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Do not fill this in! == Specific religions == {{Main|List of religions and spiritual traditions}} === Abrahamic === [[File:Molnár Ábrahám kiköltözése 1850.jpg|thumb|The patriarch [[Abraham]] (by [[József Molnár (painter)|József Molnár]])]] [[Abrahamic religions]] are [[monotheistic]] religions which believe they descend from [[Abraham]]. ==== Judaism ==== {{Main|Judaism}} [[File:Open Torah and pointer.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Torah]] is the primary sacred text of Judaism.]] [[Judaism]] is the oldest Abrahamic religion, originating in the people of [[History of ancient Israel and Judah|ancient Israel and Judah]].<ref name="britannica.com">{{cite web |title=Judaism {{!}} Definition, Origin, History, Beliefs, & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Judaism |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=10 January 2021 |language=en |archive-date=1 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101160152/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Judaism |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Torah]] is its foundational text, and is part of the larger text known as the [[Tanakh]] or [[Hebrew Bible]]. It is supplemented by oral tradition, set down in written form in later texts such as the [[Midrash]] and the [[Talmud]]. Judaism includes a wide corpus of texts, practices, theological positions, and forms of organization. Within Judaism there are a variety of movements, most of which emerged from [[Rabbinic Judaism]], which holds that God revealed his laws and [[613 Mitzvot|commandments]] to [[Moses]] on [[Biblical Mount Sinai|Mount Sinai]] in the form of both the [[Torah|Written]] and [[Oral Torah]]; historically, this assertion was challenged by various groups. The [[Jewish people]] were scattered after the destruction of the [[Temple in Jerusalem]] in 70 CE. Today there are about 13 million Jews, about 40 per cent living in Israel and 40 per cent in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbs.gov.il/shnaton61/st02_27.pdf |title=Info |website=www.cbs.gov.il |access-date=22 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026202909/https://www.cbs.gov.il/shnaton61/st02_27.pdf |archive-date=26 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The largest [[Jewish religious movements]] are [[Orthodox Judaism]] ([[Haredi Judaism]] and [[Modern Orthodox Judaism]]), [[Conservative Judaism]] and [[Reform Judaism]].<ref name="britannica.com" /> ==== Christianity ==== [[File:ISR-2013-Jerusalem-Holy Sepulchre-dome.jpg|thumb|Jesus is the central figure of Christianity.]] [[Christianity]] is based on the life and teachings of [[Jesus]] of Nazareth (1st century) as presented in the New Testament.<ref name="Christianity">{{cite web |title=Christianity {{!}} Definition, Origin, History, Beliefs, Symbols, Types, & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christianity |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=10 January 2021 |language=en |archive-date=1 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101193717/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/115240/Christianity/67592/Forms-of-Christian-education |url-status=live }}</ref> The Christian faith is essentially faith in Jesus as the [[Christ]],<ref name="Christianity" /> the [[Son of God]], and as [[Messiah|Savior]] and Lord. Almost all Christians believe in the [[Trinity]], which teaches the unity of [[God the Father|Father]], [[God the Son|Son]] (Jesus Christ), and [[Holy Spirit]] as three persons in [[monotheism|one Godhead]]. Most Christians can describe their faith with the [[Nicene Creed]]. As the religion of [[Byzantine Empire]] in the first millennium and of [[Western Europe]] during the time of colonization, Christianity has been propagated throughout the world via [[Christian mission|missionary work]].<ref name="Spread">{{cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=g2AtOlJMPTUC&pg=PA52|title = Muslim-Christian Relations|publisher = Amsterdam University Press|quote = The enthusiasm for evangelization among the Christians was also accompanied by the awareness that the most immediate problem to solve was how to serve the huge number of new [[Conversion to Christianity|converts]]. Simatupang said, if the number of the Christians were double or triple, then the number of the ministers should also be doubled or tripled and the role of the laity should be maximized and Christian service to society through schools, universities, hospitals and orphanages, should be increased. In addition, for him the Christian mission should be involved in the struggle for justice amid the process of modernization.|access-date = 18 October 2007|isbn = 978-90-5356-938-2|year = 2006|archive-date = 20 June 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130620150610/http://books.google.com/books?id=g2AtOlJMPTUC&pg=PA52|url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="Charity">{{cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=WmuV6g0yR3sC&pg=PA77|page = 77|author = Fred Kammer|title = Doing Faith Justice|publisher = [[Paulist Press]]|quote = Theologians, bishops, and preachers urged the Christian community to be as compassionate as their God was, reiterating that creation was for all of humanity. They also accepted and developed the identification of Christ with the poor and the requisite Christian duty to the poor. Religious congregations and individual charismatic leaders promoted the development of a number of helping institutions-hospitals, hospices for [[Christian pilgrimage|pilgrims]], orphanages, shelters for unwed mothers-that laid the foundation for the modern "large network of hospitals, orphanages and schools, to serve the poor and society at large."