Religious Traditions of the World Pre-Test Questions
Course Introduction
This course offers a comprehensive exploration of the worlds major religious traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and other indigenous faiths. Students will examine the historical development, core beliefs, rituals, texts, and cultural impacts of each religion. By analyzing both the unique characteristics and shared themes among these traditions, the course fosters an understanding of how religious worldviews shape personal identity, social structures, and global interactions. Emphasis is placed on respectful dialogue and critical inquiry, encouraging students to appreciate the diversity and complexity of religious expression worldwide.
Recommended Textbook Religions of the World 13th Edition by Lewis M. Hopfe
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Chapter 1: Native American Religions
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Sample Questions
Q1) Compared to Native Americans, how did Europeans who came to the Americas look upon nature and the land?
A) They revered the land as much as the Native Americans did.
B) They looked upon nature as something to be exploited and used.
C) They were unwilling to sacrifice the beauty of the land and nature to survive.
D) They enjoyed the unknowns of nature.
Answer: B
Q2) Which of the following is true of Native American religious leadership?
A) Only priests are allowed to perform rites and rituals.
B) There is rampant use of sacrifice.
C) Native American religions do not have a priesthood.
D) Only women are allowed to perform rites and rituals.
Answer: C
Q3) This concept refers to cultural and religious rules of avoidance.
A) taboo
B) sacrifice
C) penance
D) self-flagellation
Answer: A
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Chapter 2: African Religions
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Sample Questions
Q1) One of the most common leaders/specialists in African religions is the A) high priest.
B) curer.
C) governor.
D) tribe leader.
Answer: B
Q2) In African religions, the ceremony of naming is followed by showing the child to the A) people of the tribe.
B) moon.
C) sun.
D) women of the tribe.
Answer: B
Q3) While some African people practice circumcision at birth, most wait until A) adulthood.
B) a child is six.
C) puberty.
D) a year passes.
Answer: C
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Chapter 3: Hinduism
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Sample Questions
Q1) The act of worshiping the gods is known as A) Yoga.
B) Vedanta.
C) puja.
D) prasad.
Answer: C
Q2) What does Hinduism share with most religions today?
A) issues over population control
B) issues over revitalizing the religion
C) issues over modernity
D) issues over immigration
Answer: C
Q3) In the Vedas, most hymns are written to the god
A) Indra.
B) Rudra.
C) Yama.
D) Varuna.
Answer: A
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Chapter 4: Buddhism
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the basic religious belief common to all forms of Buddhism? How does it compare to basic Hindu religious beliefs?
Q2) What is the name for individuals achieving Nirvana?
A) arhat
B) Buddha
C) Kabira
D) sangha
Q3) To live the proper Buddhist way, one must follow the Eightfold Path and embrace
A) asceticism.
B) anatman.
C) arhat.
D) impermanence.
Q4) What is one characteristic of early Buddhism concerning women that differs from orthodox Hinduism and Jainism?
A) separation of women from religious practice
B) inclusion of women in religious practice
C) belief that women could not attain enlightenment
D) belief that women were all-powerful
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Chapter 5: Sikhism
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why don't the Sikhs have an elaborate calendar or set of festivals?
A) Their religious practice is extremely simple.
B) They were instructed by Nanak not to celebrate.
C) They are now more of a group of warriors than religious practitioners.
D) They don't like festivals.
Q2) Who assumed the position of guru as a child due to the execution of his father and was the last human to fill the role?
A) Nanak
B) Angad
C) Gobind Singh
D) Granth Sahib
Q3) Which of the following characterizes congregational worship by Sikhs?
A) There is a caste system.
B) Women are not allowed to participate.
C) Sikh priests run the ceremony.
D) Any member of the community may lead group services.
Q4) Describe life for modern-day Sikhs. What challenges do they face and why?
Q5) Describe the careers of Kabir, Nanak, Arjan Dev, and Gobind Singh and explain why each is an essential figure in the history of Sikhism.
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Chapter 6: Jainism
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why are Jains one of the wealthiest classes in India?
A) because they control the banking industry
B) because of prohibitions on professions that take a life or profit from slaughter are prohibited, they've had to turn to commercial professions
C) because their asceticism encourages them to save their money
D) because they own large tracts of land in India
Q2) Explain the disagreement between the Svetambara sect and the Digambara sect regarding the role of women in Jainism. Which sect can claim to more truly adhere to the teachings of Mahavira?
Q3) What is one way Jains worship at home?
A) They recite the names of the saints from the past.
B) They cook elaborate meals with special foods.
C) They erect altars to their ancestors.
D) They dress in special clothing.
Q4) How many Tirthankaras preceded Mahavira in the founding of Jainism?
A) Ten
B) Fifteen
C) Twenty-three
D) Thirty-three
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Chapter 7: Chinese Religions
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Sample Questions
Q1) This group, who warred with the Shang dynasty, proclaimed that one Supreme God controlled the destinies of all humankind.
