Transcript WORLD RELIGIONS

WORLD RELIGIONS
World Religions
Geographers study religion
because
the Earth is impacted by
people and their religions.
World Religions
This study will present
information about some of the
most popular world religions , but
will not attempt to convince or
persuade any one to accept the
teachings of any religion.
Today, there are more
than 10,000 distinct
religions, of which 150
have one million or
more followers.
There are over 33,830
Christian denominations
or identifiable bodies of
believers.
(World Christian Encyclopedia by
David B. Barrett, 2001.)
We will focus on the following religions:
Hinduism (4000B.C.)
Judaism (2500B.C.)
Buddhism (500 B.C.)
Christianity (4 A.D.)
Islam (622 A.D.)
Confusianism (550 B.C.)
Doaism (440 A.D.)
Adherents:
Those who
practice or follow
a religion.
World
Religions
Religion
Adherents
% Pop.
Hinduism
900,812,000
13.4%
Judaism
17,822,000
0.3%
Buddhism
360,939,000
6.0%
Confuscianism
5,254,000
0.1%
Daoism
20,000,000
0.35%
Christianity (All) 2,833,022,000
33.4%
IN THE LAST 50 YEARS YEARS:
Muslims have increased 235%
Christians have increased 47%
Hinduism has increased 117%
Buddhism has increased by 63%
Islam is the 2nd largest religion in
France, Great Britain and the U.S.
HINDUISM
4000 B.C.
Lord Vishnu
Hinduism …
is one of the most
complex and oldest
religions in the world.
…
… has no single founder
unlike most major religions.
Hinduism …
has many sacred texts,
instead of just one. The
Veda, one of the oldest, is a
collection of 4 sacred
writings.
…
… developed and changed
over 3,500 years.
Basic Beliefs of Hinduism
• Caste System: Ranked society
into occupational classes.
Brahmins—priests
Kshatriyas—soldiers and warriors
Vaishyas—merchants, skilled
traders, farmers, laborers
Sudra—unskilled laborers
Untouchables—poor, discriminated
against; NOT part of system
• Beliefs based on the concept that
human and animal spirits
reincarnate, or come back to live
many times in different forms.
• Belief that souls move up and down
the class hierarchy depending on
one’s karma (or the sum of their
life’s actions, good and bad)
Hinduism and Buddhism
were two very important
religions that developed in
ancient India. They both
influenced Indian
civilization.
To a Hindu...
Different gods are forms
of an all-powerful spiritual
force.
The goal of life is to
become one with this force or
to reach Nirvana (the escape
from cycle of reincarnation).
An Indian
image of
Buddha
Siddhartha Guatama or Buddha
founded Buddhism.
He was born about 566 B.C.
After studying and
reflecting, he believed that
he had found the cure for
human suffering.
Buddha taught that...
individuals must free
themselves from desires.
One should live a
moral life
One should avoid evil
words and actions.
• Buddha attracted many
followers.
•After his death, missionaries
spread his teachings across
many parts of Asia.
•Although Buddhism took root
in other parts of Asia, it
slowly declined in India.
REVIEW:
1. Which religion is still
widely practiced in
India today?
2. What four beliefs do
Hinduism and
Buddhism share?
JUDAISM
2500 B.C.
MONOTHEISM:
The belief in the existence
of only one god.
POLYTHEISM:
The belief in or worship of
more than one god.
The Hebrews were one of the groups that lived
in the Fertile Crescent.
The Hebrews recorded their laws in a
sacred scrolls called the Torah.
According to the Torah, God made a
covenant, or binding agreement, with
Abraham to be the God of the
Hebrews.
Later, the Egyptian pharaoh made the
Hebrews into slaves. Moses helped the
Hebrews to escape.
Torah ark, showing
scrolls with
embroidered cases
and Torah crowns.
The Hebrews wandered in the desert
for 40 years.
Finally, they set up the kingdom of
Israel with Jerusalem as its capital.
The Israelites believed that God had
promised them this land. Later, the
kingdom split apart and both
sections were conquered.
In time, Hebrew beliefs evolved into
the religion we know as Judaism.
The Hebrews also believed that God had
chosen them as his people.
Judaism was monotheistic,
teaching a belief in one God. The
Hebrews also believed that God
had chosen them as his people.
The laws of Judaism are called
the Ten Commandments. They
describe how people should
behave toward God and toward
each other.
