They practice different religions. The most ancient religions in the world

From ancient times to the present day, religion has played an invaluable role in human life. Not surprisingly, various currents appear regularly. Some of them take root and spread, some die for lack of adherents. The formation of modern religions and trends is a phenomenon that is unlikely to ever disappear from life, which is why it is easy to get confused in the huge variety of sects and confessions. Only three religions, called world ones, do not lose their importance.

In contact with

Features of Christianity

Christianity is rightly considered the most powerful, most multinational and widespread of all types of religions. It is ahead of young Islam and more ancient Buddhism. Supporters of Christianity can be found in various parts of our planet, it is the official religion of eleven countries.

The essence of Christianity is the worship of Jesus, the Son of God, who descended to our earth in order to atone for all the sins of mankind and open the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven for souls. Adherents of this religion believe that Jesus Christ is the only true God and Messiah who will come to our earth again to save the human race.

Origins

Christianity takes its roots from the first century AD. The first mention of it was recorded in Palestine. In the most early years of its existence, this trend already boasted a huge number of supporters. Historians consider the plight of the inhabitants at that time to be the impetus for its emergence. It is not surprising that the people tried to find support and solace in this way. The world learned about Christianity after the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles. The following regions were the first to learn about religion:

• Jerusalem;
• Roman;
• Constantinople;
• Alexandrian;
• Antioch.

A little later, the above territories began to be called Churches. Among them, the main one is not distinguished, and each is considered equal to the others.

The Jews were the first to adopt Christianity. They also endured terrible persecution and numerous troubles that befell them after the fall of Jerusalem. The Romans worshiped pagan gods, their beliefs had nothing to do with the Christian worldview. If Christianity called to be merciful, humble and believe in one God, then paganism denied all virtues and had countless idols. Until 312, the followers of Christ suffered humiliation, were subjected to numerous tortures, and only during the reign of Emperor Constantine were all prohibitions on preaching this religion lifted, moreover, he made it the state religion.

Christian rules and customs that are familiar to believers at the present time have been questioned and discussed more than once in the past. To resolve especially important issues, Councils were established, membership in which went to bishops and other significant and famous clergymen. For example, at the first Council in history, the “Symbol of Faith” prayer was adopted, which is currently a kind of alphabet for every believer.

It is not surprising that now this religion occupies an honorable first place in terms of prevalence, because it began to strive for its superiority a very long time ago. The Roman Empire, which professed Christianity, became one of the superpowers of that time. Currents supported in it, are widely used throughout the world.

Catholicism and Orthodoxy

1054 is a special year in the history of Christianity, since the flow was divided into two parts: catholic church and Orthodox. Although both churches have the same source, they have a number of differences that have acquired certain traditions and innovations as a result of the change.

The list of main differences is as follows:

Despite multiple differences and some misunderstandings, Catholics and Orthodox profess the same faith, so the main number of dogmas and rules they have is the same.

History of Buddhism

Buddhism is the oldest and ancient religion, which originated in the first millennium BC. This means that Buddhism is even older than Christianity. The first mentions appeared in India, to be more precise, in its northern part. Buddhism is an integral part of Indian philosophy.

The researchers believe that Buddhism owes its origin certain changes that have taken place in the life of the people. In the middle of the sixth century BC, the people of India were shocked by many changes in traditional attitudes, suffered a decline in both culture and economy, and also experienced the emergence of more categorical relations between classes. These events led to the emergence huge amount people who decide to lead an ascetic lifestyle. They began to move closer to nature or completely abandoned everything they had and began to travel around India with one bag on their shoulders. At this time, Buddhism arose, which received instant gratitude from the people.

Most scholars agree that the person who gave rise to the new religion was Siddhartha Gautama, better known as Shakyamuni Buddha. He was brought up in a very rich family. Parents and relatives protected him from the dangers and disappointments of this world in every possible way. Already quite an adult, the boy did not know about such phenomena as ailments, aging and death.

However, he did not remain in such ignorance for long. One day, leaving the walls of his palace, he became an accidental witness to the funeral procession. Of course, this came as a shock to the young man, and, unable to continue living in luxury and wealth, he went on a journey with a small group of hermits. Siddhartha hopes to find the meaning of life, thinks a lot about the causes of all disasters, as well as how to overcome them.

For six whole years he spent in wanderings, during which he realized that it was impossible to achieve peace with the help of any technique. All that remains for us is meditation and prayer. One day, while meditating once again in the bosom of nature, he suddenly felt an amazing insight and realized that enlightenment had finally come. It was from this moment that Siddhartha began to be called the Buddha. Having achieved enlightenment himself, the Buddha began to preach it to people.

Fundamentals of Religion

If not the main, then the main idea of ​​this trend is to achieve nirvana, that is, such a state of mind when, after self-denial and rejection of things that bring comfort to our lives, a person feels not deprived, but full and can contemplate everything around with calmness. This requires a special method of mind control, mastered for the first time by the Buddha.

The main flaws of people, the teacher called the incredible attachment of people to everything worldly, material goods and dependence on what others say. He rightly believed that such behavior not only does not allow us to live peacefully and happily, but also pushes us onto the path of degradation and decay. And just reaching nirvana we can get rid of these bad attachments.

Like any other religion Buddhism is based on four truths:

Interesting and very important is the fact that the Buddha's teaching does not preach an ascetic way of life. It encourages people to find the one golden mean between the material and the spiritual, so as not to be dependent on worldly goods and thereby destroy oneself.

Origin of Islam

The roots of this religion, whose name is translated as "submitting to Allah", originate among the endless deserts of the east. Despite the fact that Islam is much younger than both Christianity and Buddhism, it was able to become a world trend. “There is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah” is the main truth for every Muslim.

Adherents of the current believe that Allah passed on his teaching, called the Koran, to the prophet Muhammad. Interesting, that there are certain similarities between the Quran and the Bible, however, Muslims have a rather controversial attitude towards the writings of Christians, since there is no mention of Allah in it. They do not deny the existence of certain similarities, but they believe that the Bible is a distorted version of the Koran.

Today, Islam is divided into two branches:

• Sunnis, which is the majority of believers, follow the set of hadiths adopted by them in antiquity. Sunnis have a special guideline explaining how to lead a Muslim in a given situation. This religious practice is called Sunnah.
• The Shiites do not completely reject the Sunnahs, but they introduce their own rulings into them. Adherents of this variety of Islam believe that power in the party they represent should be in the hands of the descendants of Muhammad, that is, his daughter and cousin.

Pillars of religion

There are only five provisions that must be impeccably carried out by the followers of religion:

One of the main features of Islam from Christianity is the attitude of people towards God. Christians believe that Jesus is love, he is merciful to people, forgives their sins and tries with all his might to grant salvation. Allah, according to Muslims, is not an all-forgiving Lord, but a strict judge who will reward everyone according to their merits. Allah is not merciful to sinners, which is mentioned in the scriptures of Muslims more than 20 times.

comparison table

Characteristics of religions

Names of religions

Orthodoxy

Islam

Buddhism

Judaism

The concept of religion

Orthodoxy is literally “correct judgment”, “correct teaching” or “correct glorification”.

A direction in Christianity that took shape in the east of the Roman Empire during the 1st millennium from the birth of Christ.

It developed as an eastern branch of Christianity after the division of the Roman Empire (395 a.d.) and took shape after the division of the churches (1054

meaning of the Old Testament - salvation through fulfillment law, but meaning New Testament - salvation by grace - through the acceptance and recognition of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who washed away the sins of mankind with His blood.

Islam (Arabic “submission [to the will of God]”) is a monotheistic religion that recognizes Muhammad as a prophet, the messenger of Allah for all mankind. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims (from the word Arabic Muslimuna, "submissive").

Islam is one of the world's religions, otherwise - Islam. Islam originated among the Arab tribes of Western Arabia at the beginning of the 7th century. It was a period of disintegration of the very foundations of ancient society (including paganism) and the rise of trade cultural centers(Mecca, Medina).

Islam is not a single religious organization. Already in the second half of the 7th c. Three branches of Islam arose: Kharijitism, Sunnism and Shiism. The immediate impetus for this division was the dispute over the principles of inheritance of religious and secular authorities.

The youth of Islam. The Muslim religion arose much later than other religious systems and, unlike them, has not exhausted its possibilities. Islam is in its prime, playing an active role in the modern world.

Buddhism is the oldest world religion. It originated in the 6th century BC. e. in India. Having experienced an era of formation and prosperity in this country, Buddhism turned into world religion due to the spread to the countries of the South, Southeast, Central Asia and the Far East.

Judaism is the monotheistic national religion of the Jews. Followers of Judaism call themselves Jews.

The word "Judaism" comes from the Greek ioudaismos, introduced by Greek-speaking Jews c. 100 BC to distinguish their religion from the Greek. It goes back to the name of the fourth son of Jacob - Judah (Yehuda), whose descendants, together with the descendants of Benjamin, formed the southern - Judaic - kingdom with its capital in Jerusalem. After the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel and the dispersion of the tribes that inhabited it, the people of Judah (later known as Yehudim, Jews or Jews) became the main bearer of Jewish culture and remained so even after the destruction of their state.

Judaism was an important ideological source for the two largest religions in the world - for Christianity and Islam. The two main sacred books of Judaism - the Torah and the Tanakh - have also become sacred to Christians. Many of the ideas of these books were repeated in the holy book of Muslims - the Quran. Torah and Tanakh gave impetus to the development of the world artistic culture, so a cultured person should know what Judaism is.

holy book

The Bible is the holy book of Christians. It consists of the Old and New Testaments, the core of which is the Gospel. Most of the books of the Old Testament were written in Hebrew, with the exception of a few later books written in Aramaic. The books of the New Testament were written in Greek.

The Bible consists of individual works written by different authors at different times over 16 centuries. These works are called: "books of the New Testament" or "books of the Old Testament" and have come down to us only in translations and lists.

Orthodox Christians, speaking of the Bible, often use the term Scripture (necessarily with a capital letter) or Holy Scripture, which is part of the Holy Tradition of the Church. This fact emphasizes the importance of a correct understanding of biblical texts.

The holy book of Islam is the Quran, but Taurat Musa, Zabur Daud and Injil Isa are also recognized as divinely inspired. Therefore, Jews and Christians are not considered pagans, but people of the Scriptures.

Consists of 114 chapters, called suras.

