WORLD RELIGIONS •Judaism•Christianity•Islam•Hinduism•Buddhism

REVELATION

The divine disclosure of sacred Knowledge.

Abraham in Canaan Moses on Mount Sinai Jesus at the river Jordan Mohammad in the Deserts near Mecca

JUDAISM

The Hebrew monotheism

Yahweh or Jehovah The covenant (contract)This contract or covenant bound

the Hebrews to God in return for God’s protection.

Torah (Hebrew bible,“instructions”) 2000 B.C.E.

Hagia Sophia, Constantinople (now Istanbul), completed 537 C.E.

THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

The Ark of the Covenant and sanctuary implements, Hammath near Tiberias, fourth century. Mosaic. Zev Radovan.

This decorative mosaic pictures the curtained Ark that sheltered the Torah with sacramental

Objects - menorah (seven-branched candelabrum) and the shofar or Ram’s horn, which is used to call the faithful to

prayer.

TEN COMMANDMENTS Yahweh revealed to Moses the essence

of the covenant in a set of ten laws or commandments.

Defines the proper relationship between God and the faithful.

The belief that a single, benevolent, all-knowing God requires obedience to divine laws of right conduct, would become the fundamental tenet of three great world religions: Judaism,

Christianity and Islam.

ETHICAL MONOTHEISM

CHRISTIANITY

Mystery Cults Mithraism Strict initiation rites Periods of fasting Ritual baptism Communal meal of bread and wine Celebrated their god’s birth on 12/25 Winter solstice that marked the sun’s

rebirth Christ, detail of a deësis mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul;

JESUS

•Born in Nazareth during the reign of the Roman Emperor Octavian•Messiah•63 B.C.E.•Jesus dies on the cross•Jesus’ resurrection

FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIANITY What is Christianity based on ?

Jesus’ resurrection from death

Supporting material: 1Co 15:14: “And if Christ has not

been raised, then our proclamation is worthless, and your faith is also worthless.”

THE COMING OF JESUS

•Sadducees, envisioned the messiah as a temporal leader who would rescue the Jews from political bondage to Rome.Others, whose beliefs reflected the religious traditions of the mystery cults looked forward to deliverance in the immoral soul from the earthly body.

THE COMING OF JESUS

Pharisees, a scribal class of rabbis, anticipated the advent of a spiritual redeemer who would usher the righteous to eternal salvation and the wicked to damnation.

Catacomb of Priscilla

CO-FOUNDER: PAUL•After Jesus death only about 10% - 15 % of the population were Christians•Paul (65 C.E.) carried on the teachings of Jesus and Preached to the Gentiles•Paul wrote down Jesus' sermons•Wrote 10-14 of the 27 books “New Testament”

SYMBOLISM Christian monograms, symbols of the 4 evangelists and Latin and Greek crossesDescription : (a) Christian monograms; (b) symbols of the four evangelists; (c) Latin and Greek crosses.

Emperor Justinian (481-565 c.e.) tried to restore the power and prestige of ancient Rome.

ISLAM

The Qur’an Muhammad did not write down his

teachings but his followers did.

ISLAM

Prophet Muhammad 570 C.E. in the city of Mecca( Saudi Arabia) Orphaned at the age of 6 Received little formal education Married a wealthy widow Long periods of solitary Meditation in

the desert

MUHAMMAD

One night the angle Gabriel appeared to him to proclaim his role as the prophet of Allah (God).

At 41 years of age he declared himself the final messenger.

ISLAM

To the righteous, those who practice submission, humility, and reverence, it promises a here-after that resembles the garden of paradise, filled with cool rivers and luscious fruit trees.

To the wicked and the infidels (nonbelievers), it promises the terrifying punishments of hell – as hot and dusty as the desert itself.

THE FIVE PILLARS

Confession of faith Recitation of prayer five times daily Charitable contribution to the welfare

of the Islamic community Fasting from dawn to sunset during the

sacred month of Ramadan. The hajj (pilgrimage) to the city of

Mecca.

