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Faith & Critical Reason and the Expression of Faith

Essay Instructions:

THEO1000.L07

Faith & Critical Reason

Fordham University Lincoln Center

Fall 2021

Final Exam

The exam is worth 100 points. Each Question in Part I is worth 3 points. Part II is worth 25 points. An opportunity for extra credit is available at the conclusion of the exam.

Directions: Download this .word file and fill in your answer below each question in the designated space, succinctly responding to each one. Maintain the present format. Do not add any additional lines.

Part I: Short Answer

 1.      A text is a set or series of signs and symbols interpreted by a reader. What is the difference between a symbol and a sign? In your explanation, provide an example of both a symbol and a sign occurring in the context of a singular text (in other words, identify a single text, and flag an example of both sign and symbol within it).

Catherine Albanese’s working definition of religion is “a system of symbols (Creed, Code, and Cultus) by means of which people (a community) locate themselves in the world with reference to both ordinary and extraordinary powers, meanings, and values.”

2.       What does “locating oneself” mean, as Albanese uses the term above and how does this relate to her ideas of spaces and boundaries?

3.      Is “theology” a term that is exclusive to the domain of Christianity? Explain why or why not.

4.      What is the difference between “experiential/mystical” and “scientific/academic” theology?

5.      Why is theology called “The Queen of the Sciences”?

 

Consider the following:

According to Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a Bengali expression of Hinduism, 5 unique things can be said about the deity: (1) He has inconceivable potency; (2) Uncountable universes generate from His body; (3) He is the original source of all incarnations; (4) He is the giver of salvation to the enemies whom He kills; (5) He is the attractor of liberated souls.

According to John Scotus Eriugena, a nine century Irish Neoplatonist philosopher and poet,  “We do not know what God is. God itself does not know what it is because it is not anything. Literally God is not, because it transcends being.”

6.      Looking at the excerpts from Gaudiya Vaishnavism and Eriugena above, what is the key distinction in the methodological approach taken in describing the divine?

During the French Enlightenment, Voltaire penned the following in his Philosophical Dictionary under the entry for the term “superstition”: The superstitious man is to the rogue what the slave is to the tyrant. Further, the superstitious man is governed by the fanatic and becomes fanatic. Superstition was born in Paganism, adopted by Judaism, and infested the Christian Church from the earliest times. All the fathers of the Church, without exception, believed in the power of magic. The Church always condemned magic, but she always believed in it: she did not excommunicate sorcerers as madmen who were mistaken, but as men who were really in communication with the devil.

7.      Voltaire’s excerpt evinces a shift in epistemic paradigm during his time. Tell me about that epistemic paradigm shift, and, engaging the text above, and describe how is demonstrated.

8.      What four things is faith typically misunderstood as?

9.      What is the meaning of the term “faith”?

10.  What is the difference between faith and hope? Provide an example.

11.  Terrence Tilley argued that both scientific and religious systems exercise reason and faith. How does a person exercise faith with regards to science?

12.  According to Malise Ruthven, what is fundamentalism and where did the term originate?

13.  True or False: Fundamentalism is a traditionalist movement that is opposed to modernity. Explain your answer.

14.  Sociologist Emile Durkheim argues that religion performs three key functions in society. State the three functions and explain them, providing an example of each.

15.  Are government structures (executive, legislative, and judicial) in the United States religiously neutral? Using some example, why or why not? In your response, include the following terms: Secular/secularism, public space,

16.  What genre of writing is the following?

The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, The world, and those who live in it.

(Psalm 24:1)

17.  List five examples of a sacred text.

18.  Why are these texts considered authoritative by their respective communities?

19.  What is James Cone’s argument in “Whose Earth is it Anyway?”

20.  James Cone is a theologian. State the task of theology and identify the key theological claims that he makes in advancing his argument.

21.  What is the origin of fundamentalism

22.  What the role of scripture within fundamentalism

23.  How has the meaning of fundamentalism changed from its original use?

24.  There is diversity within each religious tradition. That is, not all religious believers—even believers within a single religious community or tradition—believe the same things. Provide three examples of religious diversity within a community or tradition.

