Homework, Friday 9/17: On Friday, we watched the first part of a video about Hinduism and read passages from The Bhagavad-Gita and The Rig Veda, two sacred texts of Hinduism. You can find these passages here:
1. Nasadiya: The Creation Hymn (from The Rig Veda)
2. Krishna's advice to a soldier who does not want to fight (from The Bhagavad-Gita)
A reading packet covering basic information about Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity was handed out in class on Friday. Please take reading notes on the beliefs and practices of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity as discussed in the packet over the weekend. I will check these notes on Wednesday, 9/22.
Examples of beliefs: Theism (belief in one or more gods - monotheism and polytheism), holy/sacred places (such as the Ganges River in Hinduism, Mecca in Islam, Jerusalem's Temple Mount in Judaism), holy/sacred texts (such as the Bible in Christianity, the Torah in Judaism, and the Qu'ran in Islam), belief in an afterlife or reincarnation, etc.
The term "practices" refers to what religious communities do to express their beliefs and carry out what they see as their religious obligations. Examples: prayer, meditation, ritual bathing, public worship, pilgrimages, music, sacrifices. Many religious practices are rituals. A ritual is an established procedure that is done repeatedly and usually has some symbolic meaning.
The term secular means "non-religious." It is not a positive or negative term. Many public holidays, such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter, have both religious and secular traditions (in the case of Christmas, for example, Nativity Scenes are a religious tradition, while Santa Claus and Frosty the Snowman are secular traditions). Many athletic teams use secular rituals such as chants to get themselves pumped up before a game. In many cultures, art, music, architecture, and literature include both secular and religious elements.
How and why do historians and social scientists study religion? Throughout history, people's actions and behaviors have been deeply influenced by their religious and cultural values. Religious beliefs and practices change the way people think and act, and so they have often profoundly affected the course of history.
When historians and social scientists study religion, they do not just ask themselves: "Do I agree or disagree with this tradition?" Instead, they ask questions like these: "What does this belief or tradition mean? Where does this belief or tradition come from? How has it influenced different cultures? How has it been expressed in art or literature? What impact has it had on different cultures' political systems and social structures?"
One of the most important skills to try to develop in history class is the ability to create questions like these.
P.S. - Here is the definition of religion we discussed in class this week, with key terms in italics: "Religion is a system of beliefs and practices that attempts to arrange life in terms of ultimate priorities.” You can find this definition and many others - as well as a lot of great resources on religious studies, a subfield of social science - at this website.
Do Now, Thursday 9/16:
What does the term “religion” mean to you? Think about your prior knowledge of different religions as well as what you know about the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient river valley civilizations.
Create a definition in your own words and describe different ideas, activities, and behaviors that you think of when you hear the term “religion.”
Do Now, Friday 9/17: No Do Now.
See you Monday!
--Mr. McCarl
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