The World’s

Major Religions
 CHRISTIANITY
Christianity is considered as the world’s largest
religion. The word 'Christian' is derived from
the Greek christos for the Hebrew messiah
("anointed one"). Christianoi, "followers of the
Christ," became the name of a group who
followed the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth in
1st-century Israel and proclaimed him the
predicted messiah of the prophets.
 CHRISTIANITY
Christians believe that Jesus is both fully human
and fully divine: what is described as the
“incarnation.” That is, God became “incarnate”—
literally, “in-fleshed”— in one human being thru
Jesus of Nazareth, born thru a young woman
named Mary, and her husband, Joseph. Christians
also believe that Jesus is the clearest expression of
God’s core nature, and how God wants to be in
relationship with humanity and the world.
 CHRISTIANITY
Christianity merged the beliefs of ancient Judaism with the elements from the
dominant culture of the Roman Empire.

The Christian Bible is divided into two major

sections – the Old Testament which originated from the
Jewish Scriptures and the New Testament
composed of the Gospels, the letters of Paul and the book of
Revelation. The number of books in the Bible varies
among different Christian denominations, but the two main divisions are
between the Catholic Bible, which has seventy-three books, and the Protestant
Bible, which has a total of sixty-six books.
 CHRISTIANITY
The Christian community has two components – the “word’ and the
“sacrament” that is found in almost every Christian denomination around the
globe.

The “Word’ refers to the Bible, the Word of God where the doctrines and
teachings are based upon.

The “Sacrament”, ‘the visible signs of an invisible grace’ according to St.

Augustine, such as Baptism and Communion which is the most common
among the many denominations are believed to be tangible experiences of
God’s love and mercy to his children.
 CHRISTIANITY
In 2012, the Gordon-Conwell Theological
Seminary shared that there is roughly 43,000
Christian denominations existing worldwide.
According to Wikipedia there are about 2.6
billion Christians worldwide and below is the
list of the different Christian Denominations
listed in their website.
 CHRISTIANITY
CATHOLICISM
Roman Catholic/Latin
Church Eastern Catholic Churches Independent Catholics
Is the largest autonomous church within the The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Denominations that identified themselves as
Catholic Church, headed by the Pope in his Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern- Catholic, but is not affiliated with the
role as the Bishop of Rome. The Roman Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholic Church.
Catholic Church teaches that its bishops are Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches,
the successors of Jesus' apostles, and that are autonomous churches of the Catholic
the Pope is the successor to Saint Peter Church, but is still in full communion with the
appointed by Jesus Christ himself. Pope in Rome.
 CHRISTIANITY

PROTESTANTISM A branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant
Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church
from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to be
growing errors, abuses, and discrepancies within it.

a. Historical Protestants
b. Anglicans
c. Baptist Churches
d. Lutherans
e. Reformed Churches (Calvinism)
– Presbyterians, Continental Reformed Churches, Congregationalism
f. Methodists
g. Adventists
h. Restorationism
i. Pentecostal
 CHRISTIANITY

EASTERN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS

Eastern Orthodox theology is based on holy tradition, which
incorporates the dogmatic decrees of the seven ecumenical
councils, the Scriptures, and the teaching of the Church
Fathers. The church teaches that it is the one, holy, catholic
and apostolic church established by Jesus Christ in his Great
Commission, and that its bishops are the successors of Christ's
apostles. It maintains that it practices the original Christian
faith, as passed down by holy tradition.
 CHRISTIANITY

ORIENTAL ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS

As some of the oldest religious institutions in the world, the Oriental
Orthodox Churches have played a prominent role in the history and
culture of Armenia, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Western Asia
and India. Their bishops are equal by virtue of episcopal ordination.

As part of the Nicene Christian tradition, their doctrines recognize

the validity of only the first three ecumenical councils.
 CHRISTIANITY

CHURCH OF THE EAST

The Church of the East or the East Syriac Church, also
called the Church of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the Persian
Church, the Assyrian Church, the Babylonian Church or
the Nestorian Church, was an Eastern Christian church of
the East Syriac Rite, based in Mesopotamia.
 ISLAM
Islam, the second largest religion in the world, was promulgated by
the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the 7th century CE. The Arabic
term islām, means “surrender,” describes the fundamental religious
idea of Islam — that the believer (called a Muslim) accepts surrender
to the will of Allah (in Arabic, Allāh: God).