|access-date = 18 October 2007|isbn = 978-0-8091-4227-9|date = 2004|archive-date = 26 January 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210126184216/https://books.google.com/books?id=WmuV6g0yR3sC&pg=PA77|url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="Service">{{cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=dz_EM2ofIb4C&pg=PA132|title = Christian Church Women: Shapers of a Movement|publisher = Chalice Press|quote = In the central provinces of India they established schools, orphanages, hospitals, and churches, and spread the gospel message in zenanas.|access-date = 18 October 2007|isbn = 978-0-8272-0463-8|date = March 1994|archive-date = 20 June 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130620110214/http://books.google.com/books?id=dz_EM2ofIb4C&pg=PA132|url-status = live}}</ref> It is the [[Major religious groups|world's largest religion]], with about 2.3 billion followers as of 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/05/christians-remain-worlds-largest-religious-group-but-they-are-declining-in-europe/|title=World's largest religion by population is still Christianity|website=Pew Research Center|language=en-US|access-date=27 February 2019|archive-date=24 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191124021738/https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/05/christians-remain-worlds-largest-religious-group-but-they-are-declining-in-europe/|url-status=live}}</ref> The main divisions of Christianity are, according to the number of adherents:<ref name="history.com">{{cite web |title=Christianity |url=https://www.history.com/topics/religion/history-of-christianity#:~:text=Christianity%20is%20broadly%20split%20into,Catholic%20bishops%20around%20the%20world. |website=HISTORY |access-date=10 January 2021 |language=en |archive-date=11 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111205557/https://www.history.com/topics/religion/history-of-christianity#:~:text=Christianity%20is%20broadly%20split%20into,Catholic%20bishops%20around%20the%20world. |url-status=live }}</ref> * The [[Catholic Church]], led by the [[Bishop of Rome]] and the bishops worldwide in communion with him, is a [[Communion (Christian)|communion]] of 24 Churches ''[[sui iuris]]'', including the [[Latin Church]] and 23 [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholic churches]], such as the [[Maronite]] Catholic Church.<ref name="history.com" /> * [[Eastern Christianity]], which include [[Eastern Orthodoxy]], [[Oriental Orthodoxy]], and the [[Church of the East]]. * [[Protestantism]], separated from the Catholic Church in the 16th-century [[Protestant Reformation]] and is split into thousands of [[Religious denomination|denominations]]. Major branches of Protestantism include [[Anglicanism]], [[Baptists]], [[Calvinism]], [[Lutheranism]], and [[Methodism]], though each of these contain many different denominations or groups.<ref name="history.com" /> There are also smaller groups, including: * [[Restorationism]], the belief that Christianity should be restored (as opposed to reformed) along the lines of what is known about the [[Apostolic Age|apostolic early church]]. * [[Latter-day Saint movement]], founded by [[Joseph Smith]] in the late 1820s. * [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], founded in the late 1870s by [[Charles Taze Russell]]. * [[Christian existentialism|Christian Existentialist]] ==== Islam ==== [[File:Kaaba, Makkah6.jpg|alt=|thumb|220x220px|[[Muslim]]s [[Tawaf|circumambulating]] the [[Kaaba]] in [[Mecca]], [[Saudi Arabia]], the [[Holiest sites in Islam|most sacred site]] in [[Islam]]]] [[Islam]] is a [[Monotheism|monotheistic]]<ref name="Islam">{{cite web |title=Islam |url=https://www.history.com/topics/religion/islam#:~:text=The%20word%20%E2%80%9CIslam%E2%80%9D%20means%20%E2%80%9C,of%20complete%20submission%20to%20Allah. |website=HISTORY |access-date=10 January 2021 |language=en |archive-date=3 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503051151/https://www.history.com/topics/religion/islam#:~:text=The%20word%20%E2%80%9CIslam%E2%80%9D%20means%20%E2%80%9C,of%20complete%20submission%20to%20Allah. |url-status=live }}</ref> religion based on the [[Quran]],<ref name="Islam" /> one of the [[Islamic holy books|holy books]] considered by Muslims to be [[Wahy|revealed]] by [[God in Islam|God]], and on the [[Hadith|teachings (hadith)]] of the [[Prophets of Islam|Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]], a major political and religious figure of the 7th century CE. Islam is based on the unity of all religious philosophies and accepts all of the [[Abrahamic religions|Abrahamic]] prophets of Judaism, Christianity and other Abrahamic religions before [[Muhammad]]. It is the most widely practiced religion of [[Southeast Asia]], [[North Africa]], [[Western Asia]], and [[Central Asia]], while [[Muslim-majority countries]] also exist in parts of [[South Asia]], [[Sub-Saharan Africa]], and [[Southeast Europe]]. There are also several [[Islamic republic]]s, including [[Iran]], [[Pakistan]], [[Mauritania]], and [[Afghanistan]]. With about 1.8 billion followers (2015), almost a quarter of [[world population|earth's population]] are [[Muslims]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2017/04/05/the-changing-global-religious-landscape/|website=Pew Research Center|date=5 April 2017|title=The Changing Global Religious Landscape|access-date=20 October 2018|archive-date=6 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406033738/http://www.pewforum.org/2017/04/05/the-changing-global-religious-landscape/|url-status=live}}</ref> * [[Sunni Islam]] is the largest denomination within Islam and follows the Qur'an, the ahadith (plural of Hadith) which record the [[sunnah]], whilst placing emphasis on the [[sahabah]]. * [[Shia Islam]] is the second largest denomination of Islam and its adherents believe that [[Ali]] succeeded Muhammad and further places emphasis on Muhammad's family. * There are also Muslim revivalist movements such as [[Muwahhidism]] and [[Salafism]]. Other denominations of Islam include [[Nation of Islam]], [[Ibadi]], [[Sufism]], [[Quranism]], [[Mahdavia]], [[Ahmadiyya]] and [[non-denominational Muslims]]. [[Wahhabism]] is the dominant Muslim [[Maddhab|schools of thought]] in the [[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]]. ==== Other ==== Whilst Judaism, Christianity and Islam are commonly seen as the only three Abrahamic faiths, there are smaller and newer traditions which lay claim to the designation as well.