The Koran (Arabic “reading aloud, by heart”; under the influence of the Syrian “Keriana” - “reading the sacred text”, “edification”) is the main holy book of Muslims, a record of sermons delivered by Muhammad in the form of “prophetic revelations”. The Qur'an consists of 114 chapters (suras) divided into 6204 verses (verses). Most of these verses are mythological in nature, and only about 500 verses contain instructions relating to the rules of conduct for Muslims. Another authoritative and obligatory source of law for all Muslims is the Sunnah (“Holy Tradition”), which consists of numerous stories (hadith) about the judgments and actions of Muhammad himself.

There is a fundamental difference between the Quran and the Sunnah. The Quran is the word of Allah. He was never created, like Allah himself, he exists forever. The Quran was sent down to the Prophet Muhammad through the Archangel Jabrail. Hadiths, on the other hand, are statements of the prophet (that is, a person) that were uttered at a certain moment, that is, they have their own “beginning”. At the same time, in all cases, the hadeeth must not be confused with the word of Allah. Hadith has only an explanatory status. The Qur'an is the foundation, the basis of faith.

Sharia (Muslim law) is organically linked with Islam and its teachings. This is a set of religious and legal norms, compiled on the basis of the Koran and the Sunnah, containing the norms of state, inheritance, criminal and marriage and family law. Islam considers legal institutions as part of a single law and order. Hence, the commandments and prohibitions that make up the norms of Shariah are also attributed divine significance.

The Buddha himself did not write anything. A monk named Upali recounted everything he had heard about discipline: the rules for admission to and exclusion from the sangha (monastic community), the rules governing the way of life of monks and nuns and their relationship with society. All this was combined into a body of texts called the Pali Canon (Tipitaka)

The Tipitaka consists of three parts:

The Sutta Pitaka is a collection of sutras attributed to the Buddha and several of his closest disciples, containing all the major teachings of Theravada Buddhism.

The Vinaya Pitaka is a collection of texts concerning the rules of conduct in the daily life of the Sangha - the community of bhikkhus (ordained monks) and bhikkhunis (ordained nuns). Vinaya Pitaka is far from being limited to listing the rules, it also includes the history of the origin of each rule, a detailed description of how the Buddha solved the issue of maintaining overall harmony in a large and diverse spiritual community.

The Abhidhamma Pitaka is a collection of texts in which fundamental principles the teachings presented in the Sutta Pitaka have been reworked and organized into a system that can be used to investigate the nature of mind and matter.

For more than 500 years, the teachings of the Buddha existed in the oral tradition, and only at the end of the 1st century. BC e. It was written in the Pali language on the island of Lanka (the modern island of Sri Lanka). The Pali canon was created in its entirety in the 5th century BC. n. e.

The next work is the Dhammapada, which collects 423 of the most important sayings from various texts of the Pali canon. According to tradition, the Dhammapada contains all the teachings and is understood primarily by the heart and not by the mind. Dhammapada is a Buddhist handbook. Udana contains 80 important sayings of the Buddha in both verse and prose. Itivuttaka includes 112 suttas devoted to explaining the essence of anger, passion, pride, lust and other negative states, which are opposed to friendliness, mercy, modesty, justice, etc. The sutta-nipata, containing 71 teachings, describes episodes of the life of the Buddha, his overcoming egocentrism, greed, hatred, delusions leading to the creation of unfavorable karma.

The holy books of Judaism can be divided into three groups.

The first group includes one book-volume, which is called the word Torah (translated from Hebrew - “Law”).

The second group again includes only one book-volume: Tanakh.

The third group includes a certain number of books-volumes (and each volume contains a certain number of works). This collection of sacred books is called the Talmud (“Study”).

Key person

Orthodoxy proceeds from the recognition of the triune God, the creator and ruler of the universe, the afterlife, posthumous retribution.

Trinity is a theological term reflecting the Christian doctrine of the trinity (triunity) of the One God.

All the Persons of the Divine Being are inseparable, inseparable, unchanging. The doctrine of the Trinity is the fruit of Christology, and therefore it can be considered only in connection with the doctrine of the person of Jesus Christ.

According to Orthodox teaching, Jesus Christ has a dual nature: divine and human. He was born (and not created) by God the Father before the creation of the world. In his earthly life, Jesus Christ was born as a result of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary from the Holy Spirit.

Islam requires faith in a single almighty and merciful master - Allah, in the divine destiny of the destinies and actions of people, in the afterlife after physical death.

The founder of Islam was the prophet Muhammad (c. 570-632) from the family of one of the large tribes of the Quraysh. Prone to loneliness, Muhammad indulges in pious reflections.

According to legend, in his youth, angels cut open the chest of Muhammad and washed his heart, and in 610, at the age of 40, he received the Revelation on Mount Hira during a 40-day fast, and the words of the heavenly messenger Jabrail (Archangel Gabriel) were imprinted in the heart of the Prophet as "inscription". Muhammad, with a small group of followers, suffers persecution and moves in 622 from his native Mecca to Medina. Muhammad's struggle for the establishment of a new religion - belief in one God (Allah) - ended with a victory over pagan Mecca in 630.

The founder of Buddhism is Buddha (“Enlightened One”). At birth, the Buddha received the name Siddhartha, and the name of his clan or family was Gautama. The biography of Siddhartha Gautama is known only as presented by his followers.

These traditional accounts, originally transmitted orally, were not written down until several centuries after his death. The biography of the Buddha reflects the fate real person framed by myths and legends, which over time almost completely pushed aside the historical figure of the founder of Buddhism. According to legend, at the birth of a child, his parents were predicted that he would become either a great Ruler or Teacher of the Universe. Being a man prone to reflection, he soon tired of an idle life and turned to religion.

Moses is a prophet who brought the Jews out of Egypt, where they were in slavery; through Moses, God communicated his law containing the terms of God's covenant-covenant with Israel, concluded at Mount Sinai. Moses is a key figure in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Basic ideas, provisions, laws

As a religion, the answer to Divine love, through faith in Christ and fellowship with Him

Like a creed - Supernatural Divine Revelation

As a way of life - Imitation of Christ, a look at all the circumstances of life through the prism of future eternity

Islam contains the following main tenets:

1. Faith in Allah. In contrast to the Christian doctrine of the divine Trinity, Islam claims that God is one. In Islam, the principle of monotheism is carried out more consistently than in other religions.

2. Belief in angels and demons. In the view of Muslims, these are natural beings who carry out the will of Allah. These include Jabrail, Mikail, Asrafil, Azrael. Muslims also believe in the existence of the angels of death - Nakir and Munkara, the guardian of paradise - Ridwin, the guardian of hell - Malik. According to Islamic doctrine, every Muslim during his lifetime has two angels who record his good and evil (sinful) deeds, which determine his afterlife in heaven or hell.

3. Belief in the holiness of the Qur'an. It is considered the Word of God, the Divine "Revelation, which Allah transmitted in the form of a vision to Muhammad for 22 years, that is, until the end of his life. Therefore, in Muslim theology, the dogma of the uncreated, eternity of the Koran is accepted.

4. Faith in the prophets and in the messenger of Muhammad. The Quran contains many biblical characters from Adam to Jesus Christ. The names of the prophets are given: Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (My-tear), Isa (Jesus), Nuh (Noah), etc. Among all the prophets, preference is given to the "messenger of Allah", the "seal of the prophets" Muhammad.

5. Belief in heaven and hell. Muslims imagined paradise as a wonderful place where everything is in abundance: excellent food, clean cool water, rivers of milk, honey and wine, all kinds of pleasures, etc. And in hell - endless torture and torment.

6. Belief in divine predestination. This is one of the most important dogmas, according to which there is nothing that does not depend on the will of Allah.

7. Belief in the immortality of the soul, leaving the body at the time of death, in the resurrection from the dead on the day of the Last Judgment.

Islam relies on five "pillars of faith" (lasso ad-din), indicating the most important duties of a Muslim.

Buddhism is based on four basic truths:

1. Duhka (suffering). 2. Cause of suffering. 3. Suffering can be ended. 4. There is a path leading to the cessation of suffering. Thus, suffering is the main idea contained in Buddhism. The main provisions of this religion say that suffering can be not only physical, but also mental. Already birth is suffering. And illness, and death, and even unsatisfied desire. Suffering is a constant component of human life and, rather, even a form of human existence. However, suffering is unnatural, and therefore it is necessary to get rid of it.

Buddhism, whose main ideas are the desire for enlightenment and self-knowledge, believes that the cause of suffering is ignorance. It is ignorance that triggers the chain of events that lead to suffering. And ignorance consists in a misconception about one's own "I". One of the key theories of Buddhism is the denial of the individual self.

The so-called “middle path” leads to knowledge, and therefore liberation from suffering (nirvana). The essence of the "middle way" is to avoid any extremes, to rise above opposites, to look at the problem as a whole. Thus, a person achieves liberation by giving up any opinions and inclinations, giving up his "I

A person who seeks to prolong his life (i.e., suffering) is an ignoramus. In order to avoid ignorance, it is necessary to destroy any desire, and this is possible only through the destruction of ignorance, which consists in the isolation of one's "I". So, we come to the conclusion that the essence of Buddhism is the rejection of one's "I

According to the main idea of ​​Judaism, believers should honor the prophets.

Prophets are people to whom God has given the task and opportunity to proclaim the truth to people. And the truth that they proclaimed had two main parts: the truth about the right religion (how to believe in God) and the truth about the right life (how to live). In the truth about right religion, a particularly important element (part by part) was the story of what awaits people in the future. The Tanakh mentions 78 prophets and 7 prophetesses. The veneration of the prophets in Judaism is expressed in the form of a respectful conversation about them in sermons and in everyday life. Among all the prophets, two great ones stand out: Elijah and Moses. These prophets are also honored in the form of special ritual actions during the religious holiday of Pesach.

The Jewish faith is based on the following principles.

1. The concept of God as absolutely perfect, absolute reason and omnipotence, the source of goodness, love and justice, which acts in relation to man not only as a creator, but also as a father.

2. The concept of life as a dialogue between God and man, conducted both at the level of the individual, and at the level of the people and at the level of all mankind as a whole.

3. The doctrine of the absolute value of a person (as an individual, as well as peoples, and also of all mankind as a whole) - as an immortal spiritual being created by God in his own image and likeness, the doctrine of the ideal purpose of a person, which consists in endless, all-round, spiritual improvement.

4. The doctrine of the equality of all people in their relationship to God: each person is a son of God, the road to improvement in the direction of union with God is open to everyone, all people are given the means to achieve this destiny - free will and divine help.

5. The doctrine of the complete domination of the spiritual principle over matter, but at the same time the spiritual value of the material world as well: God is the unconditional Lord of matter, as its creator, and he handed over to man domination over the material world in order to realize his own through the material body and in the material world ideal destination.

