IUHS WH Final Capstone Project by Audrey Bang https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg FINAL COPY en-us 2017-10-12 15:32:42 UTC 2025-05-21 17:39:10 UTC hello@padlet.com INTRODUCTION - THE BEGINNING audreysebang https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196488843 2017-10-12 15:34:44 UTC https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196488843 MODULE 1 - THE NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION audreysebang https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196489077 Overview:
- The Neolithic period was the last of the Stone Age (last out of 3: Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic).
- This period is especially significant due to the spread of agriculture, ex: animal domestication, and the development of stone tools.
- The Neolithic period was less of a "revolution" and more of a gradual change.

The Neolithic Period may not be something you immediately associate with religion and beliefs; however, as Adam Benton's "Evoanth-dot-net" article explains, this "revolution" was related to so much more than simply agriculture and technology. He states that while the idea of religion itself was "...not amongst the package of new ideas and inventions which emerged during this (Neolithic) period", the period did mark the beginning of organized religion. Benton goes on to explain that this was the birth of "inceptions" of common religious institutions today, such as temples, priests, holy wars, and even an increase in “high moral-giving gods". He provides various reasons for such significant changes; however, there is only one which is "pretty definitive": perhaps increasingly complex societies (complex as in increased population, "economic complexity", and "the advent of agriculture") required and therefore promoted a more organized religion with more 'demanding' gods, so to speak, which motivated the people to co-operate.

How does this represent my theme?:
Not only did the Neolithic period form the root of religious tradition and ideas as we know it, but it also showed how religion & beliefs affect (and are affected by) seemingly 'non-religious' events and factors. Contrary to popular belief, my historical theme is not limited to events and people such as the Pope or the Crusades.]]> 2017-10-12 15:35:07 UTC https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196489077 MODULE 2- JUDAISM audreysebang https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196492209 Overview:
- Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion in the world.
- Jews believe in a "fierce desert god" named Yahweh.
- They adhere to the Torah, a holy book which recounts the conversion of figures such as Abraham and David while also describing the history of the Kingdom of Israel.

As you may have noticed, the image below (click here for its source) is not solely an image of Judaism--- rather, it presents the symbols of three different religions: Christianity, Islam, and, obviously, Judaism itself. This image, as simple as it may seem, expresses why I feel that the latter perfectly represents my historical theme...
Judaism was (is) the first monotheistic religion in the world. As simple as that statement may seem today, in ancient times, the idea of a single deity was rather odd. Most people believed in a wide array of gods and goddesses; in fact, even Abraham himself (the "father" of the three Abrahamic religions, as pictured below) was descended from a family of idol-makers!
"He was the son of Terach, an idol merchant, but from his early childhood, he questioned the faith of his father and sought the truth. He came to believe that the entire universe was the work of a single Creator, and he began to teach this belief to others" --- Jewish Virtual Library
In this sense, Judaism opened a 'gateway' for monotheistic religions; most notably, Christianity and Islam. It may be more accurate to say that the latter two are the figurative and literal offspring of the former, as it is believed that we all are descendants of Abraham (through either through Isaac or Ishmael). Namely, without Judaism, the other two religions would not exist! The significance of this statement increases dramatically when one realizes that there are 6.5 million Jews, 1.5 billion Muslims, and 2.2 billion Christians in the world today. That makes up over half of the population! The followers of these three religions have greatly contributed to (and participated in) numerous events and conflicts throughout history-- especially against each other. Check out this article on "Muslim-Christian relations".
To quote author Thomas Cahill,  former director of religious publishing at Doubleday: “The Jews started it all—and by ‘it’ I mean so many of the things we care about, the underlying values that make all of us, Jew and Gentile, believer and aethiest, tick. Without the Jews, we would see the world through different eyes, hear with different ears, even feel with different feelings ... We would think with a different mind, interpret all our experiences differently, draw different conclusions from the things that befall us. And we would set a different course for our lives.” Who'd have thought that such a tiny nation would so gravely impact the rest of the world?

