Download File

World Religions 101 – Resource: Religious Literacy by Stephen Prothero
Secular/Atheist/Non-religious/Agnostic – This larger grouping includes all people who
deny the existence of any and all gods, Although many commonly believe that affirming
God is the prerequisite for any religion, some religions are atheistic: neither Buddhists
nor Taoists typically worship any divine beings or Gods. If grouped together the total
world-wide population is close to 850 million. It is also important to understand that
people who describe themselves as atheist or non-religious do have a moral compass or a
set of values that guide their life.
Judaism – A major monotheistic religion (smallest in terms of followers but very
influential on other monotheistic religions) in which followers attempt to follow the
Torah, or “law”. Today there are about 14 million Jews worldwide but Judaism gave
birth to the two largest religions in the world – Christianity and Islam. These
monotheistic religions together constitute the “Abrahamic” religions because of their
intertwined history and belief systems. Judaism’s scripture is called the Tanakh, which is
a combination of the Torah (the five books of Moses), Neviim (book of prophets and
history) and Ketuvim (including Psalms, Proverbs, Job and sacred songs). Important
concepts are the covenant, or relationship between Abraham and God (which was broken
and remade through the cycle of exile and return) and God’s commandments which are
closely adopted by Christians.
Christianity – The world’s largest monotheistic religion with a total population of
nearly 2.1 billion followers. Christians see sin (intentionally violating divine or moral
law) as the core human problem. Christians describe being freed from sin as salvation
which brings eternal life in Heaven. The story of Jesus is recorded in the New Testament,
which along with the Old Testament constitutes the Christian Bible. The dominant
Christian view is that Jesus is the Son in the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
The story tells of how Jesus was crucified, bearing the weight of human sin and that
through his death humans can reach salvation. Key practices include baptism (initiation
by water), and Holy Communion (a reenactment of the Last Supper where Jesus shared
with his followers before his arrest, trial and execution). The religion is guided by the 10
commandments and also includes differing uses of religious sacraments (a religious
ceremony involving tangible objects: bread, wine, water etc.). Three main branches of
Christianity are Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestantism.
Islam – The faith of over 1.3 billion people and the world’s second largest religion. Islam
literally means “submission” and Muslims show their submission by practicing the Five
Pillars of Islam: praying toward Mecca, fasting during the month of Ramadan,
almsgiving (help the less fortunate), going on pilgrimage to Mecca, and testifying that
there is no other god but Allah and Mohammed was his prophet (messenger). Their holy
book, the Quran, speaks about caring for the poor, a day of judgment, and a future bodily
resurrection. The holiest cities are Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem (in that order). The
religion is divided into two larger branches the Sunnis (the majority) and the Shiiites.
Much like Christians and Jews, Muslims believe that if you have lived a righteous and
devout life you will be received into heaven.
Buddhism – A philosophy or religion founded in northern India by Siddhartha Gautama,
who became known as the Buddha or “Awakened One”. Worldwide followers of
Buddhism are close to 360 million people. Buddhists believe that the core to human
problems is dukkha or suffering (dissatisfaction). They trace the origin of suffering to
ignorance (not knowing). Buddhists seek to bring an end to suffering by eliminating
desire and ignorance. Traditionally they do not see Buddha as a god but simply someone
who has achieved enlightenment or nirvana. Followers believe in karma (idea that your
actions now and in the past will influence your future). Chanting and meditation are
common practices amongst followers. Buddhist followers are extremely pacifist (do not
believe in conflict or war to resolve problems).
Hinduism – A very diverse, polytheistic, Indian religion with nearly 900 million
followers. Hinduism includes beliefs regarding the concept of reincarnation and also
includes practices such as yoga. Although there is no official scripture followers do
reference the writings in the Vedas, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita. Hinduism also
has no identified founder because it was created by God (atman) who has been eternally
present. Many scholars point out that Hinduism is very God centered whereas most
monotheistic religions place a strong emphasis on the prophet. All divinities (from the
good-natured cowherd, Krishna to the elephant headed Ganesh, remover of obstacles)
that Hindus worship are simply manifestations (different physical versions) of God.
Hinduism’s concept regarding creation started with the life giving sound and vibration of
Om/Aum. Although Hinduism outwardly appears polytheistic many Hindus are
monotheistic and insist that underlying these many versions is one Absolute Reality.
None of the Hindu endorse caste-based discrimination (treating people poorly because
they are of a lower social ranking)