6. The doctrine of the coming of the Messiah (Mashiach), when "they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into sickles; the people will not lift a sword against the people, and they will no longer learn to fight, and the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord" (Is.2: 4 ). Mashiach is a king, a direct descendant of King David, and should be anointed to the kingdom by the prophet Elijah (Eliyahu), who was taken to heaven alive.

7. The doctrine of the resurrection from the dead at the end of days, that is, the belief that at a certain time the dead will be revived in the flesh and will live again on earth.

Articles of Faith

The symbols of Orthodoxy are the cross. The religious symbol of Orthodox believers is the cross, and four, and six, and the eight-pointed cross are recognized.

The creed is a prayer in which the basic truths of the Orthodox faith are stated in brief and precise words.

12 symbols of the Orthodox faith.

The entire Creed consists of twelve members, and each of them contains a special truth, or, as they also call it, the dogma of our Orthodox faith.

The 1st member speaks of God the Father, the 2nd to 7th members speak of God the Son, the 8th - of God the Holy Spirit, the 9th - of the Church, the 10th - of baptism, the 11th and 12 th - about the resurrection of the dead and about eternal life.

The main emblem of the youngest world religion, Islam, founded by the prophet of Allah, Muhammad (570-632), is a crescent with a star inside. The emblem denotes divine patronage, growth, rebirth, and, together with the star, paradise.

Wheel of law, Dharma - the main symbol of Buddhism.

The two main symbols of Buddhism are the image of the Buddha himself, sitting in the lotus position, and the Dharma chakra (wheel of law). Other common symbols in Buddhism are the Buddhist flag, the Bhwachakra (Wheel of Life) and the color orange.

One of the external symbols of Judaism since the 19th century is the six-pointed Star of David. He is also the most recognizable.

A more ancient symbol of Judaism is the menorah, which stood in the tabernacle in the Jerusalem temple.

Another symbol of Judaism is two rectangular tablets located side by side with a rounded top edge. Sometimes 10 commandments are engraved on the tablets in full or abbreviated form, or the first 10 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which serve for the symbolic numbering of the commandments.

Sacred rites: list and reveal each

Orthodoxy recognizes seven sacraments (sacred rites):

1. Baptism - the introduction of a person to the church. It is performed by three times immersion in water in the name of the Holy Trinity. In Orthodoxy, baptism is performed both on adults who have passed the "announcement" (conscious acceptance of the pores), and on infants according to the faith of the recipients ( godparents). Orthodoxy recognizes valid baptism in any Christian denomination, performed in the name of the Holy Trinity. Unlike other sacraments, it can be performed in exceptional cases (absence of a priest, illness of a child) by any lay Christian. But at the first opportunity, the baptized, thus, the person and the person who performed the baptism, must go to the temple to the priest, who will check the correctness of the perfect rite and "complete" it.

2. Confirmation - a ceremony performed immediately after baptism. It is performed by anointing parts of the body (forehead, palms, feet) with holy ointment - a special aromatic oil consecrated by the Council of Bishops. Means the introduction to the title of a layman - a member of the church.

3. Repentance - confession of sins before a priest - a spiritual father. In Orthodoxy, repentance, combined with the absolution of sins (confession), occurs both according to the conscious will of the penitent, and in the absence of his will, for example, in relation to a seriously ill person, in an unconscious state - the so-called "deaf confession".

4. Communion (Eucharist) - the communion of the believer to Christ. It takes place during the main Orthodox worship- liturgies by eating small portions of bread and wine, embodying the body and blood of Christ.

According to Holy Scripture, the first Eucharist was celebrated by Christ himself during the evening meal on the eve of his betrayal into the hands of enemies. He gave the apostles bread and wine, which, having blessed, he called his body and blood. According to Orthodox doctrine, the Eucharist has the meaning of a bloodless sacrifice, as an expression of the Savior's sacrifice on the Cross.

5. Priesthood (consecration to the clergy) - an expression of the apostolic succession of the church hierarchy through the transmission of the gifts of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. The meaning of the priesthood is to give the recipient the opportunity to perform the sacraments. In Orthodoxy, the priesthood has three degrees (episcopate, presbyternate, diaconate), which make up the church hierarchy - the clergy. The powers of the hierarchy include the priesthood (administering the sacraments), pastoring (care for the spiritual life of church members), and teaching (preaching the Word of God).

A bishop possesses the entirety of sacramental function, including the ordination of presbyters and deacons. In Orthodox churches, patriarchs, metropolitans, all bishops (regardless of differences, but in terms of power and in part), archbishops are equal in grace, while in Catholicism the highest bishop (the Pope of Rome) constitutes a special the highest degree priesthood - primate.

The ordination of bishops is carried out both by the senior bishop of any of the Orthodox churches, and by the Council of Bishops (Bishops). Unlike bishops, presbyters (priests, archpriests) have limited occult action - the right to perform all the sacraments, except for ordination. Deacons have only the right to assist the presbyters in the secret service.

6. Marriage is the grace-filled consecration of the union of a man and a woman who are members of the church for a common Christian life and childbearing. The Orthodox Church, unlike the Catholic Church, recognizes the possibility of de sacralization of the sacrament of marriage - its dissolution, but within limited limits, with many reservations and restrictions (infertility of any of the spouses, proven adultery, committing a serious crime, excommunication of one of the spouses from the church).

7. Unction (unction) - a special rite performed over the sick or dying, informing the healing of the soul and giving strength to accept Christian death.

Icons are a special object of worship for the Orthodox.

The Orthodox Church also attaches great importance to holidays and fasts.

Reading the Quran.

Namaz (prayer).

Circumcision of the foreskin.

Alms.

Hajj (pilgrimage). Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina (the places where the activities of Muhammad took place) is not an indispensable obligation, but every adult Muslim should strive to perform the Hajj at least once in his life.

Dzul-khural

This is the name of the "sanctified rite" performed late autumn. It combines the Buddhist teaching of rebirth with the primitive cult of animals and the cult of ancestors. Datsan temples are illuminated from the outside and from the inside with many candles, by the light of which believers repent for cases of mistreatment of domestic animals in front of the image of the gods.

Naydani Khural

A rite dedicated to hermits (naidans) elevated to the rank of deities. It also takes place in autumn. Hanging images of naidans, emphasizing their decrepitude, indifference to everything around them, the lamas tell believers that the naidans were once worldly people, but, having gone into hermitage, they deserved salvation. The Naidani Khural emphasizes the danger of any attachment to life, for this attachment leads to bad rebirths.

Obo

Obo is a rite adopted by Lamaism from shamanism. In Buryatia, for example, it usually takes place in the summer, before the start of haymaking. Near a heap of stones piled on a hilltop, a mountainside, on a pass, lamas and believers read prayers in which they ask for help from the spirits - the "masters of the area." A sacrifice is left on the stones - food, coins, silk scarves (hadak). They pray especially hard near the obo during a drought, because, according to the assurance of the lamas, the rain is sent by the "masters of the area." During the obo, cattle are often slaughtered.

There are also obos dedicated to the deities of the lamaist pantheon.

Usu tyalgn

In Kalmykia, a rite close to ritual is occasionally observed, usu tyalgn, i.e., sacrifices to the spirit - "the owner of the water." To increase the catch of fish, a goat kid is slaughtered on a specially constructed raft driven into the sea, whose blood flows into a cauldron with freshly boiled fish soup under the spells.

Life cycle rituals are to varying degrees decorated with Buddhist symbolism: specific Buddhist rites dedicated to birth or marriage are practically absent, while initiation rites and funeral rites are of great importance. The main rite of initiation is performed at the initiation into novices, and then (usually at the age of at least 20 years) into full monasticism. During these rites, the head is completely shaved, and the neophyte changes the secular clothes for the yellow monastic robe donated by the laity; then he pronounces the usual formula containing the acceptance of the patronage of the "three jewels" - the Buddha, the dharma (teaching) and the sangha; this is followed by a test ceremony, when the head monk or abbot of the monastery asks the neophyte a series of questions about his readiness for initiation. In Mahayana Buddhism, special rites are provided for when taking "bodhisattva vows", expressing the neophyte's desire to achieve enlightenment and devote himself to liberation from the suffering of all living beings, including people. In Vajrayana (tantric Buddhism), complex rituals are added to enter different stages of perfection; these rituals include the recitation of mantras (magic formulas), meditation, the use of sacred objects (such as the vajra) and other elements. Funeral rites are important because for Buddhists, the periods immediately before death and after it are of great importance for the further rebirth of the dying person. On his deathbed, the monks read texts that speak of the frailty of being and the transitory nature of death; a similar recitation continues over the body of the deceased (usually for three days). These practices are common in most Buddhist countries, but have reached a particular intensity in Tibetan Buddhism, where there is a special sacred book - "guide" of the soul in the afterlife - the bardo (a transitional state between death and a new birth). A number of Buddhist rites are directly related to the main goal - achieving enlightenment: such are, for example, meditative and yogic practices, ritual manipulation with sacred objects (vajras and bells in Vajrayana), chanting mantras (especially in Amidism, the Nichiren school, Tibetan Buddhism), singing sacred texts or formulas, etc. At the same time a large number of folk rituals are associated with the protection and acquisition of good power, many of which date back to pre-Buddhist local beliefs: a set of rituals for appeasing “hungry spirits” (preta), reading protective spells (paritta), magical “charging” of amulets, binding oneself with a special thread with the image of the Buddha , rites of expulsion of evil forces and healing (for example, in Tibet, preserved from the local Bon religion). In China, the ritual of releasing animals into the wild was very common, which was supposed to bring a huge amount of karmic merit to those who perform it.

The most common rite in Judaism is prayer. The power of prayer, according to believers, is so great that any miracle can be performed with its help.

Mezuzah and Dicit. Judaism requires the believer to hang a mezuzah and wear tzitzit without fail. Mezuzah - a piece of parchment on which verses from Deuteronomy are written; the rolled scroll is placed in a wooden or metal case and attached to the door frame. Tzitzit - brushes from woolen threads attached to the edges of the arbakanfot, i.e. to a quadrangular piece of cloth worn by religious Jews under outerwear.

Calores. The magical rite of kapores is performed on the night before the Day of Judgment and consists in the fact that a man twirls a rooster three times over his head (a woman - a chicken), saying a special prayer three times. Then the bird is slaughtered and the meat is eaten on the night of the end of the day of judgment.