<ref>{{harvnb|Massignon|1949|pp=20–23}}</ref> [[File:Lotus Temple in New Delhi 03-2016.jpg|thumb|The [[Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼí]] Lotus Temple in Delhi]] For example, the [[Baháʼí Faith]] is a [[new religious movement]] that has links to the major Abrahamic religions as well as other religions (e.g., of Eastern philosophy). Founded in 19th-century Iran, it teaches the unity of all religious philosophies<ref name="bahai.org">{{cite web |title=What Bahá'ís Believe {{!}} The Bahá'í Faith |url=https://www.bahai.org/beliefs/ |website=www.bahai.org |access-date=11 January 2021 |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413230539/https://www.bahai.org/beliefs/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and accepts all of the prophets of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as well as additional prophets (Buddha, Mahavira), including its founder [[Bahá'u'lláh]]. It is an offshoot of [[Bábism]]. One of its divisions is the [[Orthodox Baháʼí Faith]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Beit-Hallahmi|first1=Benjamin|author-link1=Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi|editor1-last=Rosen|editor1-first=Roger|title=The illustrated encyclopedia of active new religions, sects, and cults|year= 1992|publisher=Rosen Pub. Group|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8239-1505-7|edition=1st|url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc00beit}}</ref>{{rp|48–49}} Even smaller regional Abrahamic groups also exist, including [[Samaritanism]] (primarily in Israel and the [[State of Palestine]]), the [[Rastafari movement]] (primarily in Jamaica), and [[Druze]] (primarily in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel). The Druze faith originally developed out of [[Isma'ilism]], and it has sometimes been considered an [[Islamic schools and branches|Islamic school]] by some Islamic authorities, but Druze themselves do not identify as [[Muslims]].<ref name="Incorporated-1996">{{cite book|author=[[James R. Lewis (scholar)|James Lewis]]|title=The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions|url=https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1615927387|access-date=13 May 2015|year=2002|publisher=[[Prometheus Books]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Are the Druze People Arabs or Muslims? Deciphering Who They Are |url=https://www.arabamerica.com/are-the-druze-people-arabs-or-muslims-deciphering-who-they-are/ |website=Arab America |access-date=13 April 2020 |language=en |date=8 August 2018 |archive-date=20 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020060455/https://www.arabamerica.com/are-the-druze-people-arabs-or-muslims-deciphering-who-they-are/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title= The Political Role of Minority Groups in the Middle East|first=Ronald|last= De McLaurin|year= 1979| isbn= 978-0-03-052596-4| page =114 |publisher=Michigan University Press|quote= Theologically, one would have to conclude that the Druze are not Muslims. They do not accept the five pillars of Islam. In place of these principles the Druze have instituted the seven precepts noted above.}}</ref> [[Mandaeism]], sometimes also known as Sabianism (after the mysterious [[Sabians]] mentioned in the Quran, a name historically claimed by several religious groups),<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|last1=De Blois|first1=François|year=1960–2007|title=Ṣābiʾ|editor1-last=Bearman|editor1-first=P.|editor1-link=Peri Bearman|editor2-last=Bianquis|editor2-first=Th.|editor2-link=Thierry Bianquis|editor3-last=Bosworth|editor3-first=C.E.|editor3-link=Clifford Edmund Bosworth|editor4-last=van Donzel|editor4-first=E.|editor4-link=Emeri Johannes van Donzel|editor5-last=Heinrichs|editor5-first=W.P.|editor5-link=Wolfhart Heinrichs|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition|doi=10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0952}} {{cite book|last1=Van Bladel|first1=Kevin|year=2017|title=From Sasanian Mandaeans to Ṣābians of the Marshes|location=Leiden|publisher=Brill|doi=10.1163/9789004339460|isbn=978-90-04-33943-9|url=https://brill.com/view/title/34389|access-date=19 June 2022|archive-date=1 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601074236/https://brill.com/view/title/34389|url-status=live}} p. 5.</ref> is a [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]], [[monotheistic]] and [[ethnic religion]].<ref name="Mandaens">{{cite book |last=Buckley |first=Jorunn Jacobsen |author-link= |year=2002 |chapter=Part I: Beginnings – Introduction: The Mandaean World |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I9G-zLZRMLQC&pg=PA3 |title=The Mandaeans: Ancient Texts and Modern People |location=[[New York City|New York]] |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] on behalf of the [[American Academy of Religion]] |doi=10.1093/0195153855.003.0001 |pages=1–20 |isbn=978-0-19-515385-9 |oclc=57385973 |access-date=17 December 2021 |archive-date=8 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208175543/https://books.google.com/books?id=I9G-zLZRMLQC&pg=PA3 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{rp|4}}<ref name=Ginza>{{cite book|title=[[Ginza Rabba]]|translator1-last=Al-Saadi |translator1-first=Qais |translator2-last=Al-Saadi |translator2-first=Hamed |edition=2nd |place=Germany |year=2019 |publisher=Drabsha}}</ref>{{rp|1}} Its adherents, the [[Mandaeans]], consider [[John the Baptist]] to be their chief prophet.