6.1 - Distribution of Religion.pptx

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Distribution of Religions

Ch. 6.1 (pp. 168-178)

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Intro

• Universalizing religions– Seek to appeal to all people– role of missionaries

• Ethnic religions– Appeal to a smaller group of people living

in one place

• monotheism vs. polytheism

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World Distribution of Religions

Figure 6-3

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I. Universalizing Religions

A. Christianity– The largest world religion (about 2 billion

adherents)• Many adherents in Europe, the Americas

– Three major branches• Roman Catholicism (51 percent)• Eastern Orthodox (11 percent) (c. 1054)• Protestant Christianity (24 percent) (c. 1517)• Other, smaller branches of Christianity

comprise 14 percent of all Christians

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Where does Christianity fit?

• Mystery religion– Jesus Christ

• Savior of Christians• Son of God

– Initially worshiped by Jews

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Jesus and the Ideals of Christianity

• Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the Roman province of Judea during the reign of Augustus and crucified during the reign of Tiberius– Received a Jewish religious education and

became a preacher

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Teachings of Jesus

• Emphasized religious morals and ethics in the following principles:– A single God is the father of humanity

therefore all men are brothers and all women are sisters.

– Love God above all else: love your neighbor as yourself

– Life and person of each individual is sacred

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Teachings of Jesus

• Practice charity, justice, and the Golden Rule– Do unto others as you would have others

do unto you

• All persons may be cleansed of sin and achieve eternal salvation.– The meek, the oppressed, and the forgiving

will receive special heavenly rewards.

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Disciples and End of Jesus

• His disciples – followers – believed that he was the Son of God sent to humankind as the Savior, or Christ.– His teachings presented in the New

Testament• Basis for a new religion Christianity

• Jewish and Roman authorities feared that he was stirring up a revolt– Roman governor Pontius Pilate had Jesus

crucified

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Disciples and Followers

• Followers believed that Jesus rose from the dead and went back to heaven– He would soon return and establish God’s

Kingdom for those who believe in him– Believers who had died would be

resurrected and enjoy this new kingdom

• Missionaries like Paul spread his ideas all over the cities of the Empire

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Spread of Christianity within the Roman Empire (1st to 4th Centuries AD)

• Background– Jewish Rebellion

• 66 AD a band of Jews rebel against Rome• 70 AD Rome storms Jerusalem and destroys

the Temple– A rebel group held out at the Fortress of Masada

until 73 AD– A total of 500,000 Jews were killed

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Background

• 132 AD Another Jewish rebellion broke out– 500,000 Jews were killed in a three year period

• The Jewish political state ceased to exist until 1948

• Most Jews were driven into exile– The dispersal of the Jews is called the

Diaspora

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Favorable Factors

1. People were dissatisfied with old pagan gods

2. People were attracted to the ideals of Christianity

1. One God

2. Universal love

3. Eternal Salvation

4. Equality of individuals appealed to the poor

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Favorable Factors

• Christian missionaries could travel and preach with relative ease

• Early Church leaders displayed courage, sincerity, and ability

• People were impressed by many early Christians who suffered persecution and in some cases died as martyrs

– People willing to die for their faith

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Distribution of Christians in the United States

Figure 6-2

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I. Universalizing Religions (cont.)

B. Islam– The second-largest world religion (about 1.3 billion

adherents)• Significant clusters in the Middle East, North Africa, and

South Asia

– Core of Islamic belief = the five pillars– Two significant branches

• Sunnis (83 percent) (“followers of Mohammed’s example”)

• Shias or Shiites (16 percent) (descendants of Mohammed’s family)

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I. Universalizing Religions (cont.)

C. Buddhism– About 400 million adherents (difficult to

quantify)• Significant clusters in China, Southeast Asia

– The Four Noble Truths– Three branches

• Mahayana (China, Japan, Korea)• Theravada (Southeast Asia)• Tantrayana (Tibet, Mongolia)

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I. Universalizing Religions (cont.)

D. Other Universal Religions– Sikhism – Nanak (guru)

• Began in Pakistan, largest in Punjab, India• c. late 16th Century• About 23 million followers

– Baha’i – Bab & Bah’a’ullah (founder & prophet)

• Iran (c. 1844)• About 7 million followers

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II. Ethnic Religions

A. Hinduism– The third-largest religion in the world (900

million adherents)– 97 percent of Hindus are found in India– Many paths to spirituality

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II. Ethnic religions (cont.)

B. Other ethnic religions– Confucianism (China) – Daoism (China)– Shinto (Japan)– Judaism (today: the United States, Israel)

• The first monotheistic religion• Influence on Christianity & Islam

– Ethnic African religions• Animism

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Figure 6-4

Figure 6-5

Buddhism Hinduism

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Religions of the United States