Major World Religions &

Geographical Themes
 How does religion connect and
separate societies?
• What do Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam have in common?
Introduction to
Judaism
 Basic Facts of Judaism
Tenets:
• is monotheistic
• belief in justice and righteousness
• adherence to rules and
commandments from the scriptures
• importance of covenants (Abrahamic,
Mosaic, Messianic)
 Basic Facts of Judaism
• Supreme Being: G-d (Jews do not
spell out full name as it is considered
too holy),Yahweh, Jehovah
• Sacred Text: The Tanach which
includes the Torah.
• Place of Worship: Synagogue
• Holy Land: Israel, particularly
Jerusalem and the Western Wall
Synagogue
Western Wall
The Western Wall
 Basic Facts of Judaism
• “Founding Fathers”—Abraham, Jacob,
Moses
• Founded around 2000 B.C.E.
• Founded in Canaan (also known as
Israel or Palestine)
• Approximately 14 million followers,
nearly half of which live in Israel
Basic Beliefs of Judaism
Monotheistic faith
A belief in one god who is
most often called Yahweh or
Jehovah
Then said God, Basic Beliefs Creation
Let be light and
was light.
And saw God
the light that
good (it was)
and separated
God between
the light and
the darkness.
And called God
the light Day.
and the
darkness He
called Night;
and was the
mixing and was
the breaking
forth time one.
 Basic Beliefs

“But you shall not eat of the

tree of the knowledge of
good and evil; for in the day
that you do eat of it, you
shall surely die.” Genesis
2:17
• Original Sin
• Adam’s Curse (Genesis
3:14-19)
 Abrahamic Covenant
"Look up at the
heavens and count
the stars-if indeed
you can count
them." Then He said
to him, "So shall
your offspring be."
Genesis 15:5

What could this

mean?
 The Branch of Abraham
God’s promise to Abraham—book of Genesis

Ishmael Isaac
Jacob
Twelve Tribes of
Israel
King David
(Tribe of Judah)

Muhammad Jesus
Islam Christianity Judaism
 Mosaic Covenant
The Promised Land
The LORD said, "I have indeed
seen the misery of my
people in Egypt. I have
heard them crying out
because of their slave
drivers, and I am
concerned about their
suffering. 8 So I have come
down to rescue them from
the hand of the Egyptians
and to bring them up out
of that land into a good
and spacious land, a land
flowing with milk and
honey…” Exodus 3:7

Why is this important?

 Messianic Covenant
• Promise of “Moshiach”—Messiah
The days are coming," declares the LORD ,
"when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely and do what is just
and right in the land.” Jeremiah 23:5

What could this mean?

 Theories Regarding the
Messiah
• Before the time of the moshiach, there shall be war
and suffering (Ezekiel 38:16)

• The moshiach will bring about the political and

spiritual redemption of the Jewish people by
bringing us back to Israel and restoring Jerusalem
(Isaiah 11:11-12; Jeremiah 23:8; 30:3; Hosea 3:4-
5).
 Theories Regarding the
Messiah
• He will establish a government in Israel that will be
the center of all world government, both for Jews
and gentiles (Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:10; 42:1).
• He will rebuild the Temple and re-establish its
worship (Jeremiah 33:18).
• He will restore the religious court system of Israel
and establish Jewish law as the law of the land
(Jeremiah 33:15).
Fundamental Beliefs
 Beliefs about G-d
• G-d is Omniscient (sees all)
• G-d is Omni-present (everywhere at all
times)
• G-d is Omnipotent (all powerful)
• G-d is Eternal (existing forever)
• G-d is neither male nor female
• G-d is both just and merciful (judges
individually)
• G-d is holy and perfect (without sin)
• G-d is the father and King (the authority)
Scriptures and Laws
 Scriptures
• Torah
• The Writings
• The Prophets
• Ten Commandments
given to Moses on Mt.
Sinai
• 613 additional laws
– click here to view them
all:
http://www.jewfaq.org/6
13.htm
 Ten Commandments
1. Have no other gods before Me
2. Do not worship a graven image
3. Do not take the Lord’s name in
vain
4. Keep the Sabbath holy
5. Honor your mother and father
6. Do not murder
7. Do not steal
8. Do not commit adultery
9. Do not give false testimony
10. Do not covet
 Dietary Laws
(aka Kosher Laws)

1. Certain animals may not be eaten at all

(chews cud, split hoof, sea creatures without
fins/scales, certain birds, certain insects)
Lev. 11:9-46
2. Of the animals that may be eaten, the birds
and mammals must be killed in accordance
with Jewish law.
3. All blood must be drained from the meat
(under Rabbinical supervision) or broiled out
of it before it is eaten.
 More Kosher Laws
4. Certain parts of permitted animals may not
be eaten.

