World Religions

Religion DefinitionsA system of beliefs and practices that

attempts to order life in terms of culturally

perceived ultimate priorities.

(Stoddard and Prorak)

The belief in and worship of a superhuman

controlling power, esp. a personal God or

gods. (Google.com)

A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature,

and purpose of the universe. (Dictionary.com)

The service or worship of God or the

supernatural. (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary)

Key Characteristics of Religion

• Set of doctrines or

beliefs relating to a god or

gods.

• Structure or hierarchy of

officials.

• Rituals (rite/ceremony)

for:

– Birth

– Death

– Marriage

– Prayer

– Routine services on a Fri,

Sat. or Sun.

Religions Are Divided Into…

• Branches - A large and fundamental

division within a religion– such as Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox branches of

Christianity.

• Denomination - A division of a branch that

unites a number of local congregations into

a single administrative body– Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist denominations of

Protestantism

• Sect - A relatively small group that broke

away from an established denomination.

Classifications of Religions

• Monotheistic religions – worship a single deity.

• Polytheistic religions – worship more than one deity, even

thousands.

• Animistic religions – belief that inanimate objects posses

spirits and should be revered.

Where did the Major Religions of the World Originate, and

How do Religions Diffuse?

Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage

• Sacred Sites:

Places or spaces people infuse with religious meaning.

• Pilgrimage:

Purposeful travel to a religious site to pay respects or

participate in a ritual at the site.

From the Hearth of South Asia

• Hinduism –– Originated in Indus River Valley over 4,000 years ago.

• Buddhism –– Originated in India as a reform movement of Hinduism.

– Founded by Siddhartha Gautama or the Buddha in the 5th century B.C.E.

Hinduism

• No single founder.

• Rich in tradition.

• Worlds oldest religion that is still practiced.

• Third largest religion in the world.

What is Hinduism?

• Belief in a Supreme Being that encompasses everything in the Universe.

• Religious tradition that has been building on itself since before 3000

B.C.E.

• Varies a lot from sect to sect.

• No founder, no church establishment, no dogma.

Where do people who practice

Hinduism live?

Large concentrations live in India, Nepal,

Bangladesh and Bali.

History and Sacred Texts

• Vedas have been passed down and are

very ancient.

• Rituals, hymns, stories.

“Supreme Being”

The “Supreme Being”

manifests itself in

everything just in different

forms.

Most worshiped forms:

• Brahma

•Vishnu

• Shiva

Caste System

Varna Occupation

Brahmin Priests and

religious officials

Kshatriya Rulers and

warriors

Vaishya Farmers,

merchants,

traders and

craftsmen

Shudra Servants of the

upper castes and

peasants

Untouchables Dirty (unclean)

jobs: butchers,

garbage men, etc.

From the Hearth of South Asia

• Buddhism – Splintered from Hinduism 2500 years ago. Originated in a region from Nepal south to the Ganges River area.

***Anyone can achieve salvation and reach enlightenment***

Buddhism

• Fourth largest religion.

• There is no God in

Buddhism, Buddha was just

the “awakened one.”

• The goal in life (and rebirth)

is to break free of the cycle of

life and suffering.

Where do most Buddhists live?

Mongolia, Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, China

History of Buddhism…

Focused around Siddhartha Gautama, most

commonly known as Buddha.

• Born around 563 B.C.E.

• Left family to experience the

world, on a quest for

understanding

• Wandered for 6 years and

experienced extremes.

• The name “Buddha” was given

to him after he became

enlightened and the name means

“Awakened One.”

• He was just an enlightened

teacher, he is not a god.

Four Noble Truths

All Buddhists accept these Four Noble Truths

Ethics

• To refrain from taking life (non-violence).

• To refrain from taking that which is not given (theft).

• To refrain from sensual misconduct.

• To refrain from lying (speaking truth always).

• To refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss

of mindfulness (specifically, drugs and alcohol).

•Monks have much more specific rules.

Shintoism

• A Japanese ethnic religion based on animism and shamanism.

• Was modified by introduction of Buddhism-closely related today-many Japanese practice both.

• Reverence for nature and the land-emperor seen as divine.

• Belief in kami or spirits

• Used by militants as a nationalistic religion in 1930s to unify the country in war time.

From the Hearth of Huang He (Yellow)

River Valley

• Taoism –Originated in China more than 2500

years ago.

Chinese Religions

• Confucianism-Mainly a philosophy of life founded by K’ung Fu-tze in 6th

cent. BC

• Became a state religion of China-emphasized duty, social order and respect of others

• Daoism or Taoism “the Way” founded by Lao Zi(Lao Tsu), a reverence and harmony with nature-easily co-existed with Confucianism and Buddhism.

From the Hearth of the

Eastern Mediterranean

• Judaism –

Originated in Southwest Asia about 4000 years ago.

***First major monotheistic religion***

• Judaism is an ethnicity as well as a religion.

– One can be born a Jew but not believe in the Jewish faith.

• Makes it hard to get a “head-count” of how many Jewish people there are.

– 14 to 16 million.

• Moses was given the Torah at Mount Sinai.

• Abraham is known as the

Father of Judaism.

