World History World Religions

Five Major Religions Did you know:

• Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all trace their beginnings to Abraham, and all three believe in one God.
• Hinduism and Buddhism both began in India, and both teach karma: the idea that our actions have results.
• Christianity has the most followers in the world. Islam is second.
• Hinduism has no single founder. It grew over thousands of years and is one of the world's oldest religions.
• Buddhists do not believe in a personal creator God.

Each section below tells the story of one religion as its own followers tell it, and then lists its main beliefs, holy books, places of worship, symbols, and holidays.

Day 1 Judaism

At a Glance

Founder	Abraham. Moses is also a very important figure.
Began	About 4,000 years ago, according to Jewish tradition, in the ancient land of Canaan in the Middle East
Followers today	About 15 million, the smallest of the five
God	One God
Holy book	The Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). Its first five books are the Torah.
Place of worship	Synagogue
Religious leaders	Rabbis (teachers of Jewish law and tradition)
Symbols	Star of David, menorah
Holidays	Shabbat (every week), Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Hanukkah, Purim

The Story, as Told in the Torah

• Judaism begins with Abraham and his wife Sarah. They lived about 4,000 years ago in the ancient city of Ur (in what is now Iraq).
• The people of Ur worshiped many gods. Abraham began to wonder which of these gods was the one true God.
• God spoke to Abraham and made an agreement with him. God promised to bless Abraham and Sarah and lead them to a faraway land called Canaan. In return, Abraham promised that he and his family would always be faithful to God.
• Believing in only one God made Judaism different from all other religions of the time.
• Abraham and Sarah reached Canaan. Their son Isaac had a son named Jacob (later called Israel). Abraham's descendants came to be called the Israelites.
• The Israelites left Canaan because of a shortage of food and went to Egypt. In time they became slaves of the Egyptians.
• God spoke to an Israelite named Moses and told him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and back to the "Promised Land" of Canaan.
• Moses went to the Egyptian king and asked him to free the Israelite slaves. When the king said no, God caused 10 terrible plagues to happen to the Egyptians. The worst was the death of every firstborn.
• Finally the king told Moses to take his people away. When the Israelites began to leave Egypt, the king changed his mind and sent his soldiers after them.
• The soldiers caught up with the Israelites at the Red Sea. The Israelites were trapped, with the sea in front and the soldiers behind. Moses asked God for help.
• Moses stretched his staff over the water, and the sea parted. The Israelites crossed safely to the other side, and the waters returned, drowning the soldiers. The Israelites were free from slavery. Jews remember this escape every year at Passover.
• After 40 years of wandering in the desert, the Israelites reached Canaan. During their time in the desert, God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses.
• The Ten Commandments are at the heart of the Torah ("teaching"), the first five books of the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible. Jews believe God gave the Torah to Moses.
• The Torah tells the stories of God creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh, of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, of their son Cain killing his brother Abel, and of Noah and the ark.
• Much later, around 930 BCE, the Israelites' kingdom split into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. The word Jew comes from Judah. Jerusalem was the holy city, or religious center, of Judah.

Beliefs

• There is a single God who created the universe. Every Jew can have an individual and personal relationship with God.
• The Torah was revealed by God to Moses on Mount Sinai more than 3,000 years ago.
• Rabbis are teachers and leaders, not priests. They have no special religious powers.
• In many synagogues, men cover their heads during worship. The head covering is called a kippah or yarmulke.

Symbols and Customs

• Star of David: a six-pointed star, named for King David
• Menorah: the seven-branched lamp that burned in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. Some say its shape recalls the burning bush that Moses saw. A nine-branched menorah is lit during Hanukkah.
• Dreidel: a four-sided top played during Hanukkah, an eight-day holiday
• Hamantaschen: triangle-shaped cookies eaten at Purim

In Our Classroom

Day 2 Christianity

At a Glance

Founder	Jesus of Nazareth. Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God.
Began	About 2,000 years ago in Judea, a land then ruled by Rome
Followers today	About 2.3 billion, the world's largest religion
God	One God in three persons (the Trinity)
Holy book	The Bible (Old Testament and New Testament)
Place of worship	Church, chapel, cathedral
Religious leaders	Priests, ministers, pastors
Symbols	Cross, Bible, bread and wine, dove, fish
Holidays	Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Pentecost