Allah is the sole God — creator, sustainer, and restorer of the world.
The will of Allah, to which human beings must submit, is made
known through the sacred scriptures, the Qurʾān (often spelled Koran
in English), which Allah revealed to his messenger, Muhammad.
 ISLAM
Muhammad, born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 570 A.D, is considered the last of a series of prophets
(including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Solomon, and Jesus).

According to Islamic texts and tradition,

an angel named Gabriel visited the prophet
in 610 A.D. while he was meditating in a cave.
The angel ordered Muhammad to recite the
words of Allah. He then started preaching
these messages throughout Mecca starting
613 A.D. Many Muslims believed that Muhammad
continued receiving revelations from Allah
throughout the rest of his life.
 ISLAM
The Qur’an (or Koran) is the most important holy book
among Muslims. In English, it means “reading” or
“recitation”, the Qur’an is the word of God delivered to
Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel.

It is divided into 114 suras (chapters) of unequal length, and

is the fundamental source of Islamic teaching. The suras
revealed at Mecca in the earliest days of Muhammad’s career
speaks mostly of ethical and spiritual teachings and the Day
of Judgment. The suras revealed at Medina in the latter part
of the Prophet’s career are concerned with social legislation
and the politico-moral principles for constituting and
ordering the community.
 ISLAM

THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

Every Muslim has to fulfill five key practices
throughout their lifetime.

These practices are referred to as pillars because

they form the foundation of Muslim life.

The five pillars of Islam are Shahada, Salah, Sawm,

Zakat, and Hajj.
 ISLAM
THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
SHAHADA (Faith) SALAH (Prayer)
"There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Muslims pray facing Mecca five times a day: at dawn, noon, mid-
God" is central and most fundamental belief to Islam. afternoon, sunset, and after dark. Prayer includes a recitation of
the opening chapter (sura) of the Qur'an, and is sometimes
performed on a small rug or mat used expressly for this purpose.
Muslims can pray individually at any location or together in a
mosque, where a leader in prayer (imam) guides the congregation.
 ISLAM

THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

SAWM (Fasting) ZAKAT (Almsgiving) HAJJ (Pilgrimage)
During the daylight hours of Ramadan, the It is the act of giving a portion of a Muslim’s At least once in their lifetime, every Muslim
9th month of the Islamic calendar, all healthy wealth to those in need throughout their whose health and finances permit it must make
adult Muslims are required to abstain from lifetime in accordance to Islamic Law. a visit to the holy city of Mecca, in present-day
food and drink. During Ramadan they share Saudi Arabia. Since the time of the Prophet
the hunger and thirst of the needy as a Muhammad, believers from all over the world
reminder of the religious duty to help those have gathers in Mecca on the eighth and twelfth
less fortunate. days of the final month of the Islamic calendar.
 JUDAISM
Judaism is one of world’s oldest religion developed among the
Ancient Hebrews. It is characterized by a belief in one God who
revealed himself to Abraham, Moses and the Hebrew prophets. The
history of Judaism is essential to understanding the Jewish faith,
which has a rich heritage of law, culture and tradition.

In exchange for all the good that God has done for the Jewish people,
Jewish people keep God’s laws and try to bring holiness into every
aspect of their lives.
 JUDAISM

THE TORAH
Judaism has a rich history of religious text,
but the central and most important religious
document is the Torah.
The Torah is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew
Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and
Deuteronomy. These books are also the same first five books in the
Christian Bible.
Each Jewish synagogue has it’s own copy of the Torah, handwritten in
a parchment scroll and placed inside the Ark of the Covenant.
Readings from the Torah form an important part of every Jewish
liturgical service where it is removed and retuned from the Ark with
special reverence
 JUDAISM
SYNAGOGUES
A synagogue, sometimes referred to by the Yiddish term shul and often used
interchangeably with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worship. Here, Jewish
communities holds their regular morning, afternoon, and evening services, special
liturgies on the Sabbath and on during religious festivals.