<ref name="Mandaens" /> Mandaeans are the last surviving Gnostics from antiquity.<ref name=McGrath>{{Citation|last=McGrath|first=James|title=The First Baptists, The Last Gnostics: The Mandaeans|website=YouTube-A lunchtime talk about the Mandaeans by Dr. James F. McGrath at Butler University|date=23 January 2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvv6I02MNlc|access-date=16 December 2021|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104131705/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvv6I02MNlc|url-status=live}}</ref> === East Asian === {{Main|East Asian religions}} East Asian religions (also known as Far Eastern religions or Taoic religions) consist of several religions of East Asia which make use of the concept of Tao (in Chinese), Dō (in Japanese or Korean) or Đạo (in Vietnamese). They include: ==== Taoism and Confucianism ==== [[File:Beijing China Hall-of-Prayer-for-Good-Harvests-01.jpg|thumb|The [[Temple of Heaven]], a Taoist [[temple]] complex in Beijing]] * [[Taoism]] and [[Confucianism]], as well as Korean, Vietnamese, and Japanese religion influenced by Chinese thought. ==== Folk religions ==== [[Chinese folk religion]]: the indigenous religions of the [[Han Chinese]], or, by [[metonymy]], of all the populations of the [[Chinese cultural sphere]]. It includes the syncretism of [[Confucianism]], [[Taoism]] and [[Buddhism]], [[Wuism]], as well as many new religious movements such as [[Chen Tao (True Way Cult)|Chen Tao]], [[Falun Gong]] and [[Yiguandao]]. Other folk and new religions of [[East Asia]] and [[Southeast Asia]] such as [[Korean shamanism]], [[Chondogyo]], and [[Jeung San Do]] in Korea; [[indigenous Philippine folk religions]] in the [[Philippines]]; [[Shinto]], [[Shugendo]], [[Ryukyuan religion]], and [[Japanese new religions]] in Japan; [[Satsana Phi]] in Laos; [[Vietnamese folk religion]], and [[Cao Đài]], [[Hòa Hảo]] in Vietnam. === Indian religions === [[Indian religions]] are practiced or were founded in the [[Indian subcontinent]]. They are sometimes classified as the ''dharmic religions'', as they all feature [[dharma]], the specific law of reality and duties expected according to the religion.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mittal |first=Sushil |title=Surprising Bedfellows: Hindus and Muslims in Medieval and Early Modern India |year=2003 |publisher=Lexington Books |isbn=978-0-7391-0673-0 |page=103}}</ref> ==== Hinduism ==== [[File:Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple Thiruvananthapuram, kerala.jpg|thumb|The [[Padmanabhaswamy Temple]] is a significant temple of the Hindu god [[Vishnu]] in [[Thiruvananthapuram]], India.]][[Hinduism]] is also called ''Vaidika Dharma'', the ''[[dharma]]'' of the [[Vedas]],<ref name="Klostermaier2010">{{cite book|author=Klaus K. Klostermaier|title=Survey of Hinduism, A: Third Edition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8CVviRghVtIC|date=2010|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-0-7914-8011-3|page=15|access-date=22 August 2018|archive-date=31 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331192043/https://books.google.com/books?id=8CVviRghVtIC|url-status=live}}</ref> although many practitioners refer to their religion as ''[[Sanātana Dharma]]'' ("the Eternal Dharma") which refers to the idea that its origins lie beyond [[human history]]. ''Vaidika Dharma'' is a [[synecdoche]] describing the similar philosophies of [[Vaishnavism]], [[Shaivism]], and [[Hindu denominations|related groups]] practiced or founded in the [[Indian subcontinent]]. Concepts most of them share in common include [[karma]], [[caste]], [[reincarnation]], [[mantra]]s, [[yantra]]s, and [[darśana]].<ref group="note">Hinduism is variously defined as a religion, set of religious beliefs and practices, religious tradition etc. For a discussion on the topic, see: "Establishing the boundaries" in Gavin Flood (2003), pp. 1–17. [[René Guénon]] in his'' [[Introduction to the Study of the Hindu doctrines]]'' (1921 ed.), Sophia Perennis, {{ISBN|0-900588-74-8}}, proposes a definition of the term religion and a discussion of its relevance (or lack of) to Hindu doctrines (part II, chapter 4, p. 58).</ref> Deities in Hinduism are referred to as [[Deva (Hinduism)|Deva]] (masculine) and [[Devi]] (feminine).<ref name="monierdevi">Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary" Etymologically and Philologically Arranged to cognate Indo-European Languages, Motilal Banarsidass, p. 496</ref><ref>John Stratton Hawley and Donna Marie Wulff (1998), Devi: Goddesses of India, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814912}}, p. 2</ref><ref>William K Mahony (1997), The Artful Universe: An Introduction to the Vedic Religious Imagination, State University of New York Press, {{ISBN|978-0791435809}}, p. 18</ref> Major deities include [[Vishnu]], [[Lakshmi]], [[Shiva]], [[Parvati]], [[Brahma]] and [[Saraswati]]. These deities have distinct and complex personalities yet are often viewed as aspects of the same Ultimate Reality called [[Brahman]].