10 nations and their religions. List of world religions: briefly about features and origins

Followers of Jesus Christ are united in more than 100 churches, movements and sects. These are Eastern Catholic churches (22). Old Catholicism (32). Protestanism (13). Orthodoxy (27). Spiritual Christianity (9). Sects (6). It is the largest world religion both in terms of the number of adherents, of which there are about 2.1 billion, and in terms of geographical distribution - almost every country in the world has at least one Christian community.

On the issue of relationships Christianity and science, one can discern two extreme - although dominant, but equally incorrect points of view. Namely, firstly, that religion and science are in no way consistent with each other - religion, taken to its ultimate “foundations”, does not need science and denies it, and vice versa, science, for its part, excludes religion to the extent that turns out to be able to explain the world without resorting to the services of religion. And, secondly, that between them, in fact, there are not and cannot be any fundamental disagreements - already due to the different subject matter and multidirectionality of “metaphysical” interests. It is not difficult to see, however, that both points of view (1) dialectically presuppose each other and (2) are also defined dialectically (“antinomically”, etc.) in relation to one principle (“unity” of the world, being, consciousness etc.) – in the first case it is negative, in the second – positive.

Judaism is divided into 11 movements: Orthodox Judaism, Litvaks, Hasidism, Orthodox modernism, religious Zionism, Conservative Judaism, Reform Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism, the movement of humanistic Judaism, Renovationist Judaism of Rabbi Michael Lerner, Messianic Judaism. Has up to 14 million followers.

The positive aspects of the interaction between science and Torah are as follows. According to the Jewish worldview, the world was created for the sake of the Torah and the Torah was the plan for the creation of the world. Therefore, they potentially form a harmonious whole.

Islam is divided into 7 movements: Sunnis, Shiites, Ismailis, Kharijites, Sufism, Salafis (Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia), radical Islamists. Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Muslim communities exist in more than 120 countries and, according to various sources, unite up to 1.5 billion people.

The Qur'an encourages the development of science and scientific knowledge, calls on people to think about natural phenomena and study them. Muslims consider scientific activity to be an act of religious order. Using my own example, I can say that when working under contracts in Muslim countries I always received a warm welcome, respect and gratitude. In Russian regions, they strive to get information “for free, please” and forget to say thank you.

Buddhism consists of three main and many local schools: Theravada - the most conservative school of Buddhism; Mahayana - the latest form of development of Buddhism; Vajrayana – occult modification of Buddhism (Lamaism); Shingon-shu is one of the main Buddhist schools of Japan, belonging to the Vajrayana movement. Estimates of the number of followers of Buddhism range from 350 to 500 million. According to the Buddha, “all that we are is the result of our thoughts, the mind is everything.”

Shintoism- traditional religion of Japan. Forms of Shinto: temple, imperial court, state, sectarian, folk and home. Only about 3 million Japanese turned out to be ardent supporters of Shintoism, who gave preference to this particular religion. The development of science in Japan speaks for itself.

Religions of India. Sikhism. A religion based in Punjab, in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. 22 million followers.

Jainism. Dharmic religion that appeared in India around the 6th century BC. e., preaches non-harm to all living beings in this world. 5 million followers.

Hinduism. A religion that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The historical name of Hinduism in Sanskrit is Sanatana Dharma, which means “eternal religion”, “eternal path” or “ eternal law" It has its roots in the Vedic civilization, which is why it is called the world's oldest religion. 1 billion followers.

The privileged caste is the Brahmins. Only they alone could be ministers of the cult. Brahmins in ancient india had great advantages. In addition to the monopoly on professional religious activities, they also had a monopoly on pedagogical and scientific activities.

Religions of China. Taoism. Chinese traditional teaching, including elements of religion, mysticism, fortune telling, shamanism, meditation practice, and science.

Confucianism. Formally, Confucianism never had the institution of a church, but in terms of its significance, the degree of penetration into the soul and education of the consciousness of the people, it successfully played the role of a religion. In Imperial China, Confucianism was the philosophy of learned thinkers. Over 1 billion followers.

African traditional religions. Practiced by approximately 15% of Africans, they include a variety of concepts of fetishism, animism, totemism and ancestor worship. Some religious beliefs are common to many African ethnic groups, but they are usually unique to each ethnic group. Has 100 million followers.

