ITWR

• Religions


  • Have their origin stories and are universal in nature
  • Geography and culture have an effect on the establishment and development of religions
• World Religions


  • Historical Foundation
  • Geographical Contexts
  • Cultural Milieu
• Important Dates on the Origin of World Religions

  • 2000 B.C.E. - Time of Abraham, the patriarch of Israel
  • 1200 B.C.E. - Time of Moses, the Hebrew leader of the Exodus
  • 1100 – 500 B.C.E. - Hindus compiled their holy texts, the Vedas
  • 563 – 83 B.C.E. - Time of the Buddha, founder of Buddhism
  • 551 – 479 B.C.E. - Time of Confucius, founder of Confucianism
  • 200 B.C.E. - The Hindu book, Bhagavad Gita, was written
  • 2 to 4 B.C.E – 32 C.E. - Time of Jesus Christ, the Messiah and founder of Christianity
  • 32 C.E. - The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
  • 40 – 90 C.E. - The New Testament was written by the followers of Jesus Christ
  • 100 C.E. - Beginnings of Shintoism (no known founder)
  • 500-580 B.C.E. - Time of Lao Tze, founder of Daoism
  • 570 – 632 C.E. - Time of Muhammad, who recorded the Q'uran as the basis of Islam
• The Patriarch Abraham


  • Played a major role in the establishment of the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Abrahamic Religions)
  • The patriarch appears as an elemental (primary) figure for monotheistic belief system and a paragon (exemplar) for extreme devotion
• Abrahamic Religions


  • Judaism
  • Christianity
  • Islam
• Jewish people regard Abraham as the ancestor of the Israelites, through his descendants Isaac and Jacob
• Muslims consider Abraham's son Ishmael as the ancestor of the Arabs
• Christians view Abraham as 'father in faith' as narrated in the Bible and the ancestor of Jesus Christ
• Commonalities in Abrahamic Religions


  • All worship one supreme being
  • Prophets and apostles play major roles
  • The role of divine revelation or Intervention
• Ancient Hebrews referred to the one supreme being as Elohim, Adonai or Yahweh
• Present day Judaism refers to the one supreme being as "Lord" or "God"
• Muslims refer to the one supreme being as Allah
• Judaism has 48 prophets and seven prophetesses
• Christianity has 12 apostles who were the primary disciples of Jesus Christ
• Muslims believe that Muhammad is the final prophet or the "Seal of the Prophets"
• God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac at Mount Moriah
• God presented the 10 Commandments to Moses at Mount Sinai
• God sacrificed His son Jesus Christ through crucifixion as the plan to salvation
• God commanded Muhammad to establish a new religion at a cave in Mount Hira
• The Indian Mosaic


  • Its history began at least 6500 B.C.E.
  • The Harappan civilization, the Aryan influence, the local dynasties, and the Muslim conquest all had their fair share in building the intricate Indian mosaic
  • Four great religions originated in India – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism – and a myriad of minor cults and local sects
• Hinduism


  • Perfectly reflects Indian heterogeneity with its eclectic, diversified, and assorted ways of religious expressions
  • It has no specific founder, no one sacred book, and with innumerable gods and goddesses that any Hindu can venerate
  • Considered as a museum of religions
  • It was during the Vedic Period that Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma became systematized as a religion that preached order and purpose to the cosmos and human life
• Buddhism


  • Centers its attention on the figure of the Buddha (Siddharta Gautama Buddha)
  • The Mahayana sect of Buddhism differs from Theravada school because of its rich array of buddhas and bodhisattvas who have attained spiritual enlightenment. These beings are already eligible to enter nirvana but choose to delay this glorious path to guide others to the path of salvation
• The Way of the Dao

  • Chinese civilization is one of the world's oldest, dating back almost 4,000 years ago
  • Even during the olden days, the Chinese had already endeavored to establish and attain good governance
• Confucianism


  • Confucius (Kung Fu-Tzu's) is regarded as China's greatest philosopher and teacher who lived at the same time as Siddharta Gautama in India
  • Confucian ideals aspire to harmonize human relations and serve as guide to social behavior
  • An ideal human society is the utmost concern for the Confucian followers
  • Confucius dwell upon the theme of the Dao as being the truth or way things out to be done concordant with specific view to life, politics and customs
  • Confucian Dao concerns human affairs
• Daoism


  • Mysteries abound the birth and life of Laozi (Lao-tzu) who may have written Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching or The Book of the Way and its Power)
  • Believed to be a contemporary (modern version) of Confucius, he once worked as a record keeper at the time of Zhou Dynasty but soon left the service due to his frustration with corruption
  • Around 142 CE, Daoism began as an organized religion with the establishment of the Way of the Celestial Masters sect by Zhang Daoling during the Han Dynasty
  • The writings of Daoism centers on the concept of Dao, as a way or path signifying appropriateness of one's behavior to lead other people
  • Dao in Daoism means road, path or way in which one does something
  • Daoist Dao means the way the universe works
• Shintoism


  • It is a loosely organized local belief in Japan, somewhat an ardent (dedicated) religious form of Japanese patriotism. Its mythology highlights the superiority of Japan over other lands
  • Japanese people believed that their emperors literally descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu
  • Conscious effort is done to revere the beauty of Japan's lands, especially mountains
  • The term 'Shinto' was coined around the 16th century CE to distinguish native belief system from the imported religions of China and Korea, including Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism
  • The term came from the Chinese words 'shen' and 'tao' roughly translated as the 'way of the gods'
  • Of primal importance were the kami that were often defined as the gods but could also refer to deities of heaven and earth, or even spirits in human beings, animals, trees, seas and mountains
• Judaism


  One of the oldest monotheistic religions
• Judaism


  • Originating in the Middle East
  • Deeply rooted in history and tradition
• Ancient Beginnings of Judaism

  Over 3,500 years
• Exodus and Mosaic Covenant

  1. Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt

  2. Receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai
• Torah


  • Central and holiest text
  • Comprising the first five books of the Hebrew Bible
• Talmud


  • Collection of writings interpreting and expanding upon the Torah
  • Contains discussions on Jewish law, ethics, customs, and history
• Core Beliefs


  • Monotheism - Belief in one God (Yahweh)
  • Covenant - Agreement between God and the Jewish people
  • Ethical Monotheism - Emphasis on moral conduct and righteousness
• Shabbat (Sabbath)


  1. Weekly day of rest, beginning Friday evening to Saturday evening

  2. Marked by prayers, family meals, and synagogue attendance
• Kosher Dietary Laws


  • Dietary restrictions based on religious principles
  • Symbolizes adherence to God's commandments
• Synagogue


  • Gathering place for prayer, study, and community events
  • Not a replacement for the Temple, but a central focus for Jewish worship
• Western Wall (Wailing Wall)


  Holiest site for Jewish prayer in Jerusalem
• Jewish Calendar


  • Lunar Calendar - Follows the cycles of the moon
  • Celebrates various festivals, including Passover, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur
• Denominations


  • Orthodox
  • Conservative
  • Reform
  • Reconstructionist
• Diaspora


  • Jewish communities outside of Israel
  • Contributions to global culture and society