Ch.1 Verified Test Bank

Chapter 1

About Religion

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does the term religare, to which some scholars trace the root of the word “religion,” mean?
   1. “To unify”
   2. “The sacred”
   3. “To love”
   4. “To eat”
   5. “To bind”
2. Which of the following is a functional definition of religion?
   1. Religion is a way of creating community.
   2. Religion develops from fear of natural phenomena.
   3. Most of the world’s people are religious.
   4. Religion revolves around sacred texts.
   5. Religion is concerned with the divine.
3. On what terms does Karl Marx define religion?
   1. Psychological
   2. Historical
   3. Anthropological
   4. Biological
   5. Economic
4. On what terms does Sigmund Freud define religion?
   1. Historical
   2. Theological
   3. Psychological
   4. Economic
   5. Cultural
5. What two areas in religious studies has Jonathan Z. Smith profoundly impacted?
   1. Theology and Philosophy
   2. History and Linguistics
   3. Biblical Criticism and the Historical Jesus
   4. Gender and Sexuality
   5. Myth and Ritual
6. What is the first and most obvious reason to study religion?
   1. It exists
   2. It is useful
   3. It makes us better people
   4. It promises salvation
   5. It needs to be debunked
7. What is the central issue of the “insider–outsider” problem in the study of religion?
   1. The secret texts known only to the highest authorities in their respective religions
   2. Different points of view from within a religious tradition and outside of it
   3. The lack of dialogue between different religious traditions
   4. Understanding the divide between the sacred and the profane
   5. The ways in which religions mark physical boundaries
8. Who famously wrote, “Normally persons talk about other people’s religions as they are, and about their own as it ought to be.”
   1. Wilfred Cantwell Smith
   2. Jonathan Z. Smith
   3. Karl Marx
   4. Sigmund Freud
   5. Russell T. McCutcheon
9. One of the advantages of this book is which of the following?
   1. It rejects the perspective of insiders as too prejudicial
   2. It only listens to insider perspectives because outsiders do not personally understand
   3. It argues for a theologically inclusive approach
   4. It argues for a relativistic approach
   5. It helps us appreciate our own traditions from both the insider and outsider points of view
10. What approach assumes that people from different religious traditions can effectively communicate important parts of their faith experience to others through mutual sharing?
    1. Theological
    2. Psychological
    3. Empirical
    4. Rational
    5. Interfaith
11. Russell T. McCutcheon asserts that the academic study of religion is fundamentally what?
    1. Theological
    2. Sociological
    3. Historical
    4. Anthropological
    5. Psychological
12. What levels have humans around the world historically imagined the world to consist of?
    1. Forest, desert, and water
    2. Earth, water, and underworld
    3. Sky, earth, and water
    4. Sun, moon, and stars
    5. Sky, earth, and underworld
13. What does the term “sacred” mean?
    1. Religious
    2. Spiritual
    3. Bind Together
    4. Set Apart
    5. Uncommon Devotion
14. In the Middle East, worship was frequently done at ritual centers known as what?
    1. Synagogues
    2. Temples
    3. Churches
    4. High Places
    5. Profane Places
15. In Japan, features of the natural landscape were believed to be which of the following?
    1. Completely inert
    2. Kami
    3. God-made
    4. Earth-mother given
    5. Created by volcanoes
16. According to your textbook, in ancient times, the living were willing to sacrifice which of the following to help the dead?
    1. humans
    2. nothing
    3. important resources
    4. themselves
    5. everything
17. Which of the following traditions does NOT reflect the belief that deceased ancestors can help to guide living descendants?
    1. All Saints Day
    2. Obon
    3. Hallowe’en
    4. Day of the Dead
    5. Bar Mitzvah
18. Because of religion, what is another name for humans, according to some scholars?
    1. Homo sapiens
    2. Homo erectus
    3. Homo religiosus
    4. Homo iousian
    5. Homo habilis
19. Which term refers to a person who acts as an intermediary between humans and the spirit world?
    1. Imam
    2. Harbinger
    3. Shaman
    4. Guru
    5. Minister
20. Into what does the shaman enter in order to communicate with the spirit world?
    1. A trance
    2. A dance
    3. A tent
    4. A body of water
    5. An animal skin
21. The term “ecstatic” – which is one way the shaman makes contact with the spirit world – means what?
    1. To stand near
    2. To stand beneath
    3. To fly outside
    4. To be happy
    5. To stand outside
22. For what reason, traditionally, have rituals concerning animals been performed in many societies?
    1. To appease their spirits
    2. To have more animals created
    3. To make animal meat edible
    4. To kill dangerous animals
    5. To transform people into animals
23. What do various ancient hunting rituals show about the beliefs of people in those societies?
    1. They believe that the spirit of the killed animal or person seeks revenge.
    2. They believe that the spirit of the killed animal or person remains trapped in the body.
    3. They believe that the spirit of the killed animal or person brings disease.
    4. They believe that the spirit of the killed animal or person survives death.
    5. They believe that the spirit of the killed animal or person brings compassion.
24. What did many ancient cultures believed about uninhabited areas?
    1. They were beloved by the local gods.
    2. They were guarded by resident spirits.
    3. They should be used for worship.
    4. They were wastelands.
    5. They were doorways to other worlds.
