World
Religions
Jainism
• Jainism is an ancient religion from India that
teaches that the way to liberation and bliss is to
live lives of harmlessness and renunciation.
• The essence of Jainism is concern for the welfare
of every being in the universe and for the health
of the universe itself.
• Jains believe in reincarnation.
• Jainism is a religion of self help.
• Most Jains live in India, and according to the
2001 Census of India there are around 4.2
million living there.
Buddhism
• Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses on
personal spiritual development and the
attainment of a deep insight into the true nature
of life.
• There are 376 million followers worldwide.
• Buddhists follow the path of the Buddha,
Siddhartha Gautama, who went on a quest for
Enlightenment around the sixth century BC.
• There is no belief in a personal god. Buddhists
believe that nothing is fixed or permanent and
that change is always possible. The path to
Enlightenment is through the practice and
development of morality, meditation and
wisdom.
Christianity
• Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah
promised in the Old Testament.
• Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
• Christians believe that God sent his Son to earth to
save humanity from the consequences of its sins.
• One of the most important concepts in Christianity is
that of Jesus giving his life on the Cross
(the Crucifixion) and rising from the dead on the third
day (the Resurrection).
• Christians believe that there is only one God, but that
there are three elements to this one God: Father, Son,
Holy Spirit.
• Christianity is the most popular religion in the world
with over 2 billion adherents
Islam
• The word Islam means 'submission to the will
of God'.
• Islam is the second largest religion in the
world with over 1 billion followers.
• Muslims believe that there is only One God.
• According to Muslims, God sent a number of
prophets to mankind to teach them how to
live according to His law.
Judaism
• Judaism is the original of the three
Abrahamic faiths, which also
includes Christianity and Islam.
• There were around 13.1 million Jewish
people in the world in 2007.
• Judaism was founded by Moses, although
Jews trace their history back to Abraham.
• Jews believe that there is only one God with
whom they have a covenant.
Hinduism
• Hinduism is the religion of the majority of people in India and
Nepal. It has over 900 million adherents worldwide.
• In some ways Hinduism is the oldest living religion in the world,
or at least elements within it stretch back many thousands of
years. Yet Hinduism resists easy definition partly because of the
vast array of practices and beliefs found within it.
• Unlike most other religions, Hinduism has no single founder, no
single scripture, and no commonly agreed set of teachings.
• Throughout its extensive history, there have been many key
figures teaching different philosophies and writing numerous
holy books. For these reasons, writers often refer to Hinduism as
'a way of life' or 'a family of religions' rather than a single
religion.
Key Characteristics of Religions
1. Belief System
2. Community
3. Central Myths
4. Ritual
5. Characteristic Emotional
Experiences
6. Material Expression
7. Sacredness
Belief System
Several beliefs fit
together into a fairly
complete and systemic
interpretation of the
universe and the
human being’s place in
it; this is also called a
worldview.
Community
The belief system is shared, and its ideals are
practiced by a group.
Central Myths
Stories that express the religious beliefs of a
group are retold and often reenacted. Examples
of central myths include the major events in the
life of the Hindu god Krishna, the
enlightenment experience of Buddha, the
exodus of the Israelites from oppression in
Egypt, the death and resurrection of Jesus, or
Muhammad’s escape from Mecca to Medina.
Scholars call such central stories: myths (the
term myth does not mean that the stories are
historically untrue but only that the stories are
central to the religion).
Ritual
Beliefs are enacted and made real through
ceremonies.
Characteristic Emotional Experiences
Among the emotional experiences typically
associated with religions are dread, guilt,
awe, mystery, devotion, conversion,
“rebirth”, liberation, ecstasy, bliss, and inner
peace.
Material Expression
Religions make use of an astonishing variety of
physical elements- statues, paintings, musical
compositions, musical instruments, ritual
objects, flowers, incense, clothing,
architecture, and specific locations.
Sacredness
A distinction is made between the sacred and
the ordinary; ceremonies often emphasize
this distinction through the deliberate use of
different language, clothing, and
architecture. Certain objects, actions, people,
and places may share in the sacredness or
express it.