Voodoo. The general name for religious beliefs that emerged among the descendants of black slaves taken from Africa to South and Central America.

It is difficult to say anything about the place of science in these religions, since there is a lot of magic there.

Shamanism. A well-established name in science for a set of people’s ideas about ways of conscious and purposeful interaction with the transcendental (“otherworldly”) world, primarily with spirits, which is carried out by a shaman.

Cults. Phallic cults, cult of ancestors. In Europe and America, the cult of ancestors has long ceased to exist, having been replaced by the study of genealogies. It still exists in Japan to this day.

Which world religion appeared earlier than others?

Before answering this question, it is necessary to clearly outline why, among many different religions, only a few have been awarded the status of world ones, and what their differences are. As of today globe There are more than twenty thousand different faiths, religious movements and sects.

As for world religions, there are only three of them. Surely their names are familiar to everyone: Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. And they are distinguished by their scale: they are professed all over the world, regardless of political, national and cultural factors. Indeed, real Christians can be found both in developed European countries and in abandoned settlements in Africa. The same cannot be said about Shintoism or, say, Judaism, whose influence is limited to a certain territory. Contrary to popular belief, the world's oldest religion is not Hinduism, which arose in the 15th century. BC, and not even paganism, which appeared even earlier. This proud title is borne by Buddhism, which arose much later, but quickly spread throughout the planet and influenced the development of many cultures. Each world religion is unique and has a number of specific features, which we will discuss below.

Buddhism

It supposedly arose in the 6th century BC. on the territory of modern India. Its founder is Siddhartha Buddha Gautama, an Indian prince who preferred the path of a hermit to a measured, luxurious life. By the age of 35, he achieved enlightenment and began to preach his teachings. All life, in his opinion, from birth to death,
permeated with the spirit of suffering, and the reason for this is the person himself. The path to liberation from suffering, or the Noble Eightfold Middle Path, lies through the renunciation of earthly passions and pleasures. Only with the help of meditation and constant self-control, as the Buddha teaches, is it possible to achieve a state of harmony - nirvana. Today, this world religion is widespread in the southeastern, eastern, central regions of Asia, as well as in the Far East. The number of Buddhist followers around the world reaches 500 million people.

Christianity

This world religion originated about 2 thousand years ago on the territory of modern Palestine, which at that time was one of the provinces of the Holy Roman Empire. Christianity preached love for one's neighbor, mercy and non-resistance to evil, which made it unlike cruel pagan rituals. Despite the persecution of followers of the “religion of slaves and the humiliated,” the teachings of Christ very quickly spread throughout the Eurasian continent. Over time, the united Church was divided into many movements: Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Protestantism and various Eastern confessions.

Islam

It is not the earliest world religion, but it currently ranks first in terms of the number of adherents (more than 1 billion people). The official date of its origin is known - 610 AD, it was then that the first verses of the Koran were given to the Prophet Muhammad. By the end of his life, Islam was practiced throughout the Arab Peninsula. The popularity of this young religion is explained by the traditionally high birth rate in Muslim families, where very strict rules reign and immoral behavior is not allowed.

FEDERAL EDUCATION AGENCY

STATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION OF HIGHER PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

ULYANOVSK STATE UNIVERSITY

Faculty of Humanities and Social Technologies

History of world religions

(in tables)

Educational and methodological manual for students

Faculty of Humanities

and social technologies

Ulyanovsk 2009

UDC 20 (09) (075.8)

BBK 86.23 ya73

R 88

Published by decision of the Academic Council

Faculty of Humanities and Social Technologies, UlSU

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

History of world religions (in tables):Educational and methodological manual 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 Ulyanovsk State University who have in their 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 for both full-time students studying these courses and part-time students.

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 seems useful information the most important information in visual tables. This will allow students to perceive the material in lectures in a more structured manner, and will also make it easier to prepare for exams.

Religion: structure and functions.