25. What was traditionally one way to deal with unfriendly spirits, according to many ancient cultures?
    1. Stop believing in them
    2. Make noise
    3. Take flight
    4. Ignore them
    5. Frighten them
26. People in the Neolithic era went to extraordinary lengths to do what?
    1. Practise hunting magic
    2. Create sacred areas
    3. Paint on cave walls
    4. Destroy each other
    5. Employ “royal” shamans
27. What was one very important function of Neolithic-era priests?
    1. Baptize
    2. Marry couples
    3. Track the seasons
    4. Interpret scripture
    5. Forgive sins
28. What is an axis mundi?
    1. The highest level of heaven
    2. A head priest or shaman
    3. A divination tool
    4. The deepest level of hell
    5. A symbolic link between earth and sky
29. The Hindu goddess Durga is often depicted riding which of the following?
    1. A dragon
    2. An elephant
    3. A lion or a tiger
    4. A wolf or bear
    5. A makara or a peacock
30. What animal has frequently been associated with the most powerful male deities in religious traditions?
    1. The lion
    2. The bull
    3. The snake
    4. The monkey
    5. The whale
31. Ancient Indo-European culture included a social system that divided people in which way?
    1. Hunters, soldiers, and farmers
    2. Philosophers, rulers, and workers
    3. Aristocracy, middle-class, and working-class
    4. Priests, warriors, middle-class commoners, and servants
    5. Slaves and slave-owners
32. What does the word “prophet” mean?
    1. An animal spirit guide
    2. An incarnation of God
    3. One who communicates with animal spirits
    4. A person thought to be a god-king
    5. A person who speaks on behalf of a deity and/or foresees the future
33. At which famous site did virgin priestesses deliver prophetic messages from the god Apollo?
    1. Chichen Itza
    2. Angkor Wat
    3. The temple of Delphi
    4. The temple of Solomon
    5. The cathedral of Lourdes
34. Zarathustra (or Zoroaster) wrote a collection of poems to the wise lord known by what name?
    1. Yahweh
    2. Great Spirit
    3. Apollo
    4. Ahura Mazda
    5. Zeus Pater
35. Which religion played an important part in the early development of monotheism?
    1. Christianity
    2. Hinduism
    3. Druidism
    4. Zoroastrianism
    5. Shinto
36. What idea of the divine developed in contrast to a personal, interactive, human-like God emerged around 2,500 years ago?
    1. The Elephant God
    2. The Water God
    3. Atheism
    4. The Energy God
    5. The Nature God
37. What does the term “mystery religion” refer to?
    1. Philosophical societies in which great questions are ritually pondered
    2. A type of Greek and Roman tradition in which the core teachings and rituals were revealed only to those who were prepared to undergo initiation
    3. Religions that have died off without any historical trace
    4. New religious movements that are practised in secret
    5. Ancient worship of the great god of Myster
38. Which of the following may be the oldest of the mystery religions?
    1. Neoplatonism
    2. Brahminism
    3. Eleusinian
    4. Aristotelianism
    5. Zoroastrianism
39. What is an avatar?
    1. The “coming down” of a god to earth as a human
    2. A tribal soldier
    3. A tool used in earth rituals
    4. A statue thought to have magical powers
    5. The high priest in a society
40. Which gods walk on the ground, sweat, get hungry, sleep, and are hungry in every way?
    1. Angels
    2. Demons
    3. Spirits
    4. Shamans
    5. Avatars
41. Which of the following is NOT a typical characteristic of an avatar?
    1. He/she has a special, non-sexual conception.
    2. He/she is a saviour figure.
    3. His/her death represents a triumph over evil.
    4. He/she takes a fully earthly form (human or animal).
    5. He/she maintains his or her divine status on earth.
42. Around 2,000 years ago where did the avatar concept first take root?
    1. Africa
    2. Western and Eastern Europe
    3. Korea and Japan
    4. Asian and the Middle East
    5. Egypt
43. Which of the following is NOT an example of an avatar?
    1. Jesus
    2. Muhammad
    3. Amitabha
    4. Amida
    5. Krishna
44. What religion started with the monotheism of Moses and incorporated the avatar pattern?
    1. Islam
    2. Mormonism
    3. Zoroastrianism
    4. Christianity
    5. Shamanism
45. Scripturalism manifested itself in rabbinic Judaism after which of the following events?
    1. The Israelites led out of bondage in Egypt by Moses
    2. The destruction of the first Jerusalem temple (587 BCE)
    3. The destruction of the second Jerusalem temple (70 CE)
    4. The Hellenization under Alexander the Great (4^th century BCE)
    5. The fall of the Western Roman Empire (476 CE)
46. Scripturalism first manifested itself in which tradition?
    1. Rabbinic Judaism
    2. Roman Catholicism
    3. Islam
    4. Protestant Christianity
    5. Zionist Judaism
47. In which religions did scripture come to play a central role as the word of God?
    1. Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Hinduism
    2. Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism
    3. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
    4. Judaism, Christianity, and Sikhism
    5. Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism
48. The medieval book of Jewish mysticism is known as which of the following?
    1. Upanishads
    2. Zohar
    3. Vedas
    4. Mishnah
49. Which term refers to those who place total authority in their scripture and read it as literal truth?
    1. Humanists
    2. Ministers
    3. Reformists
    4. Rationalists
    5. Fundamentalists
50. What site do some Christians associate with the site of the final battle at the end of time?
    1. Har (Mount) Megiddo, Israel
    2. Mount Sinai, Egypt
    3. The Mount of Olives, Israel
    4. The pyramids of Egypt
    5. Stonehenge, England

