• Monotheistic – belief in one god- God
• Followers – around 10 million - called Hebrews
• Religious text – Torah – old testament
• God chose Abraham to be the “father” of the Hebrew people.
• Rabbi – teacher, leader
• Main rules – the 10 commandments
• Main holy days, days of worship – The Sabbath, Passover,
Hanukkah, Rosh Hahanah, Yom Kippur

• Monotheistic – belief in one god – God
• Jesus is the son of God
• Followers are called Christians
• 4-6 BC – Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea
• Pope – Leader of the Christian Church
• Priests – supervises local churches, teaches
• Text – the Bible – old and new Testament
• Holidays – Easter, Christmas, Mass every Sunday
• The 10 commandments

• Monotheistic – Allah is God
• Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah
• Followers called Muslims
• Text – Quran
• Holy days – Ramadan
• Laws, ideas – Sharia Law, Jihad, 5 pillars of Islam
• Hajj – Pilgrimage to Mecca

1. Faith and worship in God – Allah - the
Muhammad is his messenger
2. Establishment of the daily prayers – 5 times a day facing Mecca
3. Concern for and almsgiving to the needy
4. Self-purification through fasting – Ramadan
5. The pilgrimage to Mecca for those who are able.

• Polytheistic – many gods
• Brahma – Creator
• Vishnu – Protector
• Shiva – Destroyer
No single book – Upanishads – teachers commandments
Key ideas –
• Moksha (like Nirvana) – liberation from suffering and desires
• Reincarnation
• Karma
Followers are called Hindus

• Polytheistic – many gods
• Founded by Siddhartha Gauthama in Nepal ~ 460 BC
• Called Buddha – ‘enlightened one’
• Followers are called Buddhists
• Key ideas/beliefs –
• Nirvana (like Moksha) – enlightenment, wisdom
• Karma
• Reincarnation
• 4 noble truths
• Noble 8 fold path

• 1. Life is suffering – Dukkha
• 2. The cause of suffering is desire –
Tanha
• 3. The cure for suffering is to remove desire
• 4. To remove desire, follow the 8 fold path