A Brief History of World Religions. Religions of the world. Briefly

Despite the development modern technologies and science, the inhabitants of the planet continue to identify themselves with one of the many beliefs. Hope in a higher power allows you to survive difficult times. life situations. Religion statistics show how many denominations exist and how many people consider themselves to be members of them.

Origin theory

There is one general theory origin of beliefs on earth. As soon as inequality appeared in human society, the need arose for some kind of highest value to reward people for their actions. The possessor of superpower must be endowed by a superbeing whose role is played by a specific deity.

What it is

When starting to get acquainted with beliefs, it is worth studying the very concept of religion. There are quite a lot of definitions of faith today. R religion is a form of view on the world which is based on belief in the supernatural.

Existing classifications

WITH how many religions are there in the world? Today there are more than 5 thousand official religious associations. This includes the world's largest religions. Beliefs can be very different from each other. Much depends on the customs and traditions of the country. There are also similarities between religions. They all involve faith in a higher power.

Today there are several classifications of religions according to various criteria. For example, the types of religions based on the number of gods are monotheistic and polytheistic. The latter are represented in countries of the African continent that have a tribal way of life. These peoples have not yet left paganism.

According to Hegel, the history of religion represents the path of the Spirit coming to full self-consciousness. Each of them is a step in awareness leading to the absolute goal of history. The structure of the classification according to Hegel is as follows:

Natural religions (lowest level), based on sensory perception. To these he included all magical beliefs, the religions of China and India, as well as the ancient Persians, Syrians and Egyptians.
Spiritual and individual religions(intermediate bar) – religion of the Jews (Judaism), beliefs Ancient Greece And Ancient Rome.
Absolute spirituality– Christianity.

The experience of studying the problem led to the creation of other classifications - according to the degree of prevalence or the number of followers. Here we distinguish local (within one clan-tribe), national (influencing the culture of one people, for example, Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, China with Shintoism, India with Hinduism). How do local movements differ from national religions? Greater prevalence among many, outstripping them in terms of the number of followers. Religious centers are present throughout the world.

What did ancient civilizations profess?

Totemism flourished in Ancient Egypt, as evidenced by the half-animal image of the Egyptian gods. Statistics of religions claim that during this period of time the idea of an afterlife and the connection between earthly life and the afterlife appeared. The idea of resurrection also arose (Osiris, the sun god, dies in the evening and is reborn in the morning). The belief dates back long before Jesus and Christianity.

The goddess Isis (mother of Osiris) became the prototype of the Virgin Mary. The religion of Egypt led to the fact that the temple during that period of time became a place of worship and science.

Wikipedia contains information that Zoroastrianism (named after the founder - Zarathustra) is one of the fairly developed religious movements. The idea of the struggle between good and evil, the concept of sin, the formulas “end of the world”, “last judgment” appear.

The religion of India is Hinduism. It's a whole philosophical doctrine. The essence of the belief is that the entire path of life (karma) consists of human reincarnations. Rebirth is necessary in order to become a god during life. Hinduism was created in India for the needs of the caste society of the state. It is not very common in the world today.

Chinese traditional beliefs are Confucianism and Taoism. Confucianism played the role of the main state religion, and its rules subjected the entire jurisdiction of the government. This direction made it possible to rationally organize human life. The path of Tao tends more towards mysticism; the highest goal for a Taoist is the desire to go back to the past order, primitive existence.

Ancient Greece represents the cult of the gods of Olympus. Each of them patronizes a separate polis - a city-state. Magic rituals, numerous myths, and the character of the gods themselves confirm the peacefulness of the Greeks. This is the main difference between religion and other movements. It is not surprising that the people were subsequently captured by the Romans, who brought little with them to the Greek religious cult, but rather borrowed the entire leisure aspect of Greece to establish their own cultural traditions.

Ancient Palestine, with the arrival of the Jewish people, gave rise to Judaism. This is where Christianity later originated. The modern interpretation of the belief originated in the 13th century BC. After the fall of Babylon, the legend of Moses appears in Judaism. Jews believe that there is one supreme God, Yahweh, and he can be worshiped by all nations that honor him and fulfill the terms of his treaty with the nations. As statistics of religions in Israel show, 80% of the population is Jewish.

World religious movements

Today there are three world religions. These include Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. They are the most common. Followers of basic beliefs can be found in almost every country on the globe:

Russia.
England.
Belarus.
Kazakhstan.
North America.

