Download World Religions Unit

World Religions Unit
Polytheistic Faiths:
(Belief in many gods)
Hinduism
• World’s oldest religion –
2000BCE
• Originated in India
• Beliefs are written in the Vedas
& the Upanishads
• 3 main gods (Trinity): Brahma
– The Creator, Vishnu – The
Preserver, Shiva – The
Destroyer
• Beliefs:
– Dharma: moral balance/order
– Karma: every action/thought
has a consequence
– Samsara: reincarnation –
cycle of life, death, and rebirth
– Moksha: release from
samsara
• Caste System
– Brahmin: priests,
teachers
– Kshatriyas: ruler,
warrior, landowner
– Vaisyas: merchants,
farmers, artisans
– Sudras: laborers
– Harijan
“Untouchables”
Buddhism
• 5th-6th century BCE
• Nepalese Prince Siddhartha
Gautama
– Poverty, sickness, old age,
death
– Search for truth
(enlightenment)
• Four Noble Truths:
1. Dukkha: suffering
2. Samudaya: desire is the
cause of suffering
3. Nirodha: end to suffering
4. Magga: Eightfold Pathfollow to end cycle of karma
and rebirth to Nirvana
• Right understanding, thought,
speech, action, work, effort,
mindfulness, concentration
Confucianism
• 500BCE; China
• Philosophy written in The
Analects regarding the social
order & a “good society”; a
“code of conduct”
• 5 Key Relationships
1. Ruler-Subject
2. Father-Son
3. Elder Brother-Younger
Brother
4. Friend-Friend
5. Husband-Wife
• Humans are born into
relationships, that is the goal
and meaning of life – every
person has a role/place in
society and duties to fulfill (yi)
– If you denounce your
relationships, you do not exist
– peach (west) vs. onion (east))
Goal: stability in society and to
become a good person;
attaining benevolence (ren) was
the highest Confucian value
5 Basic Virtues:
1. Benevolence/Humanity
2. Righteousness
3. Property
4. Wisdom
5. Trustworthiness
Rulers did not need to use force to
return harmony to society, “If
you govern them by means of
virtue (de) and keep order
among them by ritual (li), people
will gain their own sense of
shame and correct themselves.”
Daoism/Taoism “The Way”
“To Do is Not To Do
Not
To
Do
is
To
Do”
• Lao Tzu, legendary figure, wise &
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lived to 160; teachings in the Tao Te
Qing
Man is part of nature, co-existence &
harmony. Rulers should be fair and
gentle, “When the government is
relaxed, the people are relaxed.”
Goal: to understand the Tao, but if
you can explain it, you don’t really
get it
– It is the underlying force of the
universe
– Qi = energy/breath of the universe,
divided into yin & yang
– Nature emphasized: humans cannot
create anything that surpasses
nature
•
Wu Wei “Doing nothing – inner
tranquility”
– You’ll live a happier life if you give up
the struggle, “go with the flow”, give
up control
– “Who can make the muddy water
clear? Let it be still and it will
gradually become clear.”
Yin & Yang: Balance of
opposites in the universe.
When they are equally
present, all is calm. When
one is outweighed by the
other, there is confusion &
disarray. Yin is the feminine;
Yang is the masculine.
Monotheistic Faiths: Judaism,
Christianity, Islam
Michelangelo’s Moses
• Monotheism is a belief in one
God
Judaism
• Oldest monotheistic faith
• Basic laws & beliefs written in
the Torah, believed to be the
word of God delivered to
Moses & is part of the Old
Testament (Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy) & includes the
Ten Commandments
• Abraham is considered the
father of Judaism
• Emphasis on right conduct and
worship of one God
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The largest religion in the world
Based on the life & teachings of
Jesus Christ as the son of God
who died to save humanity from
sin; salvation can only be
achieved by following the
teachings of Christ
The Christian Church has three
major sects: Eastern Orthodox
Church; Roman Catholic Church,
and Protestants
The first Christians were Jews – it
was a sect of Judaism which
followed the new vision &
teachings of Christ
Christianity spread through the
apostles, Paul being the most
influential, whose travels are in the
New Testament
Christianity was illegal in the
Roman Empire until the 4th
Century under Constantine.
Christianity
Paul
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1.
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The youngest of the monotheistic
faiths; founded by the Prophet
Muhammad in the 6th Century CE
Followers of Islam are “Muslims”
meaning “one who submits to
Allah (God)”
Abraham is also considered the
father of Islam
Teachings of Allah are in the
Koran, which teaches that
individuals are responsible for
their own actions
Five Pillars of Islam:
Faith (Shahada) – “There is no
God, but Allah & Muhammad is
his Prophet”
Prayer (Salat) – 5x/day towards
Mecca
Charity (Zakat) – 2-3% of income
Fasting (Sawm) – during
Ramadan
Pilgrimage (Hajj) – to Mecca at
least once in lifetime
2 Sects: Sunni (90%) and Shi’a
– Differ in their belief over
succession after Muhammad
Islam
Christianity has undergone many changes over the course of history.
Though it began in ancient times as one church, it has divided into
many separate churches, each with its own set of beliefs and
practices. For non-Christians, understanding the differences among
Christian churches can be difficult.The most significant division
within Christianity occurred in 1054 CE when the Eastern and
Western churches separated. The Eastern church, as seen on the
map below, was composed of the churches of Greece, Russia,
Eastern Europe, and Western Asia. The capital of the Western
church was Rome, and the Roman Pope, or Bishop of Rome,
claimed authority over both churches. The Western church believed
that the Pope was the person closest to God and, therefore, most
capable of leading Christians. But the Eastern church did not believe
the Pope should have power over them. This conflict, when added to
the disputes of the past, finally caused the churches to split. From
then on, the Roman Catholic Church has been led by the Patriarch
of Rome, or the Pope.In the 16th century, a movement called the
Reformation caused a split, which divided the Roman Catholic
Church. At that time, there were many independent Christian
groups. Although they did not all share the same beliefs, they each
rejected the central authority of the Pope and came to be known as
Protestants. It is difficult to speak about Protestantism as one
religion since it has divided itself into hundreds of separate sects.
They include such groups as the Quakers, Baptists, Methodists, and
Presbyterians.Each of these branches of Christianity maintains
different beliefs and practices in different ways. The chart on
Primary Christian Denominations will help you follow the branching
of Christian churches.