<ref name=":2">[[:no:Knut A. Jacobsen|Knut Jacobsen]] (2008), Theory and Practice of Yoga : 'Essays in Honour of Gerald James Larson, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120832329}}, pp. 77-78</ref>{{refn|[a] {{cite book|title=Achieving Cultural Competency|first1=Lisa|last1=Hark|first2=Horace|last2=DeLisser|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|year=2011|quote=Three gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and other deities are considered manifestations of and are worshipped as incarnations of Brahman.}} <br>[b] {{harvnb|Toropov|Buckles|2011}}: The members of various Hindu sects worship a dizzying number of specific deities and follow innumerable rites in honor of specific gods. Because this is Hinduism, however, its practitioners see the profusion of forms and practices as expressions of the same unchanging reality. The panoply of deities are understood by believers as symbols for a single transcendent reality. <br>[d] {{cite book|year=2007|title=An Introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies|author=Orlando O. Espín, James B. Nickoloff|publisher=Liturgical Press|quote=While Hindus believe in many devas, many are monotheistic to the extent that they will recognise only one Supreme Being, a God or Goddess who is the source and ruler of the devas.}}|name=avatars|group=note}} Hinduism is one of the most ancient of still-active religious belief systems,<ref>p. 434 ''Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions'' By Wendy Doniger, M. Webster, Merriam-Webster, Inc</ref><ref>p. 219 ''Faith, Religion & Theology'' By Brennan Hill, Paul F. Knitter, William Madges</ref> with origins perhaps as far back as prehistoric times.<ref>p. 6 ''The World's Great Religions'' By Yoshiaki Gurney Omura, Selwyn Gurney Champion, Dorothy Short</ref> Therefore, Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world. ==== Jainism ==== [[File:Shravanabelagola Bahubali wideframe.jpg|thumb|The 10th century [[Gommateshwara statue]] in [[Karnataka]]]][[Jainism]], taught primarily by [[Rishabhanatha]] (the founder of [[ahimsa]]) is an ancient Indian religion that prescribes a path of [[non-violence]], [[truth]] and [[anekantavada]] for all forms of living beings in this universe; which helps them to eliminate all the [[Karma in Jainism|Karmas]], and hence to attain freedom from the cycle of birth and death ([[Saṃsāra (Jainism)|saṃsāra]]), that is, achieving [[Moksha (Jainism)|nirvana]]. Jains are found mostly in India. According to Dundas, outside of the Jain tradition, historians date the [[Mahavira]] as about contemporaneous with the [[Buddha]] in the 5th-century BCE, and accordingly the historical [[Parshvanatha]], based on the c. 250-year gap, is placed in 8th or 7th century BCE.{{sfn|Dundas|2002|pp=30–31}} * [[Digambara]] Jainism (or sky-clad) is mainly practiced in South India. Their holy books are [[Pravachanasara]] and [[Samayasara]] written by their Prophets [[Kundakunda]] and [[Amritchandra]] as their [[Jain Agamas (Digambara)|original canon]] is lost. * [[Shwetambara]] Jainism (or white-clad) is mainly practiced in Western India. Their holy books are [[Jain Agamas (Śvētāmbara)|Jain Agamas]], written by their Prophet [[Sthulibhadra]]. ==== Buddhism ==== [[File:Open front door over Wat Mixay and praying bhikkhus, Vientiane, Laos.jpg|thumb|Wat Mixay Buddhist shrine in [[Vientiane]], Laos]][[Buddhism]] was founded by [[Gautama Buddha|Siddhartha Gautama]] in the 5th century BCE. Buddhists generally agree that Gotama aimed to help [[Sentient beings (Buddhism)|sentient beings]] end their [[dukkha|suffering (dukkha)]] by understanding the [[dharma|true nature of phenomena]], thereby escaping the cycle of suffering and rebirth ([[Saṃsāra (Buddhism)|saṃsāra]]), that is, achieving [[Nirvana (Buddhism)|nirvana]]. * [[Theravada]] Buddhism, which is practiced mainly in [[Sri Lanka]] and Southeast Asia alongside folk religion, shares some characteristics of Indian religions. It is based in a large collection of texts called the [[Pali Canon]]. * [[Mahayana]] Buddhism (or the Great Vehicle) under which are a multitude of doctrines that became prominent [[Buddhism in China|in China]] and are still relevant [[Buddhism in Vietnam|in Vietnam]], [[Buddhism in Korea|Korea]], [[Buddhism in Japan|Japan]] and to a lesser extent [[Buddhism in the West|in Europe and the United States]]. Mahayana Buddhism includes such disparate teachings as [[Zen]], [[Pure Land Buddhism|Pure Land]], and [[Soka Gakkai]]. [[File:Buda_souvenir_over_a_shelf.jpg|thumb|Buddha in a wood shelf in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]] * [[Vajrayana]] Buddhism first appeared in India in the 3rd century CE.<ref>Williams, Paul; Tribe, Anthony (2000), ''Buddhist Thought: A complete introduction to the Indian tradition'', Routledge, {{ISBN|0-203-18593-5}} p. 194</ref> It is currently most prominent in the Himalaya regions<ref>Smith, E. Gene (2001). Among Tibetan Texts: History and Literature of the Himalayan Plateau. Boston: Wisdom Publications. {{ISBN|0-86171-179-3}}</ref> and extends across all of Asia<ref>''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', {{ISBN|4-7674-2015-6}}</ref> (cf. [[Mikkyō]]). * Two notable new Buddhist sects are [[Hòa Hảo]] and the [[Navayana]] ([[Dalit Buddhist movement]]), which were developed separately in the 20th century. ==== Sikhism ==== [[File:Miniature of Guru Nanak from Astronomical treatise.jpg|thumb|An 1840 miniature of [[Guru Nanak]]]][[Sikhism]] is a [[panentheistic]] religion founded on the teachings of [[Guru Nanak]] and ten successive [[Sikh gurus]] in 15th-century [[Punjab region|Punjab]]. It is the [[Major religious groups|fifth-largest]] [[organized religion]] in the world, with approximately 30 million Sikhs.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sikhism: What do you know about it?