Born in 570 CE in Mecca in Saudi Arabia, ______ was the prophet and founder of the Islamic faith. Orphaned when young, he lived under the protection of his uncle. His career as a prophet began around 610 CE, with his first experience of scriptural revelation.
Who is Muhammad?
100
A pejorative word used by Christians to designate pagans.
What is pagani?
100
The codified written volumes of the traditions of Judaism; produced by the rabbis of Galilee around 400 CE.
What is the Talmud of Jerusalem?
100
What we would today call India. Called "____" by Xuanzang, a Chinese Buddhist pilgrim who visited the area in the 630s and 640s CE.
What is "Indu?"
100
One of three major deities that form a trinity in Vedic religion. Signifies birth.
What is Brahma?
200
The "emigration" of Muhammad and his followers out of a hostile Mecca to Yathrib, a city that was later called Medina. The year in which this journey took place, 622 CE, is also year 1 of the Islamic calendar.
What is hegira?
200
A church council convened in 325 CE by Constantine and presided over by him as well. At this council, a Christian creed was articulated and made into a formula that expressed the philosophical and technical elements of Christian belief.
What is the Council of Nicaea?
200
A formal statement of faith or expression of a belief system. A Christian "____" was formulated by the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE.
What is a creed?
200
A school of Buddhist theology that believed that the Buddha was a deity, unlike previous groups that had considered him a wise human being.
What is Mahayana Buddhism?
200
Religious texts based on early Vedic teachings.
What are the vedas, or the rig veda?
300
The spiritual and political leaders of the Islamic community.
What are caliphs?
300
A form of Christianity practiced in Egypt. It was doctrinally different from Christianity elsewhere, and Coptic Christians had their own views of Christology, or the nature of Christ.
What is Coptic Christianity?
300
In Daoist ritual, this refers to the use of trance and meditation or chemicals and drugs, respectively, to cause transformations in the self.
What are internal and external alchemy?
300
A form of Buddhism that accepted the divinity of Buddha himself but not of demigods, or bodhisattvas.
What is Hinayana Buddhism?
300
A religious practice that grew out of Hinduism and emphasizes personal devotion to gods.
What is bhakti?
400
The Arabic word for "community"; used to refer to the "Islamic politu" or "Islamic community."
What is the umma?
400
Roman or Byzantine emperor who ascended to the throne in 527 CE. In addition to his many building projects and military expeditions, he issued a new law code.
Who is Justinian?
400
After 300 CE religion touched more areas of society and culture than before and touched them in different, more demanding ways.
What is spiritual ferment?
400
Buddhist priests and teachers. In the Mahayana school, they were seen as divine.
What are bodhisattvas?
400
The second of three Vedic deities, signifying existence.
What is Vishnu?
500
Literally, "striving or struggle," this word also connotes military efforts or "striving in the way of God." It also came to mean spiritual struggles against temptation or inner demons, especially in Sufi, or mystical, usage.
What is jihad?
500
A denomination of Christians whose beliefs about Christ differed from those of the official Byzantine church. Named after Nestorius, former bishop of Constantinople, they emphasized the human aspects of Jesus.
What are Nestorian Christians?
500
People executed by the Roman authorities for persisting in their Christian beliefs and refusing to submit to pagan ritual or belief.
What are martyrs?
500
A renowned Buddhist scholar and missionary who lived from 344 to 413 CE. He was brought to China by Chinese regional forces from Kucha, modern-day Xinjiang.
Who is Kumarajiva?
500
The third of three Vedic deities, signifying destruction.