True or False Questions

Scholars trace the Latin derivation of the word “religion” to mean “faith” or “belief.”

The Latin words religare and relegere are both possible roots of the English word “religion.”

Karl Marx defined religion primarily in psychological terms.

Religions, unlike cults, do not evolve and change.

The ancient Greek term theos means “deity” or “god.”

Historically, humans from all over the world have imagined the world to consist of these two eternal levels, heaven and hell.

In India, serpent spirits are called nagas.

Stonehedge was a structure erected for ceremonial and burial purposes in Egypt.

In Japan, traditionally, the natural landscape was believed to be animated by its own spirit.

In ancient times, most communities neglected taking care of the dead.

The Japanese Obon is a children’s blessing

Hallowe’en reflects the belief that souls of the dead return to earth once a year to share a ritual meal with the living.

Another term for shaman is “soul doctor.”

On way that a shaman enters a state of a trance is through using hallucinogenic drugs .

Farming was an important part of Indo-European culture.

We do not know when the first Jewish temple was built.

The ancient Jewish priesthood was hereditary.

The “wise lord” of Zoroastrianism is called Ahura Mazda.

Zarathustra (or Zoroaster) is one of the most influential ancient teachers of polytheism.

Judaism is an example of a tradition that developed around the idea of the Energy God.

Ancient Greek philosophers sought to understand the first principle.

Mystery religions have their origins in the Greek and Roman traditions.

The cult of Dionysus is an example of a mystery religion.

Most scholars recognize that Christianity was uninfluenced by the mystery religions.

Jesus Christ is an example of an avatar.

Muhammad is the final avatar who came after Jesus Christ.

Religions have been primarily based on scripture for over 3,000 years.

The Gospels were written within one generation following the death of Jesus Christ.

The Qur’an is considered the original word of God only when it is written in Arabic.

The idea of fundamentalism originated with a conservative sect in Islam.

Short Answer Questions

1. What are three basic concepts shared by virtually all human cultures that are fundamental to what we call religion? Use examples to illustrate your answer.
2. What are three of the reasons people study religion, as discussed in the textbook?
3. Why are humans religious? Briefly identify three reasons mentioned in the text.
4. What are some of the differences between a faith-based approach and interfaith approach to religious studies?
5. What are some of the differences between the academic study of religion and theology?
6. What is a shaman and who does the shamn act on behalf of their community?
7. What did Bronislaw Malinowski learn about the connection between dangerous endeavours and religious ritual?
8. What is one way that certain illnesses were dealt with in Sri Lanka? What does this tell us about one of the roles of the shaman?
9. Explain what is an axis mundi? Provide two examples of an axis mundi?
10. What does “Indo-European” mean? How did Indo-European culture impact ancient societies and their religions?
11. What is the Energy God? Provide at least two examples to help explain.
12. Identify two religions with prophetic traditions and provide examples from within both.
13. What is a mystery religion? Give two examples to help explain.
14. What is an avatar? Provide two examples to help explain.
15. Give two examples of how Muslims understand and/or demonstrate the importance of the Qur’an.

Essay Questions

1. For what reasons do people study religion? Make specific reference to the discussion in the text which includes a discussion on the “insider versus outsider” issue.
2. Define the religious studies or study of religion approach as provided in the five points by the American Academy of Religion. From your own perspective, explain the significance behind each of these five overarching points or assertions as provided by the American Academy of Religion.
3. Define and delineate four of the different patterns that have historically developed within and across religious traditions throughout different parts of the world? Provide examples from the four chosen patterns as discussed within the textbook.
4. Explain in detail the concept of the avatar from its origins to common patterns and features. Provide examples from Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity in order to further unpack the concept of the avatar.
5. Define the term scriptural religion and scripturalism? Summarize in detail with examples from different traditions across the world that demonstrate the various expressions and forms of scriptural religions.
6. Compare and contrast the concept of the Energy God with the more personal concepts of the divine. In your response, provide examples from traditions that developed around this idea of the Energy God.