Catechism for Dummies Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hinduism

Meaning "shiny" or "exalted" in Sanskrit, "deva" is one of the terms denoting a deity in Hinduism; its feminine form is "devi". A very ancient word, first used in Vedic literature in the 2nd millennium BC, it is related to the name of the Greek god Zeus, as well as the Latin "deus" (from which the English word "deity" originated). In the Vedas, the Devas represent goodness and light, while their adversaries, the Asuras, are identified with darkness and abuse of power.

Of all extant major world religions, Hinduism is the only one that retains an explicitly polytheistic structure, in which many deities are worshipped. However, in the Vedas the Devas are presented as a supernatural concept that manifests itself in many different forms. This is why some eminent scholars of Eastern religions have described Hindu theology as a form of henotheism - the worship of a single, primary deity that does not deny the existence of other deities with the same characteristics.

Answer: Hinduism

Moksha, or mukti (from the Sanskrit "muc", meaning "to free") is a central concept shared by all the religions that have their origins in the Indian subcontinent. It refers to liberation from samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth; in Buddhism, the concept is usually referred to as nirvana (meaning "blowing out"). In Hinduism, moksha is the most important of the four aims of human life - the others being dharma (virtuous life), artha (material prosperity) and kama (pleasure, emotional fulfillment).

Moksha is achieved by letting go of material desires and developing a deep understanding of one's own soul and the universe. In Hinduism, there are four paths that can be followed in order to achieve moksha: bhakti (devotion), gnana (knowledge), karma (selfless service), and raja (meditation). The concept of moksha in Indian religions is closely connected to the view of human life as a form of bondage to the repeated cycle of rebirth, which subjects people to the burdens of aging, disease and injury.

Answer: Hinduism

In Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, ahimsa (Sanskrit for "non-injury") is the ethical principle of refraining from harming any living creature. The concept is particularly important in Jainism, where it extends to avoiding doing harm to the smallest of creatures, such as insects (or, according to some ancient Hindu texts, even plants). This avoidance applies to words and thoughts as well as actions. Ahimsa is also closely related to karma, since acts of violence have karmic consequences for anyone who commits them.

In ancient Hindu texts such as the "Mahabharata" and the "Ramayana", the precept of refraining from harming other living beings is contrasted with the need for self-defense in war and similar situations. In modern times, ahimsa is mostly associated with Mohandas K. Gandhi and his non-violent resistance movement, which he named "satyagraha" (loosely translated as "persistence").

Answer: Judaism

The Hebrew word kashrut refers to the set of dietary laws with which followers of Judaism are expected to comply. The adjective kosher ("suitable") indicates food that may be consumed according to these laws; its opposite, treif, literally means "mangled". Based on the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy of the Hebrew Bible (part of the Torah), the complex laws of kashrut are mainly concerned with the consumption, preparation and storage of meat, fish and dairy products. The laws contain a detailed list of animals that may be eaten by practicing Jews, as well as rules for the ritual slaughtering of animals that prevents any blood from being consumed.

Over the past century or so, the certification of products, manufacturers and restaurants as kosher has become quite common. This entails the display of a symbol or certification issued by a rabbinical court, called "hechsher" ("prior approval"), on a package, media advertisement, or commercial establishment.

Answer: Judaism

Known in Yiddish as yarmulke, a kippah (Hebrew for "dome") is a small round cap traditionally worn by Jewish males as a sign of respect for God and their faith. According to Jewish religious authorities, it is mandatory to wear a kippah during prayer: however, in some communities it is also worn on other occasions, as when entering a synagogue or other sacred space. Orthodox Jews tend to wear the kippah at all times, while in non-Orthodox communities it has become acceptable for women to also wear one.

In modern times, the colour and fabric of a kippah may signify association with a specific religious movement. Kippahs are frequently knitted or crocheted in a concentric pattern, but they can also be made of velvet, suede or other material, with embroidery or other decorations. Non-Jews may also wear a kippah as a mark of respect for the Jewish faith when entering a synagogue or participating in official ceremonies.

Answer: Judaism

Used in Jewish religious ceremonies, the shofar is a musical instrument made of the horn of a ram or other ruminant animal. Frequently mentioned in the Bible and other religious literature, in ancient times it was also used to announce the start of a war. In modern Judaism, the shofar is traditionally sounded on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year: this two-day festival is called Yom Teruah in the Bible, meaning "a day of blasting". The horn is also blown at the end of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which occurs ten days after Rosh Hashanah.

While the ram is usually the animal of choice for the construction of a shofar, the horn of any animal from the Bovidae family (except the cow, which is regarded as a last resort) may be used. In Yemen and parts of Africa, the long, spiraling horn of the greater kudu, a large antelope, is often employed. The horn needs to be heated to soften it prior to being shaped. As the shofar does not have valves or other pitch-altering devices, it requires quite a lot of skill on the part of the player. Jewish law requires the shofar to be sounded in sequences that alternate various types of blasts, each of which has its own name.

