Write a well-organized essay on each of the two questions below. Each answer is worth 15 points for a total credit of 30 points for the entire exam. As you prepare your answers be sure you are addressing the issues raised in each prompt. You may use any sources you wish in addition to the ,material from the assigned readings, lectures and discussion. If you choose to use footnotes instead of identifying sources in the text you may use any of the three major systems: Chicago, MLA, APA. To cover the material adequateley each questions will probably require a 4-5 page double spaced exposition. However, you will not be graded on the basis of the length of your essays. Do not include irrelevant or extraneous materials.
1.The “Axial Age” and its aftermath saw the development of the “Great Traditions” which shaped all subsequent human cultural development and continue to this day to influence modern societies. Examine the distinctive features of these traditions from the Abrhamic faiths (Christianity and Judaism) to their Chinese (Confucianism and Taoism), Indian (Vedic Brahmism, Hinduism, Buddhism) and Persian (Zoroastrianism) counterparts. What do they share? How are they different from each other? How did the historical context in which they emerged and developed influence their development?
2.Professor Gary Anderson in his article “The Current of Creation” is concerned with one of the most distinctive aspects of the Abrahamic Faiths and how it developed. Analyze step by step his argument on the evolution of Charity in Judaism and Christianity, its distinction from contemporary paganism and its influence on the Abrahamic faiths. Discuss in general what his article tells us about the evolution of ideas and their transmission to other traditions and cultures.
These essays will be due in class on december 5th!