Lulav. The ancient ritual of Lulav is performed during prayer during the days of the autumn Jewish feast of tabernacles (Sukkot). The worshiper should hold a lulav in one hand, consisting of a palm branch tied with three myrtle and two willow branches, and in the other an esrog, a special kind of lemon, and shake the air with them, which supposedly serves as a magical means to cause wind and rain.

Tashlich. On the day of the Jewish New Year (rosh hashanah), believers gather by the river, read passages from the Old Testament book of Micah and sing religious hymns. While reading prayers, believers shake out their pockets and throw crumbs of bread into the water, believing that in this way they are freed from sins.

Kosher and clubs. According to Jewish doctrine, food is divided into permitted (kosher) and unlawful (tref). You can eat the meat of ruminants, poultry, slaughtered according to the rules of shehita (ritual slaughter). It is forbidden to eat meat and dairy food at the same time. Pork is a taboo food.

Circumcision. Judaism attaches special importance to the fulfillment of this rite: the fulfillment of this “great covenant” by Yahweh is considered a guarantee of the religious exclusivity of the Jewish people.

Ablution. The believer is prescribed on the eve of Saturday and other religious holidays to take a bath in a mikveh - a specially equipped pool with rain or spring water, preceding each prayer with the washing of hands.

Holidays

The most revered common Christian holiday is Easter.

Easter is "holidays". Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring equinox.

Easter is the main event of the year for Orthodox Christians and the biggest Orthodox holiday. The word "Easter" came to us from Greek and means "transition", "deliverance".

Adjacent to it are the twelfth holidays - the 12 most significant holidays of Orthodoxy: Baptism of the Lord, Candlemas, Annunciation, Transfiguration, Nativity of the Virgin, Entry into the Temple of the Virgin, Assumption of the Virgin, Trinity (Pentecost), Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Ascension of the Lord, Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord and Christmas Christ.

There are twelve major holidays. The liturgical year in Orthodoxy begins in the fall, from September, and in this regard, the location of the holidays is as follows: the Nativity of the Virgin (Sept. 821), the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Sept. December 25, January 7), Baptism of the Lord (Theophany) (Jan 619), Annunciation (March 25, April 7), Transfiguration of the Lord (Aug 619), Assumption of the Mother of God (Aug 1528).

Easter, the Feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, occupies a special place among Christian holidays. The Church established that Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring equinox and full moon. Thus, Easter in Orthodoxy is celebrated between March 22 and April 25, according to the old style.

Two great holidays:

Eid ul-Fitr (Ramadan Bairam - the feast of breaking the fast)

Eid ul-Adha (Kurban Bayram - the feast of sacrifice).

A special place was given to such days as Juma (Friday), the Day of Arafat, the Day of Ashura and the Night of Predestination. They were defined as a time of diligent worship of Allah, and not as a time for celebration and fun.

There are relatively few holidays in modern Lamaism.

However, they are celebrated with great pomp, accompanied by complex rituals.

Tsagalgan

Tsagalgan (tsagansara, i.e. white month) is one of the most famous and still observed holidays of Lamaism. It is timed to coincide with the beginning of the new year, according to the old Mongolian (lunar) calendar. During the 16 days of this holiday, a whole series of ceremonies dedicated to the "twelve miracles of the Buddha" are held.

The Maidari cycle

The Maidari cycle, or Maidri-khural, is the most magnificent of the holidays held now in datsans. Usually it takes place with a large gathering of believers; the holding of this holiday should hasten the coming of the coming Buddha to earth and the establishment of a happy and joyful life for him.

The holiday is held in the summer months, in the midst of agricultural work.

There are three main holidays that are important for any Buddhist:

Vesak, Donchog, Buddha's day is the most sacred day for all Buddhists, because it is a thrice blessed day, marked by the birth, enlightenment and passing of the Buddha. Vesak Day coincides with the full moon in the lunar month of Visakha (May).

Asalha, the Dharma day, indicates how the first five followers, following the instructions of the Buddha, became members of the Fellowship. It was in moon month Asalha (July), on the day of the full moon. On the day of Asalhi, the secluded period begins - Vaso, which coincides with the beginning of the rainy season in Asia. This is the period during which the members of the Sangha do not wander and remain in one place.

Kathin, the Sangha day, is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Kathin (October) and ends the vaso period.

Other Buddhist holidays:

Sagaalgan, New Year. The Chinese, Tibetans, Mongols, Vietnamese, Buryats and Tuvans celebrate the arrival of the New Year on the first spring new moon according to the lunar calendar. Since the lunar year is shorter than the solar year by about a month, the onset of the New Year does not have a fixed date and can fluctuate within a month and a half (from the end of January to the first decade of March). Calculate this date in advance according to astrological tables.

Duinhor is celebrated in May. The holiday is associated with the beginning of the preaching of Kalachakra - one of the important components of the Vajrayana philosophy. Those who are familiar with the philosophical depths of Buddhism gather in the temple on a holiday.

Dzul is a holiday dedicated to the memory (day of entering nirvana) of the founder of the Tibetan Gelug school - Tsongkhava. The feast of lamps is the second name of this day, because. on this day, at nightfall, thousands of oil lamps are lit inside and outside the monasteries. They are extinguished only at dawn. Monks read prayers, believing lay people make offerings to the temple. Dzul is celebrated annually on December 25th.

Lhabab duisen, the descent of the Buddha from the sky Tushita is a common Buddhist holiday. Time of its carrying out: the end of October - November. The essence of the holiday is in the decision of the Buddha to gain the last earthly birth and open the "way of the Buddha" to everyone.

The festival in honor of the Tooth of the Buddha is celebrated only by followers of Theravada (the southern and earliest branch of Buddhism). The holiday is held only on the island of Sri Lanka in the city of Kandy in the Dalada Maligawa temple, where this main relic of Buddhism is kept. The time of the holiday: the end of July - the beginning of August, and its duration is two weeks.

I would like to note that this is not a complete list of Buddhist holidays. There are a lot of them: each country and each temple has its own holidays, but those presented here, perhaps, can be considered the most important.

Easter is a spring holiday, celebrated in honor of the "exodus" of the Jews from Egypt. The idea of ​​waiting for the Messiah is introduced into the celebration of Easter.

Shebuot is a holiday in memory of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai to the prophet Moses seven days after the exodus. It is celebrated on the fiftieth day after the second day of Easter.

Sukkot, kushi - a holiday in memory of wandering in the wilderness, "when the sons of Israel lived in tents." The last day of Sukkot is called Simchat Torah (Joy of the Torah). On this day, solemn processions are made in the synagogues with Torah scrolls in their hands and with the singing of laudatory psalms addressed to Yahweh. Simchat Torah was established due to the fact that on this day the annual cycle of public (in synagogues) reading of the Pentateuch ends and its repeated annual reading begins.

New Year (rosh-gashana) and judgment day (nom-kippur) are holidays on which, according to Jewish doctrine, all the inhabitants of the world seem to pass before Yahweh, and he, delving into all the affairs of people, pronounces a sentence on each person individually " merit."

Territories where believers live

Greece,

Cyprus,

Bulgaria,

Romania,

Macedonia,

Montenegro,

Serbia,

Bosnia,

Belarus,

Ukraine,

Russia,

Syria,

Ethiopia,

Eritrea,

Egypt (Coptic Orthodox Church, Egyptian Orthodox Church),

Georgia,

Armenia,

Japan (partial)..

Albania

Algeria

Afghanistan

Bangladesh Kingdom of Bahrain Brunei Darussalam

Burkina Faso

Republic of the Gambia

Guinea

Djibouti

Arab Republic of Egypt

Indonesia Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Iraq

Iran

Yemen

Kazakhstan Qatar

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Kyrgyzstan

Islamic Republic of Comoros

Republic of Kosovo

Ivory Coast

State of Kuwait Lebanon

Libya

Mauritania Federation of Malaya Republic of Mali

Kingdom of Morocco

Niger

Nigeria

UAE

Sultanate of Oman

Pakistan

Palestinian Kingdom Saudi Arabia Republic of Senegal Republic of Sierra Leone

Syrian Arab Republic

Somalia

Sudanese Republic

Tajikistan

Tunisia

Turkmenistan

Türkiye

Uzbekistan

Chad

Eritrea

Buddhism is most widespread in Tibet, Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Vietnam, Korea, China and Japan. On the territory of Russia, Buddhism is represented primarily as the main religion in Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia.

The largest ethnic groups among the Jews are the Ashkenazim (from Central and Eastern Europe, in particular, almost all the Jews of Russia) and the Sephardi (originally from Spain and Portugal, then scattered throughout the Mediterranean).

And also Jews live in more than 50 countries of the world, on different continents.

Religion has existed for as long as humanity has existed. In the course of life, people in one way or another encounter it. There is no single religion in the modern world. They differ from each other in dogma and cult, peculiarities of dogma and church structure, in the number of flocks, time and place of origin. The most important conquest of the 20th century. became the principle of freedom of conscience, according to which each person decides whether to profess his religion or remain an unbeliever.

Currently, most religious scholars speak of such established creeds as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Jainism, Taoism and Bahaism. None of the world religions during its coexistence was able to maintain internal unity. Each has undergone numerous splits and consists of various branches that have a single historical foundation.

The oldest religion Hinduism is the fruit of five thousand years of development of the religious thought of India. It has no founder or prophet, no spiritual hierarchy and unified canons. It is more of a way of life or culture than an ordered religious tradition. Hinduism is a conglomerate different directions, movements, religious schools and sects, is a kind of "parliament of religions". In Hinduism, there is no dualistic (dual coexistence of two different states that are not characteristic of unity, for example, God and the devil, spirit and matter, etc.) perception of the world. Truth appears to the Hindu as a hierarchical system of minor truths. Moreover, in this hierarchy there is no place for lies, since even delusion is a state of only a lower order.

There are no heretical forms in Hinduism, as there is no orthodoxy.

A product of Hinduism in the public sphere is the caste system. According to its regulations, the whole society is divided into brahmin priests, kshatriya rulers and warriors, vaishya farmers and merchants, sudra artisans and hired workers. The untouchables do the dirtiest work. The caste status of a person is assigned to him for life. Each caste has its own truth, its own duty, according to which its life is built. An attempt to change one's social status, according to Hinduism, is meaningless, since it is the objective result of karma - the sum of all actions and their consequences committed by a living being.

Karma is the destiny of man. Therefore, India does not know the peasant wars or workers' uprisings well known to us from the history of other countries, there were no revolutions in India either. Even the struggle of the Indians for independence assumed a non-violent character.