On this moment approximately 65% of the planet's population belongs to these movements. Buddhism, Islam and Christianity are the religions of civilization. They appeared long before the spread of Protestantism. In the 19th century the situation was not much different. To understand the true meaning of religion, it is worth studying all the pros and cons that adherents of faiths give. Statistics of world religions:

Name	Quantity (percentage)
Christianity	33%
	23%
Hinduism	14%
Buddhism	6%
Local traditional beliefs	6%
Hare Krishnas	Less than 1%
Jehovah witnesses	Less than 1%
Mormons	Less than 1%
Atheists, non-believers	12%

Christianity

The history of Christianity is difficult to present in a brief description. Today it is the dominant religion. Christianity originated in the 1st century AD on the territory of the Roman Empire.

The founder of the most widespread religion in the world is Jesus Christ. The holy book is the Bible. It includes the Old and New Testaments. Christianity promises its followers salvation from the Last Judgment that is about to take place. Today it is one of the most widespread movements in Europe.

Regardless of the collapse of the empire, the religion of Ancient Rome survived.

In 395 AD e. there was a split of Christianity into Eastern Orthodoxy with its center in Constantinople ( Byzantine Empire) and Western - Catholicism, the religious center of which is the Vatican.

The process was completed only in the 10th century. By 1054, the religion of the Romans was completely divided. And in the 16th century, the result of the struggle against the feudal lords was the separation of Protestants.

Statistics of religions in the world show that Orthodoxy is present in the following countries - Russia (72%), Albania (20%), Belarus (80%), Bulgaria (84%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (30%), Greece (98%) , Kazakhstan (44%), Kyrgyzstan (20%), South Korea (49%). The list continues with Macedonia (67%), Moldova (98.5%), Romania (70%), Ukraine (97%), Yugoslavia (65%). Religion is also present in other countries. The religion of Georgia is Orthodoxy.

Catholicism follows European conquests. This branch of Christianity has always been involved in politics. Catholicism has often been an aggressor towards other countries. Thanks to the spread of their influence in the Middle Ages, today 52% of the world's population are Catholics, while 12% are Orthodox. Catholicism:

religion of Italy (90%);
religion in Mexico (91%);
religion of Norway (85%).

A large percentage of Catholics are present in other countries. The religion of Armenia is Christianity. However, the country is neither Orthodox nor Catholic.

Another popular religious movement is Protestantism. It is present in many countries in Europe and America. Protestantism:

religion in Germany (40%);
US religion (51%);
religion in Canada (28%).

The youngest religion is Islam. It originated in the 7th century AD. e. The prophet of religion is Muhammad. He founded Islam. The holy book is the Koran. The meaning of religion is that a Muslim must submit to the will of Allah, without even trying to understand it. The Koran is a set of Sharia laws that prescribe moral, social, administrative and criminal standards for human life. Islam is a powerful factor in the formation of statehood (for example, Türkiye - in the past the Ottoman Empire).

There was a split between Sunnis and Shiites. Sunnis recognize power only in the caliph elected by the community, and Shiites allow themselves to submit only to the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad - the imams.

As statistics of religions show, many countries are Muslim. Beliefs are included in the main religious movements. Faith influences the characteristics of the formation of a worldview. Islam:

religion of Azerbaijan (93%);
religion of Kazakhstan (70%);
religion of Turkey (90%).

Buddhism

The founder is considered to be Siddhartha Gautama Shakyamuni, later Buddha (5th–6th century BC). The main point is that a person can escape the cycle of life and achieve nirvana. This is done by achieving bliss through one’s own experience, rather than taking it for granted. Religion statistics show that Buddhism is common in many countries that are culturally distant from each other. This includes Vietnam (79%), Laos (60%), Mongolia (96%), Thailand (93%), Sri Lanka (70%).

Statistics of religions in South Korea shows that in the state 47% of believers profess Buddhism.

National religions

There are national and traditional religious movements, also with their own directions. They arose or became particularly widespread in certain countries, in contrast to the world. On this basis, the following types of beliefs are distinguished (enlarged list of religions):

Hinduism is the religion of India;
Confucianism and Taoism – China;
Shintoism is the religion of Japan;
paganism - Indian tribes, peoples of the North and Oceania.

