World Belief Systems
Hearths
Concepts
Diffusion
Judaism
• originated in Southwest Asia about
2000 BCE
• first major ethical monotheism
• Covenant
• founder: Abraham
• sacred text: Torah and Talmud
• sacred sites: Jerusalem (Western Wall),
land between the Mediterranean and
the Jordan River
Judaism
• Ethnic Religion (very few converts)
• social manifestation: Zionism
• diffusion: into European cities during
the Diaspora, into N. America during
WWII, into Israel over the last 50 years
The Western Wall and Cemetery in Prague
Great Synagogue (Czech Republic) and The Jewish Reconstructionist
Congregation synagogue in Evanston, Ill.
Hinduism: Foundations
• Northern South Asia (Indus Valley)18001000 BCE-No specific founder
• Scholars interpreted the Vedic hymns into
the Upanishads (750-550 BCE)
• Polytheistic: with a concept of unity
• Caste system/varna: determines every
aspect of an individual life (dharma)
• Concepts of reincarnation (transmigration)
• Way of Knowledge- yoga meditation
• Way of Action- doing your job
• Way of Devotion- worship
Brahma: The Creator
Shiva: The
Destroyer
Vishnu: The Protector
Hinduism:
• Ethnic religion
• Diffusion limited to South Asia and
some parts of Southeast Asia (Bali) and
the developed world
• Trade routes
• Relocation diffusion in Western world
(British colonialism)
• Sacred sites: Ganges River and thousands
of holy sites.
• 750 million followers today
Largest Temple in New Deli
Buddhism
• Emerged as a protest to Hindu caste system
2500 years ago.
• founder: Siddartha (the Buddha) 525BCE
• Atheistic: recognizing local
spirits/gods/traditions
• Anyone can achieve salvation,
enlightenment
• 4 noble truths
• 8 fold path right knowledge, intentions, speech,
conduct, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and
meditation.
Buddhism
• sacred sites: stupas contain relics of
the Buddha
• Hearth: Nepal south to the Ganges
River area.
• diffusion: most strongly into Tibet in the
north and into East Asia
• Relocation (monastic and missionary
traditions)
• Chain migration
• Trade routes
Christianity
• Hearth: Mediterranean 1st Century CE
• Founder: Jesus, split from Judaism
• Basic concepts of ethical monotheism
• 10 commandments
• Life of Jesus
• Early doctrinal split into Eastern
Orthodox and Roman Catholic 1054
Christianity
• Protestant revolution further split
• Largest and globally dispersed (1.6
billion)
• Diffusion: expansion and relocation
• strong missionary outreach
• Follows colonial patterns
Thailand
Africa
Brazil
Greek Orthodox
France
Ohio
Islam
• originated on Arabian peninsula about 600CE(newest of the big guys)
• ethical monotheistic religion
•
sacred text: Qu’ran
•
founder: Muhammad
•
sacred sites: Mecca, Medina,
Jerusalem
• split in the church over succession:
• Sunni Muslims (great majority)
• Shi’ite Muslims (concentrated in Iran)
• Relocation/Chain/Conquest/Heirarchical: across
Arabian peninsula, across North Africa, into Spain
and also east into Southeast Asia, eventually SubSaharan Africa
Paris
Turkey
Tempe, AZ
Taoism
• Traced to prehistoric practices
• Laozi, 250 BCE- text named for him
• Diffused as different dynasties adopted
principles of the faith
• Many small branches, but commonalities
focus on the concept of YIN/YANG
• natural order, peace, vitality, receptiveness, and
flexibility are important and finally, action without
action
• Tao literally means “the way” or the road/path
emphasizing compassion, moderation, and
humility
• The body is a microcosm of the universe (gain
understanding of the universe, by understanding
one’s self)
• Polytheistic with a hierarchy of gods,
down to animist spirits
• # Taoists is hard to guess, due to a
variety of factors including defining
Taoism. Estimated that 400 million
people practice Chinese folk religions
• Strongest in regions with high Chinese
population, largest non Chinese
following in Korea.
Taoist Architecture has no universal theme
Taiwan
Beverly Hills
Beijing
Ba’hai
• Youngest of the world faiths- Mid 1800s
• Founder Bahaullah drew from the
previous teachings of; Zoroaster,
Abraham, Buddha, Christ, Krishna,
Muhammad
• Central Themes
• Unity
• Humanity is a single race, class, creed,
and nation
• Gender equality
• Universal education
Ba’hai
• Global distribution- 5 million followers
worldwide- uninversalizing faith
• 189 countries- 2100 different ethnicities- 800
languages
• With stressing unity, there has been no
sectarianism- policy is governed by the
Guardianship and the Universal House of
Justice (elected through direct voting)
• Holy sites in Israel (remains of founder) and
• No clergy- emphasis on individual, sermons,
rituals
7 Houses of Worship: 9 sides central dome
Ashkabad, Central Asia,
demolished in 1962.
Sydney, Australia
Kampala, Ugnada
Wilmette, IL
Langenhain, Germany
New Delhi,
India
Samoa
Panama City, Panama
Proposed house of worship in Santiago, Chile