Religions of the Classical Civilizations

Chapters 7-12

Hinduism and Jainism

• People to Know:• Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma

• No founder, No religious figure

• Individual Religion

• Unite humans with divinity• Reincarnation• Ahimsa• Karma• Moksha

• Social Organization:• Caste System

• JAINISM• Extreme Ahimsa• Impractical to masses

Buddhism

• People to Know:• Siddhartha Gautama

• Four Noble Truths:• World is suffering

• Eighth-Fold Path• Enter Enlightenment by Ending Suffering

• Anyone can break reincarnation

• Rejects the Caste System of Hinduism

Confucianism

• People to Know:• Confucius

• Analects

• Everyone has a role and obligation in society• Ren: kindness

• Li: respect for elders and superiors

• Xiao: filial piety

• Junzi: : superior individual

• No real focus on political actions or gods

Daoism

• People to Know:• Laozi

• Daodejing

• Rejection of society, politics, etc. • Ambition and activism is chaos

• Dao: passive and yielding• does nothing yet accomplishes everything

Legalism

• Clear laws and swift punishments to transgressors • No concern with ethics and morality

• No concern with the principles governing nature

• No concern with divinity

Zoroastrianism

• Persia

• Epic Battle: Good vs Evil

• People to know:• Zarathustra

• Ahura Mazada

• Angra Mainyu

• Fate sealed at Death• Paradise or Hell

• Morals/Ethics• Pleasures gifts from gods

Judaism

• God guides destinies

• Non-Conversion• Distinctive Jewish culture

• God: • less human, more abstract

• orderly and justice

• Ten Commandments• Torah

• People to Know:• Abraham

Christianity

• Founded in Middle East

• Popularized by Rome

• People to Know:• Jesus, Peter, Paul

• Reform of legalistic policy in Judaism• Life after death

• Morals and Ethics

Religious Diffusion and Appeal

Bell Ringer

• What is this a picture of?

• Where was this art work created?

• What is the significance of this piece?

• What can this work teach us as historians?

Major Trade Routes of Afroeurasia

China and Religion

• A way to solve the Warring States

• Confucianism

• Legalism

• Daoism

• No real focus on a God, but focused on stability and social order

• Solved the needs of the People

• provided a role for every person

Buddhism Rejects a Caste System

• During the fall of the Han Dynasty Buddhism emerges from India to China

• Appealed strongly to members of lower castes• did not recognize castes

• less demanding than Jainism

• vernacular tongues

• The monastic organizations—• spreading message

• conversions

Hinduism and Jainism stay in India

• Regional Kingdoms and weak political unity made Hinduism the right fit for social order.

• Jainism:

• rejection of caste system and social hierarchy is attractive

• strict principles and rules makes religion difficult

Judaism and Zoroastrianism

• Judaism wanders with its people

• Zoroastrianism

• attractive to the wealthy aristocrats in Persia (material possessions are a blessing)

• weakens with the growth of Islam

Christianity provides equality

• Rapid growth of early Christianity in Rome

• Strong appeal:

• lower classes

• urban population

• Women

• Promised:

• equality at death

• a better life after death

Diffusion

• Made Possible:

• advanced technology

• trade routes

• increasing interactions

• Leads to:

• blending of religious

• blending of culture