Religions & Belief Systems Terms Notes

Religions & Belief Systems Terms

Monotheism

  • Belief in one God.

  • Examples: Judaism, Christianity, Islam.

Judaism

  • Ten Commandments: Key laws of Judaism transcribed by Moses.

  • Torah: First five books of the Jewish Bible; contains laws given to Moses.

Christianity

  • New Testament: The life and teachings of Jesus, added to the Jewish Old Testament.

  • Church councils: Established early Christian Catholic Church doctrine.

Islam

  • Koran: Muslim holy book, believed to be the word of God as revealed to Muhammad.

  • Five Pillars: Central code of belief and practices for Muslims.

  • Mecca & Medina: Holiest and second holiest cities in Islam, respectively.

Hinduism and Buddhism

  • Reincarnation: Belief in being reborn after death.

  • Karma (Hinduism): Belief that the consequences of one's actions in this life affect the next one.

  • Four Noble Truths & Eightfold Path (Buddhism): Core beliefs and practices to reach nirvana, a state of enlightenment and liberation from suffering.

Key Figures

  • Abraham: Founder of Judaism.

  • Moses: Jewish leader who led the Hebrews on the Exodus from Egypt. Received the Torah and Ten Commandments.

  • Jesus of Nazareth: Christian founder, believed to be the son of God and the Messiah prophesied in Judaism.

  • St. Paul: Played a significant role in spreading Christianity to Europe.

  • Muhammad: Founder of Islam, considered the last prophet in Islam. Received the Koran.

  • Siddhartha Gautama: The Buddha, the Enlightened One; founder of Buddhism.

  • Asoka: Mauryan Emperor who supported and facilitated the spread of Buddhism through missionaries to various parts of Asia.