World History - Unit 1 World Religions

Buddhism

# of followers / Area most practiced today	600 million/China, Japan, and Korea (East Asia and Southeast Asia)
Year Founded	6th c. BCE
Founder	Siddartha Buddhama
Place of Worship	Stupet Shrines/Temples
Monotheist/Polytheist?	None; it’s founded on morals not on who to worship
Holy Book	Tripitaka
Basic Beliefs	Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, & Nirvana

Christianity

# of followers / Area most practiced today	2.4 billion/North & South America, Europe, and Africa (Largest religion)
Year Founded	30-33 CE
Founder	Jesus of Nasarac
Place of Worship	Church
Monotheist/Polytheist?	Monotheist
Holy Book	The Bible
Basic Beliefs	The Ten Commandments and Jesus is the son of God.

Hinduism

# of followers / Area most practiced today	1.2 billion/India and Nepal
Year Founded	2300-2400 BCE
Founder	No one founder
Place of Worship	Temple
Monotheist/Polytheist?	Polytheist
Holy Book	The Vedas
Basic Beliefs	Reincarnation and Karma.

Islam

# of followers / Area most practiced today	1.9 billion/Southwestern & Central Asia, parts of America, Europe, and parts of Africa
Year Founded	610 CE
Founder	Muhammad
Place of Worship	Mosque
Monotheist/Polytheist?	Monotheist
Holy Book	The Qu’ran
Basic Beliefs	The Five Pillars of Islam

Judaism

# of followers / Area most practiced today	15 million/US, Israel
Year Founded	1800 BCE
Founder	Abraham
Place of Worship	Synagogue
Monotheist/Polytheist?	Monotheist
Holy Book	The Torah
Basic Beliefs	The Ten Commandments

Confucianism

# of followers / Area most practiced today	6 to 9 million/East Asia, and China
Year Founded	6th c. BCE
Founder	Confucists
Place of Worship	Temple of Confucists
Monotheist/Polytheist?	None; it’s founded on morals not on who to worship
Holy Book	The Analex
Basic Beliefs	The Five Basic Beliefs and The Golden Rule

Monotheist

Belief that there is only one God

Polytheist

Belief that there are multiple Gods

Beliefs of Buddhism

- Founded in India around 500 BCE by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha)
- Main teachings: eliminate desire (craving), as it is the cause of suffering in the world
- No single authority or sacred book

Key Beliefs (Four Noble Truths):
1. Life is suffering
2. The origin of suffering is desire (craving/attachment)
3. Suffering can end through eliminating wants/needs
4. The path to the end of suffering and achieving Nirvana is to follow the Eightfold Path

Eightfold Path:
1. Right Understanding (View)
2. Right Intention (Thought)
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration

Beliefs of Christianity

- Originated in Palestine in 30–33 CE
- Based on the life and teachings of Jesus
- Belief that Jesus was the Son of God, who died for people’s sins so they could be saved in the afterlife
- Monotheistic: Belief that there is only one God
- Christianity originally developed as a part of Judaism

Beliefs of Hinduism

- Hinduism has no founder, no single book of faith, and no single set of teachings
- Belief in reincarnation: every soul is reborn
- Goal: to live in a manner that will cause each reincarnation to be better than the life before, ultimately reaching Moksha (liberation from rebirth)
- Karma: the effects of a person’s actions that determine their future in this life or the next
- Polytheistic religion

Beliefs of Islam

- Islam began to develop around Abraham
- Based on the ministry of Muhammad and the words that Allah (God) gave to the world through him
- These teachings were written down to create the Qur’an
- Worship the same God as Christianity and Judaism

Five Pillars of Islam:
1. Declaration of Faith (Shahada): Belief that there is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God
2. Prayer (Salat): Pray at prescribed times five times per day (dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, after dark)
3. Almsgiving (Zakat): Donate to community members in need
4. Fasting (Sawm): During daylight hours of Ramadan, the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, requirement to fast
5. Pilgrimage (Hajj): Make at least one visit to Mecca (present-day Saudi Arabia)

Sunni and Shi’a:
- After Muhammad’s death, there were questions over leadership
- Abu Bakr (Muhammad’s closest friend) was selected as new leader (Sunni)
- A smaller group supported Ali ibn Abi Talib, Muhammad’s cousin (Shia)

Beliefs of Judaism

- One of the oldest and smallest monotheistic religions
- Founded ~1800 BCE in Israel

Fundamental Beliefs:
- There is only one God, who watches over and cares for His people
- God loves and protects His people but also holds people accountable for their actions/choices
- People serve God by studying the Torah and living by its teachings

Beliefs of Confucianism

1. The importance of order and harmony – Confucianism emphasizes that society functions best when everyone knows their role and fulfills their responsibilities.

2. Filial piety (xiao) – Respect and devotion to one’s parents and ancestors is central; family is seen as the foundation of society.

3. The Five Relationships – Human relationships should be based on respect, duty, and proper behavior:

   • Ruler ↔ Subject

   • Parent ↔ Child

   • Husband ↔ Wife

   • Older sibling ↔ Younger sibling

   • Friend ↔ Friend (the only equal relationship)

4. Ren (humaneness or benevolence) – People should act with kindness, compassion, and empathy toward others.

5. Li (rituals, propriety, etiquette) – Following proper rituals, traditions, and social norms helps maintain order and respect.

