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Concept Connector Study Guide
Belief Systems
Essential Question: What major belief systems have emerged over time?
A.
Define belief system.
B.
Record information about the topics listed in the Cumulative Review or your answers to
the questions in the Cumulative Review below. Use the Concept Connector Handbooks at the
end of your textbook, as well as chapter information, to complete this worksheet.
1. Animism
The belief that the world is full of spirits and forces that reside in animals, objects,
or dreams is known as animism. Animism has existed since prehistoric time. Cave
paintings may be evidence that early peoples held animist beliefs. The paintings
lie deep in caves, far from the everyday activities of the early people. They feature
vivid images of deer, horses, and buffaloes. Some cave paintings show people,
too. Scholars believe the paintings may have been created as part of animist religious rituals. Today animism is considered a primal-indigenous belief.
2. Judaism
Scholars date the origins of Judaism to around 2000 B.C. The Jews of ancient history were known as Hebrews or Israelites. The beliefs of the Israelites differed in a
significant way from other ancient people. The Israelites were monotheistic,
believing in one God. The Israelites believed that God had made a covenant, or
promise and binding agreement, with them. If the Jewish people obeyed God’s
commands, God would make Israel a great nation. Today, Judaism is considered
a major world religion. Judaism influenced both Christianity and Islam.
3. The Influence of Religion on Ancient Egyptian and Israelite Society
People in many early civilizations established belief systems that helped shape
their societies. For example, religious beliefs about gods, values, and the afterlife
affected daily life in ancient Egypt. Egypt's rulers, or pharaohs, were viewed as
gods. Tremendous resources were used to prepare people for the afterlife.
Israelites believed in an all-knowing, all-powerful God who was present everywhere. They believed that each event in their history reflected God's plan for
them. As a result, they recorded events and laws in the Torah, their sacred text.
Unlike ancient Egyptians, Jews saw their leaders as fully human and bound to
obey God's law.
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BELIEF SYSTEMS (continued)
4. Compare the Views of Ancient Egyptians and Ancient Indians
Different societies often have different beliefs about the results of a person’s
actions during his or her lifetime. The ancient Egyptians believed that after death
a soul had to pass a test to win eternal life. Egyptians learned spells and formulas
to use in the afterlife to prove their worthiness to the gods. Unlike ancient
Egyptian beliefs, ancient Indians believed that their actions during life influenced
what happened to them after they died. The beliefs of ancient Indians developed
into concepts of dharma, karma, and reincarnation.
Dharma includes the religious and moral duties of an individual. Karma refers
to all the actions of a person’s life that affect his or her fate in the next life.
Reincarnation is the rebirth of the soul in another bodily form.
5. Christianity
Christianity arose in the first century A.D. in Judea, which was part of the Roman
empire at the time. It is based on the teachings of Jesus, a Jewish rabbi, or teacher.
Jesus emphasized God’s love and taught the need for justice, morality, and service
to others. Christianity teaches that there is one God who sent Jesus to save
humans. Jesus’ disciples spread his message throughout the Roman empire after
his death. Paul, an important early leader, traveled around the Mediterranean to
set up churches. His letters form a large portion of the New Testament. The New
Testament is part of the Bible, the sacred text of Christians, which also contains
the Hebrew Bible. Although Christians were initially persecuted by Rome,
Christianity eventually became the official religion of the Roman empire. Today
Christianity is a major world religion with over 2 billion followers.
6. The Great Schism
Over time, Christianity developed differently in the eastern and western Roman
empires. Christians in the east spoke Greek; Christians in the west spoke Latin.
Theological differences caused controversies. During the Middle Ages, the two
branches of Christianity drew farther apart. In the 700s, a dispute over the use of
icons, or holy images, contributed to the problems. Finally, in 1054, the popes of
the eastern and western churches excommunicated each other. The event is called
the Great Schism. The eastern branch became known as the Eastern, or Orthodox,
Church, while the western branch became known as the Roman Catholic Church.
For centuries, the two churches treated each other as rivals rather than as
branches of the same faith.
7. Muhammad and the Idea of Brotherhood
Islam has been an important force in history. The sayings of Muhammad, the
founder of Islam, contributed to Islam’s growth. For instance, Muhammad said,
“Know ye that every Muslim is a brother to every other Muslim and that ye are
now one brotherhood.” Islam, which developed in the 600s, became a unifying
force in the Arab world. Once Arabs united, they were able to conquer huge territories from the Persian empire to Spain. Islam emphasized the equality of all
believers, and many conquered people were attracted to the message of Islam.
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BELIEF SYSTEMS (continued)
8. Shinto
Shinto developed in Japan by the A.D. 500s. Shinto is the worship of the forces of
nature. Early Japanese clans honored kami, or superior powers that were natural
or divine. Shinto, meaning “the way of kami,” became an important religion in
Japan. Hundreds of Shinto shrines dot the Japanese countryside. These shrines are
located in beautiful and natural surroundings, and may be dedicated to objects
such as mountains, waterfalls, gnarled trees, or oddly shaped rocks.
9. Impact of Missionaries (Chapter 9, page 315)
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BELIEF SYSTEMS (continued)
C. Sample Topics for Thematic Essays
Below are examples of thematic essay topics that might appear on a test. Prepare for the test
by outlining an essay for each topic on a separate sheet of paper. Use the Concept Connector
Handbooks at the end of your textbook, as well as chapter information, to outline your essays.
1. Describe the special covenant the Israelites believed that God made with Abraham
and his descendants.
2. Discuss several major events or issues that encouraged the spread of Christianity.
3. Describe attitudes of Enlightenment thinkers, such as Voltaire, toward established
religions and how church authorities responded.
4. Describe the role of religion in Otto von Bismarck’s Kulturkampf. What were
Bismarck’s goals? What were the ultimate results of the Kulturkampf?
5. Discuss ways that churches and synagogues reacted to the changing social conditions of the Industrial Revolution.
6. Describe the beliefs of Methodism, founded by John Wesley in the mid-1700s, and
its effects on industrial workers at the time.
7. Describe the influence of religion on the partition of India and Pakistan, and its
role in the continuing conflicts between the two countries.
8. Discuss the role of the Islamist movement in removing the Shah of Iran in 1979
and how it has changed life there.
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