World Religions

How many people are…?

Christian

• Worship or follow Jesus Christ (what’s the difference)

• Three main groups: Catholic, Protestant, and Mormon (though this is controversial)

Brief History of Christianity (YIKES!)

• Jesus was a Jew who was seeking a purer practice of Judaism (O AD)

• Jesus is identified as a threat to the power structure and crucified (33 AD)

• Followers of Jesus meet in house churches for centuries-Christianity a disorganized, minority and in the end, illegal, religion

• Paul organizes a bunch of churches• 323 the Roman Emperor Constantine becomes

Christian

Brief History of Christianity continued…

• Council of Nicea• 450 years of “creeds”• 1054 Western church (Roman Catholic)

separates from Eastern (Eastern Orthodox)• 1517 Martin Luther and his 95 theses and the

emergence of Protestantism

Theological differences in Christianity

• Main theological differences:– Nature of God– Divinity of Jesus – Nature of religious leadership (ecclesiological)– Understanding of the Bible and its role (bibliogical)

Islam

• Based on the teachings of Muhammad who “received” the Koran

• Five pillars:– Profession of faith in Allah– Prayer five times a day– Ramadan– Pilgrimage to Mecca– -Giving 2.5% to the poor

A brief history of Islam…

• 610 AD Muhammad receives the Koran in Saudi Arabia

• 622 Muhammad establishes the Islamic state• 632 Muhammad dies leaving no apparent heir• Caliphs oversee expansion of Islamic state – Sunni (Muhammad’s friend) versus Shiite

(Muhammad’s cousin)

The Unaffiliated• One in six people do not have a religious affiliation,

which makes it the third largest religious group world-wide

• Many unaffiliated have some religious beliefs without being specifically oriented to a particular religion

• 62% of the unaffiliated live in China and 52% of the Chinese population is unaffiliated (700 million)– Japan has the second highest number (72 million or 57% of

the population– U.S. the third highest (51 million or 16.4% of population)

Hinduism

• Local and varied• Defined by colonial intruders• Way of life and eternal “duties”• Hindu modernism and Innate divinity

Buddhism

• Siddhartha, the prince (Between 6th and 4th centuries BCE)

• A little too much denial• Buddha and the Bodhi tree and the middle way• Dukkha:– Death– Change– Disappointment

• Therveda and Mahayana• The Eight Fold Path

Division Eightfold factor Description

Wisdom(Sanskrit: prajñā,Pāli: paññā)

1. Right view Viewing reality as it is, not just as it appears to be

2. Right intention Intention of renunciation, freedom and harmlessness

Ethical conduct(Sanskrit: śīla,Pāli: sīla)

3. Right speech Speaking in a truthful and non-hurtful way

4. Right action Acting in a non-harmful way

5. Right livelihood A non-harmful livelihood

Concentration(Sanskrit and Pāli: samādhi)

6. Right effort Making an effort to improve

7. Right mindfulness

Awareness to see things for what they are with clear consciousness;being aware of the present reality within oneself, without any craving or aversion

8. Right concentration Correct meditation or concentration, explained as the first four jhānas

Judaism

• Abraham and the chosen people• The meaning of the fallen temple• Ethnoreligiosity• The role of the Rabbis• History of persecution• Hasidic, Orthodox, Reform