IN MECCA DURING THE PILGRIMAGE

www.thefaithclub.com

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MOHAMMED ALI MOSQUE, CAIRO, EGYPT

http://www.solarnavigator.net/geography/egypt.htm 31

BLUE MOSQUE (SULTAN AHMET MOSQUE), ISTANBUL TURKEY

http://cs.ua.edu/~greg/personal.html 34

INTERIOR OF THE BLUE MOSQUE

http://www.britannica.com 35

DOME OF A MOSQUE, ESFAHAN, IRAN

http://www.perceptivetravel.com/issues/1106/maclean.html36

MOSQUE IN DJENNE, MALI (WEST AFRICA)

http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/17028.html 38

INDONESIAN MOSQUE

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Travel/Brunei/index.html 40

NORTH AFRICAN MOSQUE

http://www.galenfrysinger.com/tunis.htm 39

STAINED GLASS WINDOWS IN THE TOPKAPI PALACE IN ISTANBUL, TURKEY

http://www.geocities.com/mlafren/english/turk.html 48

MUSLIM PROFESSION OF FAITH IN THE TOPKAPI PALACE, ISTANBUL, TURKEY

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-251804/Muhammad 47

ARABIC CALLIGRAPHY IN SECULAR ART

http://www.plumsite.com/palace/arabic.html

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BITTERNESS OVER MUSLIM LEADERSHIP Sunni – consider themselves the orthodox

of Islam. (“The tradition of the prophet”) 90 % of modern Muslim world They believe that religious rulers should

be chosen by the faithful. Shiites – claim descent through

Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law Ali. (“partisans of Ali” Iran, Iraq)

Only direct descendants should rule.

BUDDHISM Buddha - Siddhartha

Gautama(Sanskrit “Enlighten

One”) India 560-480 or 440-360

B.C.E. Devastated by his

discovery of the three “truths” of existence- sickness, old age, and death.

BUDDHISM At 29 he

renounced his wealth.

Abandoned his family and took up the quest for enlightenment.

BUDDHISM

Sitting beneath a bo (fig) tree, he finally arrived at the full perception of reality that became the basis of his teachings.

BUDDHISM

To arrive at a release from illusion and ultimately nirvana

To follow this path is the escape from the wheel of rebirth that binds all Hindus.

BUDDHISM

Four Noble TruthsOne’s spiritual Journey mustlead to the awareness of Four Noble Truths.

Pain is Universal Desire causes pain Ceasing to desire

relieves pain Right conduct provides

escape from pain

GOAL OF HINDUISM

•Moksha: “release or liberation•United forever with the divine•Infinite bliss and awareness

•Reincarnation

SACRED TEXTS• Rig Veda: Hinduism’s oldest text- nearly 4000 years.

.

• Bhagavad Gita: Hinduism’s most popular sacred text

THE TWO MOST POPULAR GODS

SHIVA VISHNU

KrishnaRama

AVATARS OF VISHNU

GODDESSES

Lakshmi Saraswati

PERSONAL FAITH

If you were to choose a personal faith, which of the religions discussed in this chapter is the one you would be most likely to follow? Why?

REINCARNATIONSamsara is the wheel of rebirth which means the soul is reborn from one life form to another.

People may be reincarnated at a higher or lower level of existence depending on their karma from their present life.

People may be reborn as plants or animals or they may be elevated to a higher caste as a human.

Death is not final for Hindus as they expect to be reborn many times.

KARMA & DHARMA

Karma: “action” or “deeds”

Every action produces a Justified effect based on its moral worthiness.

Karma determines all the particular circumstances and Situations of one’s life.

Dharma: ethical duty based on the divine order of reality. The word is the closest equivalent to “religion.”

BANARAS - HINDU’S HOLY CITYPilgrims come from all over to bathe in the Ganges.

Countless Hindus come to Banaras to die.

It has 1500 temples, most of them devoted to Shiva.

It is a gathering place for the religiously learned and their disciples.

END

The mainstream Jewish view is that God will reward those who observe His commandments and punish those who intentionally transgress them.

once one learned Torah properly, one could then learn the higher truths

one can attain closeness to God even in this world through moral and spiritual perfection.

