Question 1

Explain the distinctions between the sacramental, prophetic, and mystical orientations of religions.

Accepted Answer

The sacramental, prophetic, and mystical...

Question 2

Religions often speak of the sacred or treat people or places as sacred. Is there anything objectively "sacred," or is this just an imaginative human projection? Defend your answer.

Accepted Answer

The concept of "sacred" is a complex and...

Question 3

Explain the difference between the transcendent and immanent notions of sacredness. What characteristics might we expect in a religion that acknowledges a transcendent God or gods? What characteristics might we expect in a religion that emphasizes sacredness that is immanent?

Accepted Answer

The transcendent notion of sacredness re...

Question 4

Anthropology has typically been interested in

Accepted Answer

A)   how religions influence society and practices in different cultures.
B)   how religions influence one another.
C)   the study of topics relating to monotheistic religious traditions.
D)   the study of linguistic patterns in human societies to determine how religion is experienced.

Question 5

Explain how a continuum with exclusiveness at one end and inclusiveness at the other can be used to describe religious views.

Accepted Answer

The continuum with exclusiveness at one ...

Question 6

In religious studies, the word myth means

Accepted Answer

A)   a story that is historically true.
B)   a story that is historically untrue.
C)   a story that is psychologically meaningful and may be either historically true or not.
D)   a story that is found in similar form in many religions.

Question 7

One of the first sociologists to emphasize that religions emerge from whole tribes of people and reinforce their values is

Accepted Answer

A)   Émile Durkheim.
B)   Clifford Geertz.
C)   E. E. Evans-Pritchard.
D)   Jacques Derrida.

Question 8

Offer, with evidence, an explanation for why males and male imagery came to dominate many of the religions of the past few thousand years.

Accepted Answer

There are several reasons why males and ...

Question 9

The French thinker who sought to go behind and beyond ordinary interpretations and to, in essence, deconstruct texts and other phenomena in search of fresh ways of seeing is

Accepted Answer

A)   Michel Foucault.
B)   Jacques Derrida.
C)   Claude Lévi-Strauss.
D)   Émile Durkheim.

Question 10

In Greek, philosophy literally means

Accepted Answer

A)   great system.
B)   world study.
C)   careful analysis.
D)   love of wisdom.

Question 11

Why do religions exist? Give at least three possible reasons and defend them with good arguments (and, when appropriate, references to others who offer similar reasons).

Accepted Answer

Religions exist for a variety of reasons...

Question 12

Prophetic orientation is a prominent aspect of

Accepted Answer

A)   Protestant Christianity.
B)   Zen Buddhism.
C)   Vedic Hinduism.
D)   Taoism.

Question 13

Wilhelm Schmidt, an Austrian philologist, argued that all humankind once believed

Accepted Answer

A)   in a single High God.
B)   in twin gods who represented dark and light.
C)   that multiple gods existed in the form of natural phenomena.
D)   that they were spiritually connected to nature.

Question 14

The French post-structuralist who focused on those oppressed and marginalized by society, such as prisoners and the mentally ill, is

Accepted Answer

A)   Émile Durkheim.
B)   Jacques Derrida.
C)   Michel Foucault.
D)   Claude Lévi-Strauss.

Question 15

Describe three different discipline-based approaches to the study of religions, and explain the specific emphasis that each makes.

Accepted Answer

1. Anthropological approach: This approa...

Question 16

List four symbols typically thought of as religious, and explain what each of them represent.

Accepted Answer

1. Cross - The cross is a symbol commonl...

Question 17

Examples of symbolic forms of the female divine in religions are

Accepted Answer

A)   swords and crosses.
B)   spirals and eggs.
C)   mandalas and lightning bolts.
D)   hills and mountains.

Question 18

The prophetic orientation in religion emphasizes that contact with the sacred is ensured by

Accepted Answer

A)   making material donations to places of worship.
B)   performing seated meditation.
C)   engaging in sacramental rituals and ceremonies.
D)   proper beliefs and adherence to moral rules.

Question 19

Which of the following artists hoped to become a Dutch Reformed Church clergyman but took to painting after a disagreement with Church authorities?

Accepted Answer

A)   Pierre Bonnard
B)   Vincent van Gogh
C)   Pablo Picasso
D)   Claude Monet

Question 20

A religious symbol that blends a circle and a square is called a

Accepted Answer

A)   mandala.
B)   mudra.
C)   mantra.
D)   megalith.

Exam 1: Understanding Religion

A religious symbol that blends a circle and a square is called a

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In religious studies, the word myth means

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Examples of symbolic forms of the female divine in religions are

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Religions often speak of the sacred or treat people or places as sacred. Is there anything objectively "sacred," or is this just an imaginative human projection? Defend your answer.

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIThe concept of "sacred" is a complex and...View AnswerShow Answer

List four symbols typically thought of as religious, and explain what each of them represent.

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AI1. Cross - The cross is a symbol commonl...View AnswerShow Answer

Wilhelm Schmidt, an Austrian philologist, argued that all humankind once believed

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Offer, with evidence, an explanation for why males and male imagery came to dominate many of the religions of the past few thousand years.

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIThere are several reasons why males and ...View AnswerShow Answer

Explain the difference between the transcendent and immanent notions of sacredness. What characteristics might we expect in a religion that acknowledges a transcendent God or gods? What characteristics might we expect in a religion that emphasizes sacredness that is immanent?

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIThe transcendent notion of sacredness re...View AnswerShow Answer

One of the first sociologists to emphasize that religions emerge from whole tribes of people and reinforce their values is

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The French thinker who sought to go behind and beyond ordinary interpretations and to, in essence, deconstruct texts and other phenomena in search of fresh ways of seeing is

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The prophetic orientation in religion emphasizes that contact with the sacred is ensured by

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Anthropology has typically been interested in

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The French post-structuralist who focused on those oppressed and marginalized by society, such as prisoners and the mentally ill, is

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Describe three different discipline-based approaches to the study of religions, and explain the specific emphasis that each makes.

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AI1. Anthropological approach: This approa...View AnswerShow Answer

Explain how a continuum with exclusiveness at one end and inclusiveness at the other can be used to describe religious views.

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIThe continuum with exclusiveness at one ...View AnswerShow Answer

Explain the distinctions between the sacramental, prophetic, and mystical orientations of religions.

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIThe sacramental, prophetic, and mystical...View AnswerShow Answer

Why do religions exist? Give at least three possible reasons and defend them with good arguments (and, when appropriate, references to others who offer similar reasons).

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIReligions exist for a variety of reasons...View AnswerShow Answer

Which of the following artists hoped to become a Dutch Reformed Church clergyman but took to painting after a disagreement with Church authorities?

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In Greek, philosophy literally means

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Prophetic orientation is a prominent aspect of

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The concept of "sacred" is a complex and...
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1. Cross - The cross is a symbol commonl...
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There are several reasons why males and ...
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The transcendent notion of sacredness re...
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1. Anthropological approach: This approa...
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The continuum with exclusiveness at one ...
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The sacramental, prophetic, and mystical...
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Religions exist for a variety of reasons...
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