The Story, as Told in the Gospels

• About 2,000 years after Abraham lived, the land of Judea was ruled by Rome.
• Many Jews hoped that a Messiah (a leader promised by God) would come to free them.
• An angel named Gabriel appeared to a Jewish woman named Mary and told her she was chosen to give birth to the Messiah.
• Later Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem, where Mary gave birth to Jesus and laid him in a manger. Christmas celebrates this day.
• Jesus was raised in the religion of Judaism.
• When he was a young man, he began to talk to people about God. He called God his father and told people God loved all his children equally.
• Jesus visited poor people, sinners, and outcasts, teaching about God's love. Crowds came to listen to him.
• Jesus was brought before the Roman authorities and sentenced to be crucified. Christians remember this day on Good Friday.
• On the third day after he died, several women visited his tomb and discovered his body missing. An angel appeared and told them, "He is risen!"
• Christians celebrate Jesus' resurrection at Easter. In most Western churches, Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. Orthodox churches use an older calendar, so their Easter often comes later.
• Jesus told his followers that the Holy Spirit would come to them and give them power to spread his teachings. Fifty days after Easter, a sound like a mighty rushing wind filled a room in Jerusalem, flames appeared over the followers, and they began speaking in other languages. Christians celebrate this day at Pentecost.
• Christians believe Jesus is still with them. They believe in the Trinity: God the Father (who created the world), God the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit (God's presence on earth).
• People began writing about Jesus. Christians were so connected to Judaism that they kept the Jewish scriptures, which they call the Old Testament. The new writings about Jesus became the New Testament. Together they make up the Christian Bible.
• The first four books of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are called the Gospels. They tell about the life of Jesus.
• In 1054, Christians divided into two groups: Roman Catholic and Orthodox.
• In 1517, a German priest named Martin Luther called for changes in the Roman Catholic Church. The Church expelled Luther in 1521, and his followers became known as Lutherans.
• Other groups broke off from the Roman Catholic Church after this. They became known as Protestants.

Beliefs

• Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Messiah promised in the Old Testament.
• There is only one God, but this one God is three "persons": God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
• God sent his Son to earth to save people from their sins.

Symbols and Customs

• Cross and Bible
• Bread and wine: shared at Communion to remember Jesus' last meal with his followers
• Dove and fish: early Christian symbols
• Church, chapel, and cathedral: places of worship
• Easter eggs and Christmas trees are customs that many Christians enjoy during their holidays.

Day 3 Islam

At a Glance

Founder	Muhammad, whom Muslims call the final prophet
Began	About 1,400 years ago (610 CE) in Mecca, on the Arabian Peninsula
Followers today	About 2 billion, the world's second-largest religion
God	One God. Allah is the Arabic word for God.
Holy book	The Qur'an
Place of worship	Mosque
Religious leaders	Imams (prayer leaders)
Symbols	Islam has no official symbol. The crescent moon and star is widely used.
Holidays	Ramadan (a month of fasting), Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha

The Story, as Muslims Tell It

• Muhammad was born in Mecca about 570 CE, almost 600 years after Jesus. Mecca is in what is now Saudi Arabia.
• At that time, most people in Arabia believed in many gods and goddesses and worshiped statues of them, called idols.
• People traveled to Mecca to worship at a shrine called the Kaaba, which held many idols. A sacred stone called the Black Stone is set in one corner of the Kaaba.
• Muhammad spent many hours praying in a cave in the desert hills near Mecca.
• When he was 40 years old, he heard a voice tell him to listen to the words of God and repeat them.
• Afraid, he rushed home to his wife, Khadijah. Khadijah helped him understand that he was going to be a prophet.
• For the next 23 years, Muhammad heard the voice again and again. Muslims believe it was the angel Gabriel bringing him messages from God.
• The voice told him that God (Allah in Arabic) was the one and only God.
• Muhammad told his people about God. Many merchants were unhappy because they made a lot of money from the visitors who came to worship the idols.
• His life was threatened many times. In 622 he fled to Medina (north of Mecca). This journey, called the Hijra, is the first year of the Islamic calendar. In Medina he built one of the first mosques.
• Later he returned to Mecca with his followers and took over the city. He destroyed all the idols around the Kaaba and dedicated the Kaaba to the worship of one God. Today the Kaaba is the holiest place in Islam.
• His followers are called Muslims. The religion is called Islam, meaning "submission (surrender) to God."
• Muslim tradition says Muhammad could not read or write, so his followers memorized and wrote down his revelations. These became the Qur'an. Muslims believe the Qur'an is the word of God.
• The Qur'an tells about many of the same prophets found in the Jewish and Christian scriptures, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus.
• On Fridays, Muslims go to the mosque for midday worship, where the imam (prayer leader) recites from the Qur'an and gives a sermon.
• Ramadan is the month when Muslims believe the Qur'an was first revealed to Muhammad. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. One night near the end of the month, the Night of Power, remembers the night Muhammad first heard the voice of the angel Gabriel. Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr.

Beliefs

Muslims have six main beliefs:

• God (Allah) is the one and only God.
• Angels
• Holy books
• Prophets (special messengers), including Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. Muhammad is the final prophet.
• The Day of Judgment (heaven or hell)
• God has already decided what will happen. Muslims believe this does not stop human beings from making free choices.

