WORLD RELIGIONS

1
WORLD RELIGIONS
2
(No Transcript)
3
World Religions
Geographers study religion because the Earth is
impacted by people and their religions.
4
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.
5
Today, there are more than 10,000 distinct
religions, of which 150 have one million or more
followers.
6
There are over 33,830 Christian denominations or
identifiable bodies of believers. (World
Christian Encyclopedia by David B. Barrett, 2001.)
7
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.)
8
Adherents Those who practice or follow a
religion.
9
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
10
(No Transcript)
11
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.
12
HINDUISM 4000 B.C.
13
(No Transcript)
14
Lord Vishnu
15
Hinduism

is one of the most complex and oldest
religions in the world. has no single founder
unlike most major religions.
16
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.
17
Basic Beliefs of Hinduism

• Caste System Ranked society into occupational
  classes.
• Brahminspriests
• Kshatriyassoldiers and warriors
• Vaishyasmerchants, skilled traders, farmers,
  laborers
• Sudraunskilled laborers
• Untouchablespoor, discriminated against NOT
  part of system

18

• 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 ones karma (or the sum of
  their lifes actions, good and bad)

19
(No Transcript)
20
Hinduism and Buddhism were two very important
religions that developed in ancient India. They
both influenced Indian civilization.
21
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).
22
An Indian image of Buddha
23
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.
24
Buddha taught that...
individuals must free themselves from desires.
One should live a moral life One should
avoid evil words and actions.
25

• 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.

26
(No Transcript)
27
REVIEW 1.
Which religion is still widely practiced in
India today? 2. What four beliefs do
Hinduism and Buddhism share?
28
JUDAISM
2500 B.C.
29
(No Transcript)
30
MONOTHEISM
The belief in the existence of only one god.
POLYTHEISM
The belief in or worship of more than one god.
31
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.
32
Torah ark, showing scrolls with embroidered cases
and Torah crowns.
33
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.
34
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.
35
Moses receives the Ten Commandments. This is an
illustration in the 12th Century Winchester
Bible.
36
(No Transcript)
37
Review 1. What were two lessons taught
by the prophets? 2. What were three beliefs
of Judaism?
38
(No Transcript)
39
(No Transcript)
40
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.
41
Jesus among his followers.
42
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.

43
Jesus was tried and executed Roman-
stylenailed to a cross and left to die.
44

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.
45
In A.D. 313, the emperor of Rome, Constantine,
ended the persecution of Christians.
46
Eighty years later, Christianity became the
official religion of the Roman empire.
47
GROWTH OF CHRISTIANITY
Christianity gradually spread throughout
the Roman empire. Apostles carried the teachings
of Jesus across the region.
48
REVIEW 1. What
messages did Jesus preach? 2. In which year
did Christianity become the official religion
of the Roman empire?
49
(No Transcript)
50
(No Transcript)
51
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.
52
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 all-powerful.
53
Five Pillars of Islam

• Almsgiving
• Hajj (Pilgrimage)
• Prayer five times a day
• Ramadan
• Recitation of Creed

54
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.
55
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.
56
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.
57
(No Transcript)
58
The sacred book of Islam is the Quran (sometimes
spelled Koran).
Muslims believe that the Quran contains the word
of God,so it is the final authority in all
matters. It also provides a complete guide to
life.
59
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.
60
In this way, Islam is both a religion and a way
of life. The Quran, the Sharia, and the Arabic
language helped unite all Muslims.
61
All
Muslims called the Five Pillars of Islam.
All Muslims accept five basic duties called the
Five Pillars of Islam.
62
Review 1. What do the Quran and the
Sharia teach? 2. Name three duties of Islam.
63

• Rise
• of
• Confuscianism

64
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.

65
Confuscianism

• The Five Relationships
• Husband and wife
• Parent and child
• Elder and younger brother
• Ruler and subject
• Friend to friend.

66

• Key Concepts
• Filial Pietythe greatest of virtues
• Respect and obedience given to parents
• Lipolite behavior expected of all

67

• Rise of
• Daoism

68

• Lao-Tse, the founder
• Means The Way
• Symbol Yin and Yang represent balance between
  all things in nature.

69
(No Transcript)
70
(No Transcript)
71
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.