5. Meat cannot be eaten with dairy.

6. Eggs, fruits, vegetables and grains can be

eaten with either meat or dairy.
Kosher Symbols on Food
Packages
Kosher for Passover
Branches of Judaism
 Orthodox Judaism

• Conform
completely to
G-d’s laws
• Traditional culture
with gender roles
• Rarely associate
w/outside world
 Reform Judaism
• Believe in retaining essential elements
of faith that make sense in today’s
society
• Torah is inspired by G-d but open to
interpretation
• Emphasize broad moral messages
rather than strict adherence to rules
 Conservative Judaism
• Not a “closed” system like Orthodox
• Value tradition; adhere to most laws
• “Happy Medium”
Rituals and Celebrations
 Sabbath Services—Shabbat
• Amidah—prayers and
praise to G-d
• Sh’ma— “Hear O Israel,
the Lord is our G-d,
the Lord is One.”
• Reading from the
Torah
• Friday services—1-3
hours
• Saturday services—3
full hours
• From sunset Friday to
sunset Saturday
 Rosh Hashanah
• Jewish New
Year (Sep or
Oct)
• Celebration of
the Creation of
the Earth
• No work is
performed
• Considered a
“High Holy
Day”
 Yom Kippur
• Day of Atonement
• Holiest day in entire Jewish calendar
• No work; must fast
• Considered a “High Holy Day”
 Passover
• Honors the
deliverance of
Jews from
Egyptian slavery
• Major Holiday
(seven days long)
 The Exodus
• When the Egyptian
pharaoh, Ramses II, refuses
to free the Hebrew slaves,
Yahweh proves his
authority as God by
sending a series of ten
plagues over Egypt
• With the evidence of Gods’
mercy and might shown in
the events of Passover, the
Pharaoh releases the
Hebrews (but later changes
his mind)
• Moses parts the Red Sea,
and leads the Hebrews
across to safety
• Many Egyptian soldiers
perish when the pharaoh
pursues the Hebrews
 Chanukah (Hanukkah)
• Festival of
Lights (8 days
long)
• Celebrates
victory of the
Maccabees
over the
Syrians
• Minor holiday
 Mezuzah
• Pieces of parchment
paper with verses
from Torah affixed
to each doorframe
in Jewish homes

• “Hear, O Israel, the

LORD our God, the
LORD is One”
 Rituals
• Bar Mitzvah (son of
the commandment)
• Bat Mitzvah
(daughter of the
commandment)
• Moving to
adulthood; children
become
responsible for
Torah
• Jew marriage
ceremonies are
rituals as well
 Similarities and Differences in Judaism,
Christianity & Islam
• Monotheistic God of Abraham (the patriarch of the people) in all
three faiths with origins in the Middle East
• Portions of the Old Testament biblical texts as foundations of the
faiths
• Messages of the prophets contained in the Old Testament as
foundations of the faiths
• Both Jews and Muslims believe that God promised them the
biblical land of Canaan—Palestine—Israel, and that it is a sin and
an insult to Yahweh (Jews) or Allah (Muslims) to give up the land
Biblical lands to the present
day Arab & Jewish
territories; Jewish nation of
Israel was created 1948
after UN Partition of
Palestine into Jewish and
Arab territories in 1947
Judaism and the Five
Themes: Movement
 Diffusion and Spread
• Jews do not seek converts but has spread
across the world through Diaspora
(scattering).
– Diaspora occurred due to persecution and forced
exile
– Thought to have begun in the 8th-6th century
BCE (documented in the Old Testament and
other ancient texts) and occurred throughout
history until the creation of the nation of Israel
in 1948

