This presentation is about one of the largest and famous religions. 1. Islam 2. Christianity 3. Judaism 4. Hinduism

2. OUTLINE
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INTRODUCTION
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RELIGION IN SOCIOLOGY
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TOP FIVE RELIGIONS

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INTRODUCTION
Religion is a system of divine beliefs,
cultural practices and the world which
usually describe the meaning of life and
faith
But in sociology religion is defined as:
“ it involves beliefs that take the form of
ritualized practice; it provides a sense of
purpose”

4. Religion In Sociology
 Religion as defined by sociologists has three key
elements: it is a form of culture; it involves beliefs
that take the form of ritualized practice; it provides a
sense of purpose
 Sociologists of religion study every aspect of
religion from what is believed to how persons act
while in worship and while living out their stated
convictions
 They study the changing role of religion both in the
public arena (political, economic and media) and in
intimate interpersonal relationships

5. TOP FIVE RELIGION
 ISLAM
 CHRISTIANITY
 HINDUISM
 JUDAISM
 BUDDHISM

6. ISLAM
 Islam is the second most common religion in
the world.
 Muslim belief is expressed in their
profession of faith: “There is no god but
ALLAH, and Muhammad (PBUH) is the Prophet
of God.”
 Muslims believe that after the final
judgment there will be an after life, either in
heaven or in hell.

7. ISLAM
 The Quran is the holy book from which they
get their spiritual guidance.
 They also receive spiritual guidance from
the Hadith, which contains the words and
deeds of Muhammad (P.B.U.H) and his
followers.
 It is a monotheistic religion like Christianity.
To believe in only one god

8. ORIGIN
 Islam is a monotheistic religious tradition
that developed in the Middle East in the 7th
century
 Islam, which literally means "surrender" or
"submission”.
 It was founded on the teachings of the
Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) as an expression of
surrender to the will of Allah, the creator and
sustainer of the world.

9.  It is essential in Islam to believe that Allah is
the one and true God with no partner or equal.
 One of the unifying characteristics of Islam is
the Five Pillars, the fundamental practices of
Islam
 These five practices include a ritual
profession of faith, ritual prayer, the zakat
(charity), fasting, and the hajj (a pilgrimage to
Mecca).

11. profession of faith, prayer, zakat , fasting, and hajj

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The testimony of faith is saying with
conviction, “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur
rasoolu Allah.”
This saying means “There is no true god
(deity) but God (Allah),1 and Muhammad is
the Messenger (Prophet) of God.”
The first part, “There is no true god but God,”
means that none has the right to be
worshipped but God alone, and that God has
neither partner nor son.

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This testimony of faith is called theShahada, a
simple formula which should be said with
conviction in order to convert to Islam.
Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) was Allah's great
Prophet and Messenger. The Prophet's mission,
however, is universal. Allah tells mankind that
Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) is no more than a
Messenger, the unlettered Prophet who believes
in Him and His Words. He is the Seal of the
Prophets and the true universal Messenger of
Allah to the whole mankind.
The profession of faith is the most important
pillar of Islam.

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Muslims perform five prayers a day. Each
prayer does not take more than a few
minutes to perform.
Prayer in Islam is a direct link between the
worshipper and God. There are no
intermediaries between God and the
worshipper.
Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, midafternoon, sunset, and night. A Muslim may
pray almost anywhere, such as in fields,
offices, factories, or universities.

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All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore
held by human beings in trust.
The original meaning of the word zakat is both
„purification‟ and „growth.‟
Giving zakat means „giving a specified
percentage on certain properties to certain
classes of needy people.‟
The percentage which is due on gold, silver, and
cash funds that have reached the amount of
about 85 grams of gold and held in possession
for one lunar year is two and a half percent.

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Our possessions are purified by setting aside
a small portion for those in need.
Like the pruning of plants, this cutting back
balances and encourages new growth.
A person may also give as much as he or she
pleases as voluntary alms or charity.

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Every year in the month of Ramadan, all
Muslims fast from dawn until sundown,
abstaining from food, drink, and sexual
relations.
Although the fast is beneficial to health, it is
regarded principally as a method of spiritual
self-purification.
By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts,
even for a short time, a fasting person gains
true sympathy with those who go hungry, as
well as growth in his or her spiritual life.

