REL 1000 Religions of the World Exam 1 – Introduction to Religion and Hinduism
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025-2026 NEW Louisiana State
University
Exam 1 – Introduction to Religion and Hinduism
1. In Hindu teachings, which of the following can serve as a path to spiritual liberation?
a. studying sacred texts and knowledge
b. consistent acts of kindness and compassion
c. loving devotion to God
d. All of the answers given here are correct
e.purifying the physical body through the use of asanas
2. For the vast majority of modern Hindus, which deity is the least important?
a. Kali
b. Lakshmi
c. Shiva
d. Brahma
e. Vishnu
3. Russell McCutcheon's theory holds that religion,
a. is that which is of ultimate concern to any particular person
b. represents a collective mental disorder common among human beings, in which they spend their lives
trying to please an imaginary being
c. teaches the poor and powerless to remain silent and obedient in return for the promise of an eternal afterlife
d. is the attempt by human beings to live in harmony and alignment with the divine, however they understand it
e.begins with the community which forms around one or more sacred things
f. is all about the relationships human beings have with gods, goddesses, messiah figures, angels, saints,
spirits, ancestors, and other similar beings
g. begins with a human encounter with something vastly greater than human beings, which typically includes
some sort of paranormal phenomena
h. is just another way in which human beings attempt to shape society in accordance with their preferences i.
posits a fundamental problem of human nature, a solution to that problem, a path for reaching that solution,
and numerous example of people who have done this in the past
j. is comprised of seven dimensions, such as myth, ritual, inner experience, ethics, philosophy, the social group,
and material things
4. Karl Marx's theory holds that religion,
a. begins with a human encounter with something vastly greater than human beings, which typically includes
some sort of paranormal phenomena
b. teaches the poor and powerless to remain silent and obedient in return for the promise of an eternal afterlife
c. begins with the community which forms around one or more sacred things
d. represents a collective mental disorder common among human beings, in which they spend their lives
trying to please an imaginary being
e.is comprised of seven dimensions, such as myth, ritual, inner experience, ethics, philosophy, the social group,
and material things
, f. is just another way in which human beings attempt to shape society in accordance with their preferences
g. is all about the relationships human beings have with gods, goddesses, messiah figures, angels, saints,
spirits, ancestors, and other similar beings
h. posits a fundamental problem of human nature, a solution to that problem, a path for reaching that solution,
and numerous example of people who have done this in the past
i. is the attempt by human beings to live in harmony and alignment with the divine, however they understand it
j. is that which is of ultimate concern to any particular person
5. According to scholarly Hindu feminism, which of the following is not true of The Laws of Manu?
a. This text teaches that wives should worship their husbands as if they were deities
b. This text has always played a dominant role in Hindu culture
c. None of the answers presented here are correct
, d. All the answers presented here are correct
e.This text became of special importance during the years of British colonial rule
f. This text has been challenged and even rejected by some Hindu feminists
6. Jeff Kripal's theory holds that religion,
a. posits a fundamental problem of human nature, a solution to that problem, a path for reaching that solution,
and numerous example of people who have done this in the past
b. begins with a human encounter with something vastly greater than human beings, which typically includes
some sort of paranormal phenomena
c. is that which is of ultimate concern to any particular person
d. is just another way in which human beings attempt to shape society in accordance with their preferences
e. teaches the poor and powerless to remain silent and obedient in return for the promise of an eternal
afterlife f. represents a collective mental disorder common among human beings, in which they spend their
lives trying to please an imaginary being
g. is comprised of seven dimensions, such as myth, ritual, inner experience, ethics, philosophy, the social group,
and material things
h. is all about the relationships human beings have with gods, goddesses, messiah figures, angels, saints,
spirits, ancestors, and other similar beings
i. begins with the community which forms around one or more sacred things
j. is the attempt by human beings to live in harmony and alignment with the divine, however they understand it
7. Which of the following best describes the way in which most scholars approach defining "religion"?
a. All of the answers provided here are correct
b. They assume that the same definition applies equally well to instances of religion anywhere and
anywhen c. They assume that each scholar will use one or more different theories, depending upon
what they are studying d.
They expect other all other scholars to use the definition that they themselves use
e. They see the term as having one and only one correct definition
8. Within a traditional Hindu worldwide, the Sanskrit term Murti is best defined as,
a. the experience of being viewed by a god or goddess
b. a daily prayer practice which involves making offerings to a god or goddess
c. an idol
d. a receptacle for the consciousness of a god or goddess
e.offerings that have been blessed by a deity and are then given to human beings
9. The Sanskrit term Jati refers to,
a. the caste one is born into
b. All the answers provided here are correct
c. the end of the cycle of life-death-rebirth
d. the idea that the consequences of what we do in this life will follow us into the next life
e.the cycle of life-death-rebirth
10. Hindus have traditionally understood a human being as,
a. a self or soul that lives one and only one lifetime
b. soul or spirit, but not a physical body
c. a self or soul that will spend eternity in either heaven or hell
, d. a self or soul cycling through multiple bodies and multiple lifetimes
e.just a physical body, with no soul or spirit
11. Bob Oris's theory holds that religion,
a. is just another way in which human beings attempt to shape society in accordance with their preferences
b. teaches the poor and powerless to remain silent and obedient in return for the promise of an eternal
afterlife c. is comprised of seven dimensions, such as myth, ritual, inner experience, ethics, philosophy, the
social group, and material things
d. is all about the relationships human beings have with gods, goddesses, messiah figures, angels, saints, spirits,
ancestors,
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025-2026 NEW Louisiana State
