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Monotheist Religions and
Democratic Ideals
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Prologue Section 2
Judaism

Hebrews: the people who came to be known later as
Jewish
● Torah: The holy book of the Jewish faith
The Torah are the first 5 books of the Old
Testament in the Christian Bible
Judaism
The world’s first Monotheistic religion:
 Monotheism: Belief in and worship of only one god


Other cultures around Hebrews were still Polytheists: belief in
many gods
Judaism

Prophet Abraham: 2000 BC begins the Jewish faith
Judaism: first religion to
preach the need to live a
morally good life
Judaism

Preached: each person had dignity and worth based
on the fact they were born
Preached: Each human possessed moral freedom;
Free Will

Each individual is

responsible for their
own moral decisions

Judaism

Greeks and Romans: believed people had dignity and
worth only if they could reason and/or contribute to
the greatness of society

This is contrast to Jewish ideals: each person had
worth based on the fact they were alive!
Hebrew Code

Laws that govern the Jewish faith
Focused on the demand of ethical and moral behavior
 Included demands on social and religious behavior:
rulers were subject too


Stated that each individual had to choose between
good and evil and answer for those decisions in the
afterlife
Prophets

They emerged in the 8th
Century BC

Jewish people believed they
were Teachers and
messengers from God

Argued for people to oppose
injustice and inequality
People are
capable of high
moral standards
 Help those in
need


Preached against war,
oppression, and greed
Christianity
Jesus of Nazareth: born sometime between 6-4 BC
 Both a Jew and a Roman subject
 Became a Jewish rabbi: Preacher
 Stressed the need for Monotheism:
Belief in one god

● Preached the need for each individual to have a
personal relationship with God
Jesus of Nazareth

Stressed the importance
of loving one’s neighbor;
treating them as one
wants them self to be
treated; Also stressed
the importance of one
loving their enemies

Stressed the need to
repent sins and reject
wickedness; Taught
followers that eternal
happiness would be
achieved to those who
took care of weaker
citizens and lived moral
life
Jesus Christ
Upon his death he became known as Jesus
Christ: Greek title for “One who is anointed”
 Actual name was Yehoshua ben Yosef : Hebrew
for: “Joshua, son of Joseph”
 New religion of Christianity spread after his
death (ca. 32 AD)

Paul the Apostle
10-67 AD
 Was from modern-day Turkey

Paul the Apostle

Spoke both Greek and Latin: greatly aided him
in spreading Christianity throughout the Roman
World 1st Century AD

Traveled from region
to region teaching
Christianity to
Gentiles (non-Jews)
Before Paul the first
Christians were in
fact Jews
Paul the Apostle

Christianity was a religion anyone could join: different from
early Judaism which was only for ethnic Hebrews
● Paul was responsible for many Gentiles converting to
Christianity
stressed equality of all human beings, salvation in the afterlife: As Christians
and Jews were expelled from homelands by Romans they spread
Monotheistic beliefs to other parts of the world
Islam
Monotheistic Religion
 Founded by Prophet Muhammad ca. 609 AD
 Islam: Arabic for “Surrender to God”

Muslim: Arabic for “One who surrenders”
 Islam developed in modern-day Saudi Arabia

Islam

Allah: Arabic for “God”
Kaaba (Mecca, Saudi Arabia)
Holiest Place on earth according to
Islam

According to Islamic belief: Kaaba was built by Prophet
Abraham to honor Allah (God)
Islam

Teachings very similar to Judaism and Christianity
Dignity of all human beings
 Brotherhood of all people
 Belief in equality of all
 Belief in acceptance and tolerance of all
 From the same line of prophecy as Judaism and Christianity

5 Pillars of Islam





Belief in only one God: Allah
5 times daily prayer, facing Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Giving Alms to the poor, based on income
Fast during daylight hours during the holy month of
Ramadan
Hajj: Every Muslim must make a pilgrimage to Mecca
Islam



Muslim rulers expected to follow same laws as Muslim citizens
Muslim rulers expected to obey 5 Pillars of Islam just as
Muslim citizens
Judaism, Christianity, Islam share very similar ideals and
contributed to rise in democratic ideals of equality, fairness,
and justice