Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Comparative Religion: Investigate the World Through Religious Tradition
    Comparative Religion: Investigate the World Through Religious Tradition
    Comparative Religion: Investigate the World Through Religious Tradition
    Ebook241 pages1 hour

    Comparative Religion: Investigate the World Through Religious Tradition

    By Carla Mooney and Lena Chandhok

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Over 7 billion people live on the earth, and 84 percent of them describe themselves as being religious. Few topics incite such passion as religion. What does that mean? Why are humans invested in ideas that may never be proved? Why has religion played such an important role in history?

    In Comparative Religion: Investigate the World through Religious Tradition, readers seek answers to these questions by comparing and contrasting the cultural, spiritual, and geographical underpinnings of five different religions. By developing a better understanding of the similarities and differences among religions of the world, readers gain a strong foothold in a dialogue that has continued for thousands of years.

    Combining hands-on activities with theology, history, geography, world cultures, art, and architecture, Comparative Religions encourages deeper understanding of the world's religions. Entertaining graphic art, fascinating sidebars, and links to primary sources bring the topic to life, while key questions reaffirm foundational concepts.

    Activities include conducting an interview with a rabbi, comparing the story of Abraham and Isaac in three sacred texts, studying the architecture of the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, studying the Hindu practice of yoga and meditation, and examining how religious doctrines shape the behavior of believers.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNomad Press
    Release dateOct 19, 2015
    ISBN9781619303034
    Comparative Religion: Investigate the World Through Religious Tradition
    Author

    Carla Mooney

    Carla Mooney has written more than 70 books for children and young adults. She is an award-winning author of several books for Nomad Press, including The Chemistry of Food, The Physics of Fun, The Human Body and The Human Genome: Mapping the Blueprint of Human Life, and Globalization: Why We Care about Faraway Events. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

    Read more from Carla Mooney

    Related to Comparative Religion

    Related ebooks

    Children's Historical For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Ancient Rites That Gave Birth to Religion

      May 30, 2019

      The invention of religion is a big bang in human history. Gods and spirits helped explain the unexplainable, and religious belief gave meaning and purpose to people struggling to survive. But what if everything we thought we knew about religion was w

      11 min read

    • Article

      Dharma Faqs

      Jul 23, 2019

      Dharma Faqs
      2 min read

    • Article

      To Understand Religion, Think Football: Sacred beliefs likely arose out of prehistoric bonding and rituals.

      Sep 4, 2014

      The invention of religion is a big bang in human history. Gods and spirits helped explain the unexplainable, and religious belief gave meaning and purpose to people struggling to survive. But what if everything we thought we knew about religion was w

      13 min read

    • Article

      To Understand Religion, Think Football: Sacred beliefs likely arose out of prehistoric bonding and rituals.

      Aug 11, 2016

      The invention of religion is a big bang in human history. Gods and spirits helped explain the unexplainable, and religious belief gave meaning and purpose to people struggling to survive. But what if everything we thought we knew about religion was w

      13 min read

    • Article

      Count Down!

      Jul 10, 2023

      Count Down!
      16 min read

    • Article

      Count Down!

      Jul 10, 2023

      Count Down!
      16 min read

    • Article

      Fake News, Fake Gospels!

      Dec 31, 2021

      Fake News, Fake Gospels!
      5 min read

    • Article

      More From Lion’s Roar

      Jul 20, 2021

      More From Lion’s Roar
      4 min read

    • Article

      Spiritual Or Atheist? More Nonbelievers Are Saying ‘Both.’

      Mar 11, 2019

      In a letter up for auction, Albert Einstein talked about admiring “in humility the beautiful harmony of the structure of the world.” More nonbelievers say they are seeking a sense of awe and reverence in their own lives.

      6 min read

    • Article

      At Fellowship Church, Faith Knows No Creed Or Color

      Jul 19, 2021

      The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples, founded in 1944, transcends barriers of race, color, and creed, uniting instead in a shared humanity.

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Worth of an Angry God

      May 30, 2019

      A god who knows everything, is everywhere, and wields impossible power, is a potent fantasy. Allegiance to it animates the lives of billions worldwide. But this “Big God,” as psychologists and anthropologists refer to it, wasn’t dreamt from scratch b

      8 min read

    • Article

      The Worth of an Angry God: How supernatural beliefs allowed societies to bond and spread.

      Dec 15, 2021

      A god who knows everything, is everywhere, and wields impossible power, is a potent fantasy. Allegiance to it animates the lives of billions worldwide. But this “Big God,” as psychologists and anthropologists refer to it, wasn’t dreamt from scratch b

      8 min read

    • Article

      Let’s Just Call It Love

      Jan 22, 2019

      “It’s uncertain, isn’t it?” —AJAHN CHAH DEAR FRIENDS, the important question is not the future of Buddhism and its message. What’s important is the widespread realization of wisdom and compassion. It is clear that no amount of outer technological dev

      3 min read

    • Article

      Is Rohingya Crisis Changing West's 'Romanticized' View of Buddhism?

      Sep 28, 2017

      When it comes to religious extremism, Buddhism has mostly escaped the scrutiny that Muslim militants, fundamentalist Christians, and Hindu nationalists in India have faced, observers say.