Hinduism is a polytheistic religion. In the beginning, Hindus worshiped gods who personified the forces of nature. The main carriers of Hinduism in the ancient period - the nomadic tribes of the Aryans - invaded the territory of Hindustan at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. The ancient Aryans did not know the temple cult, so the main Hindu ritual of that period was the fire rite. Later, during the transition of the Aryans to settled life and with the formation of the first Hindu states, Hinduism also changed. This stage of his development is called Brahmanism. A trinity is put forward as the supreme gods: Brahma the creator; Vishnu the protector; Shiva is the destroyer of the world. Therefore, Hindus can be divided into several areas: Vishnuites, who revere Vishnu (they also include well-known Krishnaites in Russia); shaivites - they worshiped Shiva, as well as shoktists who worship female deities.

In the IV-VI centuries. Brahmanism undergoes some transformation under the influence of Buddhism. The methods of achieving the spiritual ideal and Hinduism are also changing. If earlier it was necessary to engage in meditation, study the scriptures, and be an ascetic in order to achieve unity with a Brahman, then in modern Hinduism, in order to achieve unity with Krishna, one must be a bhakta (loving), i.e. love god. This path is much more accessible and suitable for both the Brahmin and the Shudra - the lower class.

Hinduism is contradictory: the heights of religious thought are combined in it with ridiculous (in our opinion) prejudices and the most primitive magic, ideological tolerance - with inertia in ritual and social life.

At the beginning of this century, the number of Hindus exceeded 900 million people. Of these, more than 90% are in South Asia. Most of the Hindus live in India - this is 850 million people, or 80% of the country's population.

Buddhism younger than Hinduism and genetically related to it. It arose in the VI-V centuries. BC. as a protest against the norms of the caste system, Brahmin rituals and the dominance of the priesthood. The founder of Buddhism was a real historical figure - Prince Sizdhartka Gautama, nicknamed Buddha ("enlightened"). The purpose of his religion, the Buddha considered the deliverance of man from suffering. According to the teachings of Buddhism, a person's life in the world is an endless stream of rebirths (samsara), determined by a combination of non-material particles (drachmas). Buddhists do not believe in the transmigration of souls and reincarnation, rejecting the very existence of an immortal soul. The purpose of Buddhism is to interrupt the flow of rebirths. Buddhism claims that the essence of life is suffering, the cause of suffering is desire and attachment. Therefore, its most important principle is non-resistance to evil by violence. Any resistance to injustice, according to the social teaching of Buddhism, is meaningless, since it excites passions that lead to suffering.

The Buddha called on his followers (adepts) to uproot all their desires and attachments, thereby internally freeing themselves from the shackles that human life carries. The state of holiness, in which there is no place for greed, intrigues, hatred, i.e. complete inner freedom is called nirvana.

The basic idea of ​​Buddhism was formulated in the Buddha's sermons on the "four noble truths". The first truth says that existence is suffering that every living being experiences and is eternally doomed to. The second truth states that the cause of suffering is desire, hatred, envy, and so on. The Third Noble Truth says that if the causes of anxiety are removed, suffering will cease. The fourth truth indicates the so-called middle path, avoiding both extreme self-restraint and endless enjoyment.

Following this path (the path of the Buddha) leads to the achievement of inner peace, when a person can control his thoughts and feelings, when he is friendly, full of compassion and sympathy for all living beings.

Even during the life of the Buddha (Buddha ended his earthly life in the 80th year, in the 44th year of his teaching, near the city of Kushinagar in Nepal), a community of followers formed around him - monks. For laymen who did not take monastic vows, five commandments were defined: do not kill, do not lie, do not steal, do not commit adultery, and do not drink alcohol. Most Buddhists are vegetarians, or abstain from eating meat if they can refuse. There are five vegetables that are not eaten because their smell is believed to attract evil, namely: garlic, onion, leek, spring onion, chives.

By the beginning of our era, there were two main directions in Buddhism that exist to this day. They are hinayama (narrow path) and mahayama (broad path). Hinayama adherents scrupulously follow the principles of early Buddhism, consider the Buddha a historical figure, and believe that only monks can achieve nirvana. Ritualism in Hinayama is quite simple. This direction is followed by a third of the Buddhists of the world (Sri Lanka, Miami, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia).

About two-thirds of Buddhists adhere to the Mahayama direction (China, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, etc.). Lamaism is considered a variety of Mahayama, characterized by a developed cult, complex rituals, deification of the Buddha. Here, great importance is attached to rituals, black and white magic, with the help of which one can achieve nirvana. On the territory of Russia - in Buryatia, Tuva, Kalmykia, the majority of believing Buddhists belong to Lamaism.

Jainism- a contemporary of Buddhism VI-V centuries. to yae. Its emergence is another attempt to reform Hinduism, making it more democratic. Jainism rejects the caste system and gender discrimination, does not recognize the authority of the Vedas (the holy scriptures of Hinduism), opposes the worship of the gods, does not recognize the existence of God the Creator. Most (95%) of them live in India.

Confucianism and Taoism originated in China in the 5th-6th centuries. BC. as philosophical and ethical teachings, which eventually transformed into a religion. Confucianism focuses on the formation of norms of human behavior in the family and society, requiring unconditional obedience of the younger to the elder, the student to the teacher, and the subordinate to the boss. Confucianism cultivates chivalry.

The supreme deity of the Confucian pantheon is Sky (Tian). The ruler of China is perceived as the son of Heaven, the father of the nation. The ideal society, according to Confucius, consists of two layers - tops and bottoms: the first think and manage, the second - work and obey. The system of Confucian virtues includes philanthropy, filial piety, respect for learning, etc. as a result, the desire to get an education.

The founder of Taoism is Lao Tzu. Taoism requires its adherents to humbly follow the general flow of life without resisting it. Taoist priests practice numerous magical rites, divination, and are engaged in healing. Special meaning in Taoism, it is given to the achievement of physical immortality. It is realized by harmonization internal forces body with the help of proper) nutrition, special gymnastics (qigong), regulation of sexual energy.

Most Chinese are not limited to just one of these religions. The religion of the Chinese is a combination of three teachings: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Their alloy is called the Chinese traditional religion - San-jiao. The total number of adherents of Confucianism, Taoism and the Chinese form of Buddhism is estimated at about 300 million people, accounting for about a quarter of China's population. Confucianism is also practiced by approximately 5 million Koreans in the Republic of Korea.

Judaism- the first monotheistic (recognizing monotheism) religion in the history of mankind, which arose in the Middle East in the 2nd millennium BC. Judaism arose and developed among the pastoral tribes of the Jewish people. Jews believe in one God - the creator of the universe and man, in the immortality of the human soul, posthumous retribution, paradise and the kingdom of the dead, God's chosen people. According to the views of the Jews, God made a covenant (contract) with the Jews, according to which he delivered them from Egyptian slavery and settled them in Palestine (the Promised Land). In turn, the Jews are obliged to honor God and fulfill his commandments. Therefore, Judaism is a religion of law, and Jews must observe numerous religious precepts. First of all, ethical - the famous ten commandments (do not make yourself an idol, do not kill, do not steal, do not covet your neighbor's wife and property, etc.). In addition, for them there are complex norms of everyday behavior, marriage regulations, food prohibitions. Judaists are waiting for the coming of the heavenly deliverer - the Messiah, who will make a righteous judgment on the living and the dead. The righteous are promised eternal life in heaven, while sinners are doomed to suffer in the afterlife.

The holy scripture of the Jews is the Tanakh, which consists of three parts: the Torah (Pentateuch of Moses), Nebiim (Prophets) and Ketubim (Scripture). An important role in Judaism is also played by the Talmud - a set of treatises on cult and religious and legal issues. The Talmudic prescriptions almost completely replaced the ritual practice that existed before 70 AD, when the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem, built by Solomon, and evicted the Jews from Palestine. Since it was impossible to restore the Temple, the Jews abandoned the complex temple ritual and began to build synagogues - houses of religious meetings, and the place of priests was taken by rabbis - teachers of religious law, who also perform judicial functions.

Currently, more than 14 million Jews live around the world, most of them in the USA, Israel (more than 80% of the population) and the CIS.

Another religion that emerged in the Middle East around the same time as Judaism was Zoroastrianism, the founder of which, which gave it its name, was the prophet Zarathushtra. Zoroastrianism is a dualistic religion, which is based on the concept of confrontation in the world of Good and Evil principles. The world, according to the Zoroastrians, is a battlefield between Good and Evil, and a person must choose which side he is on. After the decisive battle, which, according to the Zoroastrians, is already approaching, the righteous will go to heaven, and evil and its minions will be cast into hell. An important role in the Zoroastrian cult is played by fire, which is attributed to purifying power, hence the second name of the Zoroastrians - fire worshipers.

In the VI-VII centuries. Zoroastrianism was the state religion of Iran; there were many adherents of this doctrine in the territory of today's Azerbaijan. Everything changed with the invasion of Islam. Now there are about 300 thousand Zoroastrians, most of them live in India and Iran. However, this doctrine had a noticeable impact on the spiritual life of many peoples. Elements of Zoroastrianism can be identified in both Christianity and Islam.

Approximately one third of the world's population Christians. Christianity was born at the beginning of the 1st century. in the Middle East. One can judge its place in the fate of mankind by the fact that the countdown of the new era started from the Nativity of Christ, from the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of this religion.

Christianity originated among the Jewish people and is genetically related to Judaism. Christians recognize the God of Judaism (for them it is God the Father), the authority of the Tanakh (Old Testament), believe in the immortality of the soul, heaven and hell. This is where the similarity ends.

If the Jews are still waiting for the coming of the Messiah, then the Christians believe that he has already come to them: he was Jesus Christ,

God's Son. The God of Christians is one in three persons: Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit. Most followers of Christianity revere Jesus Christ as the God-man, combining two natures: divine and human. They recognize the virgin birth of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. Thus, the idea of ​​the incarnation belongs to Christianity, i.e. combination of the ideal, spiritual, divine and bodily principles in the image of Jesus Christ.

By his martyrdom on the cross, he atoned for the sins of the people. God in Christianity is not a dead idol or an unattainable ideal, it was a living person who preferred suffering, abuse and gave his life for all the people in the world. Unlike other religions that call to come to God, in Christianity God came to man. The main commandment of Christ to people is the commandment of love for neighbor, patience and forgiveness.

At present, Christianity has broken up into a large number of competing directions. The first major church schism took place in 1054 and led to the formation of Orthodoxy and Catholicism, which differ from each other in terms of doctrine, cult and organization. For example, Catholics are organizationally united, the head of their church is the Pope. In turn, Orthodoxy is divided into 15 autocephalous (independent) churches: Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Russian, Cyprus, Georgian, Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Polish, Czechoslovak, Helladic, Albanian, American. There is no complete unity between Orthodox and Catholics on the calendar issue. There are differences in the dogmatic area.