6. Education and self-cultivation – Learning, moral development, and self-discipline are essential to becoming a virtuous person.

7. The role of the ruler – A ruler should lead by moral example, not by force, so the people will naturally follow with loyalty and respect.

👉 In short: Confucianism focuses on morality, respect, proper behavior, education, and strong family values as the path to a harmonious society.

By Numbers (World Population of Followers)

- Christianity: 2.4 billion
- Islam: 1.9 billion
- Hinduism: 1.2 billion
- Buddhism: 500 million
- Judaism: 15 million
- Folk/Traditional religions (African traditional religions, Chinese folk traditions): 400 million
- Other religions (Jainism, Shintoism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, etc.): 58 million

Eightfold Path:

The Buddhist path to enlightenment consisting of Right View, Intention, Speech, Action, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness, and Concentration.

- Right Understanding

- Right Intention

- Right Speech

- Right Action

- Right Livelihood

- Right Effort

- Right Mindfulness

- Right Concentration

Five Pillars:

The five core practices of Islam: Shahada (faith), Salat (prayer), Zakat (charity), Sawm (fasting during Ramadan), Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).

- Shahada (Declaration of Faith)

- Salat (Prayer 5x daily)

- Zakat (Charity)

- Sawm (Fasting during Ramadan)

- Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca)

Four Noble Truths:

Life is suffering; the cause of suffering is desire; suffering can end; the way to end suffering is the Eightfold Path.

1. Life is suffering

2. Suffering is caused by desire/attachment

3. Suffering can end by eliminating desire

4. The way to end suffering is the Eightfold Path

Ten Commandments:

Moral/religious laws given by God to Moses in Judaism and Christianity.

Matching Religious Texts to Religions

Torah →

Quran →

Bible →

Torah → Judaism

Quran → Islam

Bible → Christianity

Difference Between Sunni and Shia Muslims:

- Sunnis: Leadership to Abu Bakr (Muhammad’s close friend).

- Shia: Leadership should stay in Muhammad’s family → Ali (cousin/son-in-law).

Abrahamic Religions (oldest → newest):

1. Judaism

2. Christianity

3. Islam

Monotheistic, Polytheistic, or Neither

Judaism →

Christianity →

Islam →

Hinduism →

Buddhism →

Confucianism →

Judaism → Monotheistic

Christianity → Monotheistic

Islam → Monotheistic

Hinduism → Polytheistic

Buddhism → Neither

Confucianism → Neither

The Crusades were largely fought over:

Jerusalem

Importance of Jerusalem to Each Abrahamic Religion

a holy city for Jews, Christians, and Muslims, such as the Western Wall for Jews, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, and the Dome of the Rock for Muslims

• Judaism:

  Jerusalem is the most sacred city in Judaism, considered the site where God's presence is closest on Earth. It is home to the Temple Mount, where the First Temple and the Second Temple stood. The Western Wall, the remaining structure of the Second Temple, is a place of pilgrimage and prayer. 

• Christianity:

  The city is sacred to Christians as the location of Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection. Important sites for Christians include the Garden of Gethsemane, the Via Dolorosa, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 

• Islam:

  Jerusalem, known as Al-Quds, is the third holiest city in Islam. Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad journeyed from Mecca to Jerusalem during his Night Journey and ascended to heaven from the Temple Mount. The city contains important Islamic sites, including the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque. 

• Contested Capital: Both Israel and Palestine claim Jerusalem as their capital city.

• Center of Power: Israel maintains its primary governmental institutions in Jerusalem.

What is Sufism?

 Sufism is a mystical movement emerged within Islam that emphasizes personal spiritual experience. It stresses brotherhood, egalitarianism, and often mixes Islam with local religious traditions. Seen as a threat by many Muslim rulers as it could be used as a tool to resist rulers who were seen as too oppressive or too powerful.

Why did Hinduism appeal to rulers in South Asia over other religions?

Hinduism appealed to rulers in South Asia because it had a powerful priestly class (the Brahmins) with whom rulers could form alliances. The religion supported the idea of patronage of temples and religious orders, which helped rulers legitimize and consolidate their authority.

In Southeast Asia, many rulers embraced Buddhism, leading to which groups of people earning political influence?

In Southeast Asia, when rulers embraced Buddhism and established monasteries, monks and nuns from those monasteries gained considerable political influence in the states.

The Song Dynasty in China emphasized Confucianism, particularly the relationship between _____ and _______.

ruler, subject

Why did Catholic priests typically encourage people to follow kings and princes?

Catholic priests generally encouraged people to obey kings and princes because those rulers were believed to rule with God’s approval, so obedience to secular rulers was seen as part of moral and religious duty.

What made the Pope unique compared to other priests? Why was the Pope a threat to kings and other rulers? 

The Pope was unique because he was both a religious and political figure; he could charge taxes, raise armies, and had a spiritual authority to excommunicate people. He was a threat because through excommunication, the Pope could remove someone from the Christian community, which could provoke rebellion or undermine a ruler’s legitimacy. This meant that powerful kings could be challenged by the Pope’s decisions.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, both _________ and _________ power was often held by more local, rather than centralized, authorities. 

political, religious

List 2 reasons that the Mongols allowed different religious practices within their Empire.

1. To keep the peace in a vast empire that included people of many faiths

2. As a form of “celestial insurance”—sponsoring many faiths just in case one turned out to be the “true” religion.

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