Reference no: EM133097093

Discussion Questions

1. In an older book on world religion called The World's Religions, author Huston Smith said he would describe only "religions at their best," and not discuss things like violence or sexism that are also part of many religious traditions. Why do you think Smith made this decision? Why did the author of Religion Matters think it was important to describe both positive and negative features of religious traditions?

2. What is essentialism and why is it a problem if we want to understand how religions work in the world? How can we think about religions differently in order to avoid essentialism?

3. What is perennialism? Why do many people--including many college students--like the idea of perennialism? Why does this textbook reject the idea of perennialism and focus on the differences between religions instead of their similarities?

4. While most religions have an idea of sacred spaces, Hindu tradition is especially tied to the land of India. In what ways does Hinduism incorporate sacred spaces? How might this become an obstacle as Hinduism spreads to other continents? And how might Hindus in other parts of the world adapt these traditions to new locations?

5. The author calls Hinduism "the least dogmatic and most diverse of the world's religions." In what ways is this statement true? What is it about the history and philosophy of Hinduism that makes it so diverse?

6. Numerous gods, goddesses, and heroes from Hindu literature are described in this chapter. Of all these characters, which is most appealing to you, and why?

7. In the United States and Western Europe, one in five adults believes in reincarnation but thinks about this idea "optimistically." How does this Western "optimistic" idea of reincarnation differ from traditional Hindu attitudes about reincarnation?