Comparison of Jainism and Confucianism

REL212 Week 4 Assignment 1: Comparison of Two Religions

1. Select two (2) religions from those that we have studied so far. Identify and describe the cultural and geographical origin of each religion.

2. Identify and describe three (3) specific religious practices of each religion.

3. Provide a specific example of how each religion is practiced in different parts of the world today.

4. Use at least three (3) quality resources as references for the assignment and document your sources using APA Style for in-text citations and references.

5. Write clearly and coherently using correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and mechanics.

Week 4 Assignment #1

Religion 212 – World Religions

Professor

February 6, 2014

Assignment

Jainism and Confucianism originate in two different countries. Their beliefs and practices appear very different in many aspects. Even though two religions can be founded in two different countries and can seem to focus on two totally different aspects of life, some similarities can still be found between the two of them.

Jainism began in the Indis Valley. It’s most recent discoverer was Mahavira, meaning the ‘Great Hero’, which was also the twenty-fourth Tirthankara (Fisher, M. P., 2014). Jainists view Tirthankaras as ideal examples of spiritual triumph. According to Jain theory, there are twenty-four Tirthankaras in all. Many scholars believe that the first twenty-two Tirthankaras are mythological and that the last two, Parsva and Mahavira, are the only two that hold any historical significance (Niels C. Nielsen, Jr., Norvin Hein, Frank E. Reynolds, Alan L. Miller, Samuel E. Karff, Alice C. Cowan, Paul McLean, and Timothy Paul Erdel , 1988). This is mainly due to the fact of the historical documentation of their lives that exist today.

On the other hand, Confucianism began in China and was founded by Kong Zi whose name was later Latinized in the West as Confucius...