• What push and pull factors would affect

choice of movement

For an interactive map, of the Diaspora, click here:

Top Ten Jewish Nations

1. Israel
2. US
3. France
4. Canada
5. United
Kingdom
6. Russia
7. Argentina
8. Germany
9. Australia
10. Brazil
 Essential Question
How do Jewish beliefs and practices
determine where and how they live?
Introduction to Christianity
 Basic History
• Founder—Jesus Christ of Nazareth
• Scriptures—Bible—Old and New
Testament (66 books)
• World’s largest religion (2 billion
adherents)
Click here for interactive map of Christian population:
http://go-passport.grolier.com/atlas?id=mtps006
 Basic Facts
Tenets:
– Is monotheistic
– Jesus was the son of God
– Jesus was God in the flesh
– Jesus died, resurrected from the dead, and ascended
into heaven
– Follow the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with
you always, to the very end of the age."

Supreme Being: God

Sacred Text: The Bible which includes the Old and New
Testaments
 Beliefs about God
• God is Omniscient—sees all
• God is Omni-present—is everywhere
• God is Omnipotent—all powerful
• God is Eternal—will exist forever
• God is both just and merciful—fair and kind
• God is holy and perfect—incapable of doing wrong
• God is the father and King—creator and authority
• God is made up of the Trinity (Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit)—God, Jesus and Spirit that dwells
within man
 Basic Facts Christianity
– Origins:
• Based on the teachings of Jesus (his lineage
can be traced to Abraham)
• Was founded in present-day Israel;
approximately 32 CE
– Place of Worship: Church
– Holy Land: Israel
 Pilgrimage Sites

Matthew 27:33-37: They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of
the Skull). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he
refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting
lots.And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the
written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Church of the Nativity
 Diffusion and Spread after Jesus’
Death and Resurrection
Disciples and missionaries carried the faith
Christianity became the official religion of
nations
With conquest and trade, was diffused and
assimilated culturally
Paul’s Missionary Journeys
 Examples of Rituals and
Practices
• Baptism
• Communion
• Confession (for
Catholics)
• Confirmation
(certain
denominations)
 Holidays
• Easter—
celebration of the
resurrection of
Christ
• Christmas—
celebration of the
birth of Christ
 Divisions of Christianity
• There are three major branches
– Roman Catholic
– Eastern Orthodox
– Protestant

Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches formed

during the middle ages and Reformation due to
disagreements with Catholic teachings and
practices.

Today, the primary difference between these three

branches is that Roman Catholics look to the
pope as the head of their church; Orthodox and
Protestants do not recognize his authority.
 Example of Conflict
• Though Christianity
shares some
similarities with
Judaism and Islam
(monotheistic, origins
in the Middle East, God
of Abraham), there
have been periods of
conflict. Examples
include the Crusades.
Introduction to Islam
 The Branch of Abraham
God’s promise to Abraham—book of Genesis

Ishmael Isaac
Gen 16:9-15 Jacob
Twelve Tribes of
Israel
King David
(Tribe of Judah) Judaism
2500 BC

Muhammad Jesus
Islam Christianity
550AD 30 AD
 Basic Facts
• Tenets:
– is monotheistic
– belief in the Prophet Muhammad and
one God called Allah
– adheres to the Five Pillars of Islam; the
Sunnah guides Muslims’ behavior
• Supreme Being: Allah
• Sacred Text: The Qur’an
• 1.5 billion adherents
The Qur’an
 Basic Facts

• Place of Worship:
Mosque
• Holy Land:
– Mecca
– Additional pilgrimage
sites include the Al
Quds mount in
Jerusalem (The Dome
of the Rock) and the
city of Medina in Saudi
Arabia
Islam and the Five Themes:
Place
 Dome of the Rock

Dome of the Rock, built on the Jewish site of the Temple Mount—a raised platform created
by the Jews as the foundation of the first and second temples that were placed over the sacred
Foundation Stone. According to the faiths, it is the place where Adam was given life, where
Abraham was tested by God, and where Muhammad ascended to Heaven during his Night
Journey.
Dome of the Rock and Western
Wall
 Beliefs about Allah

