language families + religions

buddhism

• founded by Siddhartha Gautama in Nepal and northern India

• sacred text - Tripitaka

• number of adherents -

• diffused by -

• no monotheistic or polytheistic

• universalizing

• symbol - Dharma wheel

• major structures - pagota

christianity

• founded by jesus

• founded in 0-30ish A.D.

• sacred text - Bible

• 2 billion adherents

• diffused by missionaries and colonization

• monotheistic

• universalizing

• symbol - cross

• major structures - church

Hinduism

• one of the oldest religions, with no single founder

• sacred texts - Vedas and Upanishads

• approximately 1 billion adherents

• mainly diffused in South Asia

• henotheistic and includes a variety of deities

• ethnic religion

• symbol - Om

• major structures - temples

islam

• founded by Prophet Muhammad in the Arabian Peninsula

• sacred text - Quran

• approximately 1.8 billion adherents

• diffused through trade, conquest, and missionary work

• monotheistic

• universalizing

• symbol - crescent moon and star

• major structures - mosques

judaism

• founded by abraham

• hearth - middle east

• text - Torah + Talmud

• 15.7 million adherents

• diffused by religious persecution and roman destruction of jerusalem

• monotheistic

• ethnic

• symbol - start of David

• sacred sites - jerusalem