Answer: Islam

The Arabic word hajj refers to the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca that takes place once a year during Dhu al-Hijjah, the twelfth and last month of the Islamic calendar. As one of the Five Pillars of Islam, it is mandatory for every adult Muslim who is physically and financially capable to undertake the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. A person who has completed the hajj is given the honorific title of Hajji. The main goal of the pilgrimage is the Kaaba, a stone building located at the centre of Islam's holiest mosque, the Masjid al-Haram. Pilgrims must walk around the Kaaba seven times in a counterclockwise direction (a ritual called tawaf), beginning at the corner of the building that contains the Black Stone, a relic believed to date back from the time of Adam and Eve. The complex rites of pilgrimage are performed over a period of five or six days.

Unfortunately, in recent times the hajj has often made the news because of accidents or other occurrences that have caused the deaths of thousands of people - such as a stampede in 1990, and a particularly severe heatwave in the summer of 2024. Given the importance of the hajj for the economy of Saudi Arabia, a government ministry was established in 1945 to deal with every aspect of the pilgrimage and of its lesser counterpart, the Umrah, which can be undertaken at any time of the year.

Answer: Islam

The shahada (Arabic for "testimony") is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It is a profession of faith in the form of an oath (hence its name), declaring "I bear witness that there is no deity but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God". In Shia Islam, there is an optional third part proclaiming that "Ali is the 'wali' (friend or helper) of God". The shahada is also part of the adhan, the first call to prayer recited by a muezzin five times a day. Reciting the shahada with true conviction is usually regarded as enough for a person to become a Muslim.

The first sentence of the shahada reflects the monotheistic nature of Islam and its firm rejection of other deities, while the second sentence reaffirms the role of Muhammad as a prophet of God, the last of a long line of prophets. The shahada is recited during the five canonical daily prayers (salat). as well as in occasions such as the birth of a child or a person's death. It is also frequently used in Islamic art and architecture, and appears on the national flags of Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.

Answer: Islam

In Sunni Islam (practiced by the vast majority of the world's Muslims), an imam is the prayer leader of a mosque, who usually also serves as a community leader. An imam may also lead prayers outside of a mosque (as long as there is a group of at least two people), and usually delivers the sermon during the Friday congregational prayer service. Imams are chosen on the basis of their moral character and their knowledge of the Koran and the Sunnah (the body of traditions and practices of the prophet Muhammad). In many mosques, they are officially appointed and paid a salary; however, there are cases in which a member of the congregation may act as a prayer leader.

In Shia Islam (practiced mainly in Iran, Iraq and Azerbaijan), imams are infallible leaders of the Islamic community, anointed by God. Only descendants of the prophet Muhammad (twelve in number) have a right to the title of imam. Many Shi'ite Muslims believe that the twelfth imam, Muhammad ibn al-Hassan (who lived in the 9th century AD), is the promised Mahdi, a Messiah-like figure who will return at the end of times to bring peace and justice to the Earth. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the 1979 Islamic revolution, is officially known as Imam in Iran.

Answer: Christianity

A Greek word meaning "offering", in the Old Testament anathema denoted either something or someone dedicated to God as a sacrifice, or cursed and thus dedicated to evil (such as the weapons used by enemies in religious wars). The New Testament adopted the negative connotation of the word, which Paul employed to denote expulsion from the Christian community. In the Early Middle Ages, anathema became synonymous with a formal decree of excommunication issued by the Pope or other high-ranking Church official against heretics. One of history's most famous anathemas was issued in 1054 against Michael I Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople, the instigator of the Great Schism between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

In the mid-16th century, anathema entered the English vocabulary with the meaning of "something cursed" (though not necessarily by ecclesiastical authorities), while in modern English the word has come to mean something detested or shunned. In the most recent version of the canon law of the Catholic Church, the term anathema is no longer used.

Answer: Christianity

Derived from the Greek word "khrisma" ("ointment"), chrism refers to the consecrated oil that is used in Western and Eastern Christianity to administer certain sacraments or in other religious functions. Made of olive oil mixed with a perfumed substance (usually balsam), chrism is consecrated by a bishop during a special Mass that takes place on the morning of Holy (Maundy) Thursday. It is then stored in a dedicated container called chrismarium: cathedrals hold a larger vessel that parish churches use to refill their own smaller ones.

In Roman Catholicism, chrism is chiefly used in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation (also known as Chrismation) and holy orders; it is also used to consecrate churches and altars. Many Christian churches and denominations also use chrism for the rite of unction, or anointing of the sick, which is considered a sacrament by the Catholic Church. Chrism is also used in the coronation of a monarch - as recently seen on the occasion of the coronation of King Charles III of the United Kingdom on 6 May, 2023.

Answer: Christianity

Also known as a bishopric, a diocese (a word of Greek origin meaning "administration") is the territorial jurisdiction of a bishop. Larger dioceses administered by an archbishop - usually coinciding with metropolitan sees - are called archdioceses. The term is mainly used in Roman Catholicism and the Church of England and Anglican Communion; in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the words "eparchy" is employed, as bishops are called eparchs. In both Western and Eastern Christianity, dioceses are often grouped into ecclesiastical provinces to facilitate cooperation on a regional basis. Dioceses are in turn divided into smaller territorial units called parishes.

While a number of Lutheran Churches have both bishops and dioceses, many other Protestant denominations have bishops that rule over areas not called dioceses - such as the "circuits" of the British Methodist Church.