Name ______2-1-4

2-1:The Development and Codification of Religious and Cultural Traditions (600 B.C.E. – 600 C.E.)

Persistence of Older Forms of Worship

  • Older forms of worship were still popular in many areas including:

-Animism

-______veneration/worship(ex:In Shang China ancestor worship was practiced and from there it spread to much of East Asia.)

  • ______ = The blending of practices from more than one religion (common during the classical era – ex: Christians incorporated some pagan holidays).

Reformed Faiths and New Religions

Judaism

  • Judaism = First______ (one-god) religion.
  • Hebrews (the ones practicing Judaism) were conquered by a series of peoples (Assyrians, Nebuchadnezzar’s Neo-Babylonian empire, Persians, Alexander the Great, and the Romans) beginning 700s B.C.E.
  • Jewish ______ = When Jews were forced out of their homeland in the Middle East and had to scatter throughout the world. The Romans were the harshest and destroyed the Jewish kingdom.
  • ______ (written 400s B.C.E) = Hebrew bible’s 1st of 5 books, it formalized the Jewish religion.
  • Ten Commandments = Supposedly revealed by Moses and followed by the Jews.
  • Strict restrictions (ex: Dietary constrictions (kosher) and couldn’t marry outside Jewish faith)
  • Hebrew society patriarchal, though women respected in the home.
  • Jews practiced slavery, but preached charity, social responsibility, and concern for the poor.
  • ______ = Jews believe a messiah (or “appointed one”) will return someday and free them from oppression.

From Vedism to Hinduism

  • ______ = Religion that dominated India since 1500 B.C.E.
  • ______ = Priestly caste that followers are supposed to obey unconditionally
  • ______ = Hundreds of essays (written 900-500 B.C.E.)questioning having to follow Brahmins unquestionably. They also raised idea of dietary restrictions, and promoted yoga to achieve liberation (this led to faith of Buddhism).
  • ______ (300 B.C.E) = New faith that used some aspects of Vedism (including karma and reincarnation, and caste system, which began when Indo-European invaders made the darker skin locals do menial work).
  • ______system = Began with 4 distinct castes: (a) Brahmins (priests); (b) kshatriyas (warriors); (c) vaishyas (farmers and artisans); shudras (servants and serfs). Over time caste system became more complex and included untouchables who performed degrading tasks.
  • Hinduism is most polytheistic religion (thousands of gods).
  • 3 most popular gods: (a) Brahma = masculine personification of the world soul; (b) Vishnu = the Preserver or savior; (c) Shiva = god of creation and destruction (depicted as a dancer).
  • Law of ______ (compiled 200 B.C.E. to 200 C.E.) = Argued in favor of caste system. It was moral duty (dharma) to obey caste system and its guidelines.
  • Women: Hindu society highly patriarchal, only men could get education and own property, and many women married in childhood).
  • ______ = women of certain castes expected to throw themselves on fire of their deceased husbands dead bodies.

Buddhism

  • Arose in India to oppose Vedism – Buddhism agrees on reincarnation (or rebirth) but rejects the caste system.
  • Siddhartha ______ (563-483 B.C.E.) = Founder of Buddhism. He was a noble who appalled by suffering of common people. After much meditation, he realized moderation and peace were way to a good life. He took the name Buddha (“the awakened one”) and began to preach.
  • ______Noble Truths = The four main beliefs of the Buddhist religion.
  • Eightfold _____ = Buddhists must follow the 8 aspects of this path in order to achieve nirvana.
  • Buddhist sects - After Buddha died, Buddhism separated into two major groups

(a) ______Buddhism = closest to Buddha’s beliefs, stresses simplicity and meditation (popular in South and Southeast Asia).

(b) ______Buddhism = Has many rituals which developed as Buddhism combined with locals beliefs as it spread north (popular in Japan, Korea, Tibet, parts of China).

