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WORLD RELIGIONS
Social Studies 8
World Religions
Ms. Carey
World Religions
In Social Studies 8 we examine five
of the world’s largest religions. They
are:
1. Christianity
2. Islam
3. Judaism
4. Hinduism
5. Buddhism
So where did they originate? Who started them?
CHRISTIANITY
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Was founded in Palestine by the apostles (the 12 disciples) of Jesus
Christ.
Christianity is monotheistic (belief in only one God)
Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments were:
1. To love God with your whole being
2. To love your neighbour as yourself
Jesus and his apostles were Jewish but at the time, the Jewish authorities
thought that much of what Jesus taught seemed to go against the
traditions of Judaism and the Law.
At the same time, the Romans were very nervous about anyone who
might lead an uprising against them.
They killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross, which was the method of
execution reserved for common criminals.
The followers of Jesus believed that Jesus died and was raised from the
dead so that all people could share in eternal life.
Christianity…
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After Jesus died, his story was told in the Gospels of Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament of the Christian
Bible.
This new religion spread quickly along the trade routes of the
Roman Empire. The man most responsible for this was St. Paul
who traveled around building the community.
One reason for it’s popularity was that Jesus preached that all
people, including the poor, were precious to God.
If people were baptized and led good lives, they would go to
heaven after they died no matter how poor and powerless they
were in this life.
Christian Cathedrals
There are two different types of cathedrals:
1. Romanesque Cathedrals
2. Gothic Cathedrals
Holy Rosary Cathedral
Vancouver, BC
Gothic or Romanesque? You tell me…
Holy Rosary…
What is this?
JUDAISM
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Judaism took shape in Israel over 3000 years ago, and is still a
vital religion today.
Judaism is the oldest religion of the western world and has
influenced Christianity and Islam.
There are approximately fifteen million Jews throughout the world.
The Hebrews were the ancestors of the Jewish people and trace
their ancestry to Abraham, who left his home in the Mesopotamian
city of Ur about 2200BCE.
The Hebrews were different from others of their time because they
were monotheistic; they believed in only one God.
The Hebrews believed they had a special relationship with their
God and that they were his chosen people.
Judaism…
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To protect the relationship between a person and God, they follow
God’s laws. These include the 10 Commandments, which Jews
believe God gave to Moses as part of the Torah, the most
important of the Jewish Holy Books.
Over time, Jewish teachers and prophets have added comments
and interpretations to the Torah in the form of the TALMUD, a guide
for life and belief.
The Jewish place of worship is called a: SYNAGOGUE
Inside a Jewish Synagogue…
ISLAM
• Islam, which comes from the Arabic word for ‘submission’ began
in the 7th Century.
• This religion is based on the Qur’an (Koran) which Muslims
(believers in Islam) know as the word of God revealed to the
Prophet Mohammed.
• The Qur’an is the Islamic Holy Book.
• Believers of Islam are known as Muslims.
• Islam is now the world’s largest religion.
• Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last of a series of holy
prophets that included Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.
• A prophet is a holy messenger. Christians believe that Jesus is
God, while Muslims believe Allah is the only God and that
Muhammad was his messenger. Allah is an Arabic term that
means "the God" (al-El).
Islam…
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The Islamic house of worship is a mosque. Unlike Jews and
Christians, Muslims do not have a holy day, but many Muslims
gather in mosques on Friday afternoon for prayers. Muhammad
taught that believers should pray five times every day. Faithful
Muslims will stop whatever they are doing and bow down to pray.
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Mecca is a holy city to Muslims because it is the site of the Kaaba, a
small shrine that Muslims believe to be the most sacred spot on
earth. Muslims orient themselves toward the Kaaba during their daily
prayers. Every Muslim who makes the pilgrimage to Mecca walks
around the Kaaba seven times. Islamic tradition states that the stone
was originally white, but it had become black by absorbing the sins
of the millions of pilgrims who have kissed and touched it.
Islam….Con’t
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Ramadan is a sacred month to Muslims, and faithful Muslims fast
between dawn and dusk during Ramadan. To fast means to abstain
from eating. Ramadan is sacred because it is the month in which the
Quran was revealed to Muhammad. Muslims use a lunar calendar,
so Ramadan falls at different times each year.
BUDDHISM
Buddhism is a different religion because it does not include
worship of a god or gods.
Instead, it is based on the teachings of an Indian Prince,
Siddartha, who gave up wealth and family to seek an answer to
the misery of the world.
After much searching, he received enlightenment- the answerand became the Buddha, or ‘enlightened one’.
Religion in Ancient Chinamainly Buddhism
During the Han Dynasty, China was experiencing political
chaos, and life in the empire was changing.
It was during this time, that a new religion emerged in
China and it became very influential.
BUDDHISM- it spread through China first with the
wealthy and influential people. Later it would become
popular with everyone.
Buddhism….
Buddha said that suffering occurred only when people were too
concerned with themselves and their own desires and needs.
He believed that people should seek to free themselves of worldly
concerns through retreat into monastery or through mediation.
Ultimately, one’s soul would find NIRVANA - or peace and freedom
from desire and suffering.
The Spread of Buddhism
HINDUISM
 Hinduism is a major religion that began in India.
 Unlike other world religions, Hinduism has no known founder.
 It arrived in India with the Aryans from Northern India.
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Hindus call their beliefs “dharma” which means “duty” or “way
of life”.
The oldest holy books in Hinduism are the VEDAS and the
UPANISHADS.
They describe the actions of the Hindu gods and goddesses,
and have answers for many of the important questions about
life, suffering, and death.
Hinduism…
 Hinduism has many gods and goddesses, all of
which are forms of one God.
 The three most known are:
 Brahma- the creator
 Vishnu- the preserver
 Shiva- the destroyer
Re-Birth of the Soul
• Hindus believe that the soul, called the atman, does not die
with the body.
• Instead, it is reborn many times into different bodies.
• Karma governs this cycle of death and rebirth. (reincarnation)
• Hindus hope to free themselves from the illusions of the world,
and achieve moksha, which means ‘freedom of the soul’.
• The ideal Hindu life is one of selfless service and action.
• Hindus meditate and many dedicated, become Yogis.
Hinduism Sites of Worship
The Spread of Hinduism
The Spread of Religions…
REVIEW….
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There are many world religions that we have not discussed
but all have unique beliefs, traditions, and philosophies.
For our school SS8 Field Trip (Places of Worship) we will
be going to:
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A Cathedral (Christianity)
A Mosque (Islam)
A Temple (Hinduism or Sikhism)
A Synagogue (Judaism)
Your assignment:
- You must summarize ALL FIVE religions we covered today.
Each religion must have ONE PAGE of facts and information
summarized neatly for next class.
- You will be marked on effort and detail.
- It will be collected next class.