|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/sikhism-what-do-you-know-about-it/2012/08/06/19131ef6-dff1-11e1-8fc5-a7dcf1fc161d_gallery.html|access-date=13 December 2012|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=11 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811193301/http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/sikhism-what-do-you-know-about-it/2012/08/06/19131ef6-dff1-11e1-8fc5-a7dcf1fc161d_gallery.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Zepps |first=Josh |title=Sikhs in America: What You Need To Know About The World's Fifth-Largest Religion |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/06/sikhs-in-america_n_1748125.html |access-date=13 December 2012 |newspaper=Huffington Post |date=6 August 2012 |archive-date=10 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120810040309/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/06/sikhs-in-america_n_1748125.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Sikh]]s are expected to embody the qualities of a ''Sant-Sipāhī''—a saint-soldier, have control over one's internal [[Five Thieves|vices]] and be able to be constantly immersed in virtues clarified in the [[Guru Granth Sahib]]. The principal beliefs of Sikhi are faith in ''[[Waheguru]]''—represented by the phrase ''[[ik Onkar|ik ōaṅkār]]'', meaning one God, who prevails in everything, along with a [[praxis (process)|praxis]] in which the Sikh is enjoined to engage in social reform through the pursuit of justice for all human beings. === Indigenous and folk === [[File:Chickasaw Stomp Dance Demonstration.jpg|thumb|Chickasaw Native cultural/religious dancing]] [[File:Image from page 976 of "Bulletin" (1901).jpg|thumb|Peyotists with their ceremonial tools]] [[File:SB - Altay shaman with drum.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|Altay shaman in Siberia]] [[File:文澳 城隍廟.jpg|thumb|Temple to the [[City God (China)|city god]] of Wenao in [[Magong]], Taiwan]] [[Indigenous religions]] or [[ethnic religion|folk religions]] refers to a broad category of traditional religions that can be characterised by [[shamanism]], [[animism]] and [[ancestor worship]], where traditional means "indigenous, that which is aboriginal or foundational, handed down from generation to generation…".<ref>J.O. Awolalu (1976) [https://www.studiesincomparativereligion.com/uploads/ArticlePDFs/268.pdf What is African Traditional Religion?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022153258/http://www.studiesincomparativereligion.com/uploads/ArticlePDFs/268.pdf |date=22 October 2021 }} Studies in Comparative Religion Vol. 10, No. 2. (Spring, 1976).</ref> These are religions that are closely associated with a particular group of people, ethnicity or tribe; they often have no formal creeds or sacred texts.<ref name="pew global">Pew Research Center (2012) [https://www.pewforum.org/global-religious-landscape.aspx The Global Religious Landscape. A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Major Religious Groups as of 2010] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719060225/http://www.pewforum.org/global-religious-landscape.aspx |date=19 July 2013 }}. The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.</ref> Some faiths are [[syncretic]], fusing diverse religious beliefs and practices.<ref name="CIA">{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html |title=Religions |author=Central Intelligence Agency |work=World Factbook |access-date=3 January 2013 |archive-date=20 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220203407/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> * [[Australian Aboriginal mythology|Australian Aboriginal religions]]. * Folk religions of the Americas: [[Native American religion]]s Folk religions are often omitted as a category in surveys even in countries where they are widely practiced, e.g., in China.<ref name="pew global" /> === Traditional African === [[File:Brooklyn Museum 1992.133.4 Figure of Shango on Horseback.jpg|thumb|[[Shango]], the [[Orisha]] of fire, lightning, and thunder, in the [[Yoruba religion]], depicted on horseback]] {{Main|Traditional African religion}} {{Further|African diasporic religions}} [[Traditional African religion|African traditional religion]] encompasses the traditional religious beliefs of people in Africa. In West Africa, these religions include the [[Akan religion]], [[Dahomey mythology|Dahomey (Fon) mythology]], [[Efik mythology]], [[Odinani]], [[Serer religion|Serer religion (A ƭat Roog)]], and [[Yoruba religion]], while [[Bushongo mythology]], [[Mbuti mythology|Mbuti (Pygmy) mythology]], [[Lugbara mythology]], [[Dinka religion]], and [[Lotuko mythology]] come from central Africa. Southern African traditions include [[Akamba mythology]], [[Masai mythology]], [[Malagasy mythology]], [[San religion]], [[Lozi mythology]], [[Tumbuka mythology]], and [[Zulu mythology]]. [[Bantu mythology]] is found throughout central, southeast, and southern Africa. In north Africa, these traditions include [[traditional Berber religion|Berber]] and [[ancient Egyptian religion|ancient Egyptian]]. There are also notable [[African diasporic religions]] practiced in the Americas, such as [[Santeria]], [[Candomble]], [[Haitian Vodun|Vodun]], [[Lucumi religion|Lucumi]], [[Umbanda]], and [[Macumba]]. [[File:Templo de fuego, Baku, Azerbaiyán, 2016-09-27, DD 34.jpg|thumb|Sacred flame at the [[Ateshgah of Baku]]]] === Iranian === [[Iranian religions]] are ancient religions whose roots predate the [[Islamization]] of [[Greater Iran]]. Nowadays these religions are practiced only by minorities. [[Zoroastrianism]] is based on the teachings of prophet [[Zoroaster]] in the 6th century BCE. Zoroastrians worship the [[Creator deity|creator]] [[Ahura Mazda]]. In Zoroastrianism, good and evil have distinct sources, with evil trying to destroy the creation of Mazda, and good trying to sustain it. [[Religion in Kurdistan|Kurdish religions]] include the traditional beliefs of the [[Yazidi]],<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hVVsBAAAQBAJ&pg=PAPR8|title=The Religion of the Peacock Angel: The Yezidis and Their Spirit World|last1=Asatrian|first1=Garnik S.