Christianity
 widely practiced religion in the world
 diverse, 2000 year old religion
 centers on beliefs regarding the birth, life,
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
 followed by almost 1/3 of the world’s
population, 2.1 billion
 based on the life, teachings, death and
resurrection of Jesus
 believed to be the Christ (messiah, savior) by his
followers (thus called “Christian”
Major Divisions of Christianity
1. Roman Catholic - 1.1 billion
2. Eastern Orthodox - 217 million
3. Protestant - 365 million
4. Anglican - 80 million
Jesus Christ
 Born, lived, and died a Jew in the first century in
Roman occupied Palestine
 conceived by the Holy Spirit
 born of a virgin named Mary, performed
miracles, founded the Christian Church
 died by crucifixion as a sacrifice to achieve
atonement for sin
 had twelve disciples who were called the
Apostles of Jesus Christ
Scripture – old and new testament
Customs and Beliefs
 Baptism: symbolizes sign of commitment to
Jesus and birth in the christian world
 Eucharist (communion): symbolic meal of Jesus’
last meal with disciples; taken in thanks and
celebration; act of remembrance of Jesus
Christ’s Sacrificial love.
 Trinity: belief in God as the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit
 Saints: celebrated people who led good lives,
often associated with miracles
Holy Days
 Christmas
 Easter
 Ash Wed. and Lent
 Holy Week
Judaism
 is the world's oldest Abrahamic religion
 15 million followers who are called Jews
 one of the oldest monotheistic religions,
teaching the belief in one God
 Christianity and Islam have similarities with it
 belief in one God and the moral teachings of
the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), which
includes the Torah
Abraham and Moses
Synagogues
 a community house of worship serves as a place
not only for liturgical services but also for
assembly and study
 led by Rabbis (teachers well educated in Jewish
law and thought)
Customs and Practices
 Passover – Celebrates the birth of the Jewish
nation
 Rosh Hashanah – Jewish New Year
 Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement," is the holiest
day of the Jewish year
 Sukkoth – Harvest festival
 Hanukkah – Rededication of the holy temple in
Jerusalem after a military victory
 Purim – Queen Esther saved the Jews of Persia
from annihilation.
 Shavout – Commemorates the giving of the Ten
Commandments to the Jewish People on Mount
Sinai
Western Hall/ Walling Wall
 The Old City of Jerusalem, a place of prayer and
pilgrimage sacred to the Jewish people
 only remains of the Second Temple of
Jerusalem
 held to be uniquely holy by the ancient Jews
 destroyed by the Romans in 70 ce
 wall dates from about the 2nd century bce,
though its upper sections were added at a later
date.
Islam Buddhism

 teaches that god is merciful, all-powerful, and  believes that life have sufferring, pain and
unique, and has guided mankind through frustrations.
prophets, revealed scriptures and natural signs.  when people suffer, they want to experience
 allah the goodness of life and avoid disappointments.
 muslim  Reactive cycle of wanting and hating, like and
 ummah dislike , and cravings and aversion.
 Quran – holy book in Islam  Reactive cycle can be broken through:
 Misbaha/ Tasbih – prayer beads Meditation, Acquiring more wisdom and deep
understanding, and Acceptance
Beliefs
Customs and Practice
 MOHAMMED (Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn
ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim) Two Types of Meditation
 Mecca, Saudi Arabia
1. SAMATHA - is practiced as mindfulness of
 Angel Gabriel
breathing and development of loving-kindness
 Medina, Saudi Arabia
(Metta Bhavana)
 Shia
 Sunni 2. VIPASSANA - a practice that aims at developing
Customs and Practices insight into reality

 Shahadah- statement of faith “there is no God

but the one true God and Mohammed the They acquire wisdom by Dharma (Buddha’s teachings)
messenger.
 Salat- the Prayer that is practice five times a
day.
 Zakat- the monetray offering for the benefit of
the poor.
 Hajj- the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca.
 Sawn- the Fasting. Ramadan is the ninth month
of the islamic lunar calendar

Major Festivals

1. Eidul-Fitr- is the celebration at the end of

Ramadan.
2. Eidul-Adha- is celebrated within the completion
Celebrations
of Pilgrimage.
 Panirvana Day
 Padmasambhava Day
 Buddha Day (Wesak)
 Dharma Day
 Sangha Day
Hinduism
Beliefs

 Cycle of life
 Karma
 Death and birth

7 Core Beliefs

Belief in:

1. one universal soul

2. immortal individual soul
3. karma
4. Moshka
5. Vedas
 Rig
 Yajur
 Sama
 Atharva
6. Cyclicxal time
7. Dharma

Texts

 Ramahayana
 Mahabharata

4 Goals a Person Should Aim to have a Good Life

1. Dharma
2. Artha
3. Kama
4. Moksha

6 Temptations

1. Kama
2. Khodha
3. Lobha
4. Moha
5. Mada
6. Matsarya

Gods

 Brahma
 Sarawasti
 Vishnu
 Lakshmi
 Shiva
 Kali Yuga