Statistics of religions in Israel highlight Judaism as the main religion of the state, which is also included in the above list.

Classification by country

Beliefs are a factor in the formation of statehood. They lay down the attitude towards a woman and towards life in general. Statistics of religions by country will help you understand the diversity of world religions. Of course, beliefs changed over time. However, the main religions have survived to this day.

Russia

Statistics of religions in Russia show that the bulk of the country professes Orthodoxy (41%). They consider themselves believers, but have not decided on a religious movement (25%). People who consider themselves atheists (13%). The number of Muslims in the Russian Federation is 4.1%.

Kazakhstan

Statistics of religions in Kazakhstan report that the majority of the country's residents profess Islam (70%). Next comes Orthodoxy (26%). Only 3% of the country's population deny the existence of higher powers. Here it is even closely connected with religion.

Ukraine

What are the statistics of religions in Ukraine? Orthodoxy predominates in the country (74%). It is followed by Catholicism and Protestantism. Religion in Ukraine is very widespread. Less than 10% of residents identify themselves.

Religion statistics

The number of religious denominations and non-religious groups in human society exceeds 27 thousand. This includes official religions, unrecognized religious movements, sects and associations, as well as followers of philosophical agnosticism. The age of religions is enormous. Their history dates back hundreds of years. People began to believe in higher powers even before Babylon and Assyria.

Everyone makes their own choice of religion. Not everyone comes to faith right away. Some begin to identify themselves with a particular denomination after 40 years of age. Not always clear to a child character traits and basic religious approaches. The parents' job is to give short description the chosen denomination and explain its tenets in a simple and age-appropriate form. Religion in school can help you figure out which faith to choose and how to abandon the imposed worldview.

However, despite so many existing beliefs, religion statistics show competition within groups.

From ancient times to the present day, religion has played an invaluable role in human life. It is not surprising that various currents appear regularly. Some of them take root and spread, some die due to lack of adherents. Education modern religions and directions 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 religions, do not lose their importance.

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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 again come to our earth to save the human race.

Origins

Christianity takes its roots from the first century AD. The first mentions of him were recorded in Palestine. At the very early years of its existence, this movement could already boast of a huge number of supporters. Historians believe that the impetus for its emergence was the difficult situation of the inhabitants in those days. It is not surprising that people tried to find support and consolation 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;
Antiochian.

A little later, the above territories began to be called Churches. Among them, the main one does not stand out, but each is considered equal to the others.

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

Christian rules and customs that are familiar to believers today have been questioned and debated many times in the past. To resolve particularly important issues, Councils were established, membership in which was given to bishops and other significant and famous clergy. For example, at the first Council in history, the prayer “Symbol of Faith” 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 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. The currents supported in it have become widespread throughout the world.

Catholicism and Orthodoxy

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

The list of main differences is as follows:

Despite numerous differences and some misunderstandings, Catholics and Orthodox Christians profess the same faith, therefore the majority of their dogmas and rules are the same.

History of Buddhism

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

Researchers believe that Buddhism owes its origins to certain changes that have occurred in the life of the people. In the mid-sixth century BC, the people of India were shaken by many changes in traditional relationships, suffered a decline in both culture and economy, and experienced the emergence of more categorical relationships between classes. These events led to the emergence of a huge number of people who decided 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 and received instant gratitude from the people.

Most scholars agree that the man who gave rise to the new religion was Siddhartha Gautama, better known as Shakyamuni Buddha. He was brought up in a very rich family. His parents and relatives protected him from the dangers and disappointments of this world by all possible ways. Already being quite an adult, the boy did not know about such phenomena as illness, 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 a 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.

He spent six whole years traveling, during which he realized that it was impossible to achieve peace with the help of any techniques. All that remains for us is reflection and prayer. One day, thinking once again in the lap 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 Buddha. Having achieved enlightenment himself, Buddha began to preach it to people.

Basics of religion

If not the main, then the main idea of this movement is the achievement of nirvana, that is, such a state of soul when, after self-denial and giving up things that bring comfort to our life, a person feels not deprived, but complete and can contemplate everything around him with calm. This requires a special method of consciousness control, first mastered by the Buddha.

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

Like any other religion, Buddhism has four truths at its core:

It is considered interesting and very important that the teachings of the Buddha do not preach an ascetic lifestyle. It calls on people to find that golden mean between the material and the spiritual, so as not to be dependent on worldly goods and thereby not destroy themselves.

