DSST Introduction to World Religions Exam

The DSST Introduction to World Religions exam can help you earn college credit for what you already know about the world 's religions. If you have a good understanding of religion, including Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity (among others), you might want to consider taking the DSST Introduction to World Religions exam.

A DSST Test is a prior learning assessment program designed to measure what you already know. If you pass the DSST Introduction to World Religions exam you can earn three upper-level baccalaureate semester hours. You should check with your academic advisor to confirm that your college or university accepts DSST exams, and to discuss whether this particular DSST exam is a good choice for your academic career.

The DSST Introduction to World Religions exam covers these main religious topics:

• Definition and Origins of Religion
• Indigenous Religions
• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• Confucianism
• Taoism
• Judaism
• Christianity
• Islam
• Religious Movements.

To study for the DSST Introduction to World Religions exam, you should check out a DSST study guide, which provides an exam outline, practice questions, and other resources. You may also want to check out some common reference books about world religions.

One of the best ways to study for DSST exams is to compare an exam outline with the table of contents from the reference books and concentrate on the points that overlap.

DSST Introduction to World Religions Practice Questions

1. The term basic religion generally applies to:

A. Religions that are ultimately concerned with release from the cycle of life, death, and rebirth
B. Religions that believe in the divine judgment of the world
C. Missionary religions, such as Christianity and Islam
D. Religions of contemporary people whose religious ideas are not preserved in written form

2. In Western cultures, religion is typically defined in terms of:

A. Collective and social identities on the basis of spiritual criteria
B. Set of beliefs having to do with a god or gods, through which people are taught a moral system
C. The number of followers it has
D. The way people deliver themselves from their plight without the help of a god or gods

3. Social scientists began to propose a number of different theories about the origins of religion during the ________________.

A. Middle Ages
B. Eighteenth century
C. Neolithic Age
D. Nineteenth century

4. Mana, a Melanesian term considered by some to be the basis of religion, is defined as:

A. An unseen force believed to inhabit extraordinary persons, objects, or phenomena
B. The recognition of a special relationship between a human and a species of animals, plants, or inanimate objects
C. The veneration and use of natural or prepared material objects with special potency for the purpose of averting evil or attaining powers
D. A way of dealing with the spirit world through an individual recognized as spirit-possessed and gifted in dealing with supernatural forces

5. Using the list provided, which of the following shows the correct pairing of a scholar with his theory about the origin of religion?
I. Wilhelm Schmidt—Original monotheism
II. Ludwig Feuerbach—A projection of human needs
III. Sir James George Frazer—Nature worship
IV. Edward Burnett Taylor—Animism

A. I, II, and III
B. II, III, and IV
C. I, II, and IV
D. I, II, III, and IV

6. Which of the following is NOT one of the three basic types of religious violence?

A. Acts of violence that are inherently religious
B. Acts intended as punishment for people believed to be evil
C. Violence directed toward government leaders
D. Violent clashes between religious communities

7. Commonly found in indigenous religions of Native North America, South America, and Africa, the belief that trees, rocks, rivers, plants, and animals are spiritually alive is known as _____________.

A. Creationism
B. Animism
C. Traducianism
D. Speciesism

8. Native North American religions can best be described as all of the following EXCEPT __________________.

A. Polytheistic
B. Monistic
C. Monotheistic
D. Monastic

9. Among the Incas of Peru and the Aztecs of Mexico, human sacrifice was:

A. Forbidden by the gods of the hunt
B. Performed only in times of drought
C. Routine and extremely important to the cultures
D. Considered an abomination against the sanctity of human life

10. In many indigenous African religions, including the Yoruba of West Africa, the High God appears as a creator who:

A. Withdrew from active participation in the world after creating it
B. Demanded yearly human sacrifices in his honor
C. Punished those who betrayed him by cursing their children
D. Lived on earth in human form before ascending to the heavens

DSST Introduction to World Religions Practice Questions Answer Key