A) the Ming
B) the Zhou
C) the Han
D) the Jin
Q2) Why did the fourth-century Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi turn down the prince's offer to appoint him to the position of prime minister?
A) He, like many Daoists, had contempt for rank and wealth.
B) He did not think he was offered enough money to take the position.
C) He did not like the politics of Prince Wei.
D) He was old and didn't want to work anymore.
Q3) Discuss the three schools that rivaled the early Daoists and give a brief explanation of their basic tenets. Did they survive? Why or why not?
Q4) Describe the role of li in Confucianism.
Q5) Explain how the decline of the feudal system of the Zhou dynasty set the stage for the rise of Daoism.
Q6) Describe the political difficulties facing religions in China today.
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Chapter 8: Shinto
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Kojiki, which contains the myths of ancient Japan, is also known as the A) Bible.
B) Chronicles of Ancient Events.
C) Commandments.
D) Ways of Right Living.
Q2) The honorable suicide of a warrior who dies by slowly disemboweling himself is called
A) hari-kari.
B) kamikaze.
C) seppuku.
D) assisted suicide.
Q3) The samurai were expected to
A) collect the heads of peasants.
B) demonstrate self-discipline through fasting.
C) show courtesy and politeness to people in authority.
D) meditate and pray to the sun god Amaterasu.
Q4) Discuss the Chinese influence on Shinto and what kind of effects Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism had on the development of Shinto.
Q5) Discuss the 1889 Constitution and what changes it brought to Shinto as a religious practice.
Page 10
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Chapter 9: Judaism
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Sample Questions
Q1) Discuss the development of the Talmud. Explain its basic contents and the controversies about its place in Judaism.
Q2) The first temple was destroyed in 586 B.C.E. when
A) the Jews rebelled against God, and God lashed out in anger against them.
B) the Jews lost a war to the Assyrian Empire.
C) the Romans invaded and besieged Jerusalem.
D) the Babylonians invaded and carried the Jews off into the exile.
Q3) This was placed in Solomon's temple and remained there until the Babylonians destroyed the temple.
A) the Torah
B) the Ark of the Covenant
C) King Josiah's Scrolls of the Law
D) the tablet containing the Ten Commandments
Q4) Discuss the Diaspora and the impact it had on the development of Judaism.
Q5) The Talmud is
A) a book about the prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures.
B) a book of mystical Judaic beliefs and prayers of the Middle Ages.
C) a combination of Gemara and the Mishnah.
D) a combination of the Torah and the Kabbalah.
Q6) Explain the value of the synagogue to Jews of the Diaspora.
Page 11
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Chapter 10: Christianity
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Sample Questions
Q1) As a teaching device, Jesus used a short, easily recognized story about very human characters and events called a
A) parable.
B) psalm.
C) proverb.
D) sermon.
Q2) The New Testament mentions several kinds of leaders in the early church; one such leader's title means "shepherd" in Greek.
A) elder
B) deacon
C) priest
D) bishop
Q3) Our knowledge of the earliest period of Church history comes from the biblical book
A) Acts of the Apostles.
B) Paul's Letter to the Romans.
C) the Gospel of Mark.
D) Revelation.
Q4) Is Jesus a historical or spiritual figure? Explain your answer.
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Page 12
Chapter 11: Islam
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Sample Questions
Q1) Muslim beliefs concerning heaven and hell are
A) dissimilar to those of Jewish eschatological schemes.
B) dissimilar to those of Christian eschatological schemes.
C) similar to both Jewish and Christian eschatological schemes.
D) completely unique.
Q2) Muhammad was given divine messages from God that he memorized and taught to his companions. Eventually, these messages were written down to become the
A) Khadija.
B) Five Pillars.
C) Kaaba.
D) Qur'an.
Q3) Which country is destined to play a much larger role in the Islamic world partly due to its enormous petroleum reserve?
A) Indonesia
B) Kuwait
C) Iraq
D) Saudi Arabia
Q4) In what sense is Islam a fatalistic religion? In what sense is it not?
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Chapter 12: Bahai
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to Baha'i, what must exist between religion and science?
A) debate
B) disharmony
C) harmony
D) unpleasantness
Q2) What role does fasting play in Baha'i religious practice?
A) It plays no role.
B) Baha'is are encouraged to fast one day a week.
C) Baha'is are only encouraged to fast if they feel they need to atone for sins.
D) Baha'is are encouraged to fast for one of the nineteen months in their calendar.
Q3) Baha'i originated in the
A) seventeenth century.
B) eighteenth century.
C) nineteenth century.
D) twentieth century.
Q4) Discuss the daily life of the Baha'i in terms of prayer and worship. Also, summarize Baha'i worship on a more general level in terms of who performs the worship, where it is performed, and the general organization of the faith.
Q5) Summarize Baha'u'llah's teachings and the basic beliefs of Baha'i.
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