In Catholicism, all the clergy are celibate, while in Orthodoxy only monks adhere to it.

Catholicism became the spiritual basis of Western civilization, and Orthodoxy - Eastern, Slavic. If Catholicism is a supranational church, then Orthodoxy, on the contrary, managed to merge closely with each of the peoples that converted it to Christianity. Russians, Greeks, Serbs have a church and national idea, church and state are inseparable, one is perceived as a continuation of the other. A special branch of Orthodoxy is the Old Believers. Disagreements with the official church concern mainly the ceremonial side.

Currently, there are more than five times fewer Orthodox Christians than Catholics. They make up about 9% of all Christians and 3% of the world's population. Followers of Catholicism unite 50% of Christians in the world - this is more than 17% of the world's population.

In the XVI century. As a result of the Reformation, Protestantism broke away from Catholicism. At the forefront, Protestants put the direct communication of believers with Christ through the Bible, without the mediation of priests. The cult in Protestantism is extremely simplified and cheapened, there is no worship of the Mother of God and saints, there is no veneration of relics and icons. Salvation, as Protestantism teaches, is achieved by personal faith, and not by the performance of rites and good deeds. There is no institution of monasticism in Protestantism either, it does not represent a single whole either in dogmatic or organizational terms and is divided into many currents. The earliest Protestant denominations are Anglicanism, Lutheranism and Calvinism.

In Anglicanism, the head of the church is the King of England, and in matters of doctrine, the decisive role belongs to Parliament, whose upper house includes Anglican bishops. Lutheranism got its name from its founder Martin Luther (1483-1546). In Lutheran churches - kirchs - there are no murals, images, but the crucifix is ​​preserved. Pastors and bishops are elected. There is no sharp boundary between the clergy and the laity, since the principle of universal priesthood is recognized. The centers of Lutheranism are Germany and the Scandinavian countries, as well as the USA.

Calvinism (reformism) occupies the most radical position in Protestantism. Founded by the French theologian John Calvin (1509-1564). Calvinism completely eliminated the church hierarchy. The Calvinist Church consists of communities independent of each other - congregations governed by councils. Images in churches are not allowed, the cross has ceased to be an attribute of the cult, there are no sacred vestments, there is no altar. In Calvinism, a dogma is adopted in which the main criterion for the salvation of a person is the role that he occupies in society. Therefore, for the salvation of the soul, it is not faith or good deeds that is needed, but labor. Thus, if a person is rich, pious and respected, his salvation has already been granted. Most of the Calvinists live in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Scotland, Germany, France (Huguenots), USA, South Africa and Indonesia.

Islam, a religion influenced by Judaism, arose at the beginning of the 7th century. in Hijaz among the tribes of Western Arabia and during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (570-632) became a famous and influential spiritual achievement of the era.

If Christianity began its history as a sect of Judaism, then Islam appeared immediately as a separate religion, and there were no Jews among its followers. Muhammad didn't think he was preaching new religion, he believed that he was restoring the original, pure religion, which was distorted by Jews and Christians. Islam shares with Judaism and Christianity the basic ideas about God the Creator.

In Islam, God Allah is one. For Muslims, he is incomprehensible and great, it is only known about him that he is merciful and merciful.

In this religion there is no abundance of strict prohibitions and petty prescriptions of Judaism and the asceticism and moralism of Christianity. Every Muslim must believe in Allah as the only God and accept Muhammad as his Prophet. Islam does not know the priesthood - all Muslims are equal before Allah. The clergy - mullahs are simply experts in the doctrine and are usually chosen by the believers themselves.

Islam is not only a religion and way of life, but also politics. He does not know the division into secular and spiritual. IN Islamic State Allah himself must rule. Islam is an integral system of values ​​that form the ideology, psychology, certain forms of culture, the way of life and thinking of both each believer and the entire Muslim community.

The holy book of Islam is the Koran, containing the creeds of this religion. Based on the meaning of being - this is faith and worship of Allah - the main dogmas of faith are formed: faith in Allah, faith in the Day of Judgment; belief in predestination; belief scriptures; faith in the messengers of Allah.

At present, the number of Muslims exceeds 1 billion people, this is the majority of the population in 35 countries of the world. Islam is the most dynamically developing religion in the world. Over the past 100 years, the proportion of Muslims in the world's population has grown from 13% to 19%.

Led short review of the main religions of the modern world testifies that the dogmas of each of them put at the forefront kindness, non-violence, the desire to protect their followers from vices (do not kill, do not steal, etc.), faith in love for one's neighbor, etc. At the same time Almost from the moment religions appeared, there was intolerance towards non-believers. Intolerance has been the cause of many wars, conflicts, various religious and national persecutions. The intolerance of society is a component of the intolerance of its citizens. Bigotry, stereotypes, racial slurs are concrete examples of the expression of intolerance that takes place every day in people's lives. This phenomenon only leads to reciprocal intolerance, it forces people who are subject to it to look for ways out, and often such manifestations are aggressive, even cruel acts. The idea of ​​tolerance has a long history. Moses (XII century BC, Middle East): “Thou shalt not kill; Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, nor his servant... anything that is thy neighbor's." Confucius (VI-V centuries BC, China): “Do not do to others what you do not wish for yourself, then there will be no dissatisfied people either in the state or in the family.” Socrates (V-IV centuries BC, Greece): How many arguments there were, but all were overturned, and only one stands firm: that it is more dangerous to injustice than to endure, and that one should not seem like a good person, but be a good one both in private affairs and in public - and this is the main concern in life. The moral gospel commandments are imbued with universal human values, respect and a sense of compassion for man, without which there can be no tolerance for all living things. The spiritual emancipation of man, along with his economic and political freedom, was defended by the best thinkers of the past, they are preached by the progressive minds of the present.

The most important task today should be to protect people, especially the younger generation, from the negative impact of national and religious extremism. The experience of the historical past must be in demand. The structure of Russia before the October Revolution can serve as an example in many ways. It is important to maintain unity and stability in our multinational state, to strengthen peace and harmony. We make the mistake of repeating patterns Western countries when blurred national traditions. The trend towards integration developed countries discovers that the rust of separatism, extremism and terrorism is corroding them from within. Countering extremism in Russia is in strengthening the national and religious foundations of life. The peaceful coexistence of various confessions with the seniority of the Russian state-forming people must be ensured.

FEDERAL AGENCY FOR EDUCATION

STATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION OF HIGHER PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

ULYANOVSK STATE UNIVERSITY

faculty humanities and social technologies

History of World Religions

(in tables)

Teaching aid for students

Faculty of Humanities

and social technologies

Ulyanovsk 2009

UDC 20 (09) (075.8)

BBK 86.23 i73

R 88

Published by decision of the Academic Council

Faculty of Humanities and Social Technologies, UlSU

Reviewer: Yu.V. Mikhailov, Candidate of History, Associate Professor of the Department of the History of the Fatherland, UlSU

History of world religions (in tables):Teaching aid for students of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Technologies / D.V. Rusin. - Ulyanovsk: UlGU, 2009. - 21 p.

The proposed manual is intended for students of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Technologies of USU, who have in the program the course "History of World Religions" or "Religious Studies" and similar special courses. The publication includes the necessary reference material on the topic in the form of tables. The publication will be useful both to full-time students studying these courses, and to students of the correspondence department.

© Rusin Dmitry Vladimirovich, 2009

© Ulyanovsk State University, 2009

This manual is intended for students studying the history of world religions. Due to the fact that this course contains a lot of factual material (names, texts, teachings, etc.), it is useful to summarize the most important information in visual tables. This will allow students to perceive the material in lectures in a more structured way, as well as facilitate preparation for exams.

Religion: structure and functions.

Elements of religion	Faith in the soul Belief in supernatural beings Symbolism Rites and rituals Priests Founder or saints oral or written tradition
Reasons why people turn to religion	Psychological Social organic Traditional Mercantile Anti-traditional existential
Functions of Religion	Psychological Social Political Economic Traditional cultural

shamanism

Worldview elements	Magizm	Impact through certain rituals on the material world
	totemism	Belief in a connection between a group of people or a person and a certain type of animal, plant, or natural phenomenon
	Fetishism	Honoring material objects and endowing them with supernatural properties
	Animism	Faith in spirits and soul
	ancestor cult	Belief in the possibility of interaction with dead people and their veneration
Practical elements	Music	Rhythmic
	Dance	Intense to exhaustion
	Breath	increased
	Magic Items	Tambourine, rattles, masks, etc.
	plant hallucinogens	Fly agaric, peyote cactus, ayahuasca, etc.

Shintoism

	Ancient Shinto	Watarai Shinto	Yuitsu Songen Shinto (One Original Shinto)	Fukko Shinto (Revived Shinto)
Appearance time	7th-6th centuries BC.	13th century	15th century	19th century
Founder	The first emperor of Japan - Jimmu	Watarai Yukitada	Yoshida Kanetomo	Motoori Norinaga Hirata Atsutane
Texts	Kojiki Nihongi fudoki	secret records	Collection of the most important words and teachings of the unified Shinto	Interpretation of ancient history
Key Ideas	Honoring Amaterasu, kami, emperor	Choice of Japan. Borrowing elements from Buddhism. Kami helpers of the buddhas	The main god is not Amaterasu, but Taigensonshin (original god). Buddha manifestation of kami. Anti-Buddhist position	Philological research. The special role of Japan. Japan is the source of all culture on earth. All gods are kami

Taoism

Period	Schools	Names	Texts	Events, ideas
ancient period 2nd century 4th century 5th century	tian shi dao Maoshan (High Purity)	Lao Tzu Zhang Ling Yang Xi, Ge Hong Lu Xiujing	Dao De Ching taiping ching Baopu zi Tao Zang (Treasures of the Tao)	Legendary Founder. The beginning of religion. Encounter with Buddhism. Formation of external alchemy. Systematization of Taoist texts.
Tang (618 - 907)		Lu Dongbin, Zhuangzi	Zhuanzi	Formation of internal alchemy. Monasticism. patronage of the emperor.
Song (908 - 1279) 1167 1255	Qun Zhen (Teaching of Perfect Truth)	Zhan Boduan Wang Chunyang	Wu zhen pian (Chapters on insight into the truth) 15 articles of doctrine	Development of internal alchemy. Synthesis of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. Meditation. Disappearance of external alchemy. The loss of the Taoists in a dispute with the Buddhists.
Yuan (1279 - 1368)				Persecution period. Destruction of Tao Zang.
Ming and Qin (1368 - 1911)				End of persecution. The absence of state support.
New time (since 1911)				The beginning of persecution. Since 1980, a revival.

