↑ World religions
World religions
- These are religions that have gained recognition among the peoples of many countries.
These include Christianity, Buddhism and Islam
.
Main features of world religions
- cosmopolitanism (international and supra-ethnic character);
- egalitarianism (preaching the equality of all people);
- a large number of followers around the world;
- propaganda activity (the desire to convert others to one’s faith).
Christianity
unites three large directions:
Orthodoxy
,
Catholicism
and
Protestantism,
which were formed during a series of historical events.
The basis of Christianity is the belief in the Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The main source of faith is the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as described in the New Testament of the Bible. Having been persecuted for preaching, he was martyred on the cross, thereby atoning for the sins of people and resurrected, and ascended to heaven, showing for those who believed in him a new life, the path to reunification with God in the Divine Kingdom. Soon the followers of Christ began to build churches. Over time, churches begin to strive for autocephaly
(independence). This process began in the 3rd - 4th centuries. during the crisis of the Roman Empire. Thus, the Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem autocephalies were formed. Soon the Cypriot and then the Georgian Orthodox Church and the Armenian Gregorian separated.
The split of the Christian faith into Orthodoxy and Catholicism occurred in 1054, when the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople declared anathema
(subjected to a church curse), due to many disagreements.
Several centuries later in the 16th century. As a result of the Reformation
(the struggle for the reconstruction of the church), another Christian movement was formed in Europe - Protestantism. In Protestantism, the primacy of the church, its wealth, the priesthood, and monastic orders are refuted; only the personal relationship between man and God is recognized. Currently, Protestantism unites many independent movements, churches and sects (Lutheranism, Calvinism, the Anglican Church, Baptists, Adventists, etc.).
Catholicism and Protestantism share with Orthodoxy all the basic tenets of doctrine and worship. The difference in directions is manifested only in the conduct of rituals and external veneration of God.
Directions in Christianity
| Orthodoxy | Catholicism | Protestantism |
| The head of the church is the patriarch. | The head of the church is the Pope | The head of the church is absent |
| The clergy is divided into black (celibate monks) and white (clergy) | Monks are united in various monastic orders that have accepted compulsory celibacy (vow of celibacy) | Monks are deprived of the right to confess and forgive sins. Celibacy canceled |
| Icons predominate in churches. | The temples are dominated by sculptures. | Temples were cleared of their magnificent decorations, altars, icons, statues, and bells were removed. |
| The sign of the cross is made with three fingers from right to left. | The sign of the cross is made with five fingers, an open palm, from left to right. | The sign of the cross is not performed. |
Buddhism.
The beginning of the most ancient of the world's religions, Buddhism, goes back to the deep past.
The founder of Buddhism is the son of the ruler of the Shakya family, Siddhartha Gautama,
who lived approximately 583-483.
BC e. Having enjoyed all possible material benefits, at the age of 29, dissatisfied with life, he leaves his family and becomes an ascetic. After many years of this lifestyle, he achieves awakening ( bodhi
) and receives a new name - Buddha, which means "enlightened one."
Buddha began to preach a new worldview and a new path for man, which can save him from suffering. Buddha saw salvation in achieving a certain state of harmony, peace and tranquility - nirvana
, which occurs as a result of meditation and self-improvement, and also after one manages to overcome all human desires, passions and fears.
Currently, Buddhism is a collection of movements and directions, quite different from each other.
Islam.
The youngest world religion is Islam (from Arabic “submission to God”) or Islam. Currently, Islam has become widespread outside the Arab world; there are adherents of Islam in almost every country. In some countries, Islam has been approved as the state religion (Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, etc.).
The founder of Islam is the prophet Muhammad
lived approximately 570-632. At a time when the Arab nomadic tribes were divided by different beliefs, he proclaimed one god, Allah. Despite the fact that initially the prophet’s views did not find wide support among the citizens of Mecca, Muhammad had to move in 622 to the city of Yathrib, which was later renamed Medina (“city of the prophet”). From this event (Arabic “hijra” - “migration”) the Muslim calendar begins. So, 2020 Hijri year 1437-1438.
The main provisions of the doctrine of Islam are set out in the main “holy book” - the Koran
. According to legend, the contents of the Koran were told to Muhammad by Allah himself through revelations through the angel Jebrail, mainly at night through visions.
↑ World religions: table
| Comparison criteria | Buddhism | Christianity | Islam |
| Time and place of origin and spread | Benares, Hindustan Peninsula, 6-5 centuries. BC e. Distribution: Burma, China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan. Religious community - sangha | Palestine, 1st century n. e. Worldwide distribution. Religious organization - church: Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism | Hijaz, Arab Caliphate, 7th century. n. e. Distribution: Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa, North Caucasus, Transcaucasia. Religious community - ummah |
| Name of the prophet, name of the holy book | Buddha (enlightened one), Tipitaka | Jesus Christ (messiah, anointed one), Bible | Muhammad (Mohammed), Koran |
| Basic ideas of religion | 1. Life is suffering, it is caused by the passions and desires of people; to get rid of suffering, you need to give up desires. 2. The idea of transmigration of souls. 3. You need to strive for nirvana | 1. The idea of monotheism: God is one, appears in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. 2. The idea of messianism: Christ was sent by God to save people. 3. The idea of the end of the world: the death of the world as a result of Divine intervention | Strict monotheism. “There is one God - Allah - omniscient and omnipotent. He created the world and rules it." Muhammad is his messenger. Allah has prepared his own destiny for everyone; the believer is required to submit to the will of Allah. Everyone is equal before Allah: both the poor and the rich. He does not make national distinctions; he distinguishes three statuses of a person: true believer, protected, pagan. The idea of the end of the world and the onset of Judgment Day |
Sufficiently developed religions also have their own organization - the church, which organizes the life of the religious community.
Church
(from the gr. - house of the Lord) - a social institution of society, a religious organization, which is based on a single Creed (creed), defining religious ethics and religious activity, a system for managing the life activity and behavior of believers.
Factors contributing to church formation:
- General creed
- Religious activities (cult, non-cult)
The church has a certain system of norms (religious morality, canon law, etc.), values, models and sanctions.
↑ National religions
In the modern world there are religions that can be divided into three large groups:
.
- Tribal primitive beliefs that survive to this day
- National-state religions that form the basis of the religious life of individual nations (Judaism, Hinduism, etc.)
- World religions (Buddhism, Christianity: Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Islam: Sunnism, Shiism)
National
or
national-state religions
are religions that have developed within certain states or peoples.
In the modern world, many national religious beliefs coexist.
Signs of national religions
:
- arose during the formation of the early state;
- worship of the gods or the patron god of one’s people;
- the presence of complex ceremonies and rituals;
- the appearance of religious servants (priests, brahmans).
These include:
- Shintoism (Japan);
- Jainism (India);
- Confucianism (China);
- Taoism (China);
- Zoroastrianism (Iran);
- Judaism (Palestine, Israel);
- Hinduism (India) and many others.
