Download World Religions A Brief History

World Religions
A
Brief History
Judaism
• About 14 million adherents
• Ethnic / Monotheistic
• Founder: Abraham
• Hearth: Middle East
• 1st Monotheistic religion
Judaism
ABRAHAM
SARAH
Isaac
Judeo-Christian
HAGAR
Ishmael
Islamic
Judaism – Basic Beliefs
• One God
• God’s “Chosen” people
• Do not recognize Jesus as the
messiah
• VERY tied to the land - Israel
Judaism - Divisions
• Hasidic Jews
- Ultra Orthodox
Christianity
• 2 billion adherents – largest
• Universalizing/Monotheistic
• Founder: Jesus
• Hearth: Palestine
- Jesus was born in Palestine
during the height of the Roman
Empire.
Christianity - Basics
• One God
• Jesus is the messiah – son of
God.
• Jesus died for the sins of all
people.
Christianity - Divisions
• During the Middle Ages - THE
GREAT SCHISM
• Roman Catholic and Eastern
Orthodox split
• Disagreed over using icons
(images of God-Jesus-Saints)
Christianity - Divisions
• During the Renaissance – THE
REFORMATION
• Some felt the Church was
corrupt and abusing its power.
• Martin Luther – German monk
• Protestant – Broke away from
Rome.
• Hundreds of Protestant divisions
(Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist)
Christianity - Divisions
• The Church of England
• Same time as Reformation
Church of England
Islam
• 1.3 billion adherents – second
• Universalizing/Monotheistic
• Founder: Muhammad
• Hearth: Mecca (Modern day
Saudi Arabia)
Islam - Basics
• One God (Same God as
Christians and Jews)
• 5 pillars
- Only one God (Allah) and
Muhammad is his prophet.
- pray 5 times daily facing Mecca
- Giving to the poor
- Fasting during Ramadan
- Pilgrimage to Mecca
Islam - Divisions
• When Muhammad died there
was disagreement over who
should succeed him.
• Muslims split into two groups:
SUNNI
SHIITE (Shi’a)
Caliph
Muh. Descendant
Hinduism
• 900 million adherents - third
• Ethnic/Monotheistic
• Founder: No specific
• Hearth: Northwestern India
one of the most ancient
religions.
Hinduism - Basics
• One God – Brahman
• Brahman is “manifest” as
hundreds of different gods.
• Goal: To be united with
Brahman at death.
• Takes many lifetimes –
reincarnation.
Hinduism - Divisions
• Not really “divisions”
• Most Hindu’s ally themselves
with a specific god.
• Vaishnavism – Vishnu
• Sivaism - Shiva
Buddhism
• 400 million adherents
• Universalizing / non-theistic
• Founder: Siddartha Guatama
(the Buddha)
• Hearth: Present day Nepal.
North of India.
Buddhism - Basics
• Goal – Achieve enlightenment
• 4 Noble Truths
- to live is to endure suffering
- suffering is caused by desire
- Cure for suffering = end desire
(Nirvana)
- Achieve Nirvana by following
the eightfold path
Buddhism - Basics
• If you reach Nirvana you are
freed from the cycle of rebirth.
Buddhism - Divisions
• Followers disagreed on how to
interpret the teachings of the
Buddha (Siddartha Guatama)
• Mahayana
• Theravada
• Tantrayana
• Tibetan