Deck 5: The Languages of Religion

Question 1

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

Answer 1

Literally, "to draw out"; referring to the process of deriving doctrine and truth claims from a religion's authoritative writings.

Question 2

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

Answer 2

The art of interpretation, often involving explicit theories and methods for deriving meaning from a text.

Question 3

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

Answer 3

A story culturally or religiously used to define the nature of life or a particular people group; the story may be of literally cosmic proportions, telling us something about the origins or meaning of humanity or the world or some specific cultural phenomenon.

Question 4

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

Question 5

What is the definition of the following term:
-proof texts:

Question 6

What is the definition of the following term:
-wisdom literature:

Question 7

According to the author, the focus of this chapter is

A) holy languages within a religion, such as Latin, Sanskrit, or Arabic.
B) how to memorize sacred scriptures.
C) myth, history, poetry, and parables.
D) problematic uses of foul words in scriptures.

Question 8

The discussion on the American dream is

A) utterly irrelevant to this topic.
B) an example of historical narrative.
C) an example of myth.
D) an example of a parable.

Question 9

When reading a religious story as myth, we should

A) understand that the story isn't really true.
B) try to see how the story explains who we are in a broad and meaningful way.
C) read the story as literally as possible to be honest with the text.
D) stop trying to make sense of the story because no one really knows what it means.

Question 10

The discussion on the Gospel of Luke (Christianity) is an example of

A) history.
B) myth.
C) parable.
D) poetry.

Question 11

According to our text, historical language and parables are different because

A) historical language is narrative or story-like, but parables are a kind of poem.
B) historical language tries to place its events and people in time and space, but parables have no real purpose.
C) historical language tries to place its evens and people in time and space, but parables use a fictional case for moral or other teaching.
D) historical language is true, but parables are false.

Question 12

According to the textbook, it does not make sense to ask who the characters in a parable really were because parables

A) are about lessons, not about history.
B) are never used as an important part of religious story-telling.
C) are totally clear without having to analyze them much.
D) can mean anything you want them to mean.

Question 13

St. Paul's letters were noted in this chapter as what kind of literature?

A) instruction
B) poetry
C) history
D) wisdom literature

Question 14

Wisdom literature can be distinguished from parables because

A) wisdom literature tends to teach a lesson, but parables do not.
B) parables tend to be narrative stories, but wisdom literature is more like a wise old saying.
C) parables come from the Christian Bible, but wisdom literature comes from Confucianism.
D) wisdom literature is easy to interpret, but parables are difficult.

Question 15

9 The texts notes the following piece of scripture as what kind of "language"? O Babylon, you will be destroyed.
Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us.
Happy is the one who takes your babies
And smashed them against a rock!

A) ethical instruction
B) history
C) poetry
D) a parable

Question 16

The following piece of scripture is from which religion?
O Babylon, you will be destroyed.
Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us.
Happy is the one who takes your babies
And smashed them against a rock!

A) Judaism
B) Taoism
C) Islam
D) Sikhism

Question 17

According to our text, when we read a religious poem,

A) the poetry adds beauty to truth.
B) the poetry can make the message more difficult to understand accurately.
C) we may have to interpret the poem as more than one "language" type.
D) all of the above

Question 18

The textbook uses the following poem as an example from which religion?
The five colors make man's eyes blind;
The five notes make his ears deaf;
The five tastes injure his palate;
Riding and hunting make his mind go wild with excitement;
Goods hard to come by serve to hinder his progress.
Hence the sage is for the belly, not for the eye.
Therefore, he discards the one and takes the other.

A) Buddhism
B) the Psalms of Judaism
C) Daoism
D) Confucianism

Question 19

The text and the lecture argued that the process of interpreting scripture

A) is up to each individual to decide what he or she wants scriptures to mean for him or her.
B) can only be done properly by trained scholars, so the rest of us should not try to read scripture.
C) is difficult and needs to be done carefully and thoughtfully.
D) is simply a matter of quoting "proof texts" to prove a religious point.

