relg 130 sg 1-2 duraid

Introduction to Scriptures Guided Lecture Notes

What is a scripture?

How is scripture a relational quality?

Are the scriptures of various religious traditions overall similar to each other? Why or why not?

What types of writings can a scripture contain?

Oral Religions:

Do all religious traditions have scriptures? What religions do not have a written scripture?

Why was the Rig Veda not written down until the 20th century? What does that tell us about

the attitudes of Hindus towards their sacred texts?

Do all religions traditions find their texts to be incredibly important to their religion? Why not?

Why do you think that some religions reject having an authoritative written text?

The Uses of Scripture

What is the cognitive use of scriptures?

What is the aural use of scriptures?

What is the iconic use of scriptures?

What is a talisman and how can a sacred text be used as one?

What is bibliomancy? And how are some sacred texts used in this way?

Protestant Bias

How did the Protestant Reformation radically change the nature of Christianity?

How did these attitudes influence Western culture?

What are the assumptions about scripture that this leads to?

Pros and Cons of Studying Scriptures Comparatively

What are the pros of studying scriptures in this way?

What are the cons of studying scriptures in this way?

Where in the world did Zoroastrianism begin?
Who was the original prophet of Zoroastrianism? When did he live?
How was Zoroastrianism connected to the Persian Empire? What other empires was it connected to?
When and how did Zoroastrian lose its status as the official religion of Persia?
Who are the Parsis? And where do they live?
What is the status of Zoroastrians in Iran today?
How many Zoroastrians are there in the world today? And where do they live?

Who is Ahura Mazda?
Who is Angra Mainyu?
Who are the Amesha Spentas?
What is dualism and how is it related to Zoroastrianism? How is Zoroastrianism monotheistic?
What does good thoughts, good words, and good deeds mean in Zoroastrianism?
What is asha in Zoroastrianism?
What is the role and symbolism of the sacred fire in Zoroastrianism? What are fire temples?
What is a sky burial?

How did the silk road lead to the spread of Zoroastrianism?
How did Zoroastrians and Jews come into contact with each other?
How might have Zoroastrianism influenced Jewish theology and/or texts?
How might Zoroastrianism have influenced the theology and texts of Christianity?
How might Zoroastrianism have influenced Muslim texts and theology?

Requirements: 1h

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