Study Materials

I INTRODUCTION The Last Supper According to tradition, the Eucharist has its origins in Jesus’ words to his disciples at the Last Supper, to eat the bread and drink the wine in remembrance of him. Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper (about 1495-1497) is one of the most famous religious paintings of all time.EPA/ANSA/AFP Eucharist […]

Archives consist of articles that originally appeared in Collier’s Year Book (for events of 1997 and earlier) or as monthly updates in Encarta Yearbook (for events of 1998 and later). Because they were published shortly after events occurred, they reflect the information available at that time. Cross references refer to Archive articles of the same […]

Archives consist of articles that originally appeared in Collier’s Year Book (for events of 1997 and earlier) or as monthly updates in Encarta Yearbook (for events of 1998 and later). Because they were published shortly after events occurred, they reflect the information available at that time. Cross references refer to Archive articles of the same […]

I INTRODUCTION Social Darwinism, term coined in the late 19th century to describe the idea that humans, like animals and plants, compete in a struggle for existence in which natural selection results in “survival of the fittest.” Social Darwinists base their beliefs on theories of evolution developed by British naturalist Charles Darwin. Some social Darwinists […]

I INTRODUCTION Human Evolution, lengthy process of change by which people originated from apelike ancestors. Scientific evidence shows that the physical and behavioral traits shared by all people evolved over a period of at least 6 million years. One of the earliest defining human traits, bipedalism—walking on two legs as the primary form of locomotion—evolved […]

I INTRODUCTION Christianity, the most widely distributed of the world religions, having substantial representation in all the populated continents of the globe. In the late 1990s, its total membership exceeded 1.9 billion people. Like any system of belief and values—be it Platonism, Marxism, Freudianism, or democracy—Christianity is in many ways comprehensible only “from the inside,” […]

I INTRODUCTION Greek Mythology, set of diverse traditional tales told by the ancient Greeks about the exploits of gods and heroes and their relations with ordinary mortals. The ancient Greeks worshiped many gods within a culture that tolerated diversity. Unlike other belief systems, Greek culture recognized no single truth or code and produced no sacred, […]

I INTRODUCTION Roman Mythology, the religious beliefs and practices of the people of ancient Rome. At first the Romans envisioned their gods more as powers than as persons, and as a result there is little mythology that is purely Roman. According to Roman scholar Marcus Terentius Varro, only after the Romans came into contact with […]

I INTRODUCTION Muhammad (prophet) (570?-632), last prophet of Islam, whose revelations, encompassing political and social as well as religious principles, became the basis of Islamic civilization and have had a vast influence on world history. Muhammad was born in Mecca. He belonged to the clan of Hashim, a poor but respected branch of the prestigious […]

I INTRODUCTION Plato (428?-347 bc), Greek philosopher, one of the most creative and influential thinkers in Western philosophy. II LIFE Plato was born to an aristocratic family in Athens. His father, Ariston, was believed to have descended from the early kings of Athens. Perictione, his mother, was distantly related to the 6th-century bc lawmaker Solon. […]