Deck 15: The Ecological and Economic Crises-Humans and Resources

Question 1

Of the following religions, __________ does has a primarily anthropocentric rather than ecocentric worldview.

A) Daoism
B) Hinduism
C) Judaism
D) Shinto
E) Zen Buddhism

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Theravada Buddhism emphasizes ecological themes in the life of the Buddha, the teaching of the __________ self-indulgence and self-denial.

A) extremes of
B) ignorance of
C) illumination of
D) Middle Way between
E) secession of

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The Buddhist teaching of __________ best reflects awareness of mutuality among humans and non-human life.

A) desire
B) impermanence
C) the Middle Way
D) Nirvana
E) suffering

Answer 3

B

Question 4

According to Hindu tradition, a person is born into wealth or poverty because of __________.

A) genes
B) God's will
C) luck
D) one's behavior in past lives
E) one's parents' social standing

Question 5

According to the World Bank, __________ percent of the world's population lives in "absolute poverty."

A) 0
B) 5
C) 20
D) 50
E) 80

Question 6

According to Lynn White, __________ is the most anthropocentric religion the world has ever seen.

A) Christianity
B) Hinduism
C) Jainism
D) Sikhism
E) Theravada Buddhism

Question 7

The notion that we are part of the land and the land is part of us most clearly reflects the indigenous ecological theme of __________.

A) embeddedness
B) interconnectedness
C) non-violence
D) reciprocity
E) reverence

Question 8

According to Theravada Buddhism, the greatest wealth is __________ .

A) contentment
B) fulfilling whatever ambition you have
C) a library full of books
D) loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind
E) poverty

Question 9

__________ teaches that humanity has been given authority by God over other creatures.

A) Hinduism
B) Islam
C) Jainism
D) Shinto
E) Theravada Buddhism

Question 10

The principal themes of Jewish environmentalism are divine ownership of nature, respect for the natural order, maintenance of the harmony of the earth, and __________.

A) man's superiority over woman and nature
B) non-violence toward all forms of life
C) respect for humanity as superior to the natural order
D) reverence for the sacred quality of the natural world
E) none of the above

Question 11

Taking only what is needed and replacing what is used most clearly reflects the indigenous ecological theme of __________.

A) embeddedness
B) interconnectedness.
C) non-violence.
D) reciprocity.
E) reverence

Question 12

The paper walls of __________ houses reflect a sense nature's participation in what humans create.

A) African
B) Canadian
C) European
D) Japanese
E) Native American

Question 13

Because it focuses primarily on humans and their relations with one another in a moral community, __________ is thought not to be concerned with the environment.

A) Confucianism
B) Daoism
C) Hinduism
D) Islam
E) Theravada Buddhism

Question 14

the Hindu deity or concept that best reflects awareness that humans are bound together with natural processes is __________.

A) action (Karma)
B) Aranyani, the forest goddess
C) Duty (Dharma)
D) ignorance (Avidya)
E) liberation (Moksha)

Question 15

"Buddhist economics" is based on an ethic of __________.

A) being blessed by God
B) propriety
C) restraint
D) rigorous self-denial
E) self-promotion

Question 16

"Trust the people, then leave them alone" is a principle of __________.

A) Confucianism
B) Daoism
C) indigenous religions
D) Islam
E) Theravada Buddhism

Question 17

The belief that, since nature will care for itself, human intervention should be kept to a minimum is most clearly found in __________.

A) Christianity
B) Daoism
C) Islam
D) Shinto
E) Sikhism

Question 18

Because of its teaching of strict non-violence toward all forms of life, __________ offers perhaps the most radical environmental ethic of all the world's religions.

A) the Baha'i Faith
B) Christianity
C) the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
D) Jainism
E) Judaism

Question 19

A __________ teacher said, "If righteousness be put last, and profit be put first, they will not be satisfied without snatching all."

A) Confucianism
B) Daoism
C) Jainism
D) Secular Humanism
E) Shinto

Question 20

According to Jainism, the only effective means to bridge the growing gulf between rich and poor is __________.

A) divine intervention
B) following the commandment of God to give a portion of one's income to the poor
C) government intervention
D) limiting one's needs and giving the surplus to the needy
E) a revolution by the poor

Question 21

Defend (or challenge) the assertion that the ecological crisis is fundamentally a religious crisis requiring religious solutions.

Question 22

Evaluate the significance of the biblical teachings about the sabbatical year and the Jubilee in light of the ecological themes discussed in this chapter.

Question 23

Roman Catholicism teaches that __________.

A) corporate profits are the top priority for economic development
B) the dignity and justice of workers supersedes the demand for corporate profits
C) economic growth must be achieved by those best able to compete in a globalized world
D) a free-market economy is morally inadmissible
E) it is permissible to set aside environmental impact for the short run for the sake of economic development

Question 24

Explain the principle of tikkun olam and its significance to the ecological and economic crises of the contemporary era.

Question 25

__________ is the Jewish concept that God and humans are "partners in the fate of the world-God cannot achieve full justice without human assistance."

A) at motset hen b'nai
B) l'chaim
C) masorah b'torah
D) shalom
E) tikkun olam

Question 26

Discuss the differences between Roman Catholic approaches to the ecological and economic crises of the contemporary era versus those of Protestant Christianity.

Question 27

Discuss the following claim: "The popularity of Islamicist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas can be attributed in large measure to their work to alleviate the suffering of those who have not benefitted from the globalized economy and who are victims of the inept management of national economies by corrupt regimes" (333). Give examples to defend or refute this claim.

Question 28

Compare the Muslim understanding of zakat with the common American understanding of "charity" as giving what is left over after having paid one's other expenses. What significance do you see in the differences?

Question 29

The movement called liberation theology emerged in the __________ branch of Christianity.

A) Eastern Orthodox
B) Evangelical Protestant
C) Liberal Protestant
D) Pentecostal
E) Roman Catholic

Question 30

Defend (or challenge) the assertion that the monotheistic religions, especially Christianity, have contributed significantly to the creation of the ecological crisis.

Question 31

__________ prohibits the charging of interest as a source of income?

A) Daoism
B) Hinduism
C) Islam
D) Jainism
E) Shinto

Question 32

Compare and contrast indigenous ecological teachings with the ecological themes of three religions: one that originated in South, one that originated in East Asia, and one that originated in the Middle East.

Question 33

Supporters of globalization claim that poverty will best be alleviated through __________.

A) government regulations on business
B) individual acts of charity by the wealthy
C) a revolution of the poor
D) a world network of free trade
E) a worldwide religious revival

Question 34

The main difference between Islamic economics and capitalism is the absence of interest as a source of income. Discuss the significance of this fact for economic development,

Question 35

Distinguish among biocentric, ecocentric, and anthropocentric worldviews and their understandings of the place of humans in the natural world, drawing on examples from the religions studied in this chapter to illustrate the