Question 20

The science of interpretation is known as [hint: it is also the title of a subsection of the chapter]

A) context and application.
B) inductive and deductive.
C) wisdom literature.
D) exegesis and hermeneutics.

Question 21

The discussion on Saint John's Gospel had to do with

A) a disagreement between Christians and Jews on the relationship between Jesus and the "Word."
B) A disagreement between Christians and Muslims on the relationship between Jesus and the "Word."
C) An explicit statement in which the Gospel text says Jesus is God.
D) The fact that both Muslims and Christians read the New Testament the same way.

Question 22

Matching: The letter of the correct definition is given in the space provided.
-Analects of Confucius

A) Instruction
B) Myth
C) Parable
D) Poetry
E) Wisdom Literature

Question 23

Matching: The letter of the correct definition is given in the space provided.
-Epistles of St. Paul

A) Instruction
B) Myth
C) Parable
D) Poetry
E) Wisdom Literature

Question 24

Matching: The letter of the correct definition is given in the space provided.
-Psalms of David

A) Instruction
B) Myth
C) Parable
D) Poetry
E) Wisdom Literature

Question 25

Matching: The letter of the correct definition is given in the space provided.
-Story of the Good Samaritan

A) Instruction
B) Myth
C) Parable
D) Poetry
E) Wisdom Literature

Question 26

Matching: The letter of the correct definition is given in the space provided.
-Story of White Buffalo Woman

A) Instruction
B) Myth
C) Parable
D) Poetry
E) Wisdom Literature

Question 27

Wisdom literature contains instruction that is considered to be universal rules; that is, they are always true and applicable, every time, and in every circumstance.

Question 28

The teachings of Confucius, though wise, do not offer any religious instruction.

Question 29

The Bible contains poetry.

Question 30

The Bible contains wisdom literature.

Question 31

According to the author, history, myth, and parable are all kinds of narrative.

Question 32

According to the author, history, myth, and parable can all be read as the same kind of "language."

Question 33

Christianity teaches that the Old Testament story of Passover can be read as an historical event but also read as a symbol of how Jesus would be the salvation for all humanity.

Question 34

Most religious literature is just straightforward instruction on what to believe and what to do.

Question 35

Our textbook claims that, given the religious authority of a scriptural text, one can settle disputes about doctrine just by quoting a "proof text."

Question 36

Many pieces of scriptural text can be read in more than one way, such as being both poetry and instruction, history and myth, and so on.

Question 37

Give an example from this chapter of a mythic narrative and explain what it means to call it "myth."

Question 38

Look at the example in the textbook regarding literature about trees. Then, from your own knowledge, come up with two similar examples and clarify the difference between writing for explanation or instruction and writing a poem. Note why reading for the right "language" is important in your example.

Question 39

When Confucius says, "The moral virtue of the king is like the wind, and that of the people is like grass: whichever way the wind blows, the grass bends," he is trying to teach something about the importance of the moral character of the leader. Read this saying as wisdom literature and explain how it might be best understood.

Question 40

In class, we briefly discussed Zhuangzi, an important Daoist writer, and his literary style. Following this question is a short excerpt from his work (Section 4). Discuss what kind of "language" you think he is writing and how you can tell. Also say how that helps you understand what he means, or at least how it helps you avoid unnecessary questions or possible confusions.
Carpenter Shih saw a gigantic oak tree in the center of a village, but he passed it by without giving it a second look. "It's a worthless tree," he said, because its great branches were so twisted and gnarled and couldn't be made into anything. That night the oak tree appeared to him in a dream and said, "You compare me to more 'useful' trees, but their utility makes life miserable for them. As for me, I've been trying a long time to be of no use. If I had been of some use, would I ever have grown so large?" (Zhuangzi, Chuang Tzu, Basic Writings. Edited by Burton Watson. New York: Columbia University Press, 1964, pp. 60-61)

Question 41

Pick a story, such as a religious creation narrative, an apocalypse, or perhaps stories of miracles such as the resurrection of Jesus or the appearance of Krishna to Arjuna, and read the story both as myth and as history. What difference does it make in your