How does this represent my theme?
I admit, I was initially hesitant to use the religion of Judaism for this assignment. I didn't want any issues of bias or "favoritism", in a sense, to arise. However, I feel confident that this shows how even a single religion can greatly impact people of other cultures/religions!
Most obviously, Judaism obviously represents my theme because it itself is a religion. ]]> 2017-10-12 15:39:45 UTC https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196492209 MODULE 3 - THE CRUSADES audreysebang https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196493750 Overview:
- Many historians continue to debate over a) the definition of a Crusade, b) when they (the Crusades) began, and c) whether or not they've truly ended. 
- The Crusades took place in the Medieval Period. They consisted of a series of wars, typically between European Christians and Middle Eastern Muslims, over the Holy Land. 

"You have modestly expressed a desire to know whether those who have recently died in war, fighting in defence of the church of God and for the preservation of the Christian religion and of the state, or those who may in the future fall in the same cause, may obtain indulgence for their sins. We confidently reply that those who, out of love to the Christian religion, shall die in battle fighting bravely against pagans or unbelievers, shall receive eternal life." - Pope John VIII
If any historical event is a symbol of religion and beliefs, it's the Crusades. And while John Green points out that they weren't initially a holy war (as in not necessarily Christians VS Muslims), they were most certainly "driven by religious faith".
The Middle Ages was a fantastic period--- for the church and nobles, that is. Not only did religious leaders have great authority over the people, but they also had arguable influence on the crown! This is especially evident from the astonishing reaction to Pope Urban II's call to action (for the first Crusade). Both men and women, nobles and serfs were more than willing to participate. This is due to numerous reasons: not only did he portray the battle as a pilgrimage with a "touch" of warring on the side, but numerous figures also promised the granting of indulgences ("remission of part or all of the temporal and especially purgatorial punishment that according to Roman Catholicism is due for sins whose eternal punishment has been remitted and whose guilt has been pardoned (as through the sacrament of reconciliation)"). Obviously, none of these factors would have held any significance, save for the incredible influence of the church at the time. Therefore, the Crusades are an amazing representation of the potential power of any religion/belief--- not just the Catholic church.  ]]> 2017-10-12 15:42:21 UTC https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196493750 BUT WHAT ABOUT TODAY? audreysebang https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196500885 2017-10-12 15:55:16 UTC https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196500885 MODERN EVENTS audreysebang https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196501629 There are probably hundreds of modern religiously significant events to choose from-- however, I've decided to discuss the terrorist attacks (ex: 9/11). I won't analyze a single event, as I'd like to "debunk" the numerous myths surrounding the various religions.
On that note: one must keep in mind that acts of terror are not solely inflicted by Muslim extremists. In fact, the article linked below states: "over the past year in parts of Asia, it is friction between Buddhism and Islam that has killed hundreds, mostly Muslims. The violence is being fanned by extremist Buddhist monks, who preach a dangerous form of religious chauvinism to their followers". Obviously, anyone who is even a little acquainted with Buddhism knows that Siddhartha Gautama's doctrine was one of compassion, peace, and love. However, it is so-called "radicals" (really not Muslims or Buddhists at all) who perform these treacherous deeds. 