Origin of Islam

The roots of this religion, whose name translates 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 global movement. “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah” is the main truth for every Muslim.

Adherents of the movement believe that Allah conveyed his teachings, called the Koran, to the Prophet Muhammad. Interesting, that there are certain similarities between the Koran and the Bible, however, Muslims have a rather contradictory attitude towards Christian scripture, 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.

Nowadays Islam is divided into two movements:

Sunnis, which is most of believers follow a set of hadiths accepted by them in ancient times. Sunnis have a special guide that explains how to guide a Muslim in a given situation. This kind of religious practice is called sunnah.
Shiites do not completely reject the Sunnahs, but they introduce their own rulings into them. Adherents of this brand 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 followed by followers of religion:

One of the main differences of Islam 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 deserts. Allah is unmerciful to sinners, which is mentioned in the Muslim scriptures more than 20 times.

The concept of “world religions” refers to three religious movements that are professed by the people of different continents and countries. Currently, these include three main religions: Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. It is interesting that Hinduism, Confucianism and Judaism, although they have gained enormous popularity in many countries, are not considered by world theologians. They are considered national religions.

Let's take a closer look at the three world religions.

Christianity: God is the Holy Trinity

Christianity arose in the first century AD in Palestine, among the Jews, and spread throughout the then Mediterranean. Three centuries later it became the state religion of the Roman Empire, and after another nine, all of Europe was Christianized. In our area, on the territory of what was then Rus', Christianity appeared in the 10th century. In 1054, the church split into two - Orthodoxy and Catholicism, and Protestantism emerged from the second during the Reformation. At the moment these are the three main branches of Christianity. Today the total number of believers is 1 billion.

Basic tenets of Christianity:

God is one, but He is a Trinity, He has three “persons”, three hypostases: Son, Father and Holy Spirit. All together they form the image of one God, who created the entire universe in seven days.
God made the atoning sacrifice in the guise of God the Son, Jesus Christ. This is a god-man, he has two natures: human and divine.
There is divine grace - this is the power that God sends in order to free an ordinary person from sin.
There is an afterlife, life after death. For everything you have done in this life, you will be rewarded in the next.
There are kind and evil spirits, angels and demons.

The holy book of Christians is the Bible.

Islam: There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet

This one is the youngest world religion arose in the seventh century AD on the Arabian Peninsula, among Arab tribes. Islam was founded by Muhammad - this is a specific historical figure, a man born in 570 in Mecca. At the age of 40, he announced that God (Allah) had chosen him as his prophet, and therefore began to act as a preacher. Certainly, local authorities This approach was not liked, and therefore Muhammad had to move to Yathrib (Medina), where he continued to tell people about God.

The holy book of Muslims is the Koran. It is a collection of Muhammad's sermons, created after his death. During his life, his words were perceived as the direct speech of God, and therefore were transmitted exclusively orally.

The Sunnah (a collection of stories about Muhammad) and the Sharia (a set of principles and rules of conduct for Muslims) also play an important role. The main rituals of Islam are important:

daily prayer five times a day (namaz);
universal observance of strict fasting during the month (Ramadan);
alms;
performing hajj (pilgrimage) to the holy land in Mecca.

Buddhism: you need to strive for nirvana, and life is suffering

Buddhism is the oldest of the world's religions, which originated in the sixth century BC in India. She has over 800 million followers.

It is based on the story of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who lived in joy and ignorance until he met an old man, a man with leprosy, and then - funeral procession. So he learned everything that had previously been hidden from him: old age, illness and death - in a word, everything that awaits every person. At the age of 29, he left his family, became a hermit and began to search for the meaning of life. At the age of 35, he became Buddha - an enlightened one who created his own teaching about life.

According to Buddhism, life is suffering, and its cause is passions and desires. To get rid of suffering, you need to renounce desires and passions and try to achieve the state of nirvana - a state of complete peace. And after death, any creature is reborn in the form of a completely different creature. Which one depends on your behavior in this and past lives.

These are the most general information about three world religions, as far as the format of the article allowed. But in each of them you can find a lot of interesting and important things for yourself.

And here we have prepared even more interesting materials for you!

Faith in God surrounds a person from infancy. In childhood, this still unconscious choice is associated with family traditions that exist in every home. But later a person can consciously change his religion. How are they similar and how are they different from each other?

