WORLD RELIGIONS

WHY RELIGION??

• MORAL GUIDELINES

• FAITH

ANIMISM

• BELIEF IN SPIRITS IN ALL LIVING AND NON-LIVING THINGS

• PRACTICED BY EARLY PEOPLES AND TRIBAL AFRICA

SHINTOISM• BELIEF IN SPIRITS IN ALL LIVING AND NON-LIVING THINGS

• PRACTICED IN EARLY JAPAN

• SIMILAR TO ANIMISM

HINDUISM

• POLYTHEISTIC RELIGION• REGION: INDIA• CURRENT: INDIA• FOUNDER: NO ONE FOUNDER

HINDUISM• TEXT: UPANISHADS

• BELIEFS:

– ACHIEVE MOKSHA—FINAL STATE OF UNION WITH BRAHMAN

– REINCARNATION

• BASED ON GOOD KARMA (DEEDS OF A LIFE)

• GOOD KARMA THROUGH GOOD DHARMA (RULES OF LIFE)

HINDUISM• OTHER

– OLDEST RELIGION– CASTE SYSTEM

• SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF HINDU INDIA

• MUST FOLLOW TO ACHIEVE DHARMA

• LOWEST CLASS =UNTOUCHABLES

BUDDHISM• ORIGIN: INDIA

• CURRENT: INDIA, CHINA, WORLD

• FOUNDER: SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA (BUDDHA)

• TEXT: THREE BASKETS OF WISDOM

BUDDHISM• BELIEFS

– REINCARNATION

– REACH FINAL STATE OF BEING (NIRVANA)

• PRACTICES

– FOLLOW THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS TO ELIMINATE DESIRE

– ELIMINATE DESIRE BY FOLLOWING THE EIGHTFOLD PATH

BUDDHISM• OTHER

–SIMILAR TO HINDUISM IN BELIEFS IN REINCARNATION, KARMA AND DHARMA

CONFUCIANISM

• ORIGIN: CHINA

• CURRENT: CHINA

• FOUNDER: CONFUCIUS

• TEXT: THE ANALECTS

CONFUCIANISM• BELIEFS

– FOLLOW THE FIVE KEY RELATIONSHIPS

– RULES OF ORDER– FOLLOW RULES—STABLE SOCIETY– EX: MEN SUPERIOR TO WOMEN; AGE

OVER YOUTH– FILIAL PIETY: RESPECT FOR ELDERS

CONFUCIANISM

• RULES OF ORDER LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM

TAOISM (DAOISM)

• ORIGIN: CHINA

• CURRENT: CHINA

• FOUNDER: LAOZI

• TEXT: WAY OF VIRTUE

TAOISM (DAOISM)• BELIEFS

– BALANCE IN THE FORCES OF NATURE LEAD TO PEACE AND HARMONY

• YING AND YANG

• YING-EARTH, DARKNESS, AND FEMALE

• YANG-HEAVEN, LIGHT AND MALE

TAOISM (DAOISM)

• OTHER

–BELIEF IN NATURE

–NO GOVERNMENT

JUDAISM• MONOTHEISTIC• ORIGIN: FERTILE CRESCENT• CURRENT: WORLDWIDE,

ISRAEL• FOUNDER: HEBREW PEOPLE,

EARLY LEADERS: MOSES AND ABRAHAM

• TEXT: TORAH

JUDAISM• BELIEFS

–MONOTHEISTIC–YAHWEH IS THE ONE GOD–COVENANT BETWEEN PEOPLE

AND GOD–10 COMMANDMENTS

•MORAL CODE OF CONDUCT

JUDAISM• OTHER

– PASSOVER-EXODUS—ESCAPE FROM EGYPT

– HISTORICALLY PERSECUTED

• BLAMED FOR PLAGUE

• KILLED ON CRUSADES

• HITLER AND THE FINAL SOLUTION

• MODERN MIDDLE EAST

CHRISTIANITY• MONOTHEISTIC

• ORIGIN: NAZARETH

• CURRENT: WORLDWIDE

• FOUNDER: JESUS

• TEXT: BIBLE (OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT)

CHRISTIANITY• BELIEFS

–JESUS IS THE MESSIAH

–TRINITY

–BROTHERHOOD OF PEOPLE AND PEACE

–ACHIEVE SALVATION IN THE AFTERLIFE

CHRISTIANITY• OTHER

–CRUCIFIXION

–ROMAN EMPIRE

–MIDDLE AGES

–CRUSADES

–POPE

CHRISTIANITY• OTHER

– BRANCHES OF CHRISTIANITY• EASTERN ORTHODOX• REFORMATION

–PROTESTANTS–ANGLICAN–LUTHERAN–CALVINISM

• THEOCRACY

ISLAM• MONOTHEISTIC

• ORIGIN: MECCA

• CURRENT: WORLDWIDE; MIDDLE EAST

• FOUNDER: MUHAMMAD

• TEXT: QURAN (KORAN)

ISLAM• BELIEFS AND PRACTICES

– HIJRA –TRIP FROM MECCA TO MEDINA– FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

• ONE GOD ALLAH• FAST DURING RAMADAN• VISIT MECCA (PILGRIMAGE)• HELP (ALMS) TO THE POOR• PRAY FIVE TIMES A DAY FACING

MECCA

ISLAM• OTHER

– SHARIA-ISLAMIC LAW– JIHAD-HOLY WAR– MUSLIM EMPIRE 800-1100 (GOLDEN

AGE)• FOUGHT THE CRUSADES

– NORTH AFRICA (MANSA MUSA)– SUNNI (MORE OPEN READING)– SHIITE (MORE DIRECT READNG)