Download WhyDoWeStudyReligion

Why Do We Study Religion?
Why would someone walk hundreds of miles
to bathe in a river?
•
Why do people eat certain foods during
religious celebrations?
•
How does someone arrive at the point of
feeling that a divine spirit is speaking to
them?
Why would a company invest in
a religious theme park?
http://www.theholylandexperience.com/
We study religion to understand
their similarities, their
beginnings, and how they shape a
culture.
For a religious person, there seems to be a
deep connection between their religion and
the way they live.
Types of Religions
• Monotheistic..Judaism, Christianity and
Islam
• Polytheistic…Hinduism
• No god..Confucianism and Buddhism
• Indigenous or animistic…belief that natural
objects have souls…Shinto and Native
Americans
Judaism and Christianity
Judaism
History
• Founded by Abraham around 1800 BC
• Concentration of people began east of the
Mediterranean Sea (Palestine).
• 1250 BC…Moses led the Hebrew (Jewish)
people out of slavery in Egypt to the
promised land…and Judaism became firmly
established.
• Monotheistic (one G-d)
Judaism Beliefs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
God is one.
God is the creator.
God is the lawgiver.
We have the obligation to worship.
The Torah is God’s law.
God is judge.
The Messiah will come.
Christianity
History
• The early Hebrews eventually developed the
Jewish religion that became the foundation of
Christianity.
• Jesus, a Jewish boy who disagreed with some of
the Jewish principles, began to profess a new way
of thinking that led to the beginning of Christian
religion.
• About 2000 years ago (time of Jesus)
• Monotheistic
Forms of Christianity
• Protestants
• Catholics
• Eastern Orthodox
Protestantism (Green) Orthodox Christianity (Peach)
Roman Catholicism (Blue) Sunni Islam (Yel/Pur)Shi'a Islam
Beliefs
• God is Creator of the universe.
• God is three persons..Father, Son and Holy
Spirit
• Jesus is both fully human and fully God.
• The Bible records God’s revelations.
• All believers are promised eternal life.
Islam
Islamic Beliefs
• Allah (Arabic for God) (monotheistic)
• Mohammed is Allah’s final prophet who
delivered spiritual message to followers
• Followers are called Muslims
• Allah is the creator
• The Qu’ran is the holy book
• Consider Jesus as one of the greatest
messengers of humankind
Now I lay me down to sleep…..