Monotheistic

ReligionsJUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, AND ISLAM

Standard

SS6G11: The student will describe

the cultural characteristics of

Europe.

B. Describe the major religions in

Europe: include Judaism,

Christianity, and Islam

Essential Question

What do the three Western

religions have in common?

Religion

Europe is home to 3 main

religions:

1. Judaism

2. Christianity

3. Islam

Similarities

Monotheistic: belief in one god/supreme

being

Started in Southwest Asia

Abraham is important to all 3 religions.

Jerusalem is an important holy city

All 3 have a holy book

All 3 have a place of worship.

Jerusalem, Israel

Judaism

Judaism

This is the religion of the Jewish

people.

Founder: Abraham in about 2000 B.C.

The Jewish holy book is the Torah.

Considered the oldest of the 3

Western religions

Judaism

Place of Worship- Synagogues and Temples

Jewish people are still waiting for a messiah or savior.

Roughly around 15 million followers worldwide.

Three Main types of Judaism: Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform.

Christianity

Christianity

Founder: Jesus Christ in around 30 AD.

The Christian holy book is the Bible.

Based on the teachings of Jesus: love of

God and neighbor, a regard for justice,

and a belief that Jesus is the Son of God.

Christians believe Jesus is the Messiah or

savior.

Christianity

Place of Worship- Churches and chapels.

Divided into 3 Main Groups: Eastern Orthodox,

Roman Catholic, and Protestant.

All denominations follow the teachings of Jesus.

The early Christian church spread throughout

the Roman Empire.

About 2.1 billion followers worldwide.

Islam

Islam

Islam means “submission to the will of Allah or God” in Arabic.

People who follow the beliefs of Islam are called Muslims and the founder is Muhammad.

Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last prophet of Islam.

They do acknowledge that Abraham and Jesus were prophets, just not the most important one.

Islam

The Muslim holy book is the Qur’an (Koran) and it states how people

should live their lives.

There are 5 main duties of Muslims- Known as the Five Pillars of Faith

1. Prayer

2. Giving to Charity

3. Belief in and submission to one God (Allah)

4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan

5. A Trip to Mecca once in a lifetime.

About 1.3 billion followers worldwide.

Islam

Place of Worship: Mosque

There are 2 main groups of Muslims:

Sunnis and Shiites.

Main religion of the Middle East, North

Africa, and Asia