Big 5 Religions (003)

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Protestant Catholic Sunni Hinduism Buddhism Eastern Orthodox Judaism Shiite

Largest to Smallest Christianity: 2 billion

Islam: 1.5 billion

Hinduism: 1 billion

Buddhism: 400 million

Judaism: 15-20 million

Oldest to Youngest

Hinduism: 5,000 yrs

Judaism: 4,000 yrs

Buddhism: 2,500 yrs

Christianity: 2,000 yrs

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Terms to Know:

• _{Monotheism: belief in one god} • _{Polytheism: belief in many gods}

• _{Ethnic religions: appeal to one group of people living in a single place}

(Judaism & Hinduism)

• _{Universalizing religions: seek out followers from all over the world}

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Christianity

• _{The largest and most widely distributed major religion} • _{Founder: Jesus, the son of God, who was born a Jew}

• _{Sacrificed to atone for the sins of humankind} • _{Sacred text: The Bible (Old & New Testaments)}

• _{Place of worship: churches}

• _{Branches: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox} • _{Regions: The Americas, Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, & Australia}

Islam

• _{The youngest and fastest growing major religion} • _{Founder: Muhammad} born in Mecca (holiest city)

• _{God is known as Allah and followers are called Muslims} • _{Five Pillars: religious duties that all followers must fulfill}

• _{Sacred Text: Qur’an (Koran)} • _{Place of worship: mosques} • _{Branches: Sunni and Shiite}

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Hinduism

• _{Oldest of the major religions}

• _{Does not have a specific founder (pre-dates recorded history)}

• _{Believe in one supreme God, Brahman, whose qualities are represented by}

other deities (ex: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva)

• _{Sacred text: The Vedas} • _{Place of worship: temples}

• _{Believe in reincarnation or rebirth of the soul as another living thing} • _{Historically tied to the Indian caste system (social classes)}

• _{Regions: South Asia (India & Nepal)}

Buddhism

• _{Founder: Siddhartha Gautama who was born a Hindu} the Buddha

• _{Achieved enlightenment meditating beneath the Bodhi Tree in India} • _{Four Noble Truths: pain/suffering caused by selfishness/materialism} • _{Eightfold Path: pathway to ending suffering and the cycle of reincarnation}

• _{Nirvana: state of eternal bliss}

• _{Place of worship: pagodas and temples} • _{Branches: Mahayana, Theravada, Vajrayana}

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Judaism

• _{Smallest of the major religions}

• _{Abraham was called by God to lead the Hebrew people}

• _{First of the 3 “Abrahamic religions” (J, C, & I)}

• _{Moses led the Jews out of slavery in Egypt and received the 10}

Commandments from God (basis of Jewish law)

• _{Holy book: Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)}

• _{Place of worship: synagogues}

• _{Branches: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform}

• _{Regions: Israel}

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The Big 5

Religions

Christianity

Islam

Hinduism Judaism