Elements of religion	Faith in the soul Belief in supernatural beings Symbolism Rituals and rituals Priests Founder or saints Oral or written tradition
Reasons for people turning to religion	Psychological Social Organic Traditional Mercantile Anti-traditional Existential
Functions of religion	Psychological Social Political Economic Traditional Cultural

Shamanism

Worldview elements	Magism	Impact through certain rituals on the material world
	Totemism	Belief in the connection between a group of people or a person and a certain type of animal, plant, or natural phenomenon
	Fetishism	Veneration of material objects and endowing them with supernatural properties
	Animism	Belief 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 the point of exhaustion
	Breath	Rapid
	Magic items	Tambourine, rattles, masks, etc.
	Plant hallucinogens	Fly agaric, peyote cactus, ayahuasca, etc.

Shintoism

	Ancient Shinto	Watarai Shinto	Yuitsu Songen Shinto (The One Original Shinto)	Fukko Shinto (Revived Shinto)
Appearance time	VII – VI centuries BC.	XIII century	XV century	XIX century
Founder	The first emperor of Japan - Jimmu	Watarai Yukitada	Yoshida Kanetomo	Motoori Norinaga Hirata Atsutane
Lyrics	Kojiki Nihongi Fudoki	Secret recordings	A collection of the most important about the words and teachings of unified Shinto	Interpretation of Ancient History
Key Ideas	Worship of Amaterasu, kami, emperor	The Chosenness of Japan. Borrowing elements from Buddhism. Kami helpers of the buddhas	The main god is not Amaterasu, but Taigensonshin (primordial god). Buddha's manifestation of kami. Anti-Buddhist position	Philological research. The special role of Japan. Japan is the source of all the culture of the earth. All gods are kami

Taoism

Period	Schools	Names	Lyrics	Events, ideas
Ancient period II century IV century V century	Tian shi dao Maoshan (Supreme Purity)	Lao Tzu Zhang Ling Yang Xi, Ge Hong Lu Xiujing	Tao de Ching Taiping Jing Baopu zi Dao zang (Treasures of Tao)	Legendary founder. The beginning of religion. Encounter with Buddhism. Formation of external alchemy. Systematization of Taoist texts.
Tang (618 – 907)		Lu Dongbin, Chuang Tzu	Zhuanzi	Formation of internal alchemy. Monasticism. Patronage of the Emperor.
Song (908 – 1279) 1167 1255	Qun Zhen (Teaching of Perfect Truth)	Zhan Boduan Wang Chongyang	Wu Zhen Pian (Chapters on the Insight of Truth) 15 articles of teaching	Development of internal alchemy. Synthesis of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. Meditation. The disappearance of external alchemy. Loss of Taoists in a dispute with Buddhists.
Yuan (1279 – 1368)				Period of persecution. Destruction of Dao Zang.
Ming and Qin (1368 – 1911)				Stopping persecution. Lack of government support.
Modern times (since 1911)				The beginning of the persecution. Since 1980 there has been a revival.

Hinduism

Veda	Samhitas	Hymns and Proclamations
	Brahmins	Interpretations of the 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 willful determination
	Hatha	Yoga of harmony of body and mind
Yoga steps	Yama (prohibitions)	Ahimsa (non-harm)
		Satya (truthfulness)
		Asteya (non-covetousness)
		Aparigraha (non-acceptance of gifts)
		Brahmachyarya (chastity)
	Niyama (prescriptions)	Sauka (purification)
		Santosha (contentment)
		Tapas (zeal)
		Svadhya (study of texts)
	Asana	Physical static poses
	Pranayama	Correct breathing
	Pratyahara	Turning off feelings
	Dharna	Concentration of attention and will
	Dhyana	Meditation
	Samadhi	Absolute disidentification

Buddhism

Tripitaka

	Sections
Vinya Pitaka (basket of the charter)	Patimokha-sutta	Behavior rules
	Sutta-vibhanga	Commentaries and examples on the Patimokha Sutta
	Khandhaka	History of the monastic community. Rules of conduct for monks: meetings, clothing, food, housing.
	Parivara	Rules of conduct in questions and answers.
Sutta Pitaka (basket of teachings)	Digha-nikaya	Teachings related to the biography of Buddha. Criticism of other teachings, castes, asceticism. Description of the origin of the world.
	Majjhima-nikaya	The same, but in a laconic form
	Samyutta-nikaya	The same, but in an interconnected form
	Anguttara-nikaya	The same, but in classified form
	Khudakka-nikaya	Aphorisms
Abhidamma Pitaka (basket of pure knowledge)	Dhammasangani	Explaining the idea that the world is a creation of consciousness
	Vibhanga	Same
	Kattha-vathu	Philosophical debates
	Puggala-pannyati	On ways to stop the generation of illusions
	Dhatukattha	The same, taking into account psychological aspects
	Yamaka	Basics of logic
	Patthana

