FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

1. HOW
RELIGIONS
BEGAN

2. Prehistoric Forms ofWorship
■ Animism is the belief that animals, plants, rivers, mountains, and other entities in
nature contain an inner spiritual essence. Animism has many forms, which reflect the
geographical environment, the religious or spiritual cultural history, and the distinct
worldview of the people groups who practice its various expressions.
1.Worship of Stones and Hills
2.Worship of Plants andTrees
3.TheWorship of Animals
4.Worship of the Elements
5.Worship of the Heavenly Bodies
6.Worship of Man

3. 1. NEANDERTHAL RELIGION
 Neanderthals lived from
approximately 125,000 to 30,000
BC and occupied Europe and
Asia
 They buried their dead with
food, tools and weapons
 Food and tools are offerings to
gods or as an accompaniment of
their loved ones into the spiritual
world
PRE-HISTORIC BEGINNINGS OF BASIC
RELIGIONS

4.  There were Neanderthal
burial sites excavated that
with bear skulls that were
carefully arranged
 Evidence suggests that
Neanderthals have worship
attitude towards the bear
 Although none of the
evidence prove they are
religious
PRE-HISTORIC BEGINNINGS OF BASICS
RELIGIONS

5. 2. CRO - MAGNON
 Lived approximately 30,000 BC
 Paintings and engravings on the walls and
ceilings of caves in France and Spain
 Common themes in cave paintings- large
wild animals like bison, wild boars, bears,
horses
 Interpreted that these paintings are placed
by witch doctors before the hunt in order
to predict the events of a successful hunt
PRE-HISTORIC BEGINNINGS OF BASICS
RELIGIONS

6. 3. NEOLITHIC
 Lived approximately 7000 to 3000
BC
Advanced in the utilization of stone
tools and weapons
 Improvement of agriculture as a
way of life which led to settlement
and resulted to land ownership and
formation of communities and
religions
PRE-HISTORIC BEGINNINGS OF BASICS
RELIGIONS

7. 3. NEOLITHIC
 Humans started to be in touch with land and
nature that surrounds them- this led to the
formulation of mythologies in which DEITIES
became personification of sun, nature and
seasons
They also constructed monuments of huge
stones ( associated with rituals of early
religions) like that of Stonehenge in England
PRE-HISTORIC BEGINNINGS OF BASICS
RELIGIONS

8. HISTORICAL CONTEXT OFTHE MAJOR
RELIGIONS
In studying the context of religion, it
is important to approach it with the
ATTITUDE OF RELIGIOUS PLURALISM-
which means that
ALL RELIGIONS are viewed as
EQUALS.

9. ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS

11. JUDAISM
A brief history of Judaism
■ Judaism is the oldest surviving monotheistic religion, arising in the eastern Mediterranean in the
second millennium B.C.E.Abraham is traditionally considered to be the first Jew and to have made
a covenant with God. Because Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all recognize Abraham as their first
prophet, they are also called the Abrahamic religions.
What they believe
■ Jews believe in one god and his prophets, with special respect for Moses as the prophet to whom
God gave the law. Jewish law is embodied in theTorah (also known as the Pentateuch) and the
Talmud (collected commentary on theTorah completed in the fifth-century C.E.).
■ Judaism is more concerned with actions than dogma. In other words, observance of rules
regulating human behavior has been of more concern than debates over beliefs in the Jewish
tradition. According to Orthodox Judaism, Jewish law, or halakhah, includes 613 commandments
given by God in theTorah, as well as rules and practices elaborated by scholars and custom. Jewish
law covers matters such as prayer and ritual, diet, rules regulating personal status (marriage,
divorce, birth, death, inheritance, etc.), and observance of holidays (likeYom Kippur, the Day of
Atonement; and Passover, the feast celebrating the exodus of the Jews from slavery in Egypt).