|last2=Arakelova|first2=Victoria|year=2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-54429-6|language=en|access-date=4 September 2020|archive-date=25 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225223929/https://books.google.com/books?id=hVVsBAAAQBAJ&pg=PAPR8|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Birgül">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ql4BAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA71|title=The Yezidis: The History of a Community, Culture and Religion|last=Açikyildiz|first=Birgül|date= 2014|publisher=I.B. Tauris|isbn=978-0-85772-061-0|language=en|access-date=4 September 2020|archive-date=26 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226032745/https://books.google.com/books?id=ql4BAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA71|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Alevi]], and [[Ahl-e Haqq]]. Sometimes these are labeled [[Yazdânism]]. === New religious movements === {{Main|New religious movement}} {{See also|List of new religious movements}} * The [[Baháʼí Faith]] teaches the unity of all religious philosophies.<ref name="bahai.org" /> * [[Cao Đài]] is a [[Syncretism|syncretistic]], [[Monotheism|monotheistic]] religion, established in [[Vietnam]] in 1926.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cao Dai {{!}} Vietnamese religion |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cao-Dai |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=11 January 2021 |language=en |archive-date=7 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107010729/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cao-Dai |url-status=live }}</ref> * [[Eckankar]] is a [[Pantheism|pantheistic]] religion with the purpose of making God an everyday reality in one's life.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is Eckankar? Eckankar is Love, Wisdom and Freedom |url=https://www.eckankar.org/explore/what-is-eckankar/ |website=Eckankar |access-date=11 January 2021 |archive-date=19 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119133411/http://www.eckankar.org/explore/what-is-eckankar/ |url-status=live }}</ref> * [[Epicureanism]] is a Hellenistic philosophy that is considered by many of its practitioners as a type of (sometimes non-theistic) religious identity. It has its own scriptures, a monthly "feast of reason" on the Twentieth and considers friendship to be holy. * [[Hindu reform movements]], such as [[Ayyavazhi]], [[Swaminarayan Faith]] and [[Ananda Marga]], are examples of new religious movements within Indian religions. * [[Japanese new religions]] ''(shinshukyo)'' is a general category for a wide variety of religious movements founded in Japan since the 19th century. These movements share almost nothing in common except the place of their founding. The largest religious movements centered in Japan include [[Soka Gakkai]], [[Tenrikyo]], and [[Seicho-No-Ie]] among hundreds of smaller groups.<ref>{{cite web |title=New Religious Movements: New Religious Movements in Japan {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/new-religious-movements-new-religious-movements-japan |website=www.encyclopedia.com |access-date=11 January 2021 |archive-date=14 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414042229/https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/new-religious-movements-new-religious-movements-japan |url-status=live }}</ref> * [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], a [[Nontrinitarianism|non-trinitarian]] [[Christians|Christian]] Reformist movement sometimes described as [[millenarian]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thearda.com/timeline/movements/movement_23.asp|title=Movements | Millenarian Movement | Timeline | The Association of Religion Data Archives|website=www.thearda.com|access-date=16 February 2022|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801202241/https://www.thearda.com/timeline/movements/movement_23.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> * [[Neo-Druidism]] is a religion promoting harmony with nature,<ref>{{cite book |title=World Druidry: A Globalizing Path of Nature Spirituality |first=Larisa A. |last=White |year=2021 |publisher=Larisa A. White |location=Belmont, California |isbn=978-1-7367792-0-0 |pages=253–255}}</ref> named after but not necessarily connected to the Iron Age [[druid]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/explore/highlights/article_index/d/the_druids.aspx |publisher=The British Museum |title=The Druids |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121223123600/http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/explore/highlights/article_index/d/the_druids.aspx |archive-date=23 December 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> * [[Modern pagan]] movements attempting to reconstruct or revive ancient [[pagan]] practices, such as [[Heathenry (new religious movement)|Heathenry]], [[Hellenism (religion)|Hellenism]], and [[Kemeticism]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Neo-Paganism {{!