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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why is the question of "is this all" relevant to Hinduism?

2. How might the rise of Buddhism be compared to the Protestant Reformation?

3. What is the Zen koan?

4. What is the irony of Buddhism and India?

5. Why did Confucius earn the title of First Teacher?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is there so much emphasis on self-examination in Buddhism?

2. What is the gist of Philosophical Taoism?

3. Tell how one word came to epitomize Buddhism.

4. How did the Buddha get his name?

5. What is the symbolism of the rafts in Buddhism?

6. When did Confucius begin his mission of teaching the people?

7. In what way is Buddhism a religion of introspection?

8. Explain how Huston Smith made his arbitrary decisions about what to include in his book.

9. What was the political condition in China as Confucius began his teaching?

10. Explain how Huston Smith compares his book to other survey studies.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay on the ultimate goal of all religions. In your essay mention the different concepts of heaven or nirvana as held by different religious thought. Contrast the ideas of achieving perfection and the ideas of a place.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay on different approaches to suffering. All religions recognize the existence of suffering but approach the subject in different ways. Select two or three religious teachings on suffering and draw either parallels or contradictions.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay on the idea that "if there were no god, man would have invented one." From your study of the world's religions, discuss that idea in light of the different ways a Supreme Being is conceived of in various religions.

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