12. Judaism around theWorld
1. Israel 73.6%
2. Gibraltar 2.0%
3. United States 1.76%
4. Canada 1.07%
5. France 0.7%

13. CHRISTIANITY
A brief history of Christianity
■ Christianity started as an offshoot of Judaism in the first century C.E. Until the emperor Constantine
converted to Christianity in 324 C.E., early Christian communities were often persecuted. It was then
that the Roman Empire became the Holy Roman Empire, and its capital relocated from Rome to
Constantinople (formerly Byzantium and now Istanbul).The development of Christian groups derived
from major and minor splits.
What they believe:
■ Christianity developed out of the monotheistic tradition of Judaism; Jesus, its founder, was a member of
the Jewish community in Roman Palestine. Its holy scriptures are the OldTestament (the JewishTorah
with additions), and the NewTestament (written by the followers of Jesus after his death and containing
the life story of Jesus and other early Christian writings).
■ Christians believe that God is revealed through three dimensions: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and
the Holy Spirit. Jesus is considered the son of God, born to the virgin Mary and come to Earth to offer
redemption for mankind's sins.After Jesus was crucified and executed by the Romans, he rose from the
dead and ascended into heaven.This event is celebrated at Easter, while the birth of Jesus is celebrated
at Christmas.
■ Christians believe in an afterlife where those who have lived a good life will reside in heaven with God,
and those who have lived an unrepentant life of sin will be punished in hell.

14. Christianity
Around the World
1.Vatican City 100% (100% RomanCatholic)
2. Pitcairn Islands 100% (100% Seventh-day
Adventist)
3. Samoa ~99% (mostly Protestant)
4. Romania 99% (mostly Romanian
Orthodox)
5. American Samoa 98.3% (mostly
Protestant)
6. Malta 98.1%[(mostly RomanCatholic)
7.Venezuela 98% (71% RomanCatholic)
8. Greece 98% (95% GreekOrthodox)
9. Marshall Islands 97.2% (mostly
Protestant)
10.Tonga 97.2% (mostly Protestant)[14]

15. ISLAM
A brief history of Islam
■ Islam arose in the early seventh centuryC.E. in the settled desert community of Mecca (in present-day SaudiArabia). It
developed from both the Judeo-Christian tradition and the cultural values of the nomadic Bedouin tribes ofArabia.
What they believe:
■ Muslims believe thatAllah (theArabic word for God) sent his revelation, the Quran, to the prophet Muhammad in the
seventh centuryC.E. to proclaim it to mankind.The Quran contains verses (surahs) in Arabic that tell Muslims to worship
one god, and explains how they should treat others properly.
■ Another historical text, the Hadith, written by scholars after the death of Muhammad, describes Muhammad's life as an
example of pious behavior, proscribes law for the community based on theQuran and the example of Muhammad, and
explains how certain rituals should be performed.
■ Observant Muslims practice five principles (pillars) of Islam: orally declaring their faith (shahadah); praying five times a
day (salat); fasting in the daylight hours during the month of Ramadan (sawm); giving a share of their income for charity
(zakat); and making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime if they can afford it (hajj). Many Muslims also
observe dietary rules, in origin similar to those of Judaism, that forbid certain foods (like pork), outlaw alcohol, and
dictate how animals should be slaughtered for food.
■ The Muslim calendar is lunar, and shifts in relation to the solar calendar. Just as Christians count years starting with the
year of Jesus's birth, Muslims count years beginning with Muhammad's move from Mecca to Medina in 622C.E. Muslim
years are labeled as A.H.,Anno Hegirae, or "year of the Hijra."
■ Major Muslim festivals include Id al-Fitr (the Fast-Breaking Festival, celebrated at the end of Ramadan) and Id al-Adha
(the Festival of Sacrifice, the commemoration ofAbraham's willingness to sacrifice Ishmail which takes place during the
month of pilgrimage).
■ Muslims believe in a Day of Judgment, when righteous souls will go to heaven and wrongdoers will go to hell.

16. IslamAround
theWorld
1. Indonesia 245,000,000
2. Pakistan 203,000,000
3. India 182,000,000
4. Bangladesh 142,937,800
5. Nigeria 90,000,000
6. Iran 73,238,340
7. Egypt 70,056,000
8.Turkey 70,036,838
9. Algeria 36,092,810
10. Morocco 31,351,800

22. HISTORICAL CONTEXT OFTHE MAJOR
RELIGIONS
In CHRISTIANITY,Abraham is also referred to as the father of
Faith. In the Holy Bible, it is stated that Jesus Christ, the
founder of Christianity, came from the lineage ofAbraham.
In ISLAM, Muhammad, founder of Islam also claimed that he
descended from Abraham’s son Ishmael.The religious term
“MILLAT IBRAHIM” which means faith ofAbraham is also
being practiced.
JUDAISM,CHRISTIANITY and ISLAM (Abrahamic religions)
believe that they are directly related to the lineage of
Abraham.