As a matter of practice Orthodox Judaism lays stress on the performance of the actual commandments.

Beliefs of the Law

It is the oldest symbol of the Jewish faith The Menorah has 7 branches to symbolize the 7

days of Hanukah The Menorah is said to be the symbol of Israel

and our mission to be “a light unto the nations” The lamp stands today in all synagogues

around the world There is also 9 branched Menorahs

used for Hanukah, it celebrates the miracle that a days worthof oil can last 8 days

Menorah

Introduction • Judaism began before history in the eastern Mediterranean was even written.• Judaism was founded by Abraham around 1750 B.C.E.• Although Abraham is seen as the founder of Judaism, his grandson Jacob, who’s name changed to Israel, was the father of 12 children who became known as the “children of Israel”, or Israelites. Much later, they came to be known as the Jewish people. So Jacob was the great, great, great, grandfather of each and every Jew.

The Star of David is the universal symbol of Judaism

The Star of David appears on synagogues, the state flag of Israel, and Jewish ritaul objects

The star is made of two triangles Appeared early as the 960’s BC During the Holocaust all Jewish people

had to wear the Star of David on their arm to show that they were Jewish

The Hebrew term for the Star of David is Magen David

Star of David

25.

EARLY MIDDLE AGES

The Germanic Tribes Germanic Culture differed dramatically

from that of Rome. Self-sufficient communities Nomadic peoples, fighting was a way of

life and a highly respected skill.

GERMANIC LITERATURE Beowulf (ca.700 C.E.)

Anglo-Saxons, Old English First monumental literary composition in a

European vernacular language.

The Song of the Nibelung (ca. early 13th century) Burgundian tribes, Old German

Song of Roland (ca. early 12th century) Frankish, Old French

THE AGE OF CHARLLEMAGNE

•In the 8th century, Charlemagne brought Europe together as a civilized continent.•Pursued the dream of restoring the Roman Empire under Christian leadership.•The Carolingian Renaissance - A passionate interest in education and the arts.

THE EMPIRE OF CHARLEMAGNE, 814.

THE MONASTIC COMPLEXRECONSTRUCTED MODEL OF THE MONASTERY OF SAINT GALL, SWITZERLAND

•A rebirth of learning and literacy.•In the strictest definition of illuminated manuscript, only manuscripts decorated with gold or silver, like this miniature of Christ in Majesty from the Aberdeen Bestiary

THE CAROLINGIAN RENAISSANCE

THE MEDIEVAL BOOK

Carolingian books were prepared for and by monks and clerics rather than for laypeople.

Page of text from a Carolingian Gospel Book written in Carolingian minuscule.

Geometric and abstract designs • Monks in secluded monasteries decorated pages of Scripture and other writings with infinite detail.

X-P pageFrom the Lindisfarne Gospel Book

The Lindisfarne Gospels:Gospel of St John theEvangelist, initial page, late 7th or early 8th century.

A page from the Book of Kells

Celtic-Germanic art combined ornamental interlacing patternswith the animal style

Art of the Middle Ages

Celtic-Germanic art combined ornamental interlacing patterns with animal style

Lock for a purse makes use of garnets, glass, enamel, and gold and was mounted on a slab of ivory.

Wood, stone were also used in Celtic animal style

FEUDAL SOCIETY

After Charlemagne‘s death in 814 C.E.

Fear caused people to attach themselves to members of a military Nobility who provided protection.

Matthew Paris (c. 1200-1259), Vassal Paying Homage to his Lord, from the Westminster Psalter, ca. 1250. .

INVADERS AND RAIDERS

Vikings

Huns

Neighboring Tribes

Vikings

NO STRONG CENTRAL GOVT.

Lack of central government for protection leads to rise of Feudalism

WHAT IS FEUDALISM?

Feudalism: “loosely organized system of government in which local lords governed their own lands but owed military service and other support to a greater lord.”

FEUDALISM (POLITICAL SYSTEM)SO WHO IS IN CHARGE?

