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 Gods
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.
2.
3.
4.

One God
Universal love
Eternal Salvation
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 Mohammeds example)
Shias or Shiites (16 percent) (descendants of
Mohammeds 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

Bahai Bab & Bahaullah (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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Buddhism

Hinduism

Figure 6-5
Figure 6-4
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Religions of the United States

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