Download The Major Religions of the World

The Major
Religions of the
World
How Many Do You Know?
List all of the RELIGIONS
of the world that you can
think of.
WORLD
RELIGIONS
We will study these….
 Judaism
 Hinduism
 Buddhism
 Christianity
 Islam
 Confucianism
What are the characteristics
of a religion?
What is a Religion?
Religion – an organized system of
beliefs, ceremonies, practices and
worship that centers on one or
more gods
Monotheism vs. Polytheism
 Mono – “one”
 Poly – “many”
 Theism – the belief in god
 What do these terms mean?
Timeline info…
Note-Taking Format
 Important Text and Places
 Important People
 Symbols
 Rituals and Celebrations
 General Information
World Religion Populations
World Religion #1
Judaism
Judaism
 14 million people world wide
 1st “monotheistic” religion in history
 The Torah, or Jewish holy book, teaches
the basic laws of Judaism
Judaism
 The universal symbol of Judaism is the
Star of David, the emblem of King David
who ruled the Kingdom of Israel from
1000 – 962 BC
Ritual, Worship & Celebration
 At age 13 Jewish children enter into the
religious community
– Bar Mitzvah – Men
– Bat Mitzvah - Women
 House of Worship
– The Synagogue
 Leadership
– Religious services are conducted by a rabbi
(“teacher”)
Ritual, Worship & Celebration
 Many Jews make the pilgrimage to the “Wailing
Wall in Jerusalem
– Built in the 2nd century BCE
– Remains of a temple that had stood for close to 500 years
• Destroyed by the Romans
– Thought to be the most sacred of places
– Temple itself was thought to be the place where God
resides on earth.
 Praying at the Wailing Wall signifies being in the
presence of the Divine
The “Wailing” Wall
Ritual, Worship & Celebration
 What is “Kosher”
– Strict dietary laws
– Forbids the eating of “unclean” animals such
as pigs or shellfish
– Dictates how certain foods should be prepared
 Important Jewish holy days include:
– Chanukah, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and
Passover
Review Questions & Homework
 What is the holy book of Judaism?
 What is the role of rabbi in Jewish
tradition?
 What does the term “kosher” refer to?
– Define and explain:
•
•
•
•
Chanukah
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
Passover
World Religion #2
Christianity
History of Christianity
 Founded c.33CE in Palestine
– Founded by Jesus and his followers
– Jesus is believed to be the messiah
 The most important symbol is the Cross
– Symbols the death of Jesus
 Currently, main locations are:
– North America
– South America
– Europe
Christian Population throughout the World
Christianity Facts
 Over 2B followers…largest religion in the world
 Major Sects
– Roman Catholic (RCC)
– Eastern Orthodox (EO)
– Protestant
 House of Worship
– Church or Chapel
 Leaders of the Church
– Hierarchy of priests and Pope (RCC) and (EO)
Christianity Beliefs
 Sacred Text
– The Bible (Old and New Testament)
 Important Rituals & Worship Practices
– The Seven Sacraments
• Baptism & Communion are two examples
 Major Holidays
– Easter and Christmas
 Belief in God
– One God (a trinity of Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
Canterbury Cathedral, England
The Cathedral of The Resurrection of Christ
in Saint Petersburg
Review Questions
 Why is Jesus Christ central to the Christian
religion?
 What do Christians hope to achieve by
following the teachings of Jesus Christ?
World Religion #3
Hinduism
Hinduism
 Third largest religion in the world
– Over 800 million followers
 One of the oldest surviving religions
– Formulated by 1500BCE
 Basic principles are found in The 4 Vedas –
sacred writings
 Priests are called Brahmins
 There is no one “leader” or “founder”
 It is the major religion of India
Early Hinduism
 Polytheistic Religion
– Thousands of deities
– One universal spirit – Brahman
– Three Major Gods
• Brahma, Vishnu, & Shiva
 Reincarnation – passing
through many lives to reach the
Brahman
 Karma – consequences of how
a person lives
 The soul never dies but is
continually reborn
Hinduism Beliefs
 God in Hinduism is the Supreme Being
– Everywhere, all-knowing, and all-powerful
 The purpose of life is to obtain liberation
from the cycle of reincarnation
– People reach true enlightenment and happiness
when they free themselves of earthly desires
Hinduism Information
 Rituals
– Worship at home and in
temples
– Temples can have
multiple shrines to gods
– Worship as individuals
and families, not as a
congregation
Hinduism Information
 Sects
– Shaktism
• Shakti – supreme
Goddess
– Vaishnavites
• Vishnu – the Preserver
– Shaivites
• Shiva – the Destroyer
– Reform Hinduism
• Monotheistic & more
“western”
Hinduism Information
 Celebrations
– Diwali
• Hindu New Year
– Festival of Holi
• Triumph of good over
evil
– Pilgrimage to the
Ganges River in India
• Hindus believe the
river has healing
powers
Hinduism Review
 According to Hindu beliefs What is the
importance of the Ganges River in India?