Confucianism

  • Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.) = Lived in China during Zhou dynasty. His ideas about proper relationship between society and the individual were written on paper.
  • ______=Writings containing Confucius’s ideas about proper relationship b/t society and the individual (written long after his death).
  • Confucianism focuses on ethical conduct. Rulers should be benevolent and citizens should have good behavior. Confucius believed humans were good and would remain good if treated well.
  • Order and hierarchy are very important (including importance of elders and ancestor worship), and well-being of group more important than the individual.
  • VERY patriarchal = Men ruled, got education, fought wars, could have multiple wives, and could divorce a woman who failed to produce an heir. Women were homemakers and mothers and were allowed only a limited education.
  • ______ = A competing belief system in China which viewed people as immoral and wanted harsh punishments to keep people in line.

Daoism

  • Laozi = Founder of Daoism (500 B.C.E.), later viewed as a god in Daoism.
  • Tao-te Ching =- Main text of Daoism.
  • Daoists believe the universe is governed by the ______ (or the “way”). It preached seeing the world in non-logical ways and stresses compassion, moderation and humility.
  • Daoists seek harmony with universe and not concerned about politics and material possessions.
  • Blended easily with Chinese beliefs: Stressed ancestor veneration and fortune-telling (I-Ching = Daoist used to read the future).
  • ______ = Most famous symbol of Daoism, shows nothing is absolute and opposites flow into each other.

Christianity

  • Jesus of ______ = A wandering teacher from a Jewish family who became founder of Christianity (called himself the “Son of God”).
  • Jesus questioned Jewish traditions, angering conservative Jews.
  • The Romans, who controlled the Jews at the time, viewed Jesus as a threat and arrested and crucified him in Jerusalem.
  • Despite Romans making Christianity illegal, it grew over next 300 years (1st in Middle East, then in Roman Empire) b/c it was very appealing to the poor (gave them hope for a happy afterlife.)
  • Women: Early on Christianity appealing b/c it gave women more influence, but over time women lost those powers (ex: could not have positions of leadership in the church.)
  • ______ = Roman emperor who legalized Christianity through the Edict of Milan (313 C.E.), and in 380 C.E. Christianity became the empire’s official religion.
  • A formalized hierarchy began (pope – priests – bishops) and a dogma (official list of beliefs) was formed.
  • ______ = Church fathers met to write this book which consisted of the Old Testament (parts of the Hebrew Bible) and the New Testament.
  • After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 400s C.E., the Christian church drifted apart.

Thought and Culture

Science:

  • ______learning = Learning through observation (popular during this time period).
  • Most attributed the workings of the world to the will of the gods.
  • Greeks (600-200 B.C.E.)began studying the principles of science and math (Pythagoras, Euclid, Archimedes).
  • ______Method = Created by Greeks, it combined observation with experimentation.

Philosophy:

  • Philosophy = Systematic mode of rational thought, pioneered by Greeks and followed by Romans. (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle).
  • ______ = Written by Plato, it ponderedthe best way to govern society.

Literature:

  • IN INDIA: Mahabharata = Indian epic with section called Bhagavad-Gita, a poetic dialogue discussing concept of dharma.
  • IN CHINA: Not much fiction, but instead Confucian and Daoist classics (as mentioned earlier, the Analects, the Tao-te Ching, and the I-Ching). Also, The Art of ______by Sun Tzu, is one of oldest works on diplomacy and strategy.
  • IN GREECE: Greeks had strong literary tradition (ex: Iliad,Odyssey). Greek dramasbecame popular (ex: Aeschylus’s Oresteia trilogy).
  • IN ROME:Aeneid = Epic poem by Virgil serves as foundation myth for Rome.

Architecture:

  • Mostly for religious or political purposes, though military defense important also.
  • IN MIDDLE EAST: Large building projects continued (ex: Great Library of Alexandria (Egypt), ______ (created by Nebuchadnezzar).
  • IN EUROPE: Greco-Roman architecture = Used distinctive columns, and Romans used archways and domes (ex: ______in Athens, and the Pantheon and the Colosseum in Rome).
  • IN MESOAMERICA: Continued building pyramids (used for sacrifices, not as tombs).
  • IN INDIA: Cave ______ (to honor Buddhist and Hindu deities), and Pillars of Ashoka(inscribed with Buddhist teachings)
  • IN ASIA: Greco-Buddhist architecture and sculpture = Result of Alexander the Great’s conquests into Central Asia, combined Greco-Roman and Buddhist architecture, giving first statue of Buddha in human form.