The concept of religion and the prerequisites for its appearance

The word “religion” comes from the Latin religio (piety, sacredness). This is an attitude, behavior, actions based on faith in something that surpasses human understanding and is supernatural, that is, sacred. The beginning and meaning of any religion is faith in God, regardless of whether he is personified or impersonal.

There are several known preconditions for the emergence of religion. Firstly, from time immemorial man has been trying to go beyond the boundaries of this world. He strives to find salvation and consolation beyond his borders and sincerely needs faith.

Secondly, a person wants to give an objective assessment of the world. And then, when he cannot explain the origin of earthly life only by natural laws, he makes the assumption that a supernatural force is attached to all this.

Thirdly, a person believes that various events and incidents of a religious nature confirm the existence of God. The list of religions for believers already serves as real proof of the existence of God. They explain this very simply. If God did not exist, there would be no religion.

The most ancient types, forms of religion

The origin of religion occurred 40 thousand years ago. It was then that the emergence of the simplest forms of religious beliefs was noted. It was possible to learn about them thanks to the discovered burials, as well as rock and cave paintings.

In accordance with this, the following types of ancient religions are distinguished:

Totemism. A totem is a plant, animal or object that was considered sacred by one or another group of people, tribe, clan. The basis of this ancient religion was the belief in the supernatural power of the amulet (totem).

Magic. This form of religion based on belief in magical abilities person. With the help of symbolic actions, a magician is able to influence the behavior of other people, natural phenomena and objects from a positive and negative side.
Fetishism. From among any objects (an animal or human skull, a stone or a piece of wood, for example), one was selected to which supernatural properties were attributed. It was supposed to bring good luck and protect from danger.
Animism. All natural phenomena, objects and people have a soul. She is immortal and continues to live outside the body even after its death. All modern views Religions are based on the belief in the existence of souls and spirits.
Shamanism. The tribal leader or priest was believed to have supernatural powers. He entered into conversation with the spirits, listened to their advice and fulfilled their demands. Belief in the power of the shaman is at the core of this form of religion.

List of religions

There are more than a hundred different religious movements in the world, including the most ancient forms and modern trends. They have their own time of occurrence and differ in the number of followers. But at the heart of this large list are the three most numerous world religions: Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Each of them has different directions.

World religions in the form of a list can be presented as follows:

1. Christianity (almost 1.5 billion people):

Orthodoxy (Russia, Greece, Georgia, Bulgaria, Serbia);
Catholicism (states Western Europe, Poland Czech Republic, Lithuania and others);
Protestantism (USA, UK, Canada, South Africa, Australia).

2. Islam (about 1.3 billion people):

Sunnism (Africa, Central and South Asia);
Shiism (Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan).

3. Buddhism (300 million people):

Hinayana (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand);
Mahayana (Tibet, Mongolia, Korea, Vietnam).

National religions

In addition, in every corner of the world there are national and traditional religions, also with their own directions. They originated or became particularly widespread in certain countries. On this basis, the following types of religions are distinguished:

Hinduism (India);
Confucianism (China);
Taoism (China);
Judaism (Israel);
Sikhism (Punjab state in India);
Shintoism (Japan);
paganism (Indian tribes, peoples of the North and Oceania).

Christianity

This religion originated in Palestine in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD. Its appearance is associated with faith in the birth of Jesus Christ. At 33 he took martyrdom on the cross to atone for human sins, after which he rose again and ascended to heaven. Thus, the son of God, who embodied supernatural and human nature, became the founder of Christianity.

The documentary basis of the doctrine is the Bible (or Holy Scripture), consisting of two independent collections of the Old and New Testaments. The writing of the first of them is closely related to Judaism, from which Christianity originates. The New Testament was written after the birth of religion.

Symbols of Christianity are the Orthodox and Catholic cross. The main provisions of faith are defined in dogmas, which are based on faith in God, who created the world and man himself. Objects of worship are God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit.

Islam

Islam, or Islam, originated among the Arab tribes of Western Arabia at the beginning of the 7th century in Mecca. The founder of the religion was the Prophet Muhammad. This man was prone to loneliness from childhood and often indulged in pious reflections. According to the teachings of Islam, at the age of 40, the heavenly messenger Jabrail (Archangel Gabriel) appeared to him on Mount Hira, who left an inscription in his heart. Like many other world religions, Islam is based on belief in one God, but in Islam he is called Allah.