• Creator
•Sustainer/Provider
• Merciful
•All-Knowing
• Holy
• Source of Peace •All-Forgiving
• Mighty/Strong •Loving
•There is no other God
 Beliefs About God
• Ultimate Sin: “shirk”—to associate
other deities with God
• God is near
“I am indeed close to my people. I
listen to the prayer of every supplicant
when he calls on Me. Let them
also…listen to My call, and believe in
Me that they may walk in the right
way.” (2:186)
 Named Prophets in the
Qur’an
• Adam •Abraham •Moses
• Elisha •Enoch •Noah
• Job
•Isaac •Solomon
• David
•Ishmael •Ezra
• Ezekiel
• Jesus •Lot •John the
• Aaron •Jonah Baptist
• Joseph •Muhammad
•Zechariah
 The Qur’an
• Final Word of God
• Authoritative only in Arabic
• Protected from change/corruption
• Supercedes previous revelations (such
as the Old and New Testaments)
• Only text Muslims turn to today
• 114 chapters/varying lengths
Five Pillars of Islam

1. Confession of
Faith: There is
no God but
Allah and
Muhammad is
his Prophet.
2. Ritual Prayer
(5x/day)
 Five Pillars of Islam

3. Charity—
2.5% of
wealth
4. Fasting
5. Hajj
 Fasting During Month of
Ramadan
• 9th month on Islamic calendar (lunar
calendar)
• Fasting (no food or drink) from sun up
to sun down
• Intended to teach patience, modesty,
and spirituality
• Is ended with the Festival of Eid ul-Fitr
(the Festival of Breaking the Fast)
Festival of Eid ul-Fitr
Hajj
 The Hajj

• Shed evidence of
wealth/poverty
• Dressed in white
• Day One—travel
from Mecca to
Mina
• Day Two—Day of
Arafat
(forgiveness and
mercy)
 Hajj
• Day Three—
– Throwing stones at pillars that represent
seductions of Satan
– Slaughter animal and give meat to poor.
– Seven turns around the Ka’aba
– Trek between to small hills to honor
Hajar’s (Hagar) search for water
 What’s inside the Ka’ba?
1. two pillars
2. a table on the side to put items like perfume
3. two lantern-type lamps hanging from the ceiling
4. the space can accommodate about 50 people
5. no electric lights inside
6. walls and the floors are of the marble
7. no windows inside - there is only one door
8. the upper inside walls are covered with a curtain
 Muslims Believe…
• That the Ka’ba was
erected by Adam
• Destroyed in the
flood
• Rebuilt by
Abraham, Ishmael,
and Muhammad
 Rituals and Practices:
Ablution
• Must cleanse body before each prayer,
starting with right hand side of body
– Hands
– Mouth
– Nose
– Face
– Arms to the elbows
– Head, including ears
– Feet
Branches of Islam
 Separate branches emerged over
who should lead the faith after the
Prophet’s death

• Shi’ia (Shi’ite)—Muslim leadership

should stay in Muhammad’s family
– Now about 10% of Muslims
• Sunni—most qualified should be
selected to lead
– Now about 90% of Muslims
 Diffusion and Spread
• Historically, Islam spread as it
became the official religion of
various nations. These nations
sometimes conquered other nations
thus causing the faith to spread. It
also spread via trade routes.
Muslims actively seek converts and
the faith has spread through
evangelism
 Example of Conflict
Though Islam shares some similarities
with Christianity and Judaism
(monotheistic, origins in the Middle
East, God of Abraham), there has
been periods of conflict including the
present-day conflict in the Middle
East; there is also present-day
conflict between the two branches of
Islam.
 Compare and Contrast
How are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
similar?
How are they different?
 How does religion connect
separate societies?
• What do Hinduism and Buddhism have
in common?
Hinduism
 Philosophy
He who hates nothing of all that lives,
himself compassionate, free from
arrogance and love of self, unchanged
by good or ill; patient, contented, firm
in faith, true to his word, seeking me
heart and soul, vowed to me; that man
I love.
(from Krishna 's dialogue in the
Bhagavad-Gita)
 Basic Facts
• 1 billion practitioners worldwide (3rd
largest world-wide)
• Founder? None
• Doctrine? None…more a “way of life”
• Location of Origin? Indus Valley, 3000
B.CE.
• Does not actively seek converts
Indus Valley
Hinduism in the World Today
 Basic Information
Place of Worship: Temple
Scriptures? Written 1400 B.C.-500 A.D.
1.The Vedas— “Wisdom”
2.The Upanishads—Mystical ideas
3.Bhagavad Gita—Most sacred…talks about
devotion to a specific deity
 Basic Beliefs
• Tenets:
– There is debate within Hinduism as to whether
the faith is monotheistic or polytheistic
because, while there are many gods, they are
all part of one universal spirit called Brahman
– There is no actual doctrine as it is more a “way
of life”
• Supreme Being: Brahman
– gods that represent the three aspects of the
universal supreme God include Shiva, Vishnu,
and Brahma
 Brahma

