The Origins and Appeal of Christianity

Slides:

#13-Christianity

Lecture:

  • October 23rd at 10:30 am
  • Optional Lecture Readings, World History, Chapter 6, pages 253-256; 259-260.

Muhammad and His Message: The Spread of Islam

Slides: 

#14-Muhammad and His Message

Lecture:

  • October 25th at 10:30 am
  • Optional Lecture Reading, World History, Chapter 8, pages 296-325.

Assignments

Short Essay Version 1 is due October 25th. For more information, see: 

Short Essays

Tutorials this week

Tutorials this week will focus on the topics of “The Foundations of Universal Religions” and “The Universalism of Buddhism”. 

Readings (all available in Worlds of History):

  • “Svetasvatara Upanishad” (Chapter 6, Reading 1)
  • “Buddhism: Gotama’s Discovery” (Chapter 6, Reading 2)
  • “Buddhism in China: The Disposition of Error” (Chapter 7, Reading 4)

Questions to think about:

  • How did Hinduism influence early Buddhism? How are the two faiths similar to one another? In what ways did Buddhism make the most substantial changes? Why?
  • “Gotama’s Discovery” was written down some years after the death of the Buddha. What image of the Buddha does this document present? Do you think it reflects the Buddha as understood during his lifetime or the revered religious figure he became?
  • What can we learn about the attempts of missionaries to convert Chinese Confucians to Buddhism? How can this document help us understand the universalism of Buddhism?