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The annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah is an
obligation once in a lifetime for those who
are physically and financially able to perform
it.
About two million people go to Makkah each
year from every corner of the globe.
Although Makkah is always filled with visitors,
the annual Hajj is performed in the twelfth
month of the Islamic calendar.

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Male pilgrims wear special simple clothes
which strip away distinctions of class and
culture so that all stand equal before God.
The rites of the Hajj include circling the
Kaaba seven times and going seven times
between the hillocks of Safa and Marwa, as
Hagar did during her search for water.
Then the pilgrims stand together in Arafa and
ask God for what they wish and for His
forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a
preview of the Day of Judgment.

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The end of the Hajj is marked by a
festival, Eid Al-Adha, which is celebrated with
prayers.
This, and Eid al-Fitr, a feast-day
commemorating the end of Ramadan, are the
two annual festivals of the Muslim calendar.

22. Christianity - An introduction
 Christianity is the largest religion in the world with
over 2 billion followers.
 Christianity is focussed on the life and teachings of
Jesus Christ. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the
Middle East over 2000 years ago.
 The holy book of
Christians is the Bible.

23. Christianity - An introduction
 Many Christians worship in churches.
 'Church' means the gathering of
Christians as well as the building
in which Christians worship.
 Their leaders are
called priests or fathers.

24. Christianity – History
 Started at around 30 AD, Christianity is based on the
teachings and life of Jesus Christ.
 Christianity was founded in the
first century in Palestine by
the disciples of Jesus.

25. Christianity – History
 Next to Jesus, the Bible is the foundation of
Christianity.
 It holds the teachings and
expectations for Christians.
 The Bible consists of 39 books from the
Old Testament and 27 book
from the New Testament.

26. Christianity – History
 Groups within Christianity include differing books as
part of their sacred writings, most prominent among
which are the biblical apocrypha or deuter-o-canonical
books.
 From its beginnings, Christianity has been
an apostolic, or missionary faith based on Jesus'
exhortation to "go and make disciples of all nations"
(Matthew 28:19-20).

27. Christianity – Basic Beliefs
 God loves us and would like for us to live eternally with
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Him in glory.
Because of our sin (= willful rebellion), we are
separated from God.
We cannot overcome sin by our own efforts.
Because God loves us, He came to earth in human
form (as Jesus) and died on the cross to take the
penalty for our sins.
We receive salvation by making a life-changing
commitment to Christ, not merely by accepting
doctrines or joining an organization.

28. Christianity – Church History
 1054 A.D: After centuries of tension over the
increasing political power of the Pope, the Roman
Catholic church in Western Europe splits with the
Orthodox Church in the eastern Mediterranean and
Russia.

29. Christianity – Church History
 521 A.D: Protesting abuses within the Catholic Church
(which the Church itself later condemned), Martin
Luther starts a movement intended to reform the
church, but ends up splitting it. Numerous selfgoverning Protestant churches are formed
(Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, etc.).
 In the 1500s, the Church of England (Episcopal
Church) takes a "middle way" between Catholicism
and Protestantism, forming a church that is locally
governed but preserves Catholic traditions.

30. Christianity – Festivals
 Beside these, there are so many festivals of Christians some of
the important festivals are:
 Easter
 Christmas
 Good Friday
 Holy Week
 Lent
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Easter:
Easter is the most important festival in the Christian
calendar. It celebrates the resurrection from the dead of Jesus,
three days after he was executed. The Easter story is at the
heart of Christianity.

31. Christianity – Festivals
 Christmas:
Christmas is celebrated on the 25 December.
Christmas is a Christian holy day that marks the birth
of Jesus who Christians believe to be the Son of God.
• How Christians celebrate
Christmas?
 The story of Jesus' birth
(the nativity) is often
retold by children through
'Nativity Plays'

32. Christianity – Festivals
 Church services often include carol singing - these are
happy songs which tell the Christmas story.
 The celebration of Christmas is often accompanied by
the giving and receiving of presents and cards. This
reminds Christians of the gift of Jesus, the son of God,
beginning his earthly life.