25.  What is the key difference between unbelief and atheism?

 

Part II. Your Expression of Faith

This semester, we have unpacked, examined, and discussed questions related to expressions of faith and belief. For this portion of the exam, you will critically examine and discuss your own expression of faith. For this essay, discuss a core belief or value that you profess. In articulating this belief or value, you must integrate the major themes/ideas/concepts we are explored in the course.

Please use the following outline and guidelines to structure your discussion:

1.      Tell a story about you: Be specific. Describe your own expression of faith  in the abstract and ground it in the events that have shaped you and/or your core values. Consider moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, work, and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching—it can even be funny—but it must be authentic. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs.

2.      Be brief: Your statement should be between 500 and 600 words.

3.      Name your belief: If you can’t name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also, rather than writing a list, consider focusing on one core belief.

4.      Be positive: Write about what you do believe, not what you don’t believe. Avoid statements of religious dogma, preaching, or editorializing.

5.      Be personal: Make your essay about you; speak in the first person. Avoid speaking in the editorial “we.” Tell a story from your own life; this is not an opinion piece about social ideals. Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak..

Extra Credit (10 Points)

Faith and Critical Reason acquainted you with the theories and methods (that is, the techniques used to identify, process, and analyze information about a topic) of theology and religious studies. In the Youtube video “Is Bitcoin a Religion,” the author applied religious and theological methods to something outside the discipline of theology—the world of finance and monetary theory. That is, he described cryptocurrency in religious terms. Your challenge (should you choose to accept it) is to identify something outside the theological/religious domain and analyze using the intellectual tools we developed in this class, and describe it here. (No longer than one page, please)

Essay Sample Content Preview:
THEO1000.L07
Faith & Critical Reason
Fordham University Lincoln Center
Fall 2021
Final Exam
The exam is worth 100 points. Each Question in Part I is worth 3 points. Part II is worth 25 points. An opportunity for extra credit is available at the conclusion of the exam.
Directions: Download this .word file and fill in your answer below each question in the designated space, succinctly responding to each one. Maintain the present format. Do not add any additional lines.
Part I: Short Answer
1 A text is a set or series of signs and symbols interpreted by a reader. What is the difference between a symbol and a sign? In your explanation, provide an example of both a symbol and a sign occurring in the context of a singular text (in other words, identify a single text, and flag an example of both sign and symbol within it).
[A sign is a language form used by a target audience to directly communicate while a symbol is a representation of an object or process acceptable by a specified group of people. For example, a cross is a symbolic representation of Christianity while traffic signs that indicates what is ahead on the road is a sign]
Catherine Albanese’s working definition of religion is “a system of symbols (Creed, Code, and Cultus) by means of which people (a community) locate themselves in the world with reference to both ordinary and extraordinary powers, meanings, and values.”
2 What does “locating oneself” mean, as Albanese uses the term above and how does this relate to her ideas of spaces and boundaries?
[Locating oneself means having an identity and orientation about the religious aspects, such as the truth that confines and surround an individual. Having an identity of oneself makes one realize personal boundaries and space that one maintains while interacting with others. Self-orientation is the first step to creating personal boundaries and space.]
3 Is “theology” a term that is exclusive to the domain of Christianity? Explain why or why not.
[Theology is not exclusive of Christianity domain. This is because theology covers different religions and the impact of religion on the society. History, philosophy, and anthropology may all be covered in theology through analysis of different religions, not only the domain of Christianity]
4 What is the difference between “experiential/mystical” and “scientific/academic” theology?
[Mystical theology is a branch where meditation, contemplative prayer, and spiritual experiences are applied in learning about God without using other spiritual knowledge while scientific theology is a branch of theology that seeks to study about God and religion by deriving the knowledge from doctrines such as the scriptures, systematic exhibitions, and science of life]
5 Why is theology called “The Queen of the Sciences”?
[Theology is the queen of sciences because scientific studies evolved from the principles and knowledge covered by the standards of the bible. Since science entails the knowledge about the temporal world in general, theology covers knowledge about both God and his creations on earth, thus reigning above as a queen.]
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