RABBI
A rabbi, meaning “my teacher” or “my master” in Judaism, is a person qualified by
academic studies of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud (central text of Rabbinic Judaism
and the primary source of Jewish religious law and Jewish theology) to act as spiritual leader
and religious teacher of a Jewish community or congregation.
 JUDAISM

JEWISH HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS

Shabat Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur
Is a day of holiness and rest observed by The Jewish New Year - a holiday observed Day of Atonement - It is the most solemn day
Jews from sunset on Friday to nightfall of the with festive meals and a day spent in prayer of the Jewish year. On this day, Jews devotes
following day. or quiet meditation. This usually takes place themselves to self–examination and intensive
during the months of September or October. prayer. It is a chance to begin the New Year
with a clean slate.
 JUDAISM

JEWISH HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS

Hannukah Purim Passover
A festival celebrating liberation from A celebration commemorating the saving of A major Jewish holiday that celebrates the
oppression, freedom of worship, and finding the Jews from a diabolical plot of Biblical story of the Israelites escape from
light in the darkest of times. This destruction, as recounted in the Book of slavery in Egypt.
commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem Esther.
and subsequent rededication of the Second
Temple
 JUDAISM

JEWISH HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS

Hannukah Purim Passover
A festival celebrating liberation from A celebration commemorating the saving of A major Jewish holiday that celebrates the
oppression, freedom of worship, and finding the Jews from a diabolical plot of Biblical story of the Israelites escape from
light in the darkest of times. This destruction, as recounted in the Book of slavery in Egypt.
commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem Esther.
and subsequent rededication of the Second
Temple
 BUDDHISM
Buddhism, is a religion, discipline and philosophy that developed
from the teachings of the Buddha (Sanskrit: “Awakened One”).
Originating from India it spread to Central and Southeast Asia, China,
Korea, and Japan.

Founded by Siddhartha Gautama, a teacher who lived in northern

India between the mid-6th and mid-4th centuries BCE, the Buddha
spent the remainder of his life journeying about India, teaching others
what he had come to understand.

Since then, Buddhism has played a central role in the spiritual,

cultural, and social life of Asia, and, beginning in the 20th century, it
spread to the West.
 BUDDHISM
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
The Four Noble Truths comprise the essence of Buddha's teachings. They
are:
Dukkha -the truth of suffering,
Samudaya -the truth of the cause of suffering,
Nirodha - the truth of the end of suffering,
Magga - the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering

Putting it simply, Buddhists believe that, suffering exists;

there is a cause for our sufferings;
our sufferings will end;
and there is a cause to bring about its end.
 BUDDHISM
KARMA
In the Buddhist tradition, karma refers to actions driven and done by intention. It is a
deed deliberately done through body, speech or mind, which leads to future
consequences.
What you put out will come back to you in unexpected ways.

THE CYCLE OF REBIRTH

Samsara or the Cycle of Rebirth, is an ongoing cycle of life, death and rebirth.
Humans go through an unknown number of cycles of rebirth over many lifetimes.
Karma also plays out in the Buddhism cycle of rebirth. Whatever you do in your
present life will definitely affect you and how you will be in the next life.
 HINDUISM
Hinduism, originated in Central Asia specifically in India, is also considered
as one of the world’s oldest religion.
The word Hindu is derived from the Sanskrit word sindhu (“river” - more
specifically, the Indus); the Persians in the 5th century BC called the Hindus
by that name, identifying them as the people of the land of the Indus.
Hinduism is a religion with various Gods and Goddesses. According to
Hinduism, three Gods rule the world. Brahma: the creator; Vishnu: the
preserver and Shiva: the destroyer. Lord Vishnu did his job of preserving the
world by incarnating himself in different forms at times of crisis.
There is no known founder of Hinduism. As well as no identified date of
origin, nor – according to the faith – a development of the belief system. It is
believed that the scribes who wrote the Vedas are said to have been simply
recording that which had always existed.
 HINDUISM
NINE BELIEFS OF HINDUISM
1. Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both 6. Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that
immanent and transcendent, both Creator and Unmanifest Reality. temple worship, rituals, sacraments and personal devotionals create a
communion with these devas and Gods.
2. Hindus believe in the divinity of the four Vedas, the world’s most
ancient scripture, and venerate the Agamas as equally revealed. These 7. Hindus believe that an enlightened master, or satguru, is essential
primordial hymns are God’s word and the bedrock of Sanatana to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good
Dharma, the eternal religion. conduct, purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry, meditation and
surrender in God.
3. Hindus believe that the universe undergoes endless cycles of
creation, preservation and dissolution. 8. Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and
therefore practice ahimsa, noninjury, in thought, word and deed.
4. Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each
individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds. 9. Hindus believe that no religion teaches the only way to salvation
above all others, but that all genuine paths are facets of God’s Light,
5. Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many deserving tolerance and understanding.
births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, liberation
from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be
deprived of this destiny.
 HINDUISM
HINDU SACRED TEXTS
The Hindu ancient, sacred texts were written in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India.