Holy Scripture - Koran. The symbols of Islam are the star and crescent. The main provisions of the Muslim faith are contained in dogmas. They must be recognized and unquestioningly implemented by all believers.

The main types of religion are Sunnism and Shiism. Their appearance is associated with political disagreements between believers. Thus, Shiites to this day believe that only the direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad carry the truth, while Sunnis think that this should be a chosen member of the Muslim community.

Buddhism

Buddhism originated in the 6th century BC. The homeland is India, after which the teaching spread to the countries of Southeast, South, Central Asia and to Far East. Considering how many other most numerous types of religions exist, we can safely say that Buddhism is the most ancient of them.

The founder of the spiritual tradition is Buddha Gautama. It was a common person, whose parents were awarded the vision that their son would grow up to be a Great Teacher. The Buddha was also lonely and brooding, and very quickly turned to religion.

There is no object of worship in this religion. The goal of all believers is to achieve nirvana, a blissful state of insight, to free themselves from their own shackles. Buddha for them represents a certain ideal that should be equaled.

Buddhism is based on the teaching of the Four Noble Truths: about suffering, about the origin and causes of suffering, about true cessation suffering and eliminating its sources, about true path to the end of suffering. This path consists of several steps and is divided into three stages: wisdom, morality and concentration.

New religious movements

In addition to those religions that originated a long time ago, new faiths still continue to appear in the modern world. They are still based on faith in God.

The following types of modern religions can be noted:

Scientology;
neo-shamanism;
neopaganism;
Burkhanism;
neo-Hinduism;
Raelites;
oomoto;
and other currents.

This list is constantly modified and supplemented. Some types of religions are especially popular among show business stars. For example, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, and John Travolta are seriously interested in Scientology.

This religion arose in 1950 thanks to science fiction writer L. R. Hubbard. Scientologists believe that every person is inherently good, his success and peace of mind depend on himself. According to the fundamental principles of this religion, people are immortal beings. Their experience lasts longer than one human life, and their abilities are unlimited.

But everything is not so simple in this religion. In many countries it is believed that Scientology is a sect, a pseudo-religion with a lot of capital. Despite this, the trend is very popular, especially in Hollywood.

Knowledge of the religious affiliation of the population helps to better understand the characteristics of the economic and social geography different countries of the world. The role of religion in society continues to be very significant today.

It is customary to distinguish tribal, local (national) and world religions.

Even in primitive society, the simplest forms of religious beliefs arose - totemism, magic, fetishism, animism and the cult of ancestors. (Some elementary religions have survived to this day. Thus, totemism was widespread among the Melanesians and American Indians).

Later, complex forms of religions emerged. They most often arose among any one people, or among a group of peoples united in a state (this is how local religions arose - Judaism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Confucianism, Taoism, etc.).

Some of the religions have spread among the peoples of different countries and continents. These are the world religions - Islam and Christianity.

Buddhism, the oldest world religion, exists mainly in two main varieties - Hinayana and Mahayana, to which Lamaism should also be added.

Buddhism arose in India in the 6th-5th centuries. BC. The founder of the teaching is considered to be Siddhartha Gautama Shakyamuni, known to the world under the name of Buddha (i.e. “awakened, enlightened”).

There are many Buddhist centers, temples and monasteries in India, but Buddhism has not become widespread in India itself and has become a world religion outside its borders - in China, Korea, and in a number of other countries. He did not fit into the social structure and culture of society, since he rejected caste, the authority of the Brahmins, and religious ritualism (Hinduism was most widespread in India).

In the II century. Buddhism penetrated into China and became widespread, existing there for about two millennia, having a great influence on Chinese culture. But it did not become the dominant religion here, which was Confucianism in China.

Buddhism as a world religion reached its most complete form in Tibet in Lamaism (during the late Middle Ages- in the VII-XV centuries). In Russia, Lamaism is practiced by residents of Buryatia, Tuva, and Kalmykia.

Currently, there are about 300 million adherents of this religious teaching.

Christianity is considered one of the world religions, bearing in mind both its influence on the course of world history and the scale of its spread. The number of Christian adherents is approaching 2 billion people.