Moses receives
the Ten
Commandments.
This is an illustration
in the 12th Century
Winchester Bible.
Review:
1.
What were two lessons
taught by the prophets?
2.
What were three beliefs
of Judaism?
Generally, ancient Rome allowed its citizens
to worship as they pleased.
However, Jewish reformers called
Zealots wanted independence.
When the Jews revolted, the Romans
drove them out of their homeland.
During this time, a new religion
emerged. Its founder was a Jew
named Jesus and he was born
around 4 B.C. He called himself the
son of God.
Jesus among his followers.
Jesus said that he was the messiah,
or savior sent by God.
•He believed in the Jewish idea of
one God and accepted the Ten
Commandments.
•He preached new ideas and
claimed that he was “Christ,” the
promised savior who would save
humankind from its sins.
•Many Jews and Romans worried
that Jesus was dangerous and he
was arrested by the Romans.
Jesus was tried and
executed Romanstyle:nailed to a
cross and left to die.
After Jesus
died, his followers spread his
teachings. They became the first
Christians. At first, Rome persecuted the
Christians. Still, Christianity continued to
spread. Many people found comfort in the
belief that Jesus redeemed them from sin
and offered them the possibility of a
better life after death. Jesus had
welcomed all people, including the poor
and the troubled.
In A.D. 313,
the emperor
of Rome,
Constantine,
ended the
persecution
of Christians.
Eighty years later,
Christianity became the
official religion of the
Roman empire.
GROWTH
OF
CHRISTIANITY
Christianity
gradually
spread
throughout
the
Roman
empire.
Apostles
carried the
teachings
of Jesus
across the
region.
REVIEW:
1. What messages did
Jesus preach?
2. In which year did
Christianity become the
official religion of the
Roman empire?
In 622 A.D., a new religion called Islam
arose in Arabia.
According to the Koran, the
sacred text of the Muslims,
Allah (God) sent his angel
Gabriel with a command to
Muhammad to spread the
message of Islam. Muhammad
spent the rest of his life
spreading the word of Islam.
Soon thousands of people
adopted Islam. People who
practice Islam are called
Muslims. Like Jews and
Christians, Muslims believe
in one god, Allah. Allah is
compassionate and allpowerful.
Five Pillars of Islam
Almsgiving
Hajj (Pilgrimage)
Prayer five times a day
Ramadan
Recitation of Creed
Islam teaches that people are responsible
for the way they behave.
Muslims must pray every
day and are expected to
fast, or go without food,
from sunrise to sunset
during the holy month of
Ramadan.
Daily prayers are
required of Muslims.
They must kneel on
clean ground, so
they use a pray
cloth or rug. Men
and women do not
pray together.
Muslims are supposed to
help the poor and visit
the holy city of Mecca. If
Muslims follow Islamic
teachings, they will have
eternal happiness after
death.
The sacred book of Islam is the Quran
(sometimes spelled Koran).
Muslims believe that the
Qu’ran contains the word
of God,so it is the final
authority in all matters.
It also provides a
complete guide to life.
Over time, Muslims
developed a system of
law, called the Sharia.
The laws teach people
how to behave in family
life, business, and other
aspects of the community.
In this way, Islam is both
a religion and a way of
life. The Qu’ran, the
Sharia, and the Arabic
language helped unite
all Muslims.
All
All Muslims accept five basic duties called the Five Pillars of Islam.
Review:
1. What do the Quran and
the Sharia teach?
2. Name three duties of
Islam.
Rise
of
Confuscianism
Confuscianism
• A code of conduct to live by
• A philosophy of life to live by
rather than a religion (no
church, clergy, gods or life after
death.
Confuscianism
The Five Relationships
Husband and wife
Parent and child
Elder and younger brother
Ruler and subject
Friend to friend.
Key Concepts:
• Filial Piety—the greatest of
virtues
• Respect and obedience given to
parents
• Li—polite behavior expected of
all
Rise of
Daoism
• Lao-Tse, the founder
• Means “The Way”
• Symbol: Yin and Yang
represent “balance” between all
things in nature.
Religion has been the comforter
of mankind throughout the ages,
from the cavemen to the present
day. It helps people put order
into chaos and for many, it helps
explain what happens after
death. Most religions preach
peace, yet religion has been
the cause of many wars.