Introduction to Religious Studies Prof. Felix Just, S.J.

1. Introduction to Religious StudiesProf. Felix Just, S.J. Western Religions Overview

2. Faith and Belief • Nouns: “faith; trust, confidence” • Confidence in someone/something:She has faith in her doctor. • A belief in a supernatural power:Have faith! He lost his faith. • A religious system or institution: The Christian faith. The Jewish faith. • Verbs: “to believe; to have faith, to trust” (trans. & intrans.) • To accept something as real or true: I believe this story. • To affirm a statement or assertion: I believe (that) she will come soon. • To grant someone veracity or trust: I believe you; I believe in you. • To assert the value of something: I believe in democracy. • To have spiritual or religious faith. I believe.

3. Faith and Believing • Word Derivations (from Latin): • fides = “faithfulness, firmness”; fidere = “to trust” • Cf. English: fidelity; infidel; confident, etc. • credere = “to believe”; credo = “I believe” • Cf. English: credible, credence, incredulous, credit, etc. • Scripture Texts on Faith/Believing: • Judaism: Gen 15:5-6; Josh 24:14-15 • Christianity: Heb 11:1; John 3:16 • Islam: Qur’an 10:99-100; 8:2-4

4. Types of Belief in God(s) – lots of “isms” • Theism, Atheism • Agnosticism, Gnosticism • Deism, Pantheism • Polytheism, Paganism/Heathenism • Henotheism, Monotheism • Trinitarianism (vs.Tri-Theism) • Others? • Hint:Learn these in pairs or groups of similar terms.

5. Types of Belief in God (I) • Theism • Belief in the existence of a God or any gods • The generic term, of which other –isms are subcategories • Atheism • The opposite: Belief that God and/or gods do “not exist” • Agnosticism • “Not knowing” whether God exists; overall non-belief • Gnosticism • A religious system that believes salvation comes through “knowledge” (Gk. gnosis) of one’s divine origin and destiny

6. Types of Belief in God (II) • Deism • Belief that God created the world, but no longer influences it • Based on 18th-century rationalism (e.g. Thomas Jefferson) • Pantheism • Belief that divinity is “everywhere” / in “everything” (Gk. pan) • Whole universe is divine; but there is no “God” apart from the world • Polytheism • Belief in the existence of “many” (Gk. poly) gods • Egyptians & Mesopotamians: many gods, often in animal form • Greek & Romans: large family of gods, on Mount Olympus

7. Types of Belief in God (III) • Monotheism • Belief in the existence of “only one” (Gk. monos) God • What others call “gods” are at most spirits, but not divine • Jews and Muslims believe in one God: • God is an indivisible unity; “no associates or partners” • Christians believe in one God, who is a “Trinity” • One divine “nature” in three divine “persons” • Father (Creator), Son (Jesus), Holy Spirit • “Trinitarianism” = “Trinitarian Monotheism” • not the same as “Tri-theism” (belief in 3 different gods)

8. Types of Belief in God (IV) • Henotheism • Allegiance to “one” (Gk. hen) god over the others • All nations have their own “gods”; “Our god is better than your gods” • Assumes polytheistic worldview, but monotheistic worship • Paganism / Heathenism • All religions outside of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam • Popular connotation is negative: unbelievers, hedonists, etc. • Academic meaning is neutral: all non-monotheistic religions

9. Identifying God (Titles & Names): • Generic Titles: • God / god, Deity, Divine Power, El, Elohim, Allah, etc. • Father, Mother, Creator, Lord, King, etc. • Proper Names: • Jewish: YHWH (Yahweh? Jehovah?); Ya/Ja • Mesopotamian: Asherah, Baal; Ishtar, Marduk, Tiamat, etc. • Egyptian: Aten, Horus, Isis, Osiris, Ra, Seth, Thoth, etc. • Greco-Roman / Olympian: Zeus=Jupiter; Athena=Diana; etc.

10. Talking about God (Philosophically): • God is Absolute (positive & negative): • ALL: omnipotent (all powerful); omniscient (all knowing); omnipresent (everywhere); omni-benevolent (all merciful) • NOT: invisible (not seen); immutable (unchanging); immortal (not dying); infinite (not limited); etc. • Language is Limited (analogies & opposites): • God is transcendent (beyond) & immanent (internal) • So God-talk is possible, but always analogical / inadequate • Both/And Approach:via positiva & via negativa

11. Classifying World Religions: • Major Categories: • “Eastern” & “Western” & “Local” & New” Religions • Best term for Judaism, Christianity, Islam: • "Religions of the Book"? • "Monotheistic Religions"? • "Religions of Abrahamic Origin"? • "Religions of Judaic Origin"? • "Religions of Near Eastern Origin"? • Advantages & Drawbacks of each of these?

12. The Three Western Religions (and their sub-branches) • Judaism (ca. 15 Million) • Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist • Christianity (ca. 2.1 Billion) • (Eastern) Orthodox: Greek; Russian; Armenian; etc. • (Roman) Catholic: Latin, Byzantine, and other “rites” • (Western) Protestant: many “churches/denominations” • Islam (ca. 1.3 Billion) • Suni; Shi’ite; [ Sufi ]

13. The Three Western Religions(religion / members / adj. // Book // founder, leaders): • Judaism / Jews / Jewish • TaNaK (Hebrew Bible, esp. Torah) • Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel) -- 2nd mill. BC/BCE • Moses, David, prophets, priests, kings • Christianity / Christians / Christian • Bible (Old Testament & New Testament) • Christ Jesus -- 1st century AD/CE • Peter & Paul, apostles, evangelists, bishops • Islam / Moslems / Muslim & Islamic • Qur’an (or Koran) • Prophet Muhammad -- 7th century AD/CE • Caliphs ("successors"), Imams ("leaders")

14. Summary / Review • Types of Belief in God (“-isms”) • Theism vs. Atheism vs. Agnosticism • Deism vs. Pantheism • Polytheism & Paganism • Henotheism vs. Monotheism (and Trinitarianism) • Western / Monotheistic Religions: • Common Core: Faith/Belief in One God! • Differences: Judaism / Christianity / Islam?