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
What is a Religion?
Religion – an organized system of
beliefs, ceremonies, practices and
worship that centers on one or
more gods
We will study these….
 Judaism
 Hinduism
 Buddhism
 Christianity
 Islam
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
 Established over 3,000 years ago
 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 with a bar or bat mitzvah
 The Synagogue is the Jewish house of worship and
services are conducted by a rabbi (“teacher”)
 Many Jews make the pilgrimage to the “Wailing
Wall” in Jerusalem, which was built in the 2nd
century BC.
 Some Jews follow strict dietary laws called
“Kosher”, which 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, and Passover
The Western “Wailing” Wall
Review Questions
 On a separate sheet of paper, which will be
collected: Answer questions 9 & 10 on
page 715
 Answer “Primary Source” questions 1 & 2
also on page 715. Just record the letter
answer on your paper.
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:
– Europe
– North America
– South America
Christian Population throughout the World
Christianity Beliefs
 Sacred Text
– The Bible (Old and New Testament)
 Important Rituals & Worship Practices
– Baptism & Communion are two important rituals
(sacraments)
 Major Holidays
– Easter, Christmas, Lent, Advent
 Belief in God
– One God (a trinity of Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
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)
Canterbury Cathedral, England
Review Questions
 On the same sheet of paper where you
answered the Judaism questions: Answer
questions 3 & 4 on page 715.
World Religion #3
Hinduism
Hinduism
 Third largest religion in the world
 Formulated by 1500BCE
 Based on basic principles are found in 4
Vedas – sacred writings
 Priests are called Brahmins
 There is no “leader” or “founder”
 Practiced mostly in India
Early Hinduism
 Polytheistic Religion
– Thousands of deities (are all part of the one supreme
being)
– 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
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
– Yoga
Hindu Celebrations
 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
Review Questions
 Page 715 answer questions 5 & 6 on your
review questions page
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
– Mainly found in China, Japan, Korea, SE Asia
Buddhist Beliefs
 Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path
 The only way to the truth is to give up all
desires
 Purpose of life is to escape the cycle of
rebirth and attain nirvana
– Nirvana – a state of wisdom
 Reincarnation
Dharma Wheel
Buddhist Worshipping
 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
The Dalai Lama –
The present spiritual leader of Buddhism
Current Population of
Worldwide Buddhism
Review Questions
 Page 715 questions 1 & 2
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
– Shia (or Shiite)
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
 Sacred Text
– Qur’an (Koran)
 Religious Law
– Sharia
 House of Worship
– Mosque
 Leaders of the Religion
– imams
Islam Facts
 Over 1B followers…second largest religion in
the world
 Major Areas in the World
– Middle East
– SE Asia
 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
The Kaaba
Mecca,
Saudi Arabia
Blue Mosque
Istanbul, Turkey
Review Questions
 Page 715 #’s 7 & 8
World Religion #6
Mormonism
Mormonism
 The Church of Ladder-Day Saints (LDS)
–
Followers are known as Mormons
 Founder-Joseph Smith
–
Translated a sacred history of the Americas,
known as the Book of Mormon in 1830
The Mormon Church
 Way of Life
– Belief in prophets (Gordon B. Hinckley)
– God (Father), Christ (Son), & the Holy Ghost
are three separate individuals
– Must give up alcohol, tobacco, coffee, tea
– Must give 10% of income to church
– House of Worship: Temple or Church
San Diego Mormon Temple
San Diego, California
Salt Lake Temple
Salt Lake City, Utah
The Mormon Church
 Sacred Texts
– The Book of Mormon, the Christian Bible,
Doctrines & Covenants
 Current Headquarters: Salt Lake City,
Utah
 To Achieve Salvation: Faith and
works…works are emphasized (missionary)
 Today there are more than 12 millions
followers, half outside the US