Understanding World Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, and More
Understanding Key World Religions and Philosophies
Hinduism
Hinduism, originating in Northern Asia, India, and North Oceania, centers around the concept of Brahman. Brahman, Shiva, and Vishnu are recurring figures. The living being, matter, and body are considered a prison in South Asia.
Buddhism
Buddhism emerged in the 6th century BC with Buddha. Buddha’s path to release guides individuals towards peace, profound understanding, and ultimate happiness. Existence is viewed as ephemeral and filled with pain.
Judaism
Judaism revolves around Yahweh. It is a religion of the people, where God makes Himself known through history.
Islam
Islam, originating in North and East Africa and Southwest Asia in the 6th century AD, follows the teachings of Muhammad. The Quran is the absolute dogma, established by five principles: professing faith, daily prayer, alms to the poor, pilgrimage to Mecca, and fasting during Ramadan.
Leo XIII: Rerum Novarum
Rerum Novarum (1891) emphasizes the right to private property, state intervention to ensure public and private rights, workers’ rights to adequate wages, and condemnation of class struggle.
Pius XI: Quadragesimo Anno (1931)
During Pius XI’s papacy (1922-1939), amidst the First Great Depression and the New York Stock Exchange crisis, Quadragesimo Anno proposed an intermediate system between socialism and capitalism, advocating for Christian charity.
John XXIII: Mater et Magistra (1961) and Pacem in Terris (1963)
During John XXIII’s papacy (1958-1963), amidst the Third Industrial Revolution, Mater et Magistra and Pacem in Terris addressed social issues.
Vatican II: Gaudium et Spes
Gaudium et Spes (1963-1965) from Vatican II studied individual dignity and the mission of the Church in the world.
Feuerbach
Feuerbach distinguished humans from animals by their capacity to develop self-awareness. He argued that humans attribute their own qualities to God, making God a mirage and religion a reflection of humanity.
Freud
Freud’s model of the human psyche includes the id (instinctive part, pleasure principle), superego (morality, duty), and ego (reality principle).
Nietzsche: Suffering
Nietzsche viewed suffering, pain, and illness as sources of fear and weakness, proclaiming the death of God and the emergence of the Superman.
Camus
Camus highlighted the absurd elements of human existence, rejecting transcendent solutions to death and innocent suffering.
Mounier: Personalism
Mounier defined a person as a spiritual being, constituted by subsistence and independence, unified by free activity and vocation. Personalism emphasizes the individual’s reality.
Key Religious Concepts
Mystery
Mystery is anterior and superior to humanity, a sacred presence that invites reorganization of personal life towards transcendence.
Sacred
The sacred cannot be treated casually; it belongs to God and inspires awe.
Idolatry
Idolatry involves treating things as absolute realities when they are not supernatural.
Magic
Magic involves performing acts to master occult forces.
Superstition
Superstition is the belief that something can punish a person for certain actions.
Religion
Religion encompasses texts and practices that connect humans to the ultimate mystery.
Belief
Belief is the acceptance of principles as an expression of personal commitment to living.
Faith
Faith is trust in someone’s way of being or conducting themselves.
Religious Attitude: Myth and Manifestations
Myths explain the why and wherefore, with God as the most important character in an epic symbolic action.
Rite
Rites connect a person to the divine, creating a drama.
Prayer
Prayer is the word through which a religious person elevates their mind.
Moral
Morality is the lyrical expression of the person-God relationship manifested in certain behaviors.