 The Vedas are the oldest - about 3000 years old. It is a collection of hymns, prayers, and magic spells.
 The Upanishads are stories and parables told by gurus to their students.
 The Mahabharata is a story of a war between two royal families. The Bhagavad Gita is a very popular part of this text.
 The Ramayana is a story of the god Rama and the rescue of his wife Sita from Ravana, the evil demon king.
 The Purāṇas or ‘Books of received wisdom’) comprise
an oral and transcribed repository of myth, folklore and other
kinds of teaching and information collated and distributed
from the early centuries of the Common Era onwards.
 The Āgamas or ‘Compilations of additional instructions and
teachings’) can be seen to represent those Hindu sacred texts
that developed in non-Vedic (means relating to the Vedas)
contexts, but this does not mean that they are perceived as
necessarily anti-Vedic in content.
 HINDUISM
HINDU SACRED TEXTS
The Hindu ancient, sacred texts were written in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India.

 The Vedas are the oldest - about 3000 years old. It is a collection of hymns, prayers, and magic spells.
 The Upanishads are stories and parables told by gurus to their students.
 The Mahabharata is a story of a war between two royal families. The Bhagavad Gita is a very popular part of this text.
 The Ramayana is a story of the god Rama and the rescue of his wife Sita from Ravana, the evil demon king.
 The Purāṇas or ‘Books of received wisdom’) comprise
an oral and transcribed repository of myth, folklore and other
kinds of teaching and information collated and distributed
from the early centuries of the Common Era onwards.
 The Āgamas or ‘Compilations of additional instructions and
teachings’) can be seen to represent those Hindu sacred texts
that developed in non-Vedic (means relating to the Vedas)
contexts, but this does not mean that they are perceived as
necessarily anti-Vedic in content.
 HINDUISM

HINDU GODS AND GODESSES

BRAHMA, God of Creation VISHNU, The Preserver SHIVA, The Destroyer
The first of the Trimurti is the Hindu god of One of the principle Hindu Deities and the The most popular of all the Hindu Deities
Creation second Trimurti, Lord Vishnu is responsible and last of the Trimurti. Is responsible for
for upholding the moral order, or dharma of maintaining the cycle of existence, beginning
the universe. and conclusion

The Trimūrti ("three forms" or "trinity") are the trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism, in which the cosmic functions of creation,
maintenance, and destruction are personified as a triad of deities.
 HINDUISM

HINDU GODS AND GODESSES

GANESH PARVATI
Remover of Obstacles Benign Aspect of Devi
The God of Wisdom and success. He is Known as the ‘daughter of the
invoked before starting a venture to mountain, Devi Parvati is the
ease the path benevolent aspect of the female form of
from difficulties. mother Devi.

KRISHNA LAKSHMI
Divine Cow Herder Goddess of Wisdom
Worshipped as the Eight incarnation of The Goddess of wealth, fortune, power,
the Hindu god Vishnu and is one of the luxury, beauty, fertility and
most popular among the Indian Dieties auspiciousness.
 SOURCES
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HINDUISM:
ISLAM:
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one/the-five-pillars-of-islam • https://www.worldhistory.org/hinduism/

• https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/islamic-resources/5-pillars-of-islam/ • https://www.uri.org/kids/world-religions/hindu-beliefs
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JUDAISM: • https://www.bl.uk/sacred-texts/articles/sacred-texts-in-hinduism

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/ataglance/glance.shtml • https://www.lotussculpture.com/hindu-gods-indian-gods-brahman-how-many.html

• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Torah
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