Download Three world religions

Three world religions
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are major
world religions.
They are all examples of monotheism, or
the belief in one supreme god.
Judaism
• It is the oldest of these three religions.
• The Israelites were the first people to practice
this religion. They were from Southwest Asia, or
the Middle East.
• Followers of Judaism today are known as Jews.
• The Torah is the Jewish holy book. It tells the
early history and beliefs of the Jews.
Judaism
• The Jews believe that they are descendants of
Abraham and Sarah, who first worshipped the
one God, or Yahweh.
• The Torah says that God made a covenant, or an
agreement, with Abraham. The deal was for
Abraham to move to Canaan/Palestine and he
would be blessed and nations would be blessed
through him.
• Abraham’s Israelite descendants believe they are
God’s “chosen people.”
Judaism-The Ten Commandments
• The Ten Commandments are the most important
laws in the Jewish faith.
• They believe that the Commandments were
revealed to a prophet, or messenger of God,
called Moses.
• These rules were based on the belief of one God,
which was different from neighboring
settlements.
• The Israelites were loyal to Yahweh only and
could not worship any other gods.
• They believed that all people should be treated
fairly.
Judaism-The Jews
• c. 1000 BC, the Israelites created a kingdom in
modern day Israel under King David.
• Jerusalem was the capital.
• The kingdom eventually split into two states—
Israel and Judah. The people of Judah would
later be known as Jews.
• The Jews were eventually conquered after
several centuries. This lead to the Diaspora ,
when the Jewish people spread throughout
many countries around the globe.
Judaism Today
• Despite many hardships, the Jewish people have
remained faithful to their heritage.
• There are many Jewish holidays which are:
Passover-The story of the Israelites
departure from Egypt
Rosh Hashanah-The Jewish New Year
Yom Kippur-The holiest day in Judaism. Also
called the Day of Atonement. It is observed by a
24 hour period of prayer and fasting.
Christianity
• Christianity also began in Southwest Asia
(Middle East) among the Jews.
• Later, Christianity would spread to non-Jews and
became on the most powerful influences in
Western civilization.
Christianity-Jesus
• A young Jewish man named Jesus began preaching in
modern day Israel. He taught that God loved everyone,
even sinners. To be forgiven of sins all you had to do was
trust that God would send a Messiah, or savior, to deliver
them.
• In AD 30, Jesus and his followers went to Jerusalem to
celebrate Passover. Many greeted Jesus as the Messiah.
• This event worried other Jews and Romans. They
convicted Jesus of treason and was nailed to a cross.
Christianity-Jesus
• However, many of his followers reported that
Jesus had risen from the dead and had visited
them.
• They began preaching that Jesus was the Son of
God. Anyone who would believe his teachings
would have eternal life after death.
• They began calling him Christ, after the Greek
word Christos, meaning “messiah.”
Spread of Christianity
• The disciples spread Jesus’ teachings throughout
the Mediterranean and beyond.
• People who accepted this belief became known
as Christians.
• Stories about Jesus’ life and teachings and other
Christian writings became known as the New
Testament, which later became a part of the
Bible.
• The Bible is the holy book of Christianity.
Spread of Christianity.
• Three major groups make up Christianity today. These
groups are:
Roman Catholic
Protestant
Eastern Orthodox
• Christian holidays include:
Christmas-The celebration of Jesus’ birth
Good Friday-The day of Jesus’ crucifixion.
Easter-The day that Jesus rose from the dead. This is
the most important Christian holy day.
Islam
• Islam also began in Southwest Asia.
• Islam began in the AD 600s in the Arabian
Peninsula.
• In Arabic, Islam means “surrender” to the will of
God, or Allah.
• Followers of Islam are called Muslims.
• They believe that Muhammad is the last and
greatest prophet of Islam—following Abraham,
Moses, and Jesus.
Islam-Muhammad
• Muhammad was born c. AD 570 in Makkah (Mecca), a
trading and religious center in western Arabia.
• Arab pilgrims traveled to Kaaba, a shrine that housed a
sacred black stone.
• In Islamic teachings, in AD 610 Muhammad heard the
angel Gabriel calling him to preach about God.
• He told the people of Makkah that Allah is the only God
and all believers are equal. He urged the rich to give to
the poor.
• Muhammad saw life as preparation for the Day of
Judgment, or the day when God would punish evildoers
and reward the just.
Islam-Muhammad
• Muhammad’s teachings angered the rich merchants.
They made threats against his life.
• In AD 622, Muhammad and hundreds of followers
traveled to Yathrib (modern day Madinah) This event
became known as the Hijrah, or migration.
• In Madinah, he united the people politically and made
them proud of their new faith.
• Muhammad’s forces forced off armies from Makkah.
• He made Makkah the center of Islam. He dedicated the
Kaaba to the worship of Allah.
Islam-Muhammad
• All of Arabia had accepted Islam by Muhammad’s death
in AD 632.
• Merchants, scholars, and armies spread Islam outside of
Arabia.
• Over many centuries, Islamic empires ruled vast lands in
Asia, North Africa, and parts of Europe.
• Islam eventually branched into two main groups:
Sunnis and Shiites
• Most people are Shiites. These groups differ on who they
believe should rule in the Islamic world.
Islam-The Quran
• The Quran is the Muslim holy book.
• Muslims believe The Quran is the direct word of Allah as
given to Muhammad.
• It presents the five pillars of faith, or the five obligations
all Muslims must fulfill.
1st Pillar-The confession, or statement of faith.
“There is
no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his
messenger.”
2nd Pillar- Muslims must pray five times a day, facing
the holy city of Makkah.
3rd Pillar-Muslims must give charity.
Islam-The Quran
4th Pillar- Muslims must fast. They cannot eat or drink
during the daylight hours of Ramadan. Ramadan is the
month where God began to reveal to Quran to
Muhammad.
5th Pillar- Muslims must make a pilgrimage to Makkah to
pray, at least once in their lifetime. This journey is called
the hajj.
• The reward for fulfilling all five religious duties is paradise.