Basic Jewish Belief

Torah

(First five books of the Old Testament)

• 613 commandments laid out

in the Torah.

Less than 300 are

applicable to most Jews

today.

Torah is their holy text.

Practicing Judaism…• Many different sects of Judaism

– Orthodox: Adheres strictly to the Torah and Oral Law. Takes rituals very seriously.

– Conservative: teaches that Jewish law is absolute, but has always developed in response to changing conditions. Still participates in some rituals.

– Reform: adapts to today’s society/culture. Takes rituals out of it.

Kosher

Kosher mammals must have split hooves

and must be able to chew their cud.

KOSHER SEAFOOD

MUST HAVE SCALES

AND FINS.

For something to be considered “kosher” it should also be prepared a

certain way and approved by a rabbi.

From the Hearth of the Eastern

Mediterranean• Christianity – Originated in Southwest Asia about 2000

years ago.

• Began as a Jewish sect in modern day Israel/Palestine

• Founded around 33 C.E.

• Today there are about 2 billion followers.

• Over 34,000 different sects.

Christianity

• It has the largest number of followers and is the most widely dispersed with 1.6 billion or 40% of the population

• Roman Catholicism is the largest segment and is found in Europe, North American and Latin America.

• Protestantism dominates in Northern Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

• Eastern Orthodox is found in Eastern Europe, Russia and Ethiopia.

• Birth: Between 6

and 4 B.C.E.

• Messiah: “The

anointed one.”

Jesus Christ

The Gospels or “New

Testament.”

•Matthew, Mark, Luke, John…

•When were they written?

35-95 C.E.

First Split in Christianity, 1054 CEWestern Roman empire = Roman Catholicism

Eastern Roman empire = Eastern Orthodox

Protestant Reformation

• Martin Luther and the Ninety-

Five Theses in 1517.

• Luther was upset about

indulgences in the Catholic

Church.

Religious Landscapes in the United States

From the Hearth of the Eastern

Mediterranean

• Islam – Originated on Arabian peninsula about 1500 years ago.

Islam

• Islam is the 2nd largest

and fastest growing

religion with 1 billion

followers.

• It has 2 main sects or

divisions-Sunni, the

majority and Shiite

centered in Iran & Iraq.

• It is dominant in North

Africa, Southwest Asia

and extends into Central

and Southeast Asia

What does the word Islam mean?

• Comes from the root word Salaam

meaning “peace”

• Means “submission to god”

History of Islam…

• Founded by Muhammad in 622

C.E.• The last messenger of God, through which the

Qur’an was revealed. Muslims view Muhammad as

the restorer of the original, uncorrupted

monotheistic faith of Adam, Abraham, Moses,

Jesus.

• The prophet and his people were persecuted against but

conquered Mecca before his death.

The Diffusion of Islam

Muslims are followers of Islam

• Muslims believe that Islam is a complete way of life.

• Worship Allah.

• Many different sects and live all over the world.

The Qur’an

• Sacred text of Islam

History of Islam

• Disagreement choosing a future Caliph.

• Islam splits into two parts

– Shia (Shi’ite)

– Sunni

History of Islam

• This split continues to the present day and is a

cause for many problems still to this day.

oMajority of Muslims are Sunni.

oShia are concentrated in Iran/Iraq.

Five Pillars of Islam

1. The Shahadah

An oath…"I testify that there is none

worthy of worship except God and I

testify that Muhammad is the Messenger

of God."

2. Salah/Salat

Prayer ritual that must be performed

five times a day.• Before dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, evening

• Face the city of Mecca when praying (East)

• Use a special mat (rug) and have set motions

• Friday prayer should be done at a Mosque

3. Zakat

Alms-giving

• Muslims should give at least 2.5%

of their money to the poor.

4. Sawm

Ritual involving fasting during Ramadan.

• No eating or drinking from sunrise to

sunset. Not even water!

5. The Hajj

Pilgrimage to Mecca during Dhu al-Hijjah.

• Muslims are required to do this at least

once in their lifetime.

Government Impact on Religion

The Soviet Union:

- Had an official

policy of atheism

- Discouraged

religious practice

- Drew boundaries

for political

control that

separated ethnic

groups in small

areas

Israel & Palestine

The West Bankwith the proposed security

wall, parts of which the

Israeli government has

already built.

Northern IrelandIdentities are tied to

Religion, but are

deepened by:

Economic- colonial

experiences &

activity spaces

(segregation)

Boal’s studies in

Northern Ireland

demonstrate that

solving a religious

conflict is typically

not about theology; it

is about identity

The Rise of Secularism

• World wide 4-6 billion adhere to a religion

• Separation of Church and State a new concept.

• Today in the Developed World religion has declined in importance.

• Secularism is most common in urban, industrialized nations.

• Anti-religious ideologies like communism discouraged organized worship.

Religious Fundamentalism & Extremism

• Religious fundamentalism –A return to the basics

of their faith. Can be found in Christianity, Judaism, and

Islam.

• Religious extremism – Fundamentalism carried to the

point of violence. Also can be found in Christianity, Judaism,

and Islam

Islamic Extremists and Jihad

Christian Extremists