Zen

North and South schools

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

Zen schools

	Guiyang	Linzi (Rinzai)	Caodong (Soto)	Yunmen	Fayan
Names	Gui Shan Yang Shan Xiang Yang	Lin Zi Hakuin	Dong Shan Cao Shan Dogen	Yun Men	Fa Yan
Ideas	The main thing is actions, not words. Image: a man hanging on a branch using his teeth	Logics. Zen of looking into a koan.	Logics. Zen of quiet illumination.	One word barrier	Diversity in unity, unity in diversity
Practice	Action and silence	Koans. Screams. Strikes.	Za-zen. Haiku poetry.	Koans. Screams. Strikes. Sharp and short answers. Haiku poetry.	Za-zen. Repeating the words of the question as an answer.

Lamaism

	Nyingma-pa	Kagyu-pa	Gelugpa
Appearance time	VIII century	XI century	XV century
Indian school influence	Adi yoga	Mahamudra	Madhyamiki
Founder	Padmasamhava	Tilopa Naropa Marpa Milarepa	Tsongkhapa
Acting head		Karmapa	Dalai Lama
Ideas	Synthesis of elements of Mahayana, Tantra, Bon. The illusory nature of good and evil. Ignorance is the main vice.	Lineage from the heavenly Buddha - Dorje Chang.	Reformed line of Lamaism. Emphasizes the moral, ethical and intellectual aspect.
Practices	Tantric and yogic practices. Dream yoga. Yoga of heat. Meditations.	Prostrations. Mandala offerings. Meditations. The practice of dying (phowa). Mantras.	Monasticism. Mantras. Study of the sutras.

Zoroastrianism

Time	Names	Events, ideas
VI century BC.	Zarathushtra	Duality of the world. Ahura Mazda 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.
IV century BC.		Spread of the heresy of Zurvanism.
331 BC	Alexander the Great	Persecution of Macedonians against Zoroastrianism. The idea of the enemy of the future savior.
III century	Tansar Kirder Mani	Reformation of Zoroastrianism. Prohibition on the use of images during worship. Sacred lights. The emergence of Manichaeism.
VI century		Conflicts between Zoroastrians and Christians
V century	Mazdak	Spread of Manichaeism
VII century		The propagation of Islam by the Arabs
X century		Beginning of the migration of Zoroastrians to India (Parsis)
XI century		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 how to treat it.
Jasna	Liturgical cult. Sacrifices. Cult of fire.
Visforward	Liturgical Prayers
Yashty	Ways to protect yourself from evil spirits. Formulas of curses and 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, XVI – XV centuries. BC.	IX – VIII centuries BC.
Joshua Joshua	Joshua, XIV century. BC.	V – IV centuries. BC.
Shofetim (Judges)	Samuel, XI century BC.	VI century BC.
Ruth	Nathan and Gad, 10th century. BC.	V – IV centuries. BC.
Samuel, Kings	Samuel, Jeremiah and others, IX – VI centuries. BC.	VI century BC.
Chronicles	Ezra, 5th century BC.	OK. 300 BC
Ezra	Ezra, 5th century BC.	V – IV centuries BC
Nehemiah	Nehemiah, 5th century BC.	V century BC.
Esther	Men of the Great Synagogue, V – IV centuries. BC.	IV centuries BC.
Job	Opinions vary	Beginning III century BC.
Tehillim (Psalms)	David and others, X – V centuries. BC.	XI – II centuries. BC.
Michelet (Proverbs)		VIII century BC.
Qohelet (Preacher)	Solomon, 10th century BC, friends of Hezekiah, VIII century. BC.	OK. 200 BC
Shir ha shshirim (Song of Songs)	Solomon, 10th century BC, friends of Hezekiah, VIII century. BC.	III century BC.
Isaiah	Sirach, II century. BC, Isaiah, VIII century. BC.	Jesus, son of Sirach, between 190 and 173 BC.; V – IV centuries. BC.
Jeremiah	Jeremiah, VI century. BC.	Jeremiah, VI century. BC.
Jeremiah's Lament	Jeremiah, VI century. BC.	Jeremiah, VI century. BC.
Ezekiel	Ezekiel, 6th century. BC.	Ezekiel, 6th century. BC.
Daniel	Daniel, 6th century. BC.	Ser. II century BC.
Minor prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi	Prophets, IX – V centuries. BC.	Hosea, Amos, Micah in the 8th century. BC, Habakkuk, Zephanius in the 7th century. BC, Haggai, Zechariah in the 6th century. BC, the rest VIII - V centuries. BC.