Religion and belief systems usually provide their followers with various rules and methods to better themselves and therefore achieve some kind of 'reward' (heaven, nirvana, wisdom, etc). However, it is the context regarding these rules that often becomes an issue. Take, for example, the following verses:
 "This is what the Lord Almighty says ... 'Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' "
 ---1 Samuel 15:3, the Bible
“When you meet the unbelievers, smite their necks.”
---47:4, the Quran
“Do not allow a sorceress to live.”
---Exodus 22:18, the Bible
... and on and on. Clearly, these sections alone paint the Abrahamic religions as violent and bloodthirsty, and with no other purpose than to inflict harm and pain onto those who don't conform to their own lifestyle(s). In a sense, this would also supposedly "justify" the actions of terrorists such as Scott Roeder, a member of the "Christian" Patriot movement group, or Osama Bin Laden, founder of "Muslim" terrorist group Al-Qaeda. But what does the rest of these Holy Texts have to say?
“With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
--- Ephesians 4:2-3, the Bible
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man."
--- Proverbs 3:3-4, the Bible
“God does not forbid you from being good to those who have not fought you in the religion or driven you from your homes, or from being just towards them. God loves those who are just.”
--- Surat al-Mumtahana, 8, the Quran
“God does not love corruption”.
--- Surat al-Baqara, 205, the Quran
Are these verses contradictory? Maybe, if you aren't considering the historical and/or literary context. But that's beside the point. These verses prove that only the ignorant would claim that "ten percent of the world's Muslims are terrorist", or even that "all Jews/Christians hate gays", and etc.

You may be thinking, “you said yourself that terrorist attacks don't truly represent *insert religion/belief system here*". However, I believe that it's necessary to discuss such events, as they represent what happens when religion & belief systems are manipulated and abused. Without a proper understanding of the whole Christian religion, for example, we risk painting a picture of a religion in extremes: either a "love-Jesus-and-everything-will-be-all-happy-and-rainbows" doctrine (which it's not) or a message screeching "you'd-better-be-perfect-or-you'll-burn-in-Hell" on top of a soapbox.   
]]> 2017-10-12 15:56:40 UTC https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196501629 SO WHAT? WHO CARES? audreysebang https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196504395 NOTE: You may wish to open the comic first, as the text below is a sort of "response".
A lot of people may claim that religious and/or philosophical issues aren't "relevant" to the non-religious. However, as I stated in the first assignment, EVERYONE adheres to a religion or a belief. Whether it be in a god, a celebrity, a nation, or even themselves, we all have the innate need to trust and rely on something. Moreover, while you yourself may not be "religious", what about your fellow students? Your grandma? Or even your best friend? Whether you like it or not, your own world is unavoidably influenced by the people around you.
A great example of this occurs in politics: take, for example, voting. I find that this (religious influence) was especially obvious with the recent election. As most evangelicals identify as republican (and most agnostics/atheists as democratic) a republican leader such as Trump will likely impact policies on gay marriage, abortion, birth control, and et cetera.
It's kind of like this ripple effect.  ]]> 2017-10-12 16:01:51 UTC https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196504395 WHAT I'VE LEARNED audreysebang https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196861278 Click the link to open the comments on my reflection (with LINKS).
Obviously, I've learned a lot from this course! However, in terms of content, the Persian War and the Crusades were especially striking. I never knew the “undemocratic” side of the Athenians; nor did I truly understand how influential (and corrupt) the church really was. All my life, the Greeks/Europeans/”white” people in general had been portrayed as the good guys, and the opposing side (whether they be the Persians, the Muslims, etc) as the “bad”. The truth was surprising! I’d never really considered historical bias before. Obviously, I’d had a sense it existed, but I didn’t know that it was still so prevalent in modern society. 
As for my skills, I found that the various Boolean and Google Advanced Shortcut strategies were extremely helpful. I can now effectively narrow down or increase the number of my Google search results. I’ll definitely be using these in the future! Similarly, I’ve learned the benefit of doing research-- even on the sources themselves. I must analyze articles, statements, documents, and people in order to ensure that their information is free of error and (historical) bias.
Lastly, my personal growth was also greatly affected. Learning more about the different religions was an incredibly eye-opening experience. I hope that I will cease to view Muslims/Christians/Buddhists/Jews/etc. as “separate” or “irreconcilable”. While each religion does undeniably have its differences, these should not keep its followers from sharing and growing with one another! 
Moreover, I hope that I will remember to analyze my own bias. Obviously, having an opinion is NOT bad thing; however, it ceases to have beneficial purpose if we keep it from letting us see the world and each other as we truly are.
]]> 2017-10-13 15:31:01 UTC https://padlet.com/audreysebang/ttr09u3tsemg/wish/196861278