1. WORLD RELIGIONS
Christianity, Judaism, Islam
Buddhism, Hinduism

2. Monotheistic Religions
 Belief in one god
 Originated in Middle East
(Mesopotamia, Israel and Saudi
Arabia)
Judaism Christianity Islam

3. What is Judaism?
 Oldest monotheistic religion
 Religion of Ancient Israelites
(Hebrews)
 Today is primarily found in
Israel, United States, and Eastern
Europe

4. Origins of Judaism
• Began in Ancient Israel
• Founded by Abraham
• Began nearly 4000 years ago

5. Beliefs of Judaism
 One god called Yahweh (God)
 God‟s “chosen people”
 Have a covenant (agreement) with God
 Follow Jewish law - the Ten
Commandments
 One day a Messiah (messenger or savior)
will arrive
 Can only eat kosher foods – no
pork, shellfish, or meat prepared with

6. Judaism
 Holy Book – Torah
 Place of Worship –
Synagogue
 Sects/Branches –
 Orthodox
 Reformed
 Conservative

7. Holidays & Holy Days
Holidays:
 Yom Kippur –
 Day of Atonement
 Fasting
 Rosh Hashanah –
 Jewish New Year
 Hanukkah –
 Nine day festival
 Lighting the menorah
Holy Day:
 Shabbat (Sabbath) –
 Friday evening to
Saturday morning

8. Sacred Places
 Jews consider
Jerusalem to be
holy
 Western Wall
(“Wailing Wall”)
 Only remaining wall
of ancient Jewish
temple

9. What is Christianity?
 Monotheistic - Developed out of Judaism
 Religion of followers (disciples) of Jesus
 Today is primarily found in North
America, South
America, Europe, Southern
Africa, Australia

10. Origins of Christianity
• Began in Ancient Israel
• Founded by Jesus
• Began nearly 2000 years ago

11. Beliefs of Christianity
 One god (God)
 Follow the teachings of Jesus of
Nazareth
 Was Son of God
 Died on cross and rose again
 Was the Messiah
 Goal is to go to heaven
 Follow Ten Commandments

12. Christianity
 Holy Book – Bible
 Old Testament
 New Testament
 Place of Worship –
 Church
 Cathedral
 Sects/Branches –
 Roman Catholic
 Orthodox
 Protestant

13. Holidays & Holy Days
Holidays:
 Christmas –
 Birth of Jesus
 Easter –
 Death and Resurrection
Holy Day:
 Sunday
Rituals/Ceremonies:
 Baptism
 Communion

14. Sacred Places
 Jerusalem
 Vatican City
 Holy Seat of Roman
Catholic Church
 Home of the Pope
 St. Peter‟s Basilica
 Sistine Chapel

15. What is Islam?
 Monotheistic
religion
 Followers are
called Muslims
 Today is
primarily found
in Middle
East, North
Africa, Central
Asia, Indonesia

16. Origins of Islam
• Began in Saudi
Arabia
• Founded by
Muhammad
• Began in 610 CE

17. Beliefs of Islam
 One god called Allah („God‟ in Arabic)
 Muhammad was the final prophet
(messenger)
 Five Pillars

18. Five Pillars of Islam
 Declare that there is only one God, Allah
 Pray 5 times a day facing Mecca
 Give to the poor
 Fast during the month of Ramadan
 Pilgrimage (“hajj”) to Mecca once during
lifetime

19. Islam
 Holy Book – Qur‟an
 Place of Worship –
Mosque
 Sects/Branches –
 Sunni
 Shi‟i

22. Holidays & Holy Days
Holidays:
 Ramadan
 Month long period of
fasting
 Eid al Fitr
 Feast at end of
Ramadan
Holy Day:
 Friday prayers at
mosque

23. Sacred Places
 Mecca
 Great Mosque
 Ka‟aba
 Jerusalem
 Dome of the Rock

24. Eastern Religions
 Hinduism
 Polytheisti
c
 Buddhism
 Way of life,
Philosophy

25. What is Hinduism?
 Polytheistic religion
 Followers are called Hindus
 Today is primarily found in India
 World‟s oldest major religion
 Philosophy and way of life

26. Origins of Hinduism
• Began in Indus Valley (Ancient
India/Modern Pakistan)
• No single founder
• Originated between 4000 and 2000 BC