The Five Pillars of Islam are five duties that every Muslim tries to live by:

• Declaring their faith
• Praying five times a day
• Giving money to the poor
• Fasting during daylight hours in Ramadan
• Making a pilgrimage to Mecca once in their life, if they are able

Symbols and Customs

• Prayer mat and prayer cap: used when praying five times a day
• Qur'an: God's words revealed to Muhammad
• Crescent moon and star: used on many flags and mosques, though it is not an official symbol of Islam
• Mosque: the place of worship

Day 4 Hinduism

At a Glance

Founder	No single founder. It developed over thousands of years from many traditions, including the religion of the Vedas.
Began	More than 3,000 years ago in India
Followers today	About 1.2 billion, the world's third-largest religion
God	A universal spirit called Brahman, worshiped in many forms as gods and goddesses
Holy books	The Vedas, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata (which includes the Bhagavad Gita), and the Puranas
Place of worship	Mandir (temple) and shrines at home
Religious leaders	Priests and gurus (holy teachers)
Symbols	Om (Aum), diya, lotus flower
Holidays	Diwali, Holi

Gods and Goddesses

• Hinduism developed over centuries from the traditions of many different peoples and cultures.
• Hindus believe in a universal spirit called Brahman (sometimes translated as World-Soul). The World-Soul is in all things in the universe.
• Hindus sometimes say there are 330 million gods and goddesses, which is a way of saying there are countless forms. For most Hindus, all the gods and goddesses are different faces of Brahman.
• Important early Hindu gods from the Vedas include Agni, the fire god, who rode a ram; Indra, the thunder god, sometimes described with a thousand eyes; and Ushas, the goddess of dawn, whose chariot was pulled by cows.
• Important gods today:
  • Vishnu: a kind and loving god who protects the world. Hindus believe he comes to earth in different forms, including Rama and Krishna.
  • Shiva: destroys old life to make room for the new. He is often shown meditating, with a snake around his neck.
  • Shakti (the goddess): has many forms, including Saraswati (goddess of wisdom and learning), Lakshmi (goddess of wealth and good fortune), and Durga (goddess who protects the universe).
• One of the most popular gods is Ganesha (Ganesh), the elephant-headed god. When Hindus begin something new, they pray to Ganesha.

Beliefs and Worship

• Hindus believe special places in nature can be holy, like the Ganges River. Many Hindus make pilgrimages to the Ganges to bathe in it, believing it washes away their sins and helps cure illness.
• All creatures have a soul. After a person dies, the soul is released from the body. The body is usually cremated (burned) to help release the soul, and the ashes are often placed in a holy river.
• The soul is reincarnated, or born again into a new body. This idea is tied to karma: our actions have results. If you are very good in this life, you might be born again as a person with remarkable talents. If you are bad, you might come back as a worm or an ant.
• The soul goes through reincarnation again and again until it is finally freed to join the World-Soul.
• Certain animals are sacred. The cow is the most sacred, and it is strictly against Hindu teachings to kill a cow. Monkeys are also honored.
• Many Hindus do not eat meat, as a sign of respect for living things, and most do not eat beef. Other Hindus do eat some meat.
• For many centuries, Indian society was divided into groups called castes, and people were expected to marry and work within their own caste. Since 1950, India's constitution has outlawed treating people unfairly because of caste, and many Hindus reject the caste system.
• Many Hindus worship on their own rather than as a congregation. Many families have a shrine at home and pray there every day. Family members place gifts of food or flowers in front of a statue in the shrine.
• Hindus also worship in temples. A town's temple is usually devoted to one main god. Worshipers ring a bell at the temple entrance as they walk in, place flowers or sweets before the images of the gods, and offer silent prayers.
• Hindus practice meditation. By repeating a simple word or sound such as Om, a person grows calm and feels united with the source of all life.
• Yoga is a spiritual practice. The exercises many people know are one part of it.
• When some boys become young adults, they have a sacred thread ceremony. A guru (holy teacher) hangs a thread over the boy's left shoulder and under his right arm. The boy will wear the thread and be called "twice born." Traditionally this ceremony was only for the upper three castes.
• The oldest Hindu writings are the Vedas. Veda means "knowledge." One well-known line from the Vedas says that truth is one, but wise people call it by many names. Many Hindus take this to mean that different religions are different paths to the same goal.

Festivals

• Holi (March): celebrates the end of winter and the coming of spring
• Diwali (October or November): the Festival of Lights. For some Hindus it also begins the new year.