Christianity

New Testament

Books
From Matthew	Matthew, 42	Con. I century
From Mark	Mark, 52 – 67	Con. I century
From Luke	Luka, 55	Con. I century
From John	John, c. 1st century	Con. I century
Acts of the Apostles	Luka, 63	II century
Jacob	Jacob, 42 – 55	II century
Petra	Peter, 65 – 66	II century
Joanna	John, con. I century	II century
Judas	Jude, 63 - 65	II century
Pavel	Pavel, 53 – 67	II century
Apocalypse (Revelation of John the Theologian)	John, 68	John, 68 – 69

Heresies and the fight against them

	Montanism	Arianism	Monophysitism	Iconoclasm
Time	170 g	IV century	V century	VIII century
Founder	Montand	Arius	Kirill	Emperor Leo III
Ideas	The coming of the Holy Spirit. Third Testament. Denial of bishops.	The Son is not eternal, therefore not identical with the Father.	In Christ there is no human, only divine.	Icon veneration is idolatry
Struggle	Condemned 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 Second Council of Nicaea (787). Finally liquidated in 842.

Orthodoxy

Time	Events
9th century	The activities of Cyril and Methodius. Baptism of Bulgaria and Rus'.
XI century	Formation of Russian monasticism.
XIV century	Settlement of Metropolitan Peter in Moscow. Development of northern monasticism. Sergius of Radonezh.
1453	Fall of Constantinople. Idea: Moscow is the third Rome. Filofey.
1469	Division of the Russian Metropolitanate.
1589	Establishment of the Patriarchate in Rus'. Patriarch Job. Patriarchal period.
XVI century	The dispute between the Josephites and non-possessors.
XVII century	Church schism. The emergence of Old Believers and various sects (Bespopovtsy, Khlysty, Skoptsy, etc.)
1700	Elimination of the patriarchate. Synodal period.
1917	The emergence of renovationists. Election of Tikhon as Patriarch.
1918	Separation of church and state. The beginning of the conflict with the Soviet regime.
1922	Arrest of Patriarch Tikhon. Activation of renovationists.
1927	A split within the Russian Orthodox Church due to the pro-Soviet policy of locum tenens Sergius. The appearance of the catacomb church.
1943	Meeting between Sergius and 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	Creation of the Papal States in Italy
X century	Papacy depending on emperors. Cluny movement.
XI century	The struggle between Pope Gregory VII and Emperor Henry IV. Guelphs and Ghibellines. Introduction of celibacy. Prohibition on the purchase of church positions.
XII century..	The Knights Templar were founded.
XIII century
XIV century	Avignon capture of the popes. The emergence of antipopes. The Great Schism. The defeat of the Templar Order by Philip the Fair.
XV century	The emergence of the Rosicrucians in Bohemia and Germany
XVI century	Counter-Reformation. Tightening of the Inquisition. Torquemada. Jesuit Order. Ignatius of Loyola.
XVIII century
1870	The secular power of the church was eliminated 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 rise of fascists to power 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	John Calvin	King Henry VIII
Text	Book of Concord	Instructions in the Christian Faith	Book of Public Worship
A country	Germany	Switzerland, France (Huguenots), England (Puritans), Scotland (Presbyterianism)	England
Ideas	A person is not able to see all of his sinfulness. Salvation is not by works, but by faith. Refusal 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 one's profession.	As in Lutheranism, but the hierarchy and the ban on the English Bible are preserved.
Events	1517 95 theses against indulgences. 1521 Luther excommunicated from the church. Translation into German of the Bible. Conflict between Luther and Münzer (Anabaptists). 1555 Protestantism gained recognition in Germany.	1533 renunciation of Catholicism. Introduced worldly asceticism for all residents. 1561 St. Bartholomew's Night. The beginning of the war. 1598 The rights of the Huguenots are stipulated in the Edict of Nantes. 1685 the beginning of the persecution of the Huguenots. 1789 restoration of Huguenot rights.	1534 Parliament freed the English church from subordination to the pope and proclaimed the king the head of the church. 1536 The Ten Points of Creed set out the fundamentals of faith. XVIII century The Methodists separated.

