Major Religions of the World
Human Geography
Adapted from: Michelle Mauger & Teach3215
What is it? Why does it matter?
1. What is religion? What purpose does it serve?
2. Does religion influence decisions?
Monotheistic: the belief in one god
Polytheistic: the belief in multiple gods
Hinduism
Founding/ Person: No single founder
Place: India
Time: 1500 BCE *oldest religion *
Belief in god(s): Polytheistic= Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver),
Shiva(destroyer)
Holy Books: Veda and Upanishads
Code of Conduct:
1. Caste System: birth determines your place in society
2. Dharma: set of rules for your caste
Afterlife: Reincarnation: coming back to life as another being
Other Beliefs/Facts:
1. Karma: record of good and bad deeds throughout life
2. Ultimate goal of life is to make it to Moksha: escape the cycle of
reincarnation and join Brahman.
Judaism
Founding/ Person: Abraham
-Hebrew people were enslaved in Egypt and God helped them escape
Place: Iraq (Fertile Cresent)
Time: 1300 BCE
Belief in god(s): Monotheistic
Holy Books: Torah (first 5 books of the Bible)
Code of Conduct: Ten Commandments
Afterlife: doesn’t really say (Heaven)
Other Beliefs/Facts:
1. First monotheistic religion
2. Believe that they are still waiting for the Messiah and that they
made a covenant with God.
3. Passover, Hanukkah, Yom Kippur
4. Influenced Islam and Christianity
Buddhism
Founding/ Person: Siddhartha Gautama “Budda” which means “Enlightened
one”
-Prince who lived a sheltered life and sought the answer to end all suffering
-Became Enlightened while sitting under a Bodhi tree
Place: India- China
Time: around 500 BCE
Belief in god(s): Polytheistic
Holy Books: Tripitaka
Code of Conduct:
1. 4 Noble Truths: all life is suffering, suffering is caused by the desire for
material things, to end suffering you need to get rid of the desire, follow the 8
Fold Path to get to Nirvana.
2. 8 Fold Path: set of rules to follow that will guide your life and eliminate desire
Afterlife: Reincarnation
Other Beliefs/Facts:
1. Nirvana: the state of perfect being
2. Restricts the harsh rules of Hindu society
Christianity
Founding/ Person: Jesus Christ
Place: Palestine (Middle East)
Time: 1st century BCE (100-1)
Belief in god(s): Monotheistic
Holy Books:Bible
Code of Conduct: Ten Commandments
Afterlife: Heaven
Other Beliefs/Facts: *most practiced*
1. Mercy, sympathy, equality for all, especially the poor
2. God sent Jesus Christ to earth to save humanity form consequences of sin.
3. Resurrection (3 days later)
4. Jesus is the promised Messiah (how is this different from Judaism?)
Islam
Founding/ Person: Muhammad
Place: Arabian Peninsula (Middle East)
Time: 610 CE
Belief in god(s): Monotheistic (Allah)
Holy Books: Koran (Quran)
Code of Conduct: 5 pillars : no god but Allah, pray 5 times a day,
make a pilgrimage to Mecca once, fast during month of Ramadan,
give alms ($) to the poor
Other Beliefs/Facts: split in the religion after Muhammad’s death
1. Sunni (majority-85%): believe next prophet should be elected
and appointed off of election and consensus (tradition)
2. Shiites: believe the successor should be family/ blood relative
Animism
Founding/ Person: no single founder
Place: Africa (and multiple parts of world)
Time: pre-historic
Belief in god(s): none; everything has a spirit
Holy Books: oral tradition
Code of Conduct: oral tradition
Other Beliefs/Facts:
1. Shaman (good and evil spirits)
2. Medicine Man/ Woman