3 Major Monotheistic Religions - UBC...
Transcript of 3 Major Monotheistic Religions - UBC...
3 Major Monotheistic Religions
the Abrahamic Religions
Monotheism – a belief in one god
The 3 major monotheistic religions
are:
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Overview
All 3 monotheistic
religions view Jerusalem
as their holy land
Many beliefs are shared
among the 3 major
monotheistic religions
(Judaism, Christianity,
Islam)
Judaism
Jews trace their beginnings
to Mesopotamia – lived as
shepherds and merchants
The father of Judaism is
Abraham
Abraham Was commanded to sacrifice his son
Isaac, but didn’t have to last-
minute
Made a covenant –
a promise to God
Symbol is circumcision
Promised land : South of Egypt
Keep God’s law, all descendants will be
blessed…Jacob, Joeseph, Judas
Joeseph
Judaism: The Faithful,
The Chosen People
Every year during the festival of Passover,
Jews today retell the story of the Exodus
from Egypt
For the next 40 years, the Jews wandered
through the deserts of the Sinai Peninsula
While in the desert, God gave the Jews the
Ten Commandments
Judaism
10 Commandments examples:
No other gods
Don’t take the name in vain
(never cry wolf)
Remember the Sabbath day
Honor your mother and father
Shall not murder
Shall not steal
Shall not commit adultery
Shall not covet anything that is
your neighbor’s (including their
wife, ox or slave)
Judaism Over time, the Jews will
eventually return to Canaan
In 1012 B. C., David (the one
who fought Goliath) will rule the
Jews
He will set up Jerusalem as the
capital of the Jews
Judaism
After King David dies, his son Solomon will
take over
There will be a split between the Jews after
Solomon’s death
The northern kingdom called Israel, the
southern kingdom called Judah (meaning
Jew)
Judaism
In 722 B.C., the Jews resisted their new leaders,
the Assyrians and were sent into exile
While in exile, the Jews had no temple to worship
in
Instead, small groups began to meet on the
Sabbath (holy day of rest) for prayer and study
The Jewish Sabbath day is Saturday
Judaism
In 539 B.C., the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem
They also collected their holy writings into the Torah (these make up the first 5 books of the Bible – Old Testament)
Jewish churches are called synagogues
Christianity
In the beginning, Jews were persecuted by the Roman emperor Augustus in A.D. 6
The pantheon of Gods wasn’t helping the poor people
Many Jews believed that a messiah would help them
Christianity
A Jew named Jesus grew up in the town of
Nazareth after being born in Bethlehem
He began preaching a new message and gaining
disciples, or followers
Some Jews believed that Jesus was the Messiah,
others did not (split between Christians and Jews)
Mary’s Boy Child
Christianity
These Christians began to resist the harsh rule of the Romans
In response, Jesus was arrested and crucified (hung from a cross)
After his death, his disciples proclaimed that he had risen from the dead and appeared to them
They began preaching Jesus as the Son of God and they way to salvation
The Passion
Christianity
Those that accepted Jesus as the Messiah became known as Christians
A convert named Paul traveled to spread the word of Jesus
His letters, along with other early Christians (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) form the New Testament of the Bible
Christianity
In early Roman times, Christians were
persecuted for rejecting the Roman
deities (gods)
In A.D. 312, the Roman emperor
Constantine allowed Christians to
worship as they pleased without
persecution
Eventually in A.D. 392, Christianity
became the official religion of the
Roman empire
Christianity
Differs from Judaism in that they practice the rite of baptism (believer is dipped into water to wash away his or her sin)
This baptism made a person a member of the Church
Christians also celebrate the Eucharist, or Last Supper (usually with bread and wine)
St. Augustine (of Hippo)
(354-430)
Searched for how to find
the Truth
He declared that
“Faith precedes
Reason” because
unless you believe,
you would not
understand.
Islam The religion of Islam
began on the Arabian Peninsula (modern-day Saudi Arabia)
This is a desert climate and the people that lived there moved from place to place and had not permanent home (nomads)
Islam These nomads travelled
throughout the Arabian Peninsula and traded in major trading centers – a key one being Mecca
The Black Stone of the Kaaba -
MECCA A Meteor? Worshipped for all
time
Muhammad was born and grew up in the trading center of Mecca in 570 A.D, where the Kaaba was
The Black Stone of the Kaaba -
MECCA
Muhammed became respected as a peacekeeper
putt his robe on the ground
Asked patrons to each take a corner to lift the stone
Islam
When he was 40 years old, he heard God speak to him through the angel Gabriel in a cave (610 A.D.)
As a result, he began proclaiming the word of God and proclaiming his message that there was one true god - Allah
Islam
The city of Yathrib was renamed Medina
As Muhammad was in Medina, he taught his followers
The teaching and laws he revealed were written down in the
Quran, or Koran
This is the holy book of Muslims
Islam
In 630 A.D., Muhammad returned to Mecca and established it as the capital of the Islamic faith The Kaaba will become the
center of Islamic worship They will worship in their
churches called Mosques He will eventually die in 632
A.D.
Islam
Muslims believe in the Five Pillars of Faith
Declaration of Faith: Muslims must regularly declare that there is only one God and Mohammad is his prophet (or messenger) Prayer: Muslims must pray 5 times a day
facing Mecca (their holy city) Sunrise, noon, afternoon, sunset, evening
Islam Almsgiving:
Muslims must given
alms, or money, to the
poor
Islam Fasting: Muslims must
fast (no eating or
drinking) during the
daylight hours in the
month of Ramadan
Islam Pilgrimage (hajj):
Muslims must make a
pilgrimage (or journey)
to Mecca at least one
time in their lives if they
are able
Islam
After Muhammad’s death, Muslims looked to a
new type of ruler called a caliph (or successor)
There will be two types of groups emerge after
his death with different ideas about successors
The smaller group is called the Shiites
The larger group is called the Sunnis
Islam
Sunnis (85% of all Muslims)
They believe that the first 4 caliphs after
Muhammad’s death rightly took their place as
the religious leaders of Islam
All of their heirs are then legitimate religious
leaders
Shiites
They believe that only the heirs of the 4th
caliph, Ali, are legitimate religious leaders
Islam
Basic Muslim beliefs are similar to Jews and
Christians
Honor parents
Show kindness to neighbors
Give to the poor
No murder
No stealing
No lying
Islam
There are also specific rules laid down in the
Quran for Muslims to follow:
Forbids gambling
Forbids eating pork (like some Jews)
Forbids drinking alcoholic beverages
The Quran contains rules governing marriage,
family life, etc.
They live under a rule of laws called the
Shari’ah