 What are the three main gods of
Hinduism?
World Religion #4
Buddhism
Who is the Buddha?
 Founder-Siddhartha Gautama (c.520BCE)
– Known as the Buddha or “enlightened one”
 Present spiritual leader -Dalai Lama
– Head of Buddhist Church
 4th largest religion in the world today
– Over 300 million followers
– Mainly found in China, Japan, Korea, SE Asia
Buddhist Beliefs
 Purpose of life is to escape the cycle of
rebirth (reincarnation) and attain nirvana
– Nirvana – a state of wisdom
– All living things can be reincarnated
• Animals can possibly be reborn into humans
 How to achieve Nirvana?
– Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path
– Key to happiness was detachment from all
worldly goods and desires
Buddhism Information
 Worship Practices
– Meditation – deep
thought & reflection
– Offering of gifts of food,
flowers, or candles
 Rituals
– Importance of the lotus
flower
• Believer can blossom
while rooted in the
impurity of the world
Buddhism Information
 Major Buddhist Sects
– Theravada
• As close as possible to
Buddha’s teachings
– Mahayana
• More accepting of the
changing world
The Dalai Lama –
The present spiritual leader of Buddhism
Current Population of Worldwide Buddhism
Buddhism Review
 According to the Buddha, how does a
person achieve happiness and fulfillment?
 Why do Buddhists take special care as to
not kill a living being?
World Religion #5
Islam
History of Islam
 Founded in 622CE
– Founded by Muhammad in Saudi Arabia
• Muhammad is considered to be a prophet
– A messenger of Allah (God)
 Two Major Sects (split c.650CE)
– Sunni
– Shi’a (or Shiite)
• Leader of Muslim community must be a
descendant of Muhammad’s son-in-law (Ali)
Muhammad
Islamic Beliefs
 Five Pillars of Islam
– Faith
• Allah is the one true
God
– Prayer
• Five times a day
– Charity
• Giving to the poor
– Fast
• During Ramadan
– Pilgrimage to Mecca
Islamic Beliefs
 One God – Allah
 Believe in all the prophets
of Judaism and
Christianity
 Holy Celebrations
– Id al-Fitr
• End of Ramadan Fasting
– Eid al-Adha
• End of Islamic calendar
Islamic Beliefs
 Sacred Text
– Qur’an (Koran)
– Hadith
 Religious Law
– Sharia
 House of Worship
– Mosque
 Leaders of the Religion
– imams
Islam Facts
 Second largest religion in the world
– Over 1 billion followers
 Month of Ramadan
– Muslims fast during the day
– Most important day is the “Night of Power”
• The night that the angel Gabriel 1st spoke to
Muhammad
 Major Areas in the World
– Middle East
– SE Asia
The Kaaba
Mecca,
Saudi Arabia
Blue Mosque
Istanbul, Turkey
Islam Review
 What is the most important night of
Ramadan? Why?
 What are the Five Pillars of Islam?
World Religion #6
Confucianism
Confucianism
 No churches, no leaders, and no rules
stating that practitioners cannot be a part
of another religion
 Founder-Confucius
–
A Chinese philosopher and teacher who
devoted himself to spreading his ideas of
effective government and personal behaviors
The Confucian Ethical System
 Way of Life
– Belief in living a moral life
– Exercise good personal behavior
– Government should serve the people honestly
– Social/Civic responsibility are essential
– Filial Piety
– Honor deceased family as well as teachers
…being completely obedient to one’s parents
wishes during their lifetime.
Chinese ceremony honoring Confucius
The Golden Rule
“Do not do unto others what you
would not want others to do unto
you.”
World Religions/Ethical
Systems
The purpose of this unit was for you to analyze
the following point:
With the vast influence the world religions
have/had on most human beings; what would
the world be and have been like without them?