1. Christianity God: Practices and Rituals: Holy Book: Key Beliefs:
*Trinity- 3 parts; God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit (God’s presence on Earth)
*Christians believe Jesus is human and “divine” or God-like
Practices and Rituals:
*sacraments- sacred ceremonies when Christians experience the Holy Spirit; examples- baptism- intro to Christianity, recreates Jesus’ baptism; communion- Lord’s Supper, recreates breaking of bread and sharing of wine before his death
*All sects practice communion and baptism
*7 other sacraments- not all sects practice them
Holy Book:
*Bible- has 2 parts, Old Testament and New Testament
*Has been translated into many languages
Christianity
Key Beliefs:
*Based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, A.K.A. Jesus Christ
*Goal- to reach salvation, or eternal (never-ending) life of one’s soul with God in Heaven
*If you sin and are not sorry, you will suffer eternally in hell
*Achieving salvation- 1. following Jesus' teachings about living a moral life; 2. participate in the sacraments
Worship Services:
*ministers- specially trained to carry out Christian teachings/ceremonies
*Ministers lead worship services in a church
*Most important services usually on Sunday
*Experience sacraments, recite basic beliefs, pray and read from Bible
*Minister gives a sermon, or religious speech about a Bible reading
Religion
Sects:
*Roman Catholic
*Orthodox
*Protestant
*All believe Jerusalem is the holiest city- where Jesus died and rose from the dead

2. Islam God: Holy Book: Practices and Rituals:
*God of Abraham- Allah
*Believe that God made an agreement with Abraham that his descendents would be God’s chosen people in return for their faith and obedience
Holy Book:
*Koran- has been translated into many languages, but is only used for religious purposes when it is in Arabic
*Includes revelations, teachings made by God to Muhammad
*It outlines the goal of Islam
Practices and Rituals:
*5 Pillars- shahada, salat, zakat, Siyam, hajj
*Prayers on Friday at noon
*Cannot eat pork or drink alcohol
Islam
Key Beliefs:
*Goal of Islam- living according to God’s guidance, which is rewarded with salvation, or eternal life in paradise with God
*Achieve salvation- participate in 5 Pillars, practices; 1. shahda- public recitation of faith; 2. salat- prayer, pray 5 times/day, specific times, always facing Mecca; 3. zakat- giving to the needy, 2.5% of wealth to charity; 4. Siyam- fasting, no food or drink from dawn to dusk; 5. hajj- journey to Mecca once in their life
Worship Services:
*Mosque- holy building for Muslims
*Prayers- Friday at noon, most important day
*imam- prayer leader, leads prayers, reads from Koran, gives religious speech, or sermon
*imam- selected by Muslims for their good character and their religious knowledge
Religion
Sects:
*Sunni
*Shi’I
*Share most beliefs except the issue of leadership in the Muslim community

3. Judaism Holy Book: God: Practices and Rituals: Key Beliefs:
*TeNaKh- written in Hebrew, sacred language of Judaism
*3 parts- Torah- stories of ancient Hebrews and Hebrew law; Nevi’- history of Hebrew messengers of God’s word; Ketuvim- psalms or prayers written in song or poem form
*Torah most important part because it is the Law of God
*Torah has 613 commandments- tell Jews how to worship and live a moral life
God:
*The God of Abraham, called Adonai
*Believe that Abraham made an agreement with God that Abraham and his descendents would be God’s chosen people in return for their faith and obedience
Practices and Rituals:
*Friday evening to Saturday evening Jews must rest and pray
*Shabbat begins with a traditional family meal; breaking of bread, challah, and sharing wine
*Friday evening and Saturday morning Jews pray at a synagogue
Judaism
Key Beliefs:
*Live a good life according to laws of Torah
*Pass of Jewish traditions to their family
*Sabbath Day- Shabbat, Jews must keep this day holy
*Yom Kippur- holiday when Jews fast; being sorry for bad acts
*Give to the needy to create justice in the world
*Can only eat kosher foods, the cleanliness of food preparation
*Non-kosher foods called tref- pork, shellfish, meat prepared with dairy products
Worship Services:
*Synagogue- holy building
*Rabbi- holy teacher, leads worship service
*Rabbi leads prayers and readings from TeNaKh
*Saturday service- Rabbi gives a sermon, religious speech
Religion
Sects:
*Orthodox
*Conservative
*Reformed
*All special reverence for Jerusalem-sacred city of prophets

4. Hinduism Holy Book: God: Practices and Rituals: Key Beliefs:
*No 1 holy book- many sacred writings
*Holiest writings- Vedas- collection of hymns, prayers, and magic spells
*Epics- long poems containing Hindu ideas; stories about many Aryan heroes
*Mahabharata- longest poem ever written; how the soul can reach God through good deeds
*Ramayana- epic that teaches love and devotion between husbands and wives
God:
*Worship 1 god or many gods
*Braham- god believed to have created the universe by some families
*Vishnu- preserver of the universe; god that is a different form of Braham *Siva- destroyer of ignorance and evil
Practices and Rituals:
*Pilgrimages- journeys to temples in holy cities; Benares along the Ganges River
*Caste system- social class; determines what kind of job a person will have
Key Beliefs:
*Believes the soul goes to heaven or hell depending on how the person lived their life on earth
*Believe when the body dies the soul goes into another living thing, human being or animal; reincarnation-AKA samsara
*Soul keeps being reborn until moksha- soul united with Braham
*Karma- how a soul will be reborn in the next life; lives a good life- reborn into higher form; lives bad life- reborn into lower form
*Dharma- tells how to live life properly; set of rules Hindu must folow
*Cows are sacred- Do not eat beef
Hinduism
Worship Services:
*Worship in homes; wealthy have a special room to worship
*Religious ceremonies, weddings, etc take place in homes
*Many temples devoted to gods
*Hindus worship as individuals
Religion
Sects:
*Caste system- social class; determines what kind of job a person will have
*1. Brahams- priests; 2. Kshatriyas- warriors and rulers; 3. Vaishyas- professionals, merchants, landowning farmers; 4. Shudras- servants
*Untouchables/Outcastes- do not belong to a caste; did jobs no other Hindus would like to do