Symbols

• Om (Aum): the sound heard in deepest meditation
• Diya: a lamp made of clay or brass, with a cotton wick dipped in ghee or vegetable oil. Diyas are lit for prayers and festivals such as Diwali, and they are also floated on the Ganges River to remember ancestors who have died.
• Ganesha: the god of wisdom and remover of obstacles, son of Shiva and Parvati, shown with an elephant's head
• Mandir (temple): varies in size from a small village shrine to a large building

Day 5 Buddhism

At a Glance

Founder	Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha ("the Awakened One")
Began	About 2,500 years ago in northeastern India
Followers today	About 324 million
God	Buddhists do not believe in a personal creator God.
Holy books	Collections of the Buddha's teachings, such as the Tripitaka and the sutras
Place of worship	Temple, pagoda, monastery
Religious leaders	Monks and nuns
Symbols	Dharma wheel, lotus flower
Holidays	Vesak (Buddha Day), which remembers the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death

The Story, as Buddhists Tell It

• About 500 years before Jesus was born, a prince named Siddhartha Gautama was born in Lumbini, in what is now Nepal.
• He was raised in the religion of his time, an early form of Hinduism.
• One day, after wandering outside the palace and seeing an old man, a sick man, a dead body, and a holy man, he decided to become a monk.
• He put on a faded orange robe, shaved his hair and beard, and left the palace.
• He wandered for six years.
• One night, while meditating under a tree, he had a revelation that explained everything to him. This is called Enlightenment. After this he became known as the Buddha (the Awakened One).
• The Buddha believed other people could also reach enlightenment, but they must free themselves of worldly desires. His teaching about suffering and letting go of desire is called the dharma.

The Four Noble Truths

1. All lives are filled with suffering.
2. Suffering comes from desire for worldly things.
3. Suffering ends when desire ends.
4. People can learn to end desire by following eight rules, the Noble Eightfold Path.

The Noble Eightfold Path

1. Be aware of the Buddha's teachings. (Right View)
2. Follow these teachings. (Right Intention)
3. Say nothing to harm others. (Right Speech)
4. Do nothing to harm any living creature. (Right Action)
5. Choose a job that hurts no living thing. (Right Livelihood)
6. Strive to become a good person. (Right Effort)
7. Learn to control thoughts and emotions. (Right Mindfulness)
8. Practice meditation, which leads to Nirvana. (Right Concentration)

Nirvana happens when a person is completely released from suffering and from the cycle of rebirth.

How Buddhism Grew

• For 45 years the Buddha taught people how to find enlightenment, and the religion grew.
• Buddhism was different from Hinduism:
  • The Noble Eightfold Path could be followed without the long fasts and difficult practices of Hindu holy men and women.
  • There was no caste system.
  • Buddhists do not worship the many Hindu gods and goddesses.
• According to tradition, the Buddha became ill after a meal and died at about age 80. Stupas were built to hold some of his remains, such as bones and teeth.
• Monks kept the religion alive, and it spread across Asia. Over time it split into different groups:
  • Theravada Buddhism (Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia): monks are seen as the perfect models of Buddhism, and each person travels the path to Nirvana alone. Many young men become monks for a short time.
  • Mahayana Buddhism (China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, and now also Europe and North America): people work together. Since everyone has been reborn countless times, all people are related to one another. Therefore you should help the beggar.
  • Tibetan Buddhism (Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and Mongolia) grew out of Mahayana. Tibetan Buddhists use prayer wheels.

Beliefs

• Buddhists live by the Five Moral Precepts, which mean refraining from harming living things, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, lying or gossip, and taking intoxicating substances such as drugs or drink.
• Life is full of suffering caused by desire. The way to end this suffering is through enlightenment, which stops the endless cycle of births and deaths. Breaking this cycle is called Nirvana.
• Karma: our actions have results.
• Buddhists stress charity and use meditation as part of the path toward Enlightenment and Nirvana.
• Many Buddhists sit on the floor, barefoot, facing an image of the Buddha, and chant.

Symbols

• Dharma wheel: the wheel of the Buddha's teaching. Its eight spokes stand for the Noble Eightfold Path. (A different picture, the Wheel of Life, shows the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.)
• Prayer wheel: used in Tibetan Buddhism. Prayers are written on the wheel, and spinning it is the same as saying the prayers aloud.
• Lotus flower: a symbol of purity and enlightenment, because it grows out of mud and blooms clean
• Temple and pagoda: places of worship
• Malas: prayer beads

Side by Side Compare the Five

Swipe the table sideways to see all five religions.

Followers Around the World (2020)

Source: Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (2025).

Check Your Knowledge World Religions Quiz

For Teachers Five-Day Plan

Each day, go over that religion's page of the handout, then use the section above as lecture notes.

• Day 1, Judaism: handout, lecture notes, and the dreidel game
• Day 2, Christianity: handout and lecture notes
• Day 3, Islam: handout and lecture notes
• Day 4, Hinduism: handout and lecture notes
• Day 5, Buddhism: handout, lecture notes, and the comparison chart

Printables

• World Religions Handout (Word)
• Practice Recognizing World Religions, with answer key (Word)

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