African-American religions

	Source	A country	Pantheon	Teaching
Voodoo	Dahomey	Haiti, USA.	Loa. Communication with other loa through Loa Legba. Evil Loa - Gede (Baron Samedi)	Obsession with houngans and mambo. Animal sacrifices. The composition of a person: flesh, spirit of flesh, fate, great and small angel. A large angel becomes a loa after 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
Macumba (quimbanda)	Yoruba	Brazil	Evil spirits are eshu. Eshu Tranka Ruas.	Archaic version of umbanda
Umbanda	Yoruba	South America	They avoid communicating with orishas, only with the spirits of their 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 are in African rather than Portuguese. Animals are sacrificed.

Islam

Sunnis

Muhammad. Honoring Mecca and Medina.

Malikis

Conservative sense

Hanifites

Liberal sense

Shafi'ites

Free interpretation of the Qur'an

Hanbalis

Fanatical sense

Wahhabis

XVIII century Refusal of the clergy, the cult of Muhammad, and holy places. Asceticism.

Shiites

Sacred tradition - akhbar. Cult of martyrs. Ali. Hussein. Belief in the "hidden imam". Veneration of Najaf and Karbala (burial places of Ali and Hussein)

Zaydis

VIII century Denial of the “hidden imam”, the cult of saints, the dogma of predestination and the uncreated nature of the Koran.

Ismailis

VIII century Belief in the transmigration of souls. Allegorical interpretation of the Koran. Denial of ritual. Influence of Buddhism.

Karmaty

Druze

Nuisarites

Belief in the existence of the Holy Trinity - Ali, Muhammad, Salman. Similarities with Christianity.

Baha'ism

XIX century Refusal 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 people of other faiths. Strict orders in the community.

NSD of the early twentieth century.

	Founders	Lyrics	Ideas
Theosophy	Helena Blavatsky	Secret Doctrine	Guiding the development of humanity by the Mahatmas. The passage of races by humanity in the process of evolution: Lemurians, Atlanteans, etc. Strong influence of Buddhist ideas.
Anthroposophy	Rudolf Steiner	Anthroposophy, Spiritual guidance of humanity.	Similar to the ideas of Theosophy, but more influenced by Christianity. Development of anthroposophical pedagogy, medicine.
Agni Yoga	Helena 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	Meetings with 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.
Thelemicism	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	Reconnecting man with nature. Cold hardening.

NSD of the second half of the twentieth century

	Movement	Founder	Lyrics
Western-oriented movements	Unification Church	Sun Myung Moon	Divine principle
	Family	David Berg	Letters from Mo Law of Love
	Church of the Last Testament	Vissarion (Sergei Torop)	The last testament
	White Brotherhood - YUSMALOS	Maria Tsvigun and Yuri Krivonogov	Teaching about Fohat
	Mother of God Center	Veniamin Bereslavsky	Birth Stream, Bogorodichnoe Lono
Eastern-oriented 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	Declaring yourself to be Christ
Pagan-ecological movements	Bazhovtsy	Vladimir Sobolev
	Cult of Anastasia	Vladimir Megre	Ringing cedars of Russia
	New Toltecs	Carlos Castaneda	Teachings of Don Juan Tales of Power
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

For many centuries, the best minds of mankind have sought to find a rational explanation of the reasons for the emergence of a specific, illusory-mystical, irrational form of human thinking and to understand religion as a form of social consciousness, as a social phenomenon.

