Why Do We Study Religion?

Why would someone walk hundreds of miles to bathe in a river?

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Why do people eat certain foods during religious celebrations?

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How does someone arrive at the point of feeling that a divine spirit is speaking to

them?

Why would a company invest in a religious theme park?

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We study religion to understand their similarities, their

beginnings, and how they shape a culture.

For a religious person, there seems to be a deep connection between their religion and

the way they live.

Types of Religions

• Monotheistic..Judaism, Christianity and Islam

• Polytheistic…Hinduism

• No god..Confucianism and Buddhism

• Indigenous or animistic…belief that natural objects have souls…Shinto and Native Americans

Judaism and Christianity

Judaism

History

• Founded by Abraham around 1800 BC• Concentration of people began east of the

Mediterranean Sea (Palestine).• 1250 BC…Moses led the Hebrew (Jewish)

people out of slavery in Egypt to the promised land…and Judaism became firmly established.

• Monotheistic (one G-d)

Judaism Beliefs

• God is one.

• God is the creator.

• God is the lawgiver.

• We have the obligation to worship.

• The Torah is God’s law.

• God is judge.

• The Messiah will come.

Christianity

History

• The early Hebrews eventually developed the Jewish religion that became the foundation of Christianity.

• Jesus, a Jewish boy who disagreed with some of the Jewish principles, began to profess a new way of thinking that led to the beginning of Christian religion.

• About 2000 years ago (time of Jesus)• Monotheistic

Forms of Christianity

• Protestants

• Catholics

• Eastern Orthodox

     Protestantism (Green)      Orthodox Christianity (Peach)      Roman Catholicism (Blue)     Sunni Islam (Yel/Pur)Shi'a Islam

Beliefs

• God is Creator of the universe.

• God is three persons..Father, Son and Holy Spirit

• Jesus is both fully human and fully God.

• The Bible records God’s revelations.

• All believers are promised eternal life.

Islam

Islamic Beliefs

• Allah (Arabic for God) (monotheistic)• Mohammed is Allah’s final prophet who

delivered spiritual message to followers• Followers are called Muslims• Allah is the creator• The Qu’ran is the holy book• Consider Jesus as one of the greatest

messengers of humankind

Now I lay me down to sleep…..