Types of Religion

Religion: Set of beliefs

MONOTHEISM: belief in one god

POLYTHEISM: belief in many gods

ATHEISM: believe there is no god

Judaism• Judaism began about 4000

years ago• Only worshiped one god—

monotheistic• wrote down beliefs and history

in the Hebrew Bible• Believed they were descended

from Abraham• Began in the Middle East

Judaism• Israelites enslaved in

Egypt• Moses was told by God

to lead the people from Egypt

• Moses received the Torah from God which included the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai

• Torah—Judaism’s Holy Book

Judaism—Major BeliefsJudaism-major beliefs

• Believe in the Torah• They believe they must

follow God’s laws• Religion gave them

hope• goodness would replace

suffering and evil

Synagogue—Jewish churchRabbi—a Jewish ministerSabbath—day of rest and worshipExile—forced to live in a foreign landDiaspora—Jews living outside Judaea

•

Jewish Vocab

• Synagogue—Jewish church• Rabbi—a Jewish minister• Sabbath—day of rest and worship• Exile—forced to live in a foreign land• Diaspora—Jews living outside Judaea

Buddhism--Origins• Started in India• Started around 600 BC by Siddhartha Gautama • Wealthy prince who gave up everything• Wanted to find out why people suffered and how he

could end suffering• Called Buddha—”the Enlightened One”

Buddhism—Beliefs

• Nirvana—state of wisdom (give up worldly desires)

• Only way to end suffering is to stop wanting things

• Four Noble Truths• Eightfold Path

Four Noble Truths

1. Life is full of pain & suffering

2. Wanting things causes suffering

3. Stop wanting things=stop suffering

4. Stop wanting things by following the Eightfold Path

Eightfold Path

• Made of three parts: 1. morality—doing the right thing

2. control of one’s mind—meditation

3. wisdom—wisdom & understanding

Eightfold Path1.Understand the Four Noble Truths2.Give up worldly things; don’t harm others3.Tell the truth, don’t lie or gossip4.Don’t kill or steal5.Do good works6.Work for good, oppose evil7.Be aware of your actions, thoughts, and words8.Practice meditation* Which part would each of these statements fit

under?

Hinduism--Origins• World’s oldest polytheistic religion• Started over 3500 years ago (about 5000 BC)• Not founded by any one person• Began with the Aryans who had many gods and

goddesses• Grew out of the religious customs of many people

over thousands of years

Hinduism--Beliefs• Brahman—the universal spirit• Karma—how a person lives• Reincarnation—live more than one life to reach the

Brahman• Dharma—divine law; people must perform the

duties of their caste• Vedas—ancient hymns and prayers for religious

ceremonies• Helped create Caste System

Confucianism--Origins

• Began during Zhou Dynasty• Confucius 551-479 BC• His sayings are still taught

today

Confucianism—Beliefs

• Not a religion— an ethical code

• Goals—order, harmony, peace, & happiness on earth

• Treat others the way you want to be treated

Daoism--Origins

• Began in China from Chinese philosophies

• Founder– Lao Tse

Daoism--Beliefs

• The Dao– “the way”• Daoists think people

should stop wanting worldly things like fame or money

• Nature is a good example of harmony & how humans should live

Daoism—beliefs

• Yin/Yang—reflects ideals of harmony and balance

• The Three Jewels—compassion, moderation, and balance

• Tao Te—most important text

Diffusion

• Diffusion—means spread• Spread to Southeast and Eastern Asia