Christianity arose in the 1st century. n. e. in the east of the Roman Empire (on the territory of the modern state of Israel), which at that time absorbed the entire civilization, when the civilization based on slavery was already declining. By the 60s. I century n. e. There were already several Christian communities besides the very first, Jerusalem, which consisted of disciples gathered around Jesus.

Christianity today is a collective term that includes three main directions: Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism, within which there are many different faiths and religious associations that arose in different time throughout the two thousand year history of Christianity (Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox churches, etc.).

Catholicism(Catholicism) is the most significant branch of Christianity. Exists as a strictly centralized church, headed by the Pope (who is also the head of state).

Protestantism- arose in the era of the Reformation (XVI century) as an anti-Catholic movement. The largest directions of Protestantism are Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglicanism, Methodism, and Baptistism.

In 395, the Roman Empire split into western and eastern parts. This contributed to the separation of the Western Church, led by the Bishop of Rome (Pope), and a number of Eastern Churches, led by the Patriarchs of Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Alexandria. Between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity (Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches) a struggle for influence ensued, which ended with their formal break in 1054.

By that time, Christianity had already turned from a persecuted faith into a state religion. This happened under Emperor Constantine (in the 4th century). Orthodoxy of Byzantine origin established itself in the east and southeast of Europe. Kievan Rus adopted Christianity in 988 under Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. This step had important consequences for Russian history.

Islam- the second world religion after Christianity in terms of the number of followers (1.1 billion people). It was founded by the prophet Muhammad in the 7th century. on Arab tribal religions (in Arabia, in the Hijaz).

Islam served as a powerful impetus for the development in a short historical period of such a phenomenon, which is designated by the concept of “Muslim world”. In those countries where Islam is widespread, it plays an important role as a religious doctrine, form social organization, cultural tradition.

From many religious systems modern world Islam remains one of the most significant forces.

Confucianism arose in the middle 1st millennium BC in China as a social and ethical teaching set forth by the philosopher Confucius. For many centuries it was a kind of state ideology. The second local (national) religion - Taoism - is based on a combination of elements of Buddhism and Confucianism. To date, it has survived only in certain areas.

Hinduism means more than just the name of a religion. In India, where it has become widespread, it is a whole set of religious forms, from the simplest ritual, polytheistic to philosophical-mystical, monotheistic. Moreover, it is a designation of the Indian way of life with caste division, including the amount life principles, norms of behavior, social and ethical values, beliefs, cults, rituals.

The foundations of Hinduism are laid in the Vedic religion, which was brought by the Aryan tribes that invaded the Middle Ages. II millennium BC e. The second period in the history of Indian religion is Brahmanical (1st millennium BC). Gradually, the ancient religion of sacrifice and knowledge turned into Hinduism. Its development was influenced by those that arose in the 6th-5th centuries BC. e. Buddhism and Jainism (teachings that denied the caste system).

Shintoism- local religion of Japan (along with Buddhism). It is a combination of elements of Confucianism (observance of the cult of ancestors, patriarchal principles of the family, respect for elders, etc.) and Taoism.

Judaism formed in the 1st millennium BC. among the Palestinian population. (In the 13th century BC, when the Israelite tribes came to Palestine, their religion consisted of many primitive cults common to nomads. Only gradually did the religion of Judaism emerge, in the form in which it is presented in the Old Testament). Distributed exclusively among Jews living in different countries world (the largest groups are in and). The total number of Jews in the world is about 14 million people.

Currently, most of those living in different countries and different social conditions people consider themselves believers - Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, etc. - or do not belong to any of the existing churches, but simply recognize the existence of some higher power - the world mind.

At the same time, it is also a fact that today a significant part of people are not religious, that is, these are people who do not profess any of the existing religions, consider themselves atheists or agnostics, secular humanists or freethinkers.

The spread of world religions in the 90s. XX century

Christianity spread among the peoples of Europe and in other parts of the world, settled by settlers from this part of the world.

Catholicism is the dominant religion in the countries Latin America and in the Philippines; There are significant groups of Catholics in the USA and Canada (French-Canadians), as well as in some African countries (former colonies).

In many countries of the African continent, as a rule, both Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism, since in the recent past these states were colonies) and traditional local beliefs are represented.

There is also Monophysite Christianity in and partly in Egypt.

Orthodoxy spread in the east and southeast of Europe among the Greeks and southern Slavs (,). It is professed by Russians, Belarusians,