Each person had rights and responsibilities

Higher lords

MANOR LIFESO WHERE DO THE PEOPLE LIVE?

In Medieval Europe, people lived on manors self-sufficient communities

consisting of a castle, church, village and surrounding farmlands.

Serfs work land and give part of their crops to the local (land) lord, for letting them farm the land.

THE NORMAN CONQUEST In 1066,

England was invaded by Normans (Vikings from modern-day France)•The Battle of Hastings

–Harold, King of England killed–William of Normandy (William the Conqueror) takes over.

WILLIAM OF NORMANDY HELPED MAKE ENGLAND WHAT IT IS TODAY AND CODIFIED FEUDALISM (GAVE IT THE FORCE OF LAW).

French was spoken in the English court for the next 200 years.

1066 – William creates Domesday Book for purposes of fair tax collection.

Norman ship

William of Normandy

BAYEAUX TAPESTRY (11 CENTURY)

The Bayeaux Tapestry was stitched to commemorate the Battle of HastingsIt measures 230 feet long (70 meters) and 20 inches wide. It was made to hang around the wall of a cathedral or castle.

An unusual visual record of the conquest of England by William of Normandy.11 century

Named for the city in northwestern France where it was made it is still there today.

626 figures190 horsesOver 500 other animals

Created in only 8 colors of wool yarn.

Bayeaux Tapestry

THE NORMAN CASTLE

Dover Castle, Kent, England, 12th century. © English Heritage Photograph Library

DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORMAN CASTLE

THE CRUSADES

The Normans effectively pushed the Muslims out of the Mediterranean Sea.

Europeans enjoyed a greater degree of security.

French knights under Louis IX besieging Damietta, Egypt, 7th Crusade

FEUDAL-AGE LITERATURE

The Song of RolandThe ideals of the

fighting in a feudal age are best captured in the oldest and greatest French epic poem.

The Poetry of the Troubadours

Compose and performed poems devoted to courtly love, chivalry, religion and politics.

BEYOND THE WEST: JAPAN

The Birth of the Novel 8th century Murasaki Shikibu (978-

1016) The author of the world’s

first novel, was one of a group of female writers.

The Tale of Genji

Niou serenades Nakanokimi (detail from the 12th century Genji Monogatari Emaki scroll).

BEYOND THE WEST: CHINA

Tang (618-907 C.E.) and Song (960-1279) Dynasty

Boasted a sophisticated urban culture with city population of one million.

Standing Court Lady, Tang dynasty, mid-seventh century. Pottery with painted decoration, height 15 1/8 in.

TANG DYNASTY

Horse and Rider, Tang dynasty, early eighth century. Pottery with three-color glaze and painted decoration, height 15 in.

TANG DYNASTY

Ru ware, bowl in the shape of a lotus, Northern Song dynasty, twelfth century. Porcelain, height 4 in. National Palace Museum, Taiwan.

SONG DYNASTY

Marvels of calculated simplicity

The intellectual elite of Tang and Song China were deeply influenced by

Confucian traditions.

Ma Yuan (c. 11601225), � Apricot Blossoms, Song dynasty. Fan mounted as an album leaf, ink and color on silk, 10 x 10 3/4 in.

SONG DYNASTY

CHINESE LANDSCAPE PAINTING

A Solitary Temple Amid Clearing Peaks, Northern Song Dynasty

Li Cheng (attrib.) (919-967), c. 940-967. Hanging scroll, ink and slight color on silk,

ivory roller, 44 x 22".

•The Tang and Song eras were a Golden Age of landscape painting.•Chinese landscapes offer a holistic and contemplative view of nature, a feature they share with Daoism and Buddhism.

EARLY MEDIEVAL MUSIC

Gregorian Chant : Anon., “Alleluya, vidimus stellam”, in Dulci Jubilo, Alberto Turco, conductor. In you books pg. 108.

Islamic Call To Prayer: Islamic Call to Prayer (Adhan), pg 116

Troubadour Song: Ventadorn, “Quan vei la lauzeta mover,” Unicorn Ensemble, Michel Posch, conductor pg 135