23. EASTERN RELIGIONS

24. Hinduism
Brief History of Hinduism
■ Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back
more than 4,000 years.Today, with about 900 million followers, Hinduism is the third-largest religion behind
Christianity and Islam. Roughly 95 percent of the world’s Hindus live in India. Because the religion has no
specific founder, it’s difficult to trace its origins and history. Hinduism is unique in that it’s not a single religion
but a compilation of many traditions and philosophies.
WhatThey Believe: BasicTenets
At its core, Hinduism teaches four Purusarthas, or goals of human life:
■ Dharma (ethics and duties): the path of righteousness and living one's life according to the codes of conduct
as described by the Hindu scriptures..
■ Artha (work and prosperity)
■ Karma (passion and desires)
■ Moksha (liberation from the cycle of samsara)
Of these beliefs, Dharma is most important in day-to-day life because it is what will lead to Moksha and the end.
If Dharma is neglected in favor of the more material pursuits of Artha and Kama, then life becomes chaotic, and
Moksha cannot be attained.
■ The Vedas, or “Books of Knowledge,” are the foremost sacred texts in Hinduism.These books, written from
around 1200 BCE to 100 CE, began with four vedas, or mantras: RigVeda, SamaVeda,YajurVeda and
AtharvaVeda.

25. TheVedas
■ TheVedas are a collection of hymns and other ancient religious texts written in India between about
1500 and 1000 BCE. It includes elements such as liturgical material as well as mythological accounts,
poems, prayers, and formulas considered to be sacred by theVedic religion.
Content & Structure
The basicVedic texts are the Samhita “Collections” of the fourVedas:
■ Rig-Veda “Knowledge of the Hymns of Praise”, for recitation.
■ Sama-Veda “Knowledge of the Melodies”, for chanting.
■ Yajur-Veda “Knowledge of the Sacrificial formulas”, for liturgy.
■ Atharva-Veda “Knowledge of the Magic formulas”, named after a kind of group of priests.

26. Countries with the
greatest proportion
of Hindus
1.Nepal 81.3%
2.India 79.8%
3.Mauritius 54%
4.Fiji 33.7%
5.Guyana 28%
6.Bhutan 25%
7.Suriname 22.3%
8.Trinidad and
Tobago 18.2%
9.United Arab
Emirates 15%
10.Sri Lanka12.6%

27. Buddhism
Brief History of Buddhism
■ Buddhism is a religion that was founded by Siddhartha Gautama (“The Buddha”) more than 2,500
years ago in India.With about 470 million followers, scholars consider Buddhism one of the major
world religions.The religion has historically been most prominent in East and Southeast Asia, but its
influence is growing in theWest. Many Buddhist ideas and philosophies overlap with those of other
faiths.
Types of Buddhism
Today, many forms of Buddhism exist around the world.The three main types that represent
specific geographical areas include:
■ Theravada Buddhism: Prevalent inThailand, Sri Lanka,Cambodia, Laos and Burma
■ Mahayana Buddhism: Prevalent in China, Japan,Taiwan, Korea, Singapore andVietnam
■ Tibetan Buddhism: Prevalent inTibet, Nepal, Mongolia, Bhutan, and parts of Russia and northern
India

28. WhatThey Believe:
Four NobleTruths
■ The truth of suffering (dukkha) (Nothing lasts forever)
■ The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya) (desire, thrist, greed)
■ The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha) (Non attachment)
■ The truth of the path that frees us from suffering (magga) (Eightfold Path)
Eightfold Path:
composed of: right views, right intentions, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness and right concentration.
Buddhist Holy Book
Buddhists revere many sacred texts and scriptures. Some of the most important are:
■ Tipitaka: These texts, known as the “three baskets,” are thought to be the earliest collection of Buddhist
writings.
■ Sutras: There are more than 2,000 sutras, which are sacred teachings embraced mainly by Mahayana
Buddhists.
■ The Book of the Dead:ThisTibetan text describes the stages of death in detail.

29. Buddhist population
by country
•Cambodia 96.9%
•Thailand 93.2%
•Myanmar 80.1%
•Bhutan 74.70%
•Sri Lanka 69.3%
•Laos 66.0%
•Mongolia 55.1%
•Japan 36.2%
•Taiwan 35.1%
•Singapore 33.2%
•South Korea 22.9%
•Malaysia 19.8%
•China 18.2%
•Macau 17.3%
•Vietnam 16.4%
•Hong Kong 13.2%
•Nepal 10.3%

31. References
■ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/themes/religion/index.html
■ http://www.youtube.com/nationalgeographic