      6 min read

    • Article

      Intersecting Sects

      Oct 9, 2020

      Intersecting Sects
      19 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Comparative Religion

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Comparative Religion - Carla Mooney

      Nomad Press

      A division of Nomad Communications

      10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

      Copyright © 2015 by Nomad Press. All rights reserved.

      No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review or for limited educational use.

      The trademark Nomad Press and the Nomad Press logo are trademarks of Nomad Communications, Inc.

      Illustrations by Lena Chandhok

      Educational Consultant, Marla Conn

      Questions regarding the ordering of this book should be addressed to Nomad Press

      2456 Christian St.

      White River Junction, VT 05001

      www.nomadpress.net

      Social studies titles in the Inquire and Investigate series

      Check out more titles at www.nomadpress.net

      You can use a smartphone or tablet app to scan the QR codes and explore more about religion! Cover up neighboring QR codes to make sure you’re scanning the right one. You can find a list of each URL on the Resources page.

      Contents

      Timeline

      Introduction

      What Is Religion?

      Chapter 1

      Hinduism

      Chapter 2

      Judaism

      Chapter 3

      Buddhism

      Chapter 4

      Christianity

      Chapter 5

      Islam

      Chapter 6

      Many Religions, One World

        Index

      TIMELINE

      Hinduism

      The four Vedas are written.

      Judaism

      Moses is in danger from Pharaoh’s men.

      Buddhism

      Buddha is born and touches blossoms.

      Christianity

      Jesus is born in a manger.

      Islam

      Muhammad is born in hill country.

      Introduction

      What Is Religion?

      What influence does religion have on our lives?

      Different people have different definitions of religion. But most people agree that religion is a set of beliefs about the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.

      Around the world, the majority of people say that they are religious. This is just as true today as it was in the past. Yet religion means many things to many people. A Muslim or a Jewish person might define religion differently from a Buddhist or a Christian or a person who follows the Hindu faith. Even within religious traditions there can be differences in beliefs. There have been countless religions in human history and each has its own distinct beliefs and rituals.

      Whether we are religious or not, manifestations of religion exist all around us. These can be seen in ceremonies and rituals and in a variety of moral and ethical codes of behavior.

      Religion is a powerful force in our world. It is the foundation of a wide range of moral values and cultural identities. These values and identities often influence and guide the behavior and choices of many people.

      In some cases, religion also influences the actions of entire nations. Directly or indirectly, religion affects all of our lives.

      So what exactly is religion? You probably know it when you see it, but most people have a hard time defining it. The concept of religion includes a wide variety of doctrines, rituals, forms, leaders, and stories. One broad definition of religion is a set of beliefs about the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe.

      PRIMARY SOURCES

      Primary sources come from people who were eyewitnesses to events. They might write about the event, take pictures, post short messages to social media or blogs, or record the event for radio or video. Why are primary sources important? Do you learn differently from primary sources than from secondary sources, which come from people who did not directly experience the event?

      RELIGIONS AROUND THE WORLD

      While there are many religions around the world, the majority of people identify with one of the five major religions: Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. These religions have some similarities, but they also have many differences. For example, some religions are polytheistic, meaning that followers worship many gods. Others are monotheistic—members believe in one supreme god.

      In addition, there are significant differences in how each religion addresses the idea of afterlife. Those who follow the Hindu faith believe that the soul is reborn over and over again, while Christians believe in an eternal heaven or hell.

      Most of the major religions have common elements, such as a belief in some type of deity or supreme being. They also present a code of conduct that guides people in how to live their lives. These religions usually also have a doctrine of salvation, or a way for followers to be forgiven for their transgressions.

      VOCAB LAB

      There is a lot of new vocabulary in this book! Turn to the glossary in the back when you come to a word you don’t understand. Practice your new vocabulary in the VOCAB LAB activities in each chapter.

      Have you ever been to a church service or made a pilgrimage to a holy site? Most of the world’s religions have specific ways in which followers observe their faith. These can include religious rituals, ceremonies, prayers, meditation, music, and feasting or fasting. Observing a faith often involves using physical items or spaces, such as artifacts, places of worship, or relics.

      Most major religions also have central stories that explain the answers to different questions. How did the world begin? Where did humans come from? How were gods created? A religion’s stories often include a creation story, which explains how the world and all of its creatures, including people, originated. Stories can also include a history of the faith’s gods, prophets, and other important figures.

      Many stories or parables illustrate the beliefs and values of the religion. This narrative can be an oral tradition or a set of scriptures.

      Every major faith has a collection of sacred texts, such as the Christian Bible and the Muslim Qur’an. These sacred books detail the faith’s central ideals. They narrate the history of the religion and its traditions. In many cases, these sacred texts are believed to have been given to followers by a supreme deity.

      In addition to sacred texts, many religions have other texts that explain their philosophy and doctrine. Often these texts detail the rules of conduct that followers are expected to obey. For example, in the Jewish and Christian faiths, the Ten Commandments are rules that followers strive to live by.

      FACTS ON FAITH

      Today, there are approximately 5.8 billion people worldwide who are affiliated with a religion. This is more than 80 percent of the world’s population.

      EXPLORING RELIGION’S SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

      Comparative Religion: Investigate the World Through Religious Tradition examines the five major religions—Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. This book will help you better understand religion and how

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1