• Member of Hindu
Triad
• Creator god
• Will recreate world
in 2,160,000,000
years
 Vishnu
• Member of Triad
• Preserver god
• A force of
transcendent love
 Shiva
• Member of Triad
• God of destruction
 Basic Beliefs
• The Vedas are divinely inspired
• The physical world is an illusion
• We are accountable for every
thought, action, word.
 Basic Beliefs
• Good works
• Reincarnation
• Many paths to God
• Gods within God
• Ahisma—Non-Violence
• Dharma—Fulfillment of one’s true purpose
• Worship animals/nature as a symbol of god
 Hinduism and the Five
Themes: Human-
Environment Interaction

Use the article to answer questions on next slide:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/holycow/hinduism.html
 Sacred Cows
• Why are cows posing a problem in
India?
• What specific problems are they
causing?
• What is the being done to address
these problems?
• Your opinion: What else could be
done?
 Beliefs about Life and Death
• Hindus believe in a LONG cycle of
repetitive reincarnation
• Reincarnation is based on Karma
• Goal—for the soul to be liberated from
the cycle to find Nirvana
 Holy Sites

• Pilgrimage Cities
include Varanasi
Hinduism and the Five
Themes:
Human/Environment
Interaction
 Holy Site: Ganges River
Read the article on the pollution of the
Ganges River. In small groups,
brainstorm ideas that would address
this growing problem. Be prepared to
share ideas with the class and vote on
the best options.
 Diffusion and Spread
• Hindus do not typically seek converts
but the belief has still spread to many
parts of South and Southeast Asia via
trade routes.
 Holidays
• Diwali—the Festival of Lights
 The Caste System
• Not sanctioned by government
• Still practiced because of tradition
1. Brahmins (Priests/Philosophers)
2. Government/Professionals
3. Merchants/Farmers
4. Laborers/ Servants
5. Untouchables
 Conflict
• Example of Conflict: Historically,
Hinduism has been relatively
peaceful. Currently, however, there
is conflict between the Hindu nation
of India and surrounding Muslim
nations over the region of Kashmir.
 Buddhism
Founder: Siddhartha Gautama—
Buddha
Date: 500 B.C.
Location: India and China
Key Word: Enlightenment
Nearly 1 billion adherents
 The Legend of Buddha
• Siddhartha was a Hindu prince
sheltered from pain and suffering.
• When he accidentally discovered that
poverty and suffering existed outside
his castle’s walls, he gave up his
princely life and began to live the life of
an ascetic.
• He breached the code of the ascetics by
eating more than he should have. His
fellow ascetics were upset with his lack
of self control.
 Under the Bodhi Tree
• Wanted to be
free from
temptation and
over-
indulgences.
• He positioned
himself under a
tree.
• Vow: I will not
be moved until I
have attained
true liberation
 The Awakening

• Seven days later…

– Opened eyes
– Looked upon morning
star
– He had achieved
Enlightenment
 What is “Enlightenment?”
• Realizing that all beings possess
enlightenment but some are blinded
to this fact.
• Enlightenment comes when you are
liberated from delusion caused by
desire, anger, and ignorance.
 The Buddha’s Path

Finding “the middle way”:

