Religions of the Middle East
Class Notes for Tuesday, April 2, 2002
Professor Borrowdale

Differences between western and eastern religions:

WESTERN
Judaism, Christianity and Islam
God is personal - “He” not “It”
Can do anything
Like us – “made man in his own image” Jealous, but also “is good” and is a moral being
Emphasis on prayer and worship
Emphasis is on scriptures…this is the key to understanding the religion. (Ex. The Koran is literally the word of God)

EASTERN
Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism
God is impersonal – “It”, abstract
Emphasis is on personal religious experiences
Emphasis on meditation


Then added at next class: (April 4)
WESTERN
Transcendent God (separate from the universe he created.
“Monotheism” – belief in one God

EASTERN
God is part of the universe…it emanates from “him”. Creates universe from “himself” or “he” IS the universe.

“Pantheism” – all that exists is God. “God I all and all is God”



Assignment: (These questions different slightly from those handed out on Thursday, but this is how they were written on the board on the first day of class.)

Read 1st three chapters of Genesis. Write out answers to these questions:

1.Compare creation accounts in Genesis 1 and 2.

2. Look at what God says and what the serpent says will happen in Genesis 2. Who lied?

3. What sort of things do you think Genesis 1-3 intended to explain?


(Term: “Etiological stories” – explains how things are today.)