1. Universalizing and Ethnic Religions

2. Objectives
Today we will be able to identify the differences between universalizing and ethnic religions, the basic tenets of the three main universalizing religions of Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, and the ethnic religion of Hinduism, as well as the geographic distribution of these religions.

3. Universalizing vs. Ethnic Religions
Universalizing Religion – A religion that attempts to be global, to appeal to all people, wherever they live in the world, not just those of one culture or location.
Ethnic Religion – A religion that appeals primarily to one group of people living in one place.
58 percent of the world practice a universalizing religion
26 percent practice an ethnic religion
16 percent practice no religion

4. Universalizing Religions
The three main universalizing religions in the world are Buddhism, Christianity and Islam
They are all divided into branches and sects
Branch – a large and fundamental division within a religion
Christianity – Roman Catholicism, Protestant, Orthodox
Islam – Sunni, Shiite
Denomination – A division of a branch
Protestant – Presbytirianism, Lutheran, Baptist
Sect – A relatively small group that has broken away from an established denomination
Christian Maronites in Lebanon

5. Christianity
More than 2 billion adherents with the most widespread distribution
Three main branches
Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox
RC – 51% of Christians, Protestants – 24%, Orthodox – 11%, Other – 11%
Geographic Considerations
RC – Dominant Christian branch in SW and part of Eastern Europe
Protestantism – Dominant in northwest Europe
Orthodox – Eastern Europe and the Middle East
In Western Hemisphere
90 percent Christian
RC – 93% of Christians in Latin America, 40% of Christians in N. America
In N. America, RC clustered in northeast and southwest
Protestantism – 28% of US population over 5

6. Tenets of Christianity
Christians believe in a God who is omnipresent.
Jesus Christ is the son of God
Christians also believe that Jesus brings God’s forgiveness of sin to humanity.
Doctrine of the Trinity - God is one being who is revealed to human beings in three ways: Father, Son (Jesus), and Spirit

7. Islam 1.3 billion people practice Islam around the world
Two main branches of Islam
Sunni – 83% of Muslims and largest branch in most countries in the Middle East and Asia
The word Sunni is derived from the Arabic word for “people following the example of Muhhammad”
Shiite – 16% of Muslims and clustered in a few countries: Iran (30% of Shiites), Pakistan (15% of Shiites), and Iraq (10% of Shiites).
The word Shiite is derived from the Arabic word for “sectarian”
Geographic considerations
The predominant religion of the Middle East from North Africa to Central Asia.
Half of Muslims live in 4 countries
Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India.
Between 1 and 5 million Muslims live in N. America
Muslims account for 5% of the European population
France – largest population with 4 million
Immigrants from former colonies in N. Africa.
Germany – 3 million
Immigrants from Turkey.
In Southeast Europe – Albania, Bosnia and Serbia have 2 million each.

8. Tenets of Islam – The Five Pillars of Faith
There is no god worthy of worship except the on God, the source of all creation, and Muhammad is the messenger of God
Five times daily, a Muslim prays, facing the city of Makkah (Mecca), as a direct link to God.
A Muslim gives generously to charity as an act of purification and growth
A Muslim fasts during the month of Ramadan as an act of self-purification
If physically and financially able, a Muslim makes a pilgrimage to Makkah.

9. Buddhism
Nearly 400 million adherents mainly in China and Southeast Asia
Three main branches of Buddhism
Mahayanna – 56% of Buddhists in China, Japan, and Korea
Theravadists – 38% of Buddhists in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand
Tentrayanists – 6% of Buddhists in Tibet and Mongolia
* An accurate count of Buddhists is challenging because only a few participate in Buddhist institutions.
* Buddhism is not an exclusive religion
Many practice an ethnic religion along with Buddhism.

10. Tenets of Buddhism – The Four Noble Truths
All living beings must endure suffering
Suffering, which is caused by a desire to live, leads to reincarnation (repeated rebirth in new bodies or forms of life).
The goal of all existence is to escape from suffering and the endless cycle of reincarnation into Nirvana )a state of complete redemption), which is achieved through mental and moral self-purification.
Nirvana is attained through an Eightfold Path, which includes rightness of belief, resolve, speech, action, livelihood, effort, thought and meditation.

11. Ethnic Religions
Ethnic religions are much more clustered in distribution than universalizing religions
Hinduism – largest ethnic religion with 900 million adherents and the world’s third largest religion behind Christianity and Islam.
97% of Hindus live in India, the rest in Nepal
Hindus believe that there are multiple paths to reach god and ways to worship and there is no central book.
Paths of knowledge, renunciation, devotion, and action
Branches of Hinduism
Vaishnavism (70% of Hindus), Sivaism (26%), Shaktism (remainder)
Other ethnic religions
Confucianism, Daoism (Taoism), Shintoism, Judaism.
Research basic tenets of these ethnic religions and be prepared to discuss.