A path between self-indulgence
and self-denial
 Three Marks of Existence
(The Three Dharma Seals)
• Impermanence
• No separate self
• Nirvana—state
of spiritual
peace and
enlightenment
 The Path to Nirvana
• Established “Dharma”—sublime
religious truth (different from the
Hindu belief)
• Reincarnation under the law of karma
• No caste system
• Nothing is permanent, independent, or
eternal
• Follow the Four Noble Truths
 Four Noble Truths
• Life is suffering; death does not bring
an end to suffering
• Suffering has a cause: craving and
attachment
• Craving and attachment can be
overcome
• To overcome, follow the Eightfold Path
(to Nirvana—state of spiritual peace
and enlightenment)
 The Eightfold Path
1. Right understanding
2. Right purpose
3. Right speech
4. Right conduct
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right alertness
8. Right concentration
 Karma
(Universal Cause and Effect)
• You are responsible for your actions,
words AND thoughts.
• Each results in a reciprocal action,
word, or thought.
 Three Poisons
• Greed
• Hatred
• Ignorance
 Barriers to Enlightenment &
Nirvana
• Those who view themselves as an
independent, controlling entity
• Those who value physical form,
sensations, perceptions,
consciousness
 In Budda’s Words…
“[Nirvana is] where it is recognized that there
is nothing but what is seen of the mind
itself; where, recognizing the nature of the
self-mind, one no longer cherishes the
dualisms of discrimination; where there is
no more thirst or grasping; where there is
no more attachment to external things.”
--Buddha, in the Surangama
 Gods?
• Should not seek divine intervention
• Hindu gods exist; are bound by the
same universal laws as humans
 Instead…
• Meditate
• Focus on moral principles that are a part of
human nature (not derived from a deity)
– Do not kill
– Do not steal
– Do not act in an unchaste manner
– Do not speak falsely
– Do not take intoxicants
 Buddha’s Later Life
• 45 years teaching
• Stressed spiritual discipline
• Did not keep written record of
teachings
• Final words: “All composite things
decay. Diligently work out your
salvation.”
• No successor
 Basic Beliefs
• Sacred Texts: The Sutras
• Place of Worship: Temple
• Eightfold Path to Enlightenment; Four
Noble Truths
• Pilgrimage Sites
– Dharmasala
– Lumbini
– Bodh Gaya
 Diffusion and Spread
Buddhism spread through missionary
work and through trade on the Silk
Road. Conquests by Muslims in the
11th century and the spread of
communism in the 20th century
caused Buddhism to decline. Today,
some of those nations are seeing a
resurgence of Buddhism and the
number of followers is increasing in
Europe and the Americas.
Silk Road and Other Trade
Routes
Divisions of the Buddhist
Faith
 Theraveda Buddhism
• Focus on earliest teachings of the
Buddha
• Rigorous, detached, secluded lifestyle
• Known as an “arhat”—holy person,
enlightened by solitude and asceticism
• Focus on Noble Truths and
meditation/concentration
 Mahayana Buddhism
• Emphasis on help from a bodhisattva:
a person who has attained Enlightenment,
but who postpones Nirvana in order to help
others to attain Enlightenment
 Zen Buddhism

• “Zen” means “meditation”

• State of consciousness
and way of life
• Led by Zen teachers or
Masters, not scriptures
• Explanations, scriptures,
and doctrine is viewed
with suspicion
• Meditation is critically
important…helps get rid
of delusions rising from
greed, anger, ignorance
 Zen, continued
• Live with humility,
labor, service,
prayer & gratitude,
meditation
• Connected to
Jujitsu, Judo, and
Aikido
 Example of Conflict:
Tibetan Buddhism
• Combination of Mahayana and
Hindu practices
• Led by the 14 Dalai Lama (“Ocean
of Wisdom”)
– Tenzin Gyatso (born 1935)
– Found as a result of 13th Dalai
Lama’s actions, vision, and
familiarity with possessions
– Chosen at age 3
– Enthroned at at 15
• Chinese invaded Tibet in 1950
• Tried to work with China until
1959
• Fled to India and oversees the
“Government in Exile”
• Fighting from exile to return to
Tibet
 Compare and Contrast
• Using a Venn diagram, compare and
contrast Hinduism and Buddhism