Deck 2: Concepts of Ultimate Being

Question 1

What is the definition of the following term:
-analogical description:

Answer 1

The effort to describe Ultimate Being in human terms, acknowledging that divine qualities are only like, not equivalent to, human descriptions.

Question 2

What is the definition of the following term:
-anthropomorphic:

Answer 2

The quality of being like a human, in human shape, thus a potential criticism of theism for having God/gods that seem only like magnified human beings.

Question 3

What is the definition of the following term:
-avatar:

Answer 3

The "descending" of a god, especially Vishnu in Hinduism, into physical form.

Question 4

What is the definition of the following term:
-Bodhisattva:

Question 5

What is the definition of the following term:
-Buddha Nature:

Question 6

What is the definition of the following term:
-Dao:

Question 7

What is the definition of the following term:
-Immanent:

Question 8

What is the definition of the following term:
-mana:

Question 9

What is the definition of the following term:
-monism:

Question 10

What is the definition of the following term:
-monotheism:

Question 11

What is the definition of the following term:
-negative theology:

Question 12

What is the definition of the following term:
-pantheism:

Question 13

What is the definition of the following term:
-polytheism:

Question 14

What is the definition of the following term:
-theism:

Question 15

What is the definition of the following term:
-transcendent:

Question 16

What is the definition of the following term:
-ultimacy:

Question 17

What is the definition of the following term:
-void/emptiness:

Question 18

According to our text, it is helpful to describe the central element of religion as

A) transmundane.
B) supernatural.
C) ultimate.
D) all of the above

Question 19

Trying to understand the concept and the examples of Ultimate Being

A) is intended in our text to help us all become more spiritual.
B) allows us to understand God and Brahman fully.
C) is useful to help us reach thoughtful conclusions about practices that are or are not "religious."
D) is really of no use, because everyone has his or her own concept of "God."

Question 20

The text says that that the Sacred is "beyond our ability to understand and describe." This aspect of Ultimate Being is made evident in religion by

A) concepts such as Nirguna Brahman, which is said to be without any describable qualities.
B) admitting that our effort to describe God's qualities may only be analogies, saying what God is like.
C) trying to describe the Sacred in negative terms, better at saying, for example, what God is not than what God is.
D) all of the above

Question 21

The book offers various examples of Ultimate Beings, such as

A) Jesus, the Holy Trinity, and the Holy Bible.
B) Allah in Islam, the Tao in China, and Buddha-mind.
C) priests, nuns, and shamans.
D) all of the above

Question 22

Religious scholar, Rudolf Otto, described Ultimate Being as

A) "the tremendous and fascinating mystery."
B) "the awesome and powerful holy one."
C) "the majestic and beautiful unknown."
D) "God almighty."

Question 23

As an example of polytheism, Vishnu and his avatars (Krishna and Rama) are gods found in

A) Buddhism.
B) Hinduism.
C) Sikhism.
D) Islam.

Question 24

According to the author, "monism" and "monotheism" are terms that

A) describe Ultimate Being in personal terms.
B) both describe an ultimate, impersonal one-ness (mono-) of Ultimate Being.
C) refer to distinct Ultimate Being concepts.
D) tell us really nothing about Ultimate Being, because it cannot be understood by human beings.

Question 25

Hinduism contains as Ultimate Being concepts

A) monistic and polytheistic beliefs.
B) Buddhist and Christian ideas.
C) the concept of Brahman and the concept of Void.
D) the yin and the yang.

Question 26

The term "God" (singular noun) is most appropriate for

A) monotheistic religions.
B) polytheistic religions.
C) monistic religions.
D) all of the above

Question 27

According to our text, Confucianism

A) employs the concept of Dao as a synonym for God.
B) may employ the concept of Dao for Ultimate Being, but it remains difficult to see just how "religious" Confucianism is.
C) has no concept of Ultimate Being and so is not really a religion.
D) cannot be discussed rationally.

Question 28

Describing the Ultimate Being as "all knowing" may

A) be most consistent with a concept of theism rather than monism.
B) be applied equally to any concept of Ultimate Being.
C) contradict entirely the concept of Ultimate Being.
D) be consistent with the creation of the universe in the Big Bang.

Question 29

The problem of anthropomorphic descriptions of God is

A) that the Ultimate Being may seem too impersonal.
B) that the Ultimate Being may seem too human-like.
C) that the Ultimate Being might not really exist.
D) that the Ultimate Being might be Elvis.

Question 30

According to Thomas Aquinas, when we describe God, we must describe God analogically, which means

A) we cannot really say what God is, but we can say what God is like.
B) we cannot speak of God at all, but can draw pictures.
C) we cannot speak of God in words, but we can use equations.
D) we should just shut up and not speak of God at all.

Question 31

Polytheism refers to the belief

A) that only one God exists.
B) that many gods exist.
C) that there is only one God, but God has many avatars.
D) that the universe consists only of matter and energy.

