Religions Graphic Organizer
Islam | |
General time/place of founding | beginning of the 7th century in the Middle East |
Deity(s) | one god called Allah |
Founder/Leaders (if known) | Muhammad |
Key Texts | Qur’an (sharia) |
Basic Beliefs & Practices | Five Pillars of Islam (Allah, ritual prayer, almsgiving, fasting, Mecca). |
Expansion/InfluenceWhere did it spread by the end of 1200 C.E.? | Middle East and northern Africa |
Political & Social Role How was this religion/belief system utilized to assert political authority and/or reinforce social hierarchies? | No distinction between religious and civil law. Mixed together. |
Judaism | Christianity | |
General time/place of founding | Israel about 4,000 years ago | 1st Century CE, Roman Empire |
Deity(s) | God called Yahweh | God. (Father, son, holy ghost) |
Founder/Leaders (if known) | Abraham | Jesus |
Key Texts | Hebrew Scriptures called the Old Testament | Bible |
Beliefs/ Practices/ Rituals | There is a covenant (mutual promise) with their God – in return for their devotion, Yahweh would consider them his chosen people. | People could have a better life after death if they believed in Jesus |
Expansion/Influence(Where did it spread by the end of 1200 C.E.?) | Everywhere | Was adaptable to areas outside of its palace of origin |
Political & Social Role How was this religion/belief system utilized to assert political authority and/or reinforce social hierarchies? | Roman persecution of Jews (diaspora) spread Judaism to northern Africa and Europe. They used religion to justify their actions. | Christianity in the Roman Empire: Constantine’s endorsement of Christianity accelerated its growth (official religion of empire in 4th century) Role of the Catholic Church in medieval Europe: Holy Crusade failed to free Jerusalem from Islamic control but brought awareness Role of missionaries: spread the religion Role of monasteries: increased literacy and helped poor |
Hinduism | Buddhism | |
General time/place of founding | 3,500 yrs ago when Aryans from Himalaya Mts moved to Pakistan & India | Hindu family around 530 BCE |
Deity(s) | yes, but over time they became known as one supreme diety | Buddha (enlightened one) |
Founder/Leaders (if known) | N/A | Siddhartha Gautama |
Key Texts | Vedas | Tripitaka, Mahayana Sutras, and the Tibetan Book of the Dead |
Basic Beliefs & Practices | The soul of a person is reborn many times until it is spiritually advanced enough to become liberated from the cycle of reincarnation. | Four Noble Truths (eliminates desire and suffering by following the Eightfold Path). Meditation, reflection, and refraining from excessive earthly pleasures. |
Expansion/Influence (Where did it spread by the end of 1200 C.E.?) | South Asia. Nepal, India, Indonesia, Thailand | Throughout India and across Asia. Silk roads. South Asia. Afghanistan. China. Korea. Japan. Vietnam |
Political & Social Role How was this religion/belief system utilized to assert political authority and/or reinforce social hierarchies? | Role of the caste system in South Asian society: People should organize society into sharply defined classes, called castes, to prohibit social mobility and keep society unified & stratified. | Role of Buddhist monastic communities/monks: role models who preserve the teachings of Buddha to spread their religion and influence society Mahayana vs. Theravada Buddhism: Theravada is an individual's pursuit of nirvana and Mahayana is delaying entering nirvana to help others achieve enlightenment. |
Confucianism | Daoism | |
General time/place of founding | 551 BCE, China | Warring States period |
Deity(s) | N/A | many. supreme 3 = Yuansi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun |
Founder/Leaders (if known) | Confucius (K’ung Fu-tzu) | Laozi (Lao Tzu) |
Key Texts | Analects | Tao Te Ching |
Basic Beliefs & Practices | Education, benevolence, virtue, respect for those with authority, and a patriarchal social structure. | How people could live in harmony with nature. Internal reflection more than external behavior. |
Expansion/Influence (Where did it spread by the end of 1200 C.E.?) | Spread to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam | China |
Political & Social Role How was this religion/belief system utilized to assert political authority and/or reinforce social hierarchies? | What is Neoconfucianism? A combo of Confucian, buddhist, and Daoist philosophies. Role of the Civil Service Exam: Those who had a certain level of knowledge would have better jobs. Role of the five relationships: a society would thrive if the relationships could function | Response to the chaos of the Warring States period. |
Zoroastrianism | Legalism | |
General time/place of founding | Persia, 6th century B.C.E. | China, 475-221 B.C. |
Deity(s) | Ahura Mazda | N/A |
Founder/Leaders (if known) | Iranian prophet Zoroaster | Han Feizi |
Key Texts | the Avesta | the Book of Lord Shang |
Basic Beliefs & Practices | Human free will & the balance between good and evil | For there to be one effective ruler, everyone had to strictly follow the laws |
Expansion/Influence (Where did it spread geographically by the end of 600 C.E.?) | Spread to Central and Eastern Asia and throughout the Iranian lands | stayed within China |
Political & Social Role How was this religion/belief system utilized to assert political authority and/or reinforce social hierarchies? | Human free will & equality/balance | Strong government with a system that had specific punishments and rewards connected to laws |