Hinduism

Veda	Samhitas	Hymns and proclamations
	Brahmins	Interpretations of Samhita
	Aranyaki	Rules for hermits
	Upanishads	Religious and philosophical treatises
Yoga	Jnana	Yoga of knowledge
	bhakti	yoga of divine love
	Karma	Yoga of action and work
	Rajah	Yoga of willpower
	Hatha	Yoga of harmony of body and mind
yoga steps	Pit (prohibitions)	Ahimsa (doing no harm)
		Satya (truthfulness)
		Asteya (non-covetousness)
		Aparigraha (rejection of gifts)
		Brahmacharya (chastity)
	Niyama (precepts)	Sauka (purification)
		Santosha (contentment)
		Tapas (zeal)
		Svadhya (study of texts)
	Asana	Physical static postures
	Pranayama	Proper breathing
	Pratyahara	Switching off the senses
	Dharna	Concentration of attention and will
	Dhyana	Meditation
	Samadhi	Absolute disidentification

Buddhism

Tripitaka

	Sections
Vinya Pitaka (chart basket)	Patimokha Sutta	Behavior rules
	Sutta vibhanga	Commentaries and Examples on the Patimokkha Sutta
	Khandhaka	History of the monastic community. Rules for the behavior of monks: meetings, clothing, food, housing.
	parivara	Rules of conduct in questions and answers.
Sutta Pitaka (Teaching Basket)	Digha nikaya	Teachings related to the biography of the Buddha. Criticism of other teachings, castes, asceticism. Description of the origin of the world.
	Majjhima nikaya	The same, but in a concise form
	Samyutta nikaya	Same, but related
	Anguttara nikaya	The same, but in a classified form
	Khudakka nikaya	Aphorisms
Abhidamma Pitaka (basket of pure knowledge)	Dhammasangani	Explanation of the idea that the world is a product of consciousness
	Vibhanga	Same
	Kattha-vathu	Philosophical disputes
	puggala pannyati	On ways to stop the generation of illusions
	Dhatukatta	The same, taking into account the psychological aspects
	Yamaka	Fundamentals of Logic
	Patthana

Zen

North and South Schools

	northern school	South School
Leader	Fa Zhu	Hui Neng
Center	Shaolin	Dayunsi
Ideas	Enlightenment is achieved gradually and in stages	Enlightenment is achieved suddenly
Practice	Daily Meditations (Za-Zen)	Enlightenment comes at the moment of awareness of already existing enlightenment. Koans.

Zen schools

	Guiyang	Linzi (Rinzai)	Caodong (Soto)	yongmen	Fayan
Names	Gui Shan Yang Shan Xiang Yang	Lin Zi Hakuin	dong shan Cao Shan Dogen	Yong Men	Fa Yan
Ideas	What matters is action, not words. Image: a man hanging on a branch with his teeth	Logics. Zen of looking at a koan.	Logics. The Zen of Quiet Illumination.	One word barrier	Diversity in Unity, Unity in Diversity
Practice	Action and silence	Koans. Screams. Blows.	Zazen. haiku poetry.	Koans. Screams. Blows. Sharp and short answers. haiku poetry.	Zazen. Repetition of question words as an answer.

Lamaism

	Nyigma-pa	Kagyu-pa	Gelug-pa
Appearance time	8th century	11th century	15th century
Influence of the Indian School	Adi yoga	Mahamudra	Madhyamika
Founder	Padmasamhava	Tilopa Naropa Marpa Milarepa	Tsongkhapa
Acting head		Karmapa	Dalai Lama
Ideas	Synthesis of elements of Mahayana, Tantra, Bon. The illusion of good and evil. Ignorance is the main vice.	The line from the heavenly Buddha is Dorje Chang.	Reformed line of Lamaism. Emphasizes the moral, ethical and intellectual aspects.
practices	Tantric and yogic practices. Dream yoga. Heat yoga. Meditations.	Prostrations. Mandala offerings. Meditations. The practice of dying (phowa). Mantras.	Monasticism. Mantras. The study of the sutras.

Zoroastrianism

Time	Names	Events, ideas
6th century BC.	Zarathushtra	The duality of the world. Ahuramazda and Ahriman. Good and evil. Heaven and hell. The idea of ​​the end of the world and the future savior. Distribution in the Median state.
549 BC	Cyrus the Great	Distribution in the Persian Empire. The influence of Zoroastrianism on Judaism.
4th century BC.		The spread of the heresy of Zurvanism.
331 BC	Alexander the Great	The persecution of the Macedonians against Zoroastrianism. The idea of ​​the enemy of the future savior.
3rd century	Tansar Kirder Mani	Reformation of Zoroastrianism. The ban on the use of images in worship. sacred fires. The emergence of Manichaeism.
6th century		Conflicts between Zoroastrians and Christians
5th century	Mazdak	Spread of Manichaeism
7th century		The imposition of Islam by the Arabs
10th century		The beginning of the migration of Zoroastrians to India (Parsis)
11th century		The persecution of Zoroastrianism by the Turks

Avesta

Chapter
Vendidad	Creation of the world and the first people. Description of countries. Moral and religious precepts. About the dog and handling it.
Yasna	liturgical cult. Sacrifices. The cult of fire.
Vispered	Liturgical prayers
Yashty	Methods of protection from evil spirits. Formulas of curses, repentance.
Bundehisch	Reasoning about the nature of things. Description of the end of the world.

Judaism

Books		Time of writing according to scientific data
Torah	Moses, 16th-15th centuries BC.	IX-VIII centuries BC.
Joshua Naveen	Joshua, 14th century BC.	5th–4th centuries BC.
Shofetim (Judges)	Samuel, 11th century BC.	6th century BC.
Ruth	Nathan and Gad, 10th century BC.	5th–4th centuries BC.
Samuel, King	Samuel, Jeremiah and others, IX-VI centuries. BC.	6th century BC.
Chronicles	Ezra, 5th century BC.	OK. 300 BC
Ezra	Ezra, 5th century BC.	V - IV century BC
Nehemiah	Nehemiah, 5th century BC.	5th century BC.
Esther	Men of the great synagogue, 5th–4th centuries BC.	4th century BC.
Job	Opinions differ	Beginning 3rd century BC.
Tehillim (Psalms)	David and others, 10th–5th centuries BC.	XI - II centuries. BC.
Michelet (Proverbs)		8th century BC.
Kohelet (Preacher)	Solomon, tenth century BC, friends of Hezekiah, VIII c. BC.	OK. 200 BC
Shir ha shshirim (Song of Songs)	Solomon, tenth century BC, friends of Hezekiah, VIII c. BC.	3rd century BC.
Isaiah	Sirach, 2nd cent. BC, Isaiah, VIII c. BC.	Jesus, son of Sirach, between 190 and 173 BC.; 5th–4th centuries BC.
Jeremiah	Jeremiah, 6th century BC.	Jeremiah, 6th century BC.
Lament of Jeremiah	Jeremiah, 6th century BC.	Jeremiah, 6th century BC.
Ezekiel	Ezekiel, 6th century BC.	Ezekiel, 6th century BC.
Daniel	Daniel, 6th century BC.	Ser. 2nd century BC.
Minor prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi	Prophets, 9th–5th centuries BC.	Hosea, Amos, Micah in the 8th century BC, Habakkuk, Zephanius in the 7th century. BC, Haggai, Zechariah in the VI century. BC, the rest of the VIII - V centuries. BC.

Christianity

New Testament

Books
From Matthew	Matthew, 42	Con. 1st century
From Mark	Mark, 52 - 67 years.	Con. 1st century
From Luke	Luke, 55	Con. 1st century
From John	John, k. I century.	Con. 1st century
Acts of the Apostles	Luke, 63	2nd century
Jacob	James, 42 - 55 years.	2nd century
Petra	Peter, 65 - 66 years.	2nd century
John	John, con. 1st century	2nd century
Jude	Jude, 63 - 65 years.	2nd century
Paul	Pavel, 53 - 67 years.	2nd century
Apocalypse (Revelation of John the Evangelist)	John, 68	John, 68 - 69 years.

Heresies and the fight against them

	Montanism	Arianism	Monophysitism	Iconoclasm
Time	170	4th century	5th century	8th century
Founder	Montana	Arius	Kirill	Emperor Leo III
Ideas	Coming of the Holy Spirit. Third Testament. Rejection of bishops.	The Son is not eternal, therefore not identical with the Father.	In Christ there is no human, only divine.	Icon Worship is Idolatry
Struggle	Conviction as heresy	Condemnation at the First Council of Nicaea (325). The idea of ​​the Trinity.	Condemnation at the Council of Chalcedon (451). Dogma about Christ - the true God-man.	Condemnation at the II Council of Nicaea (787). Finally liquidated from 842.

Orthodoxy

Time	Events
9th century	Activities of Cyril and Methodius. Baptism of Bulgaria and Rus'.
11th century	Formation of Russian monasticism.
14th century	Settlement in Moscow of Metropolitan Peter. The development of northern monasticism. Sergius of Radonezh.
1453	Fall of Constantinople. Idea: Moscow is the third Rome. Filofey.
1469	Separation of the Russian metropolis.
1589	Establishment of the Patriarchate in Rus'. Patriarch Job. patriarchal period.
16th century	The dispute between the Josephites and non-possessors.
17th century	Church split. The appearance of the Old Believers and various sects (bespriests, whips, eunuchs, etc.)
1700	Elimination of the patriarchate. synodal period.
1917	The arrival of the update. Election of Patriarch Tikhon.
1918	Separation of church from state. The beginning of the conflict with the Soviet authorities.
1922	Arrest of Patriarch Tikhon. Update activation.
1927	The split within the Russian Orthodox Church in connection with the pro-Soviet policy of the locum tenens Sergius. Appearance of the Catacomb Church.
1943	Meeting of Sergius with Stalin. Election of Sergius as Patriarch. Improving relations between church and state.
1945	Patriarch Alexy I
1971	Patriarch Pimen
1990	Patriarch Alexy II

Catholicism

Time	Events
756	Establishment of the Papal States in Italy
10th century	Papacy dependent on emperors. Cluniac movement.
11th century	The struggle between Pope Gregory VII and Emperor Henry IV. Guelphs and Ghibellines. Introduction to celibacy. Prohibition on the purchase of church positions.
XII century..	Founded the Knights Templar.
13th century
14th century	Avignon captivity of the popes. The emergence of antipopes. Great schism. The defeat of the Knights Templar by Philip the Handsome.
15th century	The emergence of the Rosicrucians in Bohemia and Germany
16th century	Counter-reformation. Strengthening the Inquisition. Torquemada. Jesuit Order. Ignatius Loyola.
18th century
1870	The secular power of the church was abolished by the Garibaldians.
1870	The dogmas of the infallibility of the pope and the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary were proclaimed at the First Vatican Council.
1922	The coming to power of the fascists in Italy and the improvement of relations between church and state.
1929	Recognition of the independence of the Vatican.