University
Exam 1 – Introduction to Religion and Hinduism
1. In Hindu teachings, which of the following can serve as a path to spiritual liberation?
a. studying sacred texts and knowledge
b. consistent acts of kindness and compassion
c. loving devotion to God
d. All of the answers given here are correct
e.purifying the physical body through the use of asanas
2. For the vast majority of modern Hindus, which deity is the least important?
a. Kali
b. Lakshmi
c. Shiva
d. Brahma
e. Vishnu
3. Russell McCutcheon's theory holds that religion,
a. is that which is of ultimate concern to any particular person
b. represents a collective mental disorder common among human beings, in which they spend their lives
trying to please an imaginary being
c. teaches the poor and powerless to remain silent and obedient in return for the promise of an eternal afterlife
d. is the attempt by human beings to live in harmony and alignment with the divine, however they understand it
e.begins with the community which forms around one or more sacred things
f. is all about the relationships human beings have with gods, goddesses, messiah figures, angels, saints,
spirits, ancestors, and other similar beings
g. begins with a human encounter with something vastly greater than human beings, which typically includes
some sort of paranormal phenomena
h. is just another way in which human beings attempt to shape society in accordance with their preferences i.
posits a fundamental problem of human nature, a solution to that problem, a path for reaching that solution,
and numerous example of people who have done this in the past
j. is comprised of seven dimensions, such as myth, ritual, inner experience, ethics, philosophy, the social group,
and material things
4. Karl Marx's theory holds that religion,
a. begins with a human encounter with something vastly greater than human beings, which typically includes
some sort of paranormal phenomena
b. teaches the poor and powerless to remain silent and obedient in return for the promise of an eternal afterlife
c. begins with the community which forms around one or more sacred things
d. represents a collective mental disorder common among human beings, in which they spend their lives
trying to please an imaginary being
e.is comprised of seven dimensions, such as myth, ritual, inner experience, ethics, philosophy, the social group,
and material things
, f. is just another way in which human beings attempt to shape society in accordance with their preferences
g. is all about the relationships human beings have with gods, goddesses, messiah figures, angels, saints,
spirits, ancestors, and other similar beings
h. posits a fundamental problem of human nature, a solution to that problem, a path for reaching that solution,
and numerous example of people who have done this in the past
i. is the attempt by human beings to live in harmony and alignment with the divine, however they understand it
j. is that which is of ultimate concern to any particular person
5. According to scholarly Hindu feminism, which of the following is not true of The Laws of Manu?
a. This text teaches that wives should worship their husbands as if they were deities
b. This text has always played a dominant role in Hindu culture
c. None of the answers presented here are correct
, d. All the answers presented here are correct
e.This text became of special importance during the years of British colonial rule
f. This text has been challenged and even rejected by some Hindu feminists
6. Jeff Kripal's theory holds that religion,
a. posits a fundamental problem of human nature, a solution to that problem, a path for reaching that solution,
and numerous example of people who have done this in the past
b. begins with a human encounter with something vastly greater than human beings, which typically includes
some sort of paranormal phenomena
c. is that which is of ultimate concern to any particular person
d. is just another way in which human beings attempt to shape society in accordance with their preferences
e. teaches the poor and powerless to remain silent and obedient in return for the promise of an eternal
afterlife f. represents a collective mental disorder common among human beings, in which they spend their
lives trying to please an imaginary being
g. is comprised of seven dimensions, such as myth, ritual, inner experience, ethics, philosophy, the social group,
and material things
h. is all about the relationships human beings have with gods, goddesses, messiah figures, angels, saints,
spirits, ancestors, and other similar beings
i. begins with the community which forms around one or more sacred things
j. is the attempt by human beings to live in harmony and alignment with the divine, however they understand it
7. Which of the following best describes the way in which most scholars approach defining "religion"?
a. All of the answers provided here are correct
b. They assume that the same definition applies equally well to instances of religion anywhere and
anywhen c. They assume that each scholar will use one or more different theories, depending upon
what they are studying d.
They expect other all other scholars to use the definition that they themselves use
e. They see the term as having one and only one correct definition
8. Within a traditional Hindu worldwide, the Sanskrit term Murti is best defined as,
a. the experience of being viewed by a god or goddess
b. a daily prayer practice which involves making offerings to a god or goddess
c. an idol
d. a receptacle for the consciousness of a god or goddess
e.offerings that have been blessed by a deity and are then given to human beings
9. The Sanskrit term Jati refers to,
a. the caste one is born into
b. All the answers provided here are correct
c. the end of the cycle of life-death-rebirth
d. the idea that the consequences of what we do in this life will follow us into the next life
e.the cycle of life-death-rebirth
10. Hindus have traditionally understood a human being as,
a. a self or soul that lives one and only one lifetime
b. soul or spirit, but not a physical body
c. a self or soul that will spend eternity in either heaven or hell
, d. a self or soul cycling through multiple bodies and multiple lifetimes
e.just a physical body, with no soul or spirit
11. Bob Oris's theory holds that religion,
a. is just another way in which human beings attempt to shape society in accordance with their preferences
b. teaches the poor and powerless to remain silent and obedient in return for the promise of an eternal
afterlife c. is comprised of seven dimensions, such as myth, ritual, inner experience, ethics, philosophy, the
social group, and material things
d. is all about the relationships human beings have with gods, goddesses, messiah figures, angels, saints, spirits,
ancestors,