Having arisen at the dawn of mankind and taking shape over the centuries on the basis of inadequate reflection in people’s thinking of real objective processes in nature and society, religious ideas and beliefs, as well as the dogmas, cults, rituals and rituals that reinforced them, entangled human consciousness in a web of unrealizable illusions, distorted his perception of the world crookedly the mirror of fantastic myths and magical transformations, magic and miracles, forced the creation of more and more elaborate and complex metaphysical constructions of the universe and the afterlife. Strengthening in the minds of people, being fixed in the memory of generations, religion became part of the cultural potential of a people, a country, or even many countries.

Ancient people, when creating their religions, cared about purely ethnic needs and counted on the “compatriotic” help of their own gods. Some of the religions “with local registration” faded into oblivion (sometimes together with the peoples who gave birth to them), while others, despite their territorial limitations, live to this day.

But there were religions that corresponded to the dreams and aspirations of not only the people from which came the prophet who once announced the divine will. For these faiths, national boundaries turned out to be narrow. They captured the minds and souls of the people inhabiting various states, different continents: Christianity, Islam and Buddhism have become world religions.

1.Christianity

The most widespread and one of the most developed religious systems in the world is Christianity, which appeared in the 1st century AD in Judea, the eastern province of the Roman Empire.

1.1. Foundation of Christianity

Christianity is based on the doctrine of the God-man Jesus Christ, the son
God, who came to people with good deeds and commanded them the laws of righteous life. This is a religion based on the belief that two thousand years ago God came into the world. He was born, received the name Jesus, lived in
To Judea, he preached and accepted great suffering and martyrdom on the cross in atonement for the sins of people. His death and subsequent resurrection from the dead changed the fate of all mankind. His preaching marked the beginning of a new, European civilization. For Christians, the main miracle was not the word
Jesus, O Himself. The main work of Jesus was His being: being with people, being on the cross.

Christians believe that the world was created by one eternal God, and created without evil. The Resurrection of Christ marks for Christians victory over death and the newfound opportunity of eternal life with God. This is where the story of the New Testament with God begins for Christians. This is the Testament of Love. Its most important difference from
The Old (i.e. old, former) Testament lies in the very understanding of God,
Which “is Love.” Throughout the Old Testament the basis of relationships
God and man are the law. Christ says: “I give you a new commandment: love one another, as I have loved you.”

Christianity views history as unidirectional, unique,
a “one-time” process directed by God: from the beginning (creation) to completion, the end (the coming of the Messiah, the Last Judgment). The content of this process is the drama of a person who has fallen into sin, who has fallen away from God, and whom only the mercy of God can save, and he can find this mercy in faith in the Savior and the church, which is the bearer of this faith.

Christianity, like no other religion, is based on mystery. Reason cannot accommodate the idea of one God, existing in three persons: God the Father,
God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. One of the main sacraments of Christianity is communion, based on the Eucharist (the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and
Blood of Christ), and the communion of believers with God through the partaking of these divine gifts.

The Holy Scripture of Christians - the Bible - is not a statement of doctrine and not the history of mankind, it is a story about how God searched for a person, it is a speech
God addressed to people. In it, the New Testament, which tells about the life and teachings of Christ, is added to the Old Testament (the sacred book of the followers of Judaism). The New Testament includes the four Gospels (from Greek - gospel), the Acts of the Apostles - the first preachers of Christianity,
The Letter of the Apostles to the Christian Communities and, finally, the Apocalypse, or
Revelation of Saint John the Theologian. These works are considered
“God-inspired” i.e. although written by people, but at the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit.

The main idea of Christianity is the idea of sin and human salvation. People are sinners before God, and this is what makes them equal: Greeks and Jews, Romans and barbarians, slaves and free, rich and poor - all sinners, all “servants of God.”

Christianity attracted people by exposing the corruption of the world and justice. They were promised the kingdom of God: those who are first here will be last there, and those who are last here will be first there. Evil will be punished, and virtue will be rewarded, the highest judgment will be completed and everyone will be rewarded according to their deeds. The preaching of the Evangelical Christ called not for political resistance, but for moral improvement.

