04/03/08

Study guide 2

The exam will be worth 80 points

Some Important Terms and Concepts

Be able to give an example of each of the following along with a brief characterization and application to the study of religion.

Monism

Pantheism

Deism

Dualism (mind - body)

Dualism (good and evil gods)

apriori claims

Descartes

Voltaire

Leibniz

Diderot

J. G. Frazer

Roger Bacon

Copernicus

Rheticus

Kepler

Galileo

Paley

Darwin

J. G. R. Furlong – Rivers of Faith chart

Stages in mystical experiences

Altruism

Spiritual intelligence

Natural theology

God of the gaps

Theodicy

Miracles

Meditation (as characterized by Dr. Lawler

autonomic (sympathetic and parasympathetic) nervous system

Hans Selye

Nirvana

seven deadly sins

kundalini

bodhisattva

Atman

self actualization (Maslow)

Axial Age

Karen Armstrong

reproductive fitness

inclusive fitness

selfish gene theory

group selection theory

coefficient of relatedness (and how to calculate it)

kin selection

altruism

reciprocal altruism

veneer theory

reconciliation

consolation

E. T. Seton

Wm Perkins/King James I

Witchcraft (including good and bad witches)

Witch of Endor

Piaget and Kohlberg on development of moral thinking in children

Jung’s shadow

Gordon Allport

intrinsic versus extrinsic religious motivation

retrospective and prospective studies

story of the flowerpot and beer

Here are some items/questions:

1) Compare Gould and Dawkins on the importance or necessity of religion and scientific approaches to understanding. Evolution is central to both arguments. Can the disagreement be resolved? Defend your answer.

2) How does the theologian Gordon D. Kaufman try to show that evolution and religion/god are compatible? Is he more similar to Gould or Dawkins, or are his views quite incompatible with both of the biologists?

3) What is evil and why is it a problem for monotheism? What was the importance of the Lisbon earthquake and ‘cruelty’ engaged in by animals to those concerned about the existence of a benevolent god or the goodness of the world s/he created? Should these issues concern persons with traditional monotheistic beliefs? What is Fontana’s take on the issue of evil?

4) Compare Hume, Swinburne, and Mackie on the evidence for miracles. Is there any evidence you would accept for the occurrence of a miracle? Why? Is it essential to believe in supernatural miracles to be a truly religious person?

5) Trace the shifting relationship between Christianity and science as the latter grew in influence and ability to answer questions once thought beyond rational answers.

6) What are the five kinds of yoga and how do they differ? Which ones have some counterpart in Western religions? Explain.

7) How did Freud interpret mystical experiences and what are the problems Fontana finds in his interpretation?

8) Parapsychology is considered discredited by virtually all psychologists. What is Fontana’s evaluation of the evidence? Do you agree?

9) Fontana revisits the old monism – dualism debates in studies of mind and brain. Where does he come down on the issue and on what basis? Do you agree?

10) Consciousness comes up several times in the assigned readings in Fontana. How is the concept used?

11) Dreams played a large role in the Old Testament. How does Fontana view dreams by people today in relation to religion and does this differ from the way dreams seemed to work in biblical times? What was the Maimonides project?

12) Is there any support for dualistic interpretations of NDEs, OBEs, and prayer according to Fontana?

13) Compare the views of McDougal, Freud, Guntrip, and Jung on the origins of religious belief. What is the role of FOD in each of these views as far as can be determined from the text?

14) What psychological factors help understand the enormous role of religious expression in the arts, storytelling, music, etc.?

15) Know the outlines of James Hall’s several conceptions of gods(s)

16) Although there is overlap, how can we distinguish ‘eastern’ and ‘western’ religions?

17) How does Wilber’s ‘four quadrant model’ of knowledge derive from the Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism and how does Fontana relate this model to the ‘conflict’ between science and religion?

18) Be able to describe at least four major issues in monotheistic religion addressed in Diderot’s dialogue between Crudeli and Madame la Maréchale. What is the point of the story of the young Mexican? Did anything in the dialogue lead to your thinking a bit differently about your own religious views? Why or why not?

19) What kinds of evidence suggest that moral and ethical behavior may have evolved prior to formal religious beliefs and practices?

20) What psychological process drove the witch persecutions in the 15-17^th centuries and what similarities can be found in modern times?

19) What is deWaal’s view of the origins of morality? Be able to describe specific experiments that he reports. Do you support or question his conclusions? Defend your answer.

21) What are some of the physiological and psychological benefits of meditation as reviewed by Dr. Lawler?

22) What did Dr. Batson’s experiments set out to answer about universal compassion and intrinsic and quest aspects of religion and what do his results tell us about religion and compassion? Did they seem to be convincing? If true, what do you think the implications are or should be for religious leaders and theologians?

23) Again, it may be useful to organize a notebook answering the above as you review the readings and your notes. You can e-mail any questions and I will try to answer them.