JUDAISM

JUDAISM IS THE WORLD’S OLDEST MONOTHEISTIC

RELIGION, DATING BACK NEARLY 4,000 YEARS...

- by Lam Hoang Thuy Anh - 

CORE BELIEFS

Belief in God Sacred Text Summary of Beliefs

Yahweh Hebrew Bible (Tanakh): No official creed

(monotheistic religion) esp. Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim

ORIGIN

Holy
Founder
Place
Abraham
Canaan/ Isarael
(the first person who entered into a

covenant, or contract with God)

INITIATION

Bar Mitzvah Bat Mitzvah

A Jewish coming of A Jewish coming of

age ritual for boys age ritual for girls

The Western Wall - Jerusalem

SPECIAL HOLIDAYS

Passover Sabbath Purim

Commemorating Jew's Judaism's day of rest and Commemorating the saving

liberation from Egypt seventh day of the week of the Jews from Haman

POPULATION DIVISIONS

Orthodox Reform Conservative

Adhere to the traditional Integrate in Reconcile of Orthodox

laws in the Torah European culture and Reform

SYMBOLS JUDAISM TIMELINE 

Star of David

Menorah

Chai
 CHRISTIANITY
THE LARGEST OF THE WORLD’S RELIGIONS AND,

GEOGRAPHICALLY, THE MOST WIDELY DIFFUSED OF ALL FAITHS...

- by Lam Hoang Thuy Anh - 

CORE BELIEFS

Belief in God Sacred Text Summary of Beliefs

The Holy Trinity Christian Bible: Apostle's Creed Nicene Creed

as one God esp. New Testament,...

ORIGIN

Founder
Jesus Christ
Holy Place
(born c. 6–4 BC, Bethlehem —
Jerusalem/ Vatican
died c. AD 30, Jerusalem)

INITIATION & SPECIAL HOLIDAYS

Baptism Christmas Easter 7 Sacraments

An initiation into the Commemorating Commemorating the Baptism, Eucharist,

Christian faith by the birth of resurrection of Jesus Penance, Holy

cleansed with water Jesus Christ from the dead Orders, etc.

POPULATION DIVISIONS

Roman Catholic Eastern Orthodox Protestantism

Developing from the Developing from the A reaction to 

Western Roman empire Eastern Roman empire medieval Roman Catholic

CHRISTIANITY TIMELINE

SYMBOLS

Ichthys Alpha Chi Rho Stauro- IX Mono- IH Mono- Crucifix Christian

& Omega gram gram gram Cross

 ISLAM
THE SECOND MOST WIDESPREAD RELIGION IN THE WORLD AND THE

OLDEST RECORDED MONOTHEISTIC RELIGION IN THE COUNTRY....

- by Lam Hoang Thuy Anh - 

CORE BELIEFS

Belief in God Sacred Text Summary of Beliefs

Allah The Qur'an The Five Pillars: Shahadah, Salat,

(monotheistic religion) 114 chapters Zakat, Sawm, Hajj

ORIGIN

Founder
Muhammad

(born April 22, 571 AD, Mecca, Saudi Arabia Holy Place

—died June 8, 632 AD, Medina, Saudi Arabia) (Kaaba) Mecca, Saudi Arabial

SPECIAL HOLIDAYS

Al-Hijra Eid ul-Adha Prophet's Birthday Ramadan

Islamic New Year; Festival of Celebration of the Muslim Month of

marks the end of Sacrifice; the end birth of the Prophet Fasting

Mohammad's journey of Hajj Muhammad

POPULATION DIVISIONS

Sunni Islam Shiite Islam Sunni - Shiite Divided

 The Sunnis pay more Shiites believe succession Green: Sunni Islam

attention to traidition must be hereditary Blue: Shiite Islam

ISLAM TIMELINE

SYMBOLS

Shahada
The Star and "Allah" in Arabic " La ilaha illallah" -
Rub el Hizb
Crescent "There is no deity but God"
 HINDUISM
THE WORLD'S THIRD LARGEST RELIGION AS WELL AS AN INDIAN RELIGION

AND DHARMA, OR WAY OF LIFE, WIDELY PRACTISED IN THE INDIAN

SUBCONTINENT AND PARTS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA...

