Relg 120 F14: Exam 2 Study Guide

Part I (Short Answer): You should be able to explain the following concepts:
  • Explain the problems in Chinese society confronted by Confucius
  • The potential solutions to this problem that Confucius did not pursue.
  • The solution Confucius pursues. 
  • The difference between "Spontaneous Tradition" and "Deliberate Tradition."
  • The five key virtues or values of Confucius' "Deliberate Tradition."
  • The Confucian conception of the self and the concept of Hsin.
  • The debate over whether Confucianism is a religion or ethical system.
  • The three senses or meanings of Tao.
  • The three forms of Taoism and the key terms associated with each.
  • The other Taoist values discussed in class.
  • The life of Muhammed including the major events in his life as they relate to the development of Islam.
  • The Islamic understanding of the nature of the Koran.
  • The Muslim conceptions of: God, Creation, The Human Self, and The Day of Judgment.
  • The Five Pillars of Islam.
  • The three major divisions in Islam.
  • The Jewish account of the Torah.
  • The eight areas in which the Jewish people and Judaism find meaning.
  • The role of revelation in Judaism.
  • The Jewish conception of the "Chosen People."
  • The Jewish attitude towards Israel.
Part II (Essay): Explain the influence that Judaism has had on Islam as discussed in lecture and The World’s Religions. A successful essay should discuss at least two significant positive influences and two significant negative influences that Judaism has had on Islam.

Grading Criteria for Exam Essays: The goal for the student is to provide evidence that s/he has read and considered the course material and is able to write intelligibly about the concepts covered therein. You want to identify the prompt to which you are responding and provide evidence that you have understood the material. 

To earn an A, your responses provide evidence of the ‘B’ standards below, plus that you have really thought about the concepts covered in the reading and lectures: 
  • You use very original examples to illustrate the concepts of the reading. 
  • You apply very specific events or discussions from the reading to some new situation. 
  • Your writing is excellent and/or your style is very interesting 
To earn a B or higher, your responses provide evidence of your having read and comprehended the material. In addition to the ‘C’ standards below: 
  • You apply ideas from the reading to correspondent ideas presented in the classroom. 
  • You use examples from the lectures to illustrate the concepts in the reading. 
To earn a C or higher, your responses provide evidence of your having read and comprehended the material. 
  • You answer correctly all basic questions about the main ideas and characters. 
  • You show recognition of all main ideas or characters’ names and their respective associations. 
  • You correctly identify all concepts introduced or reviewed in the reading. 
  • You correctly identify and apply all terms from the reading and lectures. 
  • Your writing is relatively free from spelling and grammatical errors. 
  • You use examples from the reading or lectures to illustrate your answers. 
To earn a D or higher, your responses provide some evidence of your having read, thought about, and comprehended the material: 
  • You answer correctly some but not all basic questions about the main ideas. 
  • You show some recognition of main ideas or characters’ names. 
  • You correctly identify some but not all concepts introduced or reviewed in the reading and lectures. 
  • You correctly identify and apply some but not all terms introduced or reviewed in the reading and lectures. 
To earn an F, you provide hardly any or no evidence of having read, considered, and comprehended the material.
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