Protestantism

	Lutheranism	Calvinism	Anglicanism
Founder	Martin Luther	Jean Calvin	King Henry VIII
Text	The Book of Consent	Instructions in the Christian Faith	Book of Public Worship
A country	Germany	Switzerland, France (Huguenots), England (Puritans), Scotland (Presbyterianism)	England
Ideas	Man is not able to see all his sinfulness. Salvation is not by works, but by faith. Rejection of Holy Tradition, celibacy, monasticism, sacraments.	God's predestination. Inability to influence salvation. Salvation does not depend on works or faith. God's chosenness is determined by success in the profession.	As in Lutheranism, but the hierarchy and the ban on the English Bible are preserved.
Events	1517 95 theses against indulgences. 1521 excommunication of Luther. Translation into German of the Bible. Conflict between Luther and Müntzer (Anabaptists). 1555 Protestantism was recognized in Germany.	1533 renunciation of Catholicism. Introduced worldly asceticism for all residents. 1561 Bartholomew night. The beginning of the war. 1598 the rights of the Huguenots are stipulated in the Edict of Nantes. 1685 start of persecution of the Huguenots. 1789 restoration of Huguenot rights.	1534 Parliament freed the English Church from subordination to the pope and proclaimed the head of the church to the king. 1536 The Ten Articles of the Creed set out the foundations of the faith. 18th century the Methodists broke away.

African American religions

	Source	A country	Pantheon	Doctrine
voodoo	Dahomey	Haiti, USA.	Loa. Communication with other loa through the legba loa. Evil Loa - Gede (Baron Samedi)	Hungan and mambo obsession. Animal sacrifices. The composition of man: flesh, spirit of flesh, fate, big and small angel. A large angel becomes a loa upon death. Zombie.
Santeria	Yoruba	Cuba, South America, Mexico, USA, Europe.	Orisha. Communication with other orishas through the orisha Elegua.	Similar to voodoo
palo mayombe	Congo	Cuba, USA.	The special role of the spirits of the dead	Two branches - Christian and unbaptized
Makumba (kimbanda)	Yoruba	Brazil	Evil spirits - eshu. Eshu Tranka Ruas.	An archaic version of the umbanda
Umbanda	Yoruba	South America	Avoid communication with the orisha, only with the spirits of the ancestors.	The ideas of spiritualism had a great influence. Animals are not sacrificed.
Candomblé	Yoruba	Brazil	Similar to Santeria	The role of women is great. Least syncretic. Services in African, not Portuguese. Animals are sacrificed.

Islam

Sunnis Muhammad. Honoring Mecca and Medina.	Maliki Conservative sense
	Hanifites liberal sense
	Shafiites Free interpretation of the Qur'an
	Hanbalis Fanatical sense	Wahhabis 18th century Rejection of the clergy, the cult of Muhammad, holy places. Asceticism.
Shiites Holy tradition - akhbar. The cult of martyrs. Ali. Hussein. Belief in the "hidden imam". Honoring an-Najaf and Karbala (burial sites of Ali and Hussein)	Zaidis 8th century Denial of the "hidden imam", the cult of saints, the dogma of predestination and the uncreatedness of the Koran.
	Ismailis 8th century Belief in the transmigration of souls. Allegorical interpretation of the Quran. Rejection of ritual. Influence of Buddhism.	Karmatians
		Druze
	Nuissarites Belief in the existence of the Holy Trinity - Ali, Mohammed, Salman. similarity to Christianity.
	Baha'ism 19th century Rejection of the cult and ritual side. Emphasis on moral and ethical standards. Women's equality.
Kharijites principles of democracy in the community. Election of Caliphs. intolerance towards non-believers. Rigid rules in the community.

NRM at the beginning of the 20th century.

	Founders	Texts	Ideas
Theosophy	Helena Blavatsky	Secret Doctrine	Guiding the development of mankind by the Mahatmas. The passage of races by mankind in the process of evolution: Lemurians, Atlanteans, etc. Strong influence of Buddhism ideas.
Anthroposophy	Rudolf Steiner	Anthroposophy, Spiritual guidance of mankind.	Similar to the ideas of Theosophy, but more influenced by Christianity. Development of anthroposophic pedagogy, medicine.
Agni Yoga	Elena and Nicholas Roerich	Agni Yoga	Similar to the ideas of Theosophy, but presented in a more poetic form.
Fourth way	George Gurdjieff and Peter Ouspensky	Meeting wonderful people stories Beelzebub to his grandson, The Fourth Way.	The main goal is awareness. Psychological aspects of practice. Mechanism of man. The idea of ​​eternal return. Self-development in society.
telemism	Aleister Crowley	Book of the Law	"Do what you want - that's the whole law." Magical and sexual practices. The influence of Kabbalah and the occult.
Ivanov's teaching	Porfiry Ivanov	Babe	Reunion of man with nature. Cold hardening.

NRM of the second half of the 20th century

	Movement	Founder	Texts
Western orientation movements	Unification Church	Sun Myung Moon	Divine Principle
	Family	David Berg	Mo letters, Law of Love
	Church of the Last Testament	Vissarion (Sergey Torop)	Last testament
	White Brotherhood - YUSMALOS	Maria Tsvigun and Yuri Krivonogov	Doctrine of Fohat
	Mother of God Center	Veniamin Bereslavsky	ancestral stream, The Theotokos Bosom
Eastern orientation movements	Cult of Sai Baba	Sathya Sai Baba
	Transcendental Meditation	Maharishi Mahesh
	Cult of Osho	Bhagawan Shri Rajneesh (Osho)	orange book
	Sahaja Yoga	Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
	International Society for Krishna Consciousness	Swami Prabhupada	Bhagavad Gita as it is
	Cult of Sri Chinmoy	Sri Chinmoy	Flowers of my heart Meditation
	Aum Shinrikyo	Shoko Asahara	Proclaiming to be Christ
Pagan-ecological movements	Bazhovites	Vladimir Sobolev
	Cult of Anastasia	Vladimir Megre	Ringing cedars of Russia
	New Toltecs	Carlos Castaneda	Don Juan's teachings Tales of Strength
Scientist movements	Church of Scientology	Lafayette Ron Hubbard	dianetics, Scientology
occult movements	Church of Satan	La Vey	satanic bible

Number of believers in the world

Religions of the world

Religion is people's confidence in the existence of some huge, unknown, strong, powerful, wise and just force that invented, created this world and guides it - from the life and death of every person to the phenomena of nature and the course of history.

Causes of Belief in God

— Fear of life. Since ancient times, in the face of the formidable forces of nature and the vicissitudes of fate, man felt his smallness, defenselessness and inferiority. Faith gave him hope for at least someone's help in the struggle for existence.
— Fear of death. In principle, any accomplishment is available to a person, he knows how to overcome any obstacles, solve any problems. Only death is not subject to him. Life, no matter how hard it is, is good. Death is terrible. Religion allowed a person to hope for the endless existence of the soul or body, not in this, but in another world or state.
— The need for laws. The law is the framework in which a person lives. The absence of limits or going beyond them threatens humanity with death. But man is an imperfect being, therefore the laws invented by man are less authoritative for him than the laws allegedly of God. If it is possible and even pleasant to violate human laws, then God’s decrees and commandments cannot be

“But how, I ask, after that a man? Without God and without a future life? After all, now everything is allowed, everything can be done?(Dostoevsky "The Brothers Karamazov")

world religions

• Buddhism
• Judaism
• Christianity
• Islam

Buddhism. Briefly

: more than 2.5 thousand years.
: India
- Prince Siddhartha Guatama (VI century BC), who became the Buddha - "enlightened".
. "Tipitaka" ("three baskets" of palm leaves, on which the revelations of the Buddha were originally recorded):

• Vinaya Pitaka - rules of conduct for Buddhist monks,
• Sutta-pitaka - sayings and sermons of the Buddha,
• Abidhamma Pitaka - three treatises systematizing the provisions of Buddhism

: peoples of Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Korea, Mongolia, China, Japan, Tibet, Buryatia, Kalmykia, Tuva
: a person can become happy only by getting rid of all desires
: Lhasa (Tibet, China)
: Wheel of Law (Dharmachakra)

Judaism. Briefly

: more than 3.5 thousand years
: Land of Israel (Middle East)
Moses, leader of the Jewish people, organizer of the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt (XVI-XII centuries BC)
. Tanakh:

• Pentateuch of Moses (Torah) - Genesis (Bereshit), Exodus (Shemot), Leviticus (Vayikra), Numbers (Bemidbar), Deuteronomy (Dvarim);
• Nevi'im (Prophets) - 6 books of senior prophets, 15 books of junior prophets;
• Ketuvim (Scriptures) - 13 books

: Israel
: Don't give someone what you don't want for yourself
: Jerusalem
: temple lamp (menorah)

Christianity. Briefly

: about 2 thousand years
: Land of Israel
: Jesus Christ is the son of God, who descended to earth in order to accept suffering to redeem people from original sin, resurrected after death and ascended back to heaven (12-4 BC - 26-36 AD) )
: Bible (Holy Scripture)

• Old Testament (Tanakh)
• New Testament - Gospels; Acts of the Apostles; 21 epistles of the apostles;
  Apocalypse, or Revelation of John the Evangelist

: peoples of Europe, Northern and South America, Australia
: the world is ruled by love, mercy and forgiveness
:

• Catholicism
• Orthodoxy
• Greek Catholicism

: Jerusalem, Rome
: cross, (on which Jesus Christ was crucified)

Islam. Briefly

: about 1.5 thousand years
: Arabian Peninsula (southwest Asia)
: Muhammad ibn Abdallah, messenger of God and prophet (c. 570-632 AD)
:

• Koran
• Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah - stories about the actions and sayings of Muhammad

: peoples of North Africa, Indonesia, Near and Middle East, Pakistan, Bangladesh
: worship of Allah, who is eternal and is the only one capable of assessing a person’s behavior to determine him to paradise