World Religions Questions

his is worlds religions philosophy Questions , and be sure to read each question carefully and answer completely (some of the essays require you to answer more than one question).

1- We considered a disagreement between Islamic philosophers with respect to prophecy.

One school of thought is that true prophets are not only not necessary but not even possible, while the other says prophets are a social necessity.

Explain the arguments for these positions in about a paragraph each.

2- Maimonides interpreted the god of Judaism to be inconceivable but also thought that studying theology and philosophy was a worthwhile pursuit that could bring us closer to god. Are these two beliefs in tension? Why or why not?

3- One of the distinctions between fundamentalist and universalist interpretations of religion is that universalists are perhaps better able to read supernatural stories as being metaphorical or allegorical. This enables one to maintain a naturalistic or scientific worldview and still consistently follow their religion’s teachings (remember Hume thinks we can’t even believe in miracles).

Using a metaphoric/allegoric interpretation explain ONE purportedly miraculous story from any of the religions we’ve studied so that it would be consistent with commitments of science/naturalism.

For example… the immaculate conception, the resurrection of Christ, Moses parting the Red Sea, etc.

4- Each of the religions we’ve studied have different “levels” of meaning or significance (that is, lay people might have one set of practices/beliefs whereas a priestly class may have a different system).

(1) Give a specific example of these levels for one religion from the text book or class discussions and (2) give an explanation of why these levels of meaning exist in religious contexts.

(A satisfactory answer will need to be at least a pretty sizable paragraph.)

5- Are there any candidates for a virtue, belief, or practice that all of the five religions we’ve examined share in common? Use specific examples to defend your answer. (Obviously if you answer yes, you should name the commonly held belief, practice, or virtue.)

Good luck!