- by Lam Hoang Thuy Anh - 

CORE BELIEFS

Sacred Text
Belief in God Shruti Scriptures
Summary of Beliefs
Brahman - the highest Depending on the
(The Vedas and Upanishads)
Avatara; Trimurthi - school of thought or
Smriti Scriptures
the highest 3 gods in deity worshipped
(Mahabhrata, Ramayana,
the Hindu pantheon
Dharma shastras, )

ORIGIN PRACTICES
Founder Worship
No founder, but many Devotional worship of

teachers and sages deities Puja in temples

Holy Place A priestly class

Indus Valley (Brahmins) oficiate

(western India) worship

Festivals
Festivals based on the lunar
Common
calendar; each locality
Lifestyle
temple or deity will have
Doing one's
their own local festivals
function in the
(ex: Diwali - the festival of
social order
Light, Maha Shivaratri - the
(caste system)
great night of Shiva, etc.

SECTARIAN DIVISIONS

Vaishnavism Shaivism Shaktism

"Devotion to Vishnu" "Devotion to Shiva" "Devotion to the Great Goddess"

worship primarily the worship Shiva, the worship of the ''Great Goddess''

preserver god Vishnu god of destruction and her many forms

SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT HINDU DEITIES

HINDUISM TIMELINE
 BUDDHISM
BUDDHISM IS CURRENTLY BELIEVED TO HAVE ABOUT 535 MILLION

FOLLOWERS AND IS GENERALLY LISTED AS THE FOURTH LARGEST

RELIGION IN THE WORLD...

- by Lam Hoang Thuy Anh - 

CORE BELIEFS

Belief in God Summary of Beliefs

Devas (gods) but Sacred Text Taking Refuge

does not call one to Suttas (3 canons): Five Precept

worship them Pali, Mahayana, Tibetan

ORIGIN PRACTICES
Founder
Worship
Siddharrta Gautama
Chanting suttas;
Born: around c. 480 BCE;
Monks sometimes do
Died: c. 400 BCE
blessing but they are
Holy Place
considered renunciants
Lumbini and Bodh Gaya
rather than riual expers
(northeast India & Nepal)

Common Lifestyle Festivals

Renunciation of the world through Events surrounding the

monasticism; housholders adhere Buddha's life, most important

to the Five Precepts and study is Visaka - the celebration of

Buddha's teaching Buddha's passing

SECTARIAN DIVISIONS - SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

Theravada Vajrayana
("Teaching of the Elders") Mahayana ("Vajra Vehicle")

focuses on the study of ("Great Vehicle") emphasizing the study of

its main textual collection focuses on the teachings Buddhist tantric materials,

- the Pali Canon found in Mahayana sutras mainly related to the

Buddhist tantras

BUDDHISM TIMELINE

THE WHEEL OF THE DHRAMA

AND THE EIGHTFOLD PATH

Buddhist Pagoda and statues Buddhist flag

 TAOISM
DOING WHAT IS NATURAL AND "GOING WITH THE FLOW" IN ACCORDANCE WITH

THE TAO, A COSMIC FORCE WHICH FLOWS THROUGH ALL THINGS AND BINDS

AND RELEASES THEM...

- by Lam Hoang Thuy Anh - 

CORE BELIEFS

wu wei

Belief in God Summary of Beliefs

Emphasize the Tao, which Sacred Text Tao, wu wei, longevity and

is not anthropomorphically Tao Te Ching chi, yin-yang

God (non-theistic religion)  (Daodejing)

ORIGIN PRACTICES

Founder
Laozi

(4th century BC) -

also known as Lao

Tzu; Old Master

Holy Place
Worship
China
The recitation of mudras

Festivals
Taoist festival calendar

represents an amalgamation

of various sources, and

varies according to sect,

region, temple (The Chinese

Common Lifestyle New Year, The

Living in accordance with Tao Lantern Festival, etc.)