Question 32

The text claimed that belief in simply physical materials is a kind of monistic belief, but it is not religious, because

A) it is the belief that only one kind of reality exists, but there is no transmundane quality.
B) no physicists believe God exists.
C) scientists generally do not value any aspects of life other than the study of physical, testable things.
D) science is really materialistic, being only about making money.

Question 33

Matching: The letter of the correct definition given in the space provided.
-Anthropomorphism

A) Describing Ultimate Being as somehow outside of and beyond the world.
B) Describing Ultimate Being as somehow within the world, though mysteriously.
C) Describing Ultimate Being in terms that sound like human characteristics.
D) A term for belief in a holy being that is impersonal, abstract, and diffused.
E) A term for belief in a holy being that is personal, with intentions, thoughts, and emotions.
F) A term meaning "final" or "at the end," describing that than which there is nothing greater.

Question 34

Matching: The letter of the correct definition given in the space provided.
-Immanent

A) Describing Ultimate Being as somehow outside of and beyond the world.
B) Describing Ultimate Being as somehow within the world, though mysteriously.
C) Describing Ultimate Being in terms that sound like human characteristics.
D) A term for belief in a holy being that is impersonal, abstract, and diffused.
E) A term for belief in a holy being that is personal, with intentions, thoughts, and emotions.
F) A term meaning "final" or "at the end," describing that than which there is nothing greater.

Question 35

Matching: The letter of the correct definition given in the space provided.
-Monism

A) Describing Ultimate Being as somehow outside of and beyond the world.
B) Describing Ultimate Being as somehow within the world, though mysteriously.
C) Describing Ultimate Being in terms that sound like human characteristics.
D) A term for belief in a holy being that is impersonal, abstract, and diffused.
E) A term for belief in a holy being that is personal, with intentions, thoughts, and emotions.
F) A term meaning "final" or "at the end," describing that than which there is nothing greater.

Question 36

Matching: The letter of the correct definition given in the space provided.
-Theism

A) Describing Ultimate Being as somehow outside of and beyond the world.
B) Describing Ultimate Being as somehow within the world, though mysteriously.
C) Describing Ultimate Being in terms that sound like human characteristics.
D) A term for belief in a holy being that is impersonal, abstract, and diffused.
E) A term for belief in a holy being that is personal, with intentions, thoughts, and emotions.
F) A term meaning "final" or "at the end," describing that than which there is nothing greater.

Question 37

Matching: The letter of the correct definition given in the space provided.
-Transcendent

A) Describing Ultimate Being as somehow outside of and beyond the world.
B) Describing Ultimate Being as somehow within the world, though mysteriously.
C) Describing Ultimate Being in terms that sound like human characteristics.
D) A term for belief in a holy being that is impersonal, abstract, and diffused.
E) A term for belief in a holy being that is personal, with intentions, thoughts, and emotions.
F) A term meaning "final" or "at the end," describing that than which there is nothing greater.

Question 38

Matching: The letter of the correct definition given in the space provided.
-Ultimate

A) Describing Ultimate Being as somehow outside of and beyond the world.
B) Describing Ultimate Being as somehow within the world, though mysteriously.
C) Describing Ultimate Being in terms that sound like human characteristics.
D) A term for belief in a holy being that is impersonal, abstract, and diffused.
E) A term for belief in a holy being that is personal, with intentions, thoughts, and emotions.
F) A term meaning "final" or "at the end," describing that than which there is nothing greater.

Question 39

Saying the Ultimate Being is "ultimate" is like saying the red barn is red; it just does not tell us much.

Question 40

Native religions hold to the idea of animism, that is, spiritual beings that live within nature.

Question 41

Some Buddhists pray to and worship the Buddha.

Question 42

To study religion productively, the author advises us to use words such as "beliefs" or "opinions" rather than the word "truth."

Question 43

"Nirguna Brahman" is defined in the text as an Ultimate Being that has no qualities and yet is considered to be the energy or substance behind what we see and touch.

Question 44

According to monotheism, to say that God is "personal" means that God has thoughts and emotions.

Question 45

Pantheism suggests that the whole of the natural world is itself, in some sense, God.

Question 46

The Dao for Daoism is a concept both immanent and monistic.

Question 47

Buddhism has no Ultimate Being concept.

Question 48

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are essentially strictly monotheistic religions.

Question 49

In chapter 2, the text distinguishes between monotheism and monism. Give an example of a monotheistic Ultimate Being and a monistic Ultimate Being and note how the two are alike. Then especially note how they are different.

Question 50

Use the pronouns "He," "It," and "They" and explain what difference they make as pronouns for Ultimate Being.

Question 51

Use text examples to explain the concept of animism, noting both its monistic and polytheistic qualities.

Question 52

Explain the concepts of transcendence and immanence used to describe the relation of Ultimate Being to the world around us. Use examples from the text.

Question 53

Pick an example of a monistic Ultimate Being and a theistic Ultimate Being and explain their similarities and differences. Evaluate each concept philosophically and argue for one as more reasonable or logical than the other.