27. Beliefs of Hinduism
 Polytheistic
 Every living thing is a part
of one soul – Atman
 Reincarnation – eternal soul
reborn into different bodies
till it finds liberation
 Karma – the result of good
and bad actions that
determine the soul‟s next
life
 Ultimate goal in life – to
release the soul and return
to Brahman (the universal

28. Who do Hindus worship? –
the major gods of the Hindu
Pantheon
Brahma, the creator
Vishnu, the preserver
Shiva, god of
constructive destruction
(the transformer)

29. How does Hinduism direct
life in this world?
 Respect for all living things – vegetarian
 Caste System – rigid social class system
based on Hindu beliefs
 Four “castes” - priests &
teachers, nobles & warriors, merchant
class, servant class
 Practice Yoga
 Guru – spiritual teacher

30. Holy Cow!
 Hindus have always
had great respect
for Mother Nature
and its creatures
 Cow is especially
significant because
it symbolizes
gentleness

31. Hinduism
 Holy Book –
 Vedas
 Written in Sanskrit
 Place of Worship –
Temple
 Sects/Branches –
many different
branches

32. Holidays & Holy Days
Holidays:
 Diwali
 Festival of Lights
 Holi
 Festival of Colors

33. Sacred Places
 Varanasi
 Ganges River

34. What is Buddhism?
 Neither monotheistic or polytheistic
 Followers are called Buddhists
 Today is primarily found in East and
Southeast Asia (China, Japan, Koreas,
SE Asia

35. Origins of Buddhism
• Began in northern India
• Founded by Hindu prince
• Siddhartha Gautama
• Called “Buddha” – the
enlightened one
• Began almost 2,500 years
ago

36. Beliefs of Buddhism
 Buddha is NOT considered a
god
 Reincarnation
 Karma
 Four Noble Truths
 Eightfold Path
 Nirvana

37. Buddhism
 Siddhartha Gautama was an Indian
Prince who lived in luxury and comfort
inside the palace.
 One day he left the palace gardens
and saw an Old man, a sick man, and
a dead man.
 Left his home and went on a search to
find the reason people suffer and how
to end it.
 Meditated under a bodh tree.
 Buddha realized: Life is full of

38. Buddhism
He explained the FOUR NOBLE
TRUTHS:
1. All life is full of suffering, pain,
and sorrow.
2. The cause of suffering is desire
for things such as riches, power
and long life.
3. The only cure for suffering is to
overcome desire.
4. The way to overcome desire is to
follow the 8-fold path.

39. Cure for
suffering
The only cure for suffering is to follow
the Eightfold Path, a middle road
between a life devoted to pleasure and
a life of harsh self-denial.
It is important to live a moral life.
Enlightenment is achieved through
meditation.
The ultimate goal is nirvana, union with
the universe and release from the cycle

40. Buddhism
 Sacred Writings –
 No one holy book
 Collection of
Buddha‟s sayings in
Tripitaka
 Place of Worship –
Temple (stupa)
 Sects/Branches –
 Mahayana
 Theravada
 Tibetan
 Zen

41. What is Sikhism?
 Monotheistic
 Name of Supreme Being: God
 Followers are called Sikhs
 Today is primarily found in
Northwestern India (Punjab
region), United
Kingdom, Canada, United States
Punjab region of India

42. Origins of Sikhism
• Began in northern
India in the Punjab
• Founded by a guru
named:
• Guru Nanak
• Spread by nine
later gurus
• Began and spread in
the 16th and 17th
centuries

43. Beliefs of Sikhism
 Believe in one god
called God
 All human beings are
equal
 Meditation
 Sikhs are to live
honestly and work
hard
 Share with others

44. Sikhism - Practices
 Sikhs practice their faith by wearing
the 5 articles of faith or 5 K‟s:

45. Sikhism - Practices
 Joining the Khalsa:
 This is a committed group of Sikhs
 Members of the Khalsa wear the Five K‟s
 There is a special ceremony for those
that choose to join the Khalsa

46. Sikhism
 Sacred Writings –
 Guru Granth Sahib
 Collection of
teachings by Guru
Nanak and other
Gurus along with
Sikh, Hindu and
Muslim saints
 Place of Worship –
Gurdwara
 Sects/Branches –
 None

47. Sikhism
 Major Holidays/Holy
Days
 Vaisakhi – Celebrates the
founding of Sikhism and the
Khalsa
 Diwali – Celebrates a guru‟s
release from prison
 Hola Mohalla – festival of
martial arts