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Table Of Contents

I. Judaism

     a.   Leader & Beginnings 

     b. Holy Writings & Guidelines

     c. Beliefs/Influence of Beliefs

II. Christianity

     a.   Leader & Beginnings 

     b. Holy Writings & Guidelines

     c. Beliefs/Influence of Beliefs

III. Hinduism

     a.   Leader & Beginnings 

     b. Holy Writings & Guidelines

     c. Beliefs/Influence of Beliefs

IV. Buddhism

     a.   Leader & Beginnings 

     b. Holy Writings & Guidelines

     c. Beliefs/Influence of Beliefs

V. Islamic/Muslim

     a.   Leader & Beginnings 

     b. Holy Writings & Guidelines

     c. Beliefs/Influence of Beliefs

VI. Confucianism

     a.   Leader & Beginnings 

     b. Holy Writings & Guidelines

     c. Beliefs/Influence of Beliefs

VII. Connections To The World Today

     a. Who, Where, & Why

Section I: Judaism 

Leader & Beginnings

1900 BC: Abraham was called to leave his home in Ur 

and travel to Cannan, a land which God promised to 

give to his descendants

1450 BC: Moses led the Jews out of slavery in Egypt 

back to the lands of Canaan. At Mt Horeb, God gave the 

Jewish people the 10 Commandants and other rules to 

live by, marking the beginning of Judaism as a 

structured religion.

Holy Writings & Guidelines

1. The Torah is the authority; it serves as a 

guideline for moral and ethical behavior. All 

Jewish law is contained in the Torah and following 

all these laws create exemplary behavior.

2. In order to ensure that Jews know how to live 

their lives correctly, the Talmud explains in great 

detail exactly how to carry out the laws.

3. Solomon's Proverbs and David's Psalms teach 

how to live a proper Jewish life. They teach 

wisdom and give one hope and inspiration. The 

stories of Esther and Ruth inspire.

4. The Jewish sacred texts give adherents 

something to believe in; they teach how to treat 

others, and other people's property. They create a 

spiritual atmosphere and their stories bring people 

back to their spirituality.

Beliefs/Influence Of Beliefs

1. God Exists

2. God is One and Unique

3. God is Incorporeal

4. God is Internal

5. Prayer is to be Directed to God Alone

6. The Words of the Prophets Are True

7. There will be no other Torah

8. Moses' prophecies are true, and Moses was the 

greatest of the prophets

9. The Written Torah and Oral Torah were given 

to Moses

10. God knows the thoughts and deeds of men

11. God will reward the good and punish the 

wicked

12. The Messiah will come

13. The dead will be resurrected

Section II: Christianity

Leader & Beginnings

4 AD: The birth of Jesus (Christianity's main leader)

30 AD: The death of Jesus

1st Century: Christianity began to be recognized internally 

and externally as a separate religion for Rabbinic Judaism

Jesus and his disciples were the first major leaders of the 

wave of Christianity. The Holy Bible is full of God's 

followers and Christan leaders, however, Jesus and the 

disciples laid the foundation for the religion

Holy Writings & Guidelines

1. Early Christians generally used and revered the 

Jewish Bible as Scripture

2. Much of which is written in narrative form where 

"in the biblical story God is the protagonist, Satan (or 

evil people/powers) are the antagonists. 

3. As the New Testament canon developed, the 

Letters of Paul, and various other works were also 

recognized as scripture to be read in church. 

4. It is a belief to pray and to worship God, and his 

only son Jesus.

Beliefs/Influence Of Beliefs

1. To follow Jesus, the Son of God, with all of 

your heart, all of your soul, and all of your mind. 

2. To believe that God really does exist, and that 

he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die for US so that 

we could join him in heaven. 

3. To follow Jesus' teachings and obey God 

Section III: Hinduism

Leader & Beginnings

2800-2000 BC - Indus Valley civilization begins, 

which is the home place of Hinduism

 800-300 BC- The 11 major Upanishads are written, 

which include the ideas of reincarnation and karma.

 5th cent. BC     - Buddhism and Jainism founded in 

India.

Holy Writings & Guidelines

Hindu literature can be divided into two categories: 

Shruti–that which is revealed and Smriti–that which is 

remembered. The Vedas constituting the former 

category are considered sacred scripture. Later texts 

like the various shastras and the itihaasas form Smruti. 

Holding an ambiguous position between the 

Upanishads of the Vedas and the epics, the Bhagavad 

Gita is considered to be revered scripture by most 

Hindus today. All Shruti scriptures are composed in 

Sanskrit. Much of the morphology inherent in the 

learning of Sanskrit is inextricably linked to study of 

the Vedas and other early texts.

Beliefs/Influence of Beliefs

1. Belief in the authority of the Vedas 

2. Spirit of tolerance and willingness to understand and 

respect an opponent’s view

3. Belief in world rhythms: long periods of creation, 

maintenance and dissolution follow each other in endless 

succession

4. Belief in reincarnation (rebirth) and preexistence

5. Belief that there are many ways to salvation

6. Belief in one god

7. Secular multiplicity and accommodating flexibility in 

spiritual practices

Section IV: Buddhism

Leader & Beginnings

Buddhism is a religion indigenous to the Indian 

subcontinent that encompasses a variety of traditions, 

beliefs, and practices largely based on teachings attributed 

to Siddhartha Gautama, who is commonly known as the 

Buddha (meaning "the awakened one"). 

The Buddha lived and taught in the eastern part of Indian 

subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th centuries 

BCE.

480BC: Birth of the Budda

450BC: First Sermon of Budda

405BC: Death of the Budda

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