MAJOR DIVISIONS OF TAOISM

Southern - Taoism Northern - Taoism

An offshoot of Cheng-i Taoism (the 11th Grew out of the Ch'üan-chen tradition.

century), the only liturgical tradition Emphasizing moral, spiritual discipline &

surviving today. They perform healing continues self-preservation practices that

rituals, exorcisms and liturgies in public. date back to the classical Nei-yeh.

SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

Taoist Creation

Ritualistic Taoism Philosophical Taoism

(Tao Chiao) (Tao Chia)

TAOISM TIMELINE
 CONFUCIANISM
A SYSTEM BUILT ON AN ANCIENT RELIGIOUS FOUNDATION TO ESTABLISH THE

SOCIAL VALUES, INSTITUTIONS, AND TRANSCENDENT IDEALS OF

TRADITIONAL CHINESE SOCIETY...

- by Lam Hoang Thuy Anh - 

CORE BELIEFS

Belief in God Summary of Beliefs

Confucius (non-theistic Sacred Text The development of the

religion); but believe in Tao The four books: Junzi; The 5 great

(esp. The Analects, etc.) relationships; The virtues

ORIGIN PRACTICES
Founder
Confucius

(551–479 BC) - his

followers called
Worship
him Kung Fu Tzu or  Holy Place
Proper observance of
the "Great Master" China
rituals, conducts & norms

Festivals
Common Lifestyle junzi

Confucian festival calendar

Living one's life as a
represents an
junzi, to cultivate one's
amalgamation of various
character and to act
sources, and varies
according to one's
the cardinal virtue:
according to sect, region,
proper role in the "ren" means
temple ( The Chinese New
"humanity"
community
Year, Qing Ming etc.)

SECTARIAN DIVISIONS - SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

Mencius Xunzi Dong Song Ming

The fourth The third Zhongshu Confucianism Confucianism
century B.C. century B.C. (179-104 B.C.) (960-1279) (1368-1644)

THE FIVE VIRTUES OF

CONFUCIUS

humanity proper

rite
Korean Qing Modern righteous-

Confucianism Confucianism Confucianism ness

(1501-1570) (1644-1911) early 20th century

knowledge integnity

CONFUCIANISM TIMELINE
THE FIVE GREAT
RELATIONSHIPS

father-son husband-wife

(filial piety) (harmony)

ruler-subject

(loyalty)

THE ANALECTS
An ancient Chinese book composed of a collection of
older-younger brother friend-friend
sayings & ideas attributed to Confucius and his
(affection) (honesty)
contemporaries, believed to have been compiled and

written by Confucius's followers.

 - by Lam Hoang Thuy Anh - 

S H I N T O

C O R E B E L I E F S

Belief in God Shinto Holy Books

Kami (God that are found in Kojiki - 'Records of Ancient Matters'; 

nature; important people, heroes) Nihongi - 'Chronicles of Japan'

O R I G I N The most
Founder important Kami
In the late 6th century AD in Japan
"Shinto" was created for the Amaterasu-

native religion to distinguish omikami, the

it from Buddhism  goddess of the

Holy Place sun and the

Japan (Shinto Shrine, Temple) universe

W O R S H I P

Narito Harai Shinsen Naorai

(public worship) (purification) (offering) (symbolic feast)

F E S T I V A L S

Oshogatsu Setsubun & Natsu Matsuri Aki Matsuri

(New Year) Haru Matsuri (Summer Festivals) (Autumn Festivals)

(Spring Festivals)

⿃
SECTARIAN DIVISIONS

Jinja Shinto Kyoha Shinto Tsuzoku Shinto

居
T O R I I

(temple-based) (personality-based) (community-based)

S H I N T O T I M E L I N E