33. Christianity - Festivals
 Good Friday
It is a famous Christian festival which is
celebrated on the Friday before Easter which is
celebrated in March –April to commemorate the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ who sacrificed on the cross
for the sake of entire humanity.

34. Christianity - Festivals
Holy Week
Christ in his final week of life is called as the Holy
Week. It is considered as a very holy week for the death
and resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ.
 Important days of Holy week are named Palm
Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy
Saturday.
 There are some specific hymns sung on these
occasions like Ride on, Ride on in Majesty, and all
glory, laud and honor.

35. Christianity - Festivals
 Lent
Christians remember Jesus - they go to church and
have the sign of the cross marked on their foreheads in
ash. There are special services in the church on behalf
of Lent. During this people sit together and talk about
Christianity and its faith.

37. JUDAISM

38. JUDAISM
 Judaism is a religious tradition with origins dating back
nearly four thousand years, rooted in the ancient near
eastern region of Canaan
 CANNAN is the region which is now Israel and Palestinian
territories
 Judaism did not emerge until the 1st century C.E. Judaism
traces its heritage to the covenant God made with Abraham

39.  The primary figures of Israelite culture include the patriarchs
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophet Moses, who received
God's law at Mt. Sinai.
 Their main book from which they receive guidance is
“TORAH”
 Jews continue to be unified on the basis of their common
connection to a set of sacred narratives expressing their
relationship with God as a holy people.

40. JUDAISM
 Judaism tends to emphasize practice over belief.
 Jewish worship is centered in synagogues
 Which completely replaced the Second Temple after its
destruction in 70 C.E
 Jewish religious leaders are called rabbis, who oversee the
many rituals and ceremonies essential to Jewish religious
practice.

42. Hinduism

43. What is Hinduism?
 One of the oldest religions of humanity
 The religion of the Indian people
 Gave birth to Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism
 Tolerance and diversity: "Truth is one, paths are
many"
 Many deities but a single, impersonal Ultimate
Reality
 A philosophy and a way of life – focused both on
this world and beyond

44. How did Hinduism begin?
 No particular founder
 Indus River Valley Civilization >5000 years ago
 Aryans enter 4000 - 3500 years ago
 Vedic Tradition 3500 – 2500 years ago:
 rituals and many gods (polytheism)
 sacred texts (Vedas)
 social stratification (caste system)
 Upanishads (metaphysical philosophy) 2800 –
2400 years ago
 Vedic Tradition develops into Hinduism

45. What are the Sacred Texts?
 Shruti (“heard”) – oldest, most authoritative:
 Four Vedas (“truth”) – myths, rituals, chants

Upanishads - metaphysical speculation
 Plus other texts
 Smriti (“remembered”) – the Great Indian Epics:
Ramayana
 Mahabharata (includes Bhagavad-Gita)
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 Plus others

46. What do Hindus believe?
 One impersonal Ultimate Reality – Brahman
 Manifest as many personal deities
 True essence of life – Atman, the soul, is Brahman trapped in
matter (“That art thou”)
 Reincarnation – atman is continually born into this world
lifetime after lifetime (Samsara)
 Karma – spiritual impurity due to actions keeps us bound to
this world (good and bad)
 Ultimate goal of life – to release Atman and reunite with the
divine, becoming as one with Brahman (Moksha)

47. Who do Hindus worship?
 Shiva, god of constructive destruction
(the transformer)
 Appears as Shiva Nataraj,
lord of the dance of creation.
 and with his wife, Parvati, and son Ganesha
(the elephant headed remover of obstacles).
 Saraswati, goddess of wisdom, consort of
Brahma
 Lakshmi, goddess of good fortune, consort
of Vishnu

48. How do Hindus worship?
 Bhakti Yoga is seeking union with the divine
through loving devotion to manifest deities
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In the home(household shrines)
In the Temples (priests officiate)
 Puja– making offerings to and decorating the deity
images
Darsan – “seeing” the deity (not idol worship)
 Prasad – taking the divine within your own being through
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eating of food shared with the deity