1. The 5 Major World Religions

2. Where are the Religions?

3. Types of Religions Monotheistic – religion with one god
Polytheistic – religion with many gods
Caste System – a hierarchy where some people are considered higher in standing than others
Major five religions:
Judaism - Christianity -Hinduism
Islam - Buddhism

4. Judaism One God Early History ~1950 BC, Abraham’s Covenant
Travel to Canaan then to Egypt
Slavery in Egypt
Moses & the Exodus
One God
TEXT: The Torah
Pentateuch
Old Testament
Abraham’s History
Mishnah
Writings of the Prophets
Talmud
Other Writings of the Jewish Tradition
Abraham & Isaac
Torah
Moses & the 10 Commandments

5. Beliefs and Customs Religious Customs Prayer 3 x a day
Worship on the Sabbath day Saturday
Whole Torah (Pentateuch) is read each year
Diet
Food must be Kosher
Holy Days & Festivals
Passover (spring)
Shabouth (fall)
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement
Hannukkah (Winter)
Purim (March)

6. Icon depicting the First Council of Nicaea
Basic Christianity
History
2000 yrs ago
The Apostles
Christ’s Death
Texts
The Bible
Beliefs
The Holy Trinity
Immaculate Conception
The Afterlife
Customs & Holidays
Weekly Worship
Holy Week
Palm Sunday
Maundy Thursday
Good Friday
Easter
Christmas
Christ on the Cross, Velazquez
Icon depicting the First Council of Nicaea
The Holy Trinity,
Albrecht Duerer

7. Islam: The 5 Pillars Faith
There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger
Prayer (Salat)
5 x daily
Charity (Zakat)
All Things belong to Allah so we should donate to the Needy
Fast
During Ramadan, from sun up to sundown.
Pilgrimage (Hajj)
Once in a lifetime trip to Mecca and the Ka’ba

8. Islam
History -Islam is the second most popular religion in the world with over a thousand million followers. It is more often thought of as a complete way of life rather than a religion. Islam began in Arabia and was revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Those who follow Islam are called Muslims.
God - Muslims believe that there is only one God, called Allah. Islam is mainly followed in the Middle East, Asia, and the north of Africa.
Text – The Koran (Qur’an)
Holy Days – Ramadan (holy fasting) and Pilgrimage (Hajj)

9. Hindu Gods: Many Forms of One God
4000 – 2500 BCE
Aryan Peoples
Oral Tradition: Vedas & Upanishads
Aryan Caste System
Brahmins: Priests
Ksatriyas: Warriors & Rulers
Vaisyas: Merchants, Farmers, Artisans
Sudras: Manual Laborers
Untouchables: Dirty Work
Hindu Beliefs: Hamster Wheel
Brahman
Atman
Reincarnation
Karma
Moksha
Texts: Scriptures
Shruti
Smritis
Holy Days - Karva Chauth, Dhan Teras, Deepavali minor, & Deepavali major.
Hinduism
Hindu Gods: Many Forms of One God
Brahma: The Creator
Siva: The Destroyer
Vishnu: The Preserver

10. Buddhism Siddartha Gautama, 560-490 BCE
The Buddha: The Enlightened One
Buddhist Beliefs
No Real Gods or Deities
Goal: Nirvana not Brahma
Four Noble Truths
Life is Suffering
Suffering is caused by desire & resistance to change
We can end suffering by ending desire
We can end desire and suffering by following the eightfold path
Eight Fold Path
Right Understanding
Right Thought
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration
-Prayer: Meditation
-No Specifically related text
Asoka: BC