}} religion |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Neo-Paganism |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=11 January 2021 |language=en |archive-date=1 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101105558/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Neo-Paganism |url-status=live }}</ref> * [[Noahidism]] is a monotheistic ideology based on the [[Seven Laws of Noah]],<ref>{{cite web |title=7 Noahide Laws » Judaism Humanity Noahidism |url=https://noahideworldcenter.org/7/ |website=The Seven Noahide Laws |access-date=11 January 2021 |archive-date=16 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216060611/https://noahideworldcenter.org/7-commandments/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and on their traditional interpretations within Rabbinic Judaism. * Some forms of [[parody religion]] or fiction-based religion<ref name=Davidsen2013>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1080/14755610.2013.838798|title = Fiction-based religion: Conceptualising a new category against history-based religion and fandom| journal=Culture and Religion| volume=14| issue=4| pages=378–395|year = 2013|last1 = Davidsen|first1 = Markus Altena|hdl = 1887/48123|s2cid = 143778202|hdl-access=free}}</ref> like [[Jediism]], [[Pastafarianism]], [[Dudeism]], "Tolkien religion",<ref name=Davidsen2013 /> and others often develop their own writings, traditions, and cultural expressions, and end up behaving like traditional religions. * [[Satanism]] is a broad category of religions that, for example, worship Satan as a deity ([[Theistic Satanism]]) or use Satan as a symbol of carnality and earthly values ([[LaVeyan Satanism]] and [[The Satanic Temple]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Satanism |url=https://www.history.com/topics/1960s/satanism |website=HISTORY |date=27 September 2019 |access-date=11 January 2021 |language=en |archive-date=30 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201230201320/https://www.history.com/topics/1960s/satanism |url-status=live }}</ref> * [[Scientology]] is a movement that has been defined as a [[cult]], a [[confidence trick|scam]], a [[Scientology as a business|commercial business]], or as a new religious movement.{{refn|name=sciento|<ref name=Bei03>{{cite journal|last=Beit-Hallahmi|first=Benjamin|title=Scientology: Religion or Racket?|author-link=Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi|journal=[[Marburg Journal of Religion]]|volume=8|number=1|date=September 2003|pages=1–56|publisher=[[University of Marburg]]|doi=10.17192/mjr.2003.8.3724|url=https://archiv.ub.uni-marburg.de/ep/0004/article/view/3724|doi-access=free|access-date=June 30, 2006}}</ref><ref name=timecult2>{{cite magazine|title=[[The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power]]|last=Behar|first=Richard|author-link=Richard Behar|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]] |location=New York|date=May 6, 1991}}</ref><ref name=She20>{{cite book |last=Shermer|first=Michael|chapter=The Curious Case of Scientology|title=Giving the Devil his Due|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|url=https://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/psychology/psychology-general-interest/giving-devil-his-due-reflections-scientific-humanist?format=HB|isbn=9781108489782|location=Cambridge|pages=93–103|year=2020}}</ref><ref name=ECRec1178>{{cite report |last1=Hunt |first1=John |last2=de Puig |first2=Luis |last3=Espersen| first3=Ole |date=February 5, 1992 |title=European Council, Recommendation 1178: Sects and New Religious Movements |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JRPz4_u7AxMC&pg=PA668 |location=Strasbourg|publisher=[[Council of Europe]] |access-date=June 30, 2019 |quote=It is a cool, cynical, manipulating business and nothing else.}}</ref><ref name="Westbrook18">{{cite journal |last1=Westbrook |first1=Donald A. |title=The Art of PR War: Scientology, the Media, and Legitimation Strategies for the 21st Century |journal=[[Studies in Religion|Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses]] |publisher=[[SAGE Publishing]]|date=August 10, 2018 |volume=47 |issue=3 |pages=373–395 |doi=10.1177/0008429818769404|s2cid=149581057 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Halupka |first=Max |title=The Church of Scientology: Legitimacy through Perception Management |journal=Politics and Religion |volume=7 |issue=3 |year=2014 |pages=613–630 |doi=10.1017/S1755048314000066 |s2cid=143524953}}</ref>}} Its mythological framework is similar to a [[UFO cult]] and includes references to [[Extraterrestrial life|aliens]], but is kept secret from most followers. It charges a fee for its central activity, called [[auditing (Scientology)|auditing]], so is sometimes considered a commercial enterprise.<ref name=Bei03/><ref name=She20/> * [[UFO Religion]]s in which extraterrestrial entities are an element of belief, such as [[Raëlism]], [[Aetherius Society]], and [[Marshall Vian Summers]]'s ''New Message from God'' * [[Unitarian Universalism]] is a religion characterized by support for a free and responsible search for truth and meaning, and has no accepted [[creed]] or [[theology]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Unitarianism and Universalism – English Unitarianism |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Unitarianism/English-Unitarianism |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=11 January 2021 |language=en |archive-date=22 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122200949/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Unitarianism/English-Unitarianism |url-status=live }}</ref> * [[Wicca]] is a neo-pagan religion first popularised in 1954 by British civil servant [[Gerald Gardner]], involving the worship of a God and Goddess.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wicca {{!}} History, Beliefs, & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wicca |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=11 January 2021 |language=en |archive-date=27 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127210741/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wicca |url-status=live }}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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