1.2. Church and Christianity

The peculiarity of Christianity as a religion is that it can only exist in the form of the Church. The church is a community of people who believe in Christ: “...where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them.”

However, the word “church” has different meanings. This is also a community of believers, united by a common place of residence, one clergyman, one temple. This community constitutes a parish.

Church, especially in Orthodoxy, is also commonly called a temple, which in this case is perceived as the “house of God” - a place for sacraments, rituals, a place of joint prayer.

Finally, the Church can be understood as a form of Christian faith. Over two millennia, several different traditions have developed and taken shape in Christianity, each of which has its own Creed, its own rite and ritual.
Therefore, we can talk about the Orthodox Church (Byzantine tradition),
Catholic Church (Roman tradition) and Protestant Church (tradition
Reformation of the 16th century).

In addition, there is the concept of the Earthly Church, uniting all believers in
Christ, and the concept of the Heavenly Church - the ideal divine structure of the world. Where the earthly Church follows the covenants of Christ, it forms unity with the heavenly one.

1.3.Geography of Christianity

The first steps of Christianity in the I-II centuries. limited to the area
Mediterranean, then it penetrated into Central European countries and only in the 7th-12th centuries. – to the north-east of Europe. During the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries, Christian missionaries began to actively work
(conductors of religious teaching), which continues in our time. At the end of the 15th century. They, together with the conquerors, landed on the shores of the newly discovered America.

In the 16th century Most of the Philippines was annexed to Christendom.
Misfortune befell the missionaries in Africa. Only in the 19th century. as a result of active colonization, it was possible to convert many inhabitants of the “dark continent” to Christianity. The same colonization introduced the bulk of the population to it
Oceania.

1.4. Early Christianity

From its first steps, early Christianity declared itself to be the teaching of the oppressed lower classes, the teaching of the dispossessed and suffering. True, this teaching did not call for struggle - and in this sense it cannot in any way be considered revolutionary in character. Rather, on the contrary, Christianity was an alternative to various kinds of uprisings and wars, starting with the uprising of Spartacus, which shook the powerful Roman Empire at the turn of our era. And as such
A “pacifying” alternative that directed the energy of the oppressed into the channel of religious illusions, Christianity was quite acceptable, even beneficial for those in power, who soon realized this and accepted Christian teaching as the dominant ideological doctrine. However, this happened later. Early Christianity in the first two or three centuries of its existence, being a religion of the disenfranchised and persecuted, not only stood in opposition to the authorities, being subjected to severe persecution on their part, but was also not devoid of radical elements, even revolutionary pathos. This pathos boiled down, first of all, to a sharp rejection of the established norms of life.

The revolutionary pathos of early Christianity was reflected in the emphasis on two important aspects of the new religion. Firstly, on her preaching of universal equality. Although this was equality, first of all, only “in sin,” the equality of “God’s servants,” even in this capacity, the slogan of universal equality could not help but attract attention.
True, in some evangelical texts slavery was justified and slaves were instilled with obedience to their masters, but nevertheless, the proclamation of the principle of universal equality during the heyday of the Roman Empire cost a lot. Secondly, on the condemnation of wealth and acquisitiveness (“a camel will pass through the eye of a needle sooner than a rich man will enter the kingdom of heaven”), on emphasizing the universal duty to work (“let him who does not work, let him not eat”).
It is not surprising that the members of the first Christian communities were, first of all, the offended and oppressed, the poor and slaves, the poor and outcasts.

1.5. The first Christian communities

The first Christian communities borrowed from their predecessors - sects such as the Essenes - the features of asceticism, self-denial, piety and added to them the ritual rituals of communion of Mithraism and much more, including the solemn act of baptism as a symbol of faith. These communities were quite closed. They were led by charismatic leaders - preachers, “teachers”, prophets overshadowed by “grace”, who usually listened to their “inner voice”, had “visions”, heard
“the voice of God” and therefore were considered to have an undeniable right to leadership. Already in the second half of the 1st century. n. e. Two main trends have clearly emerged - the pro-Jewish one, represented by the Apocalypse and genetically going back, apparently, to networks like the Essenes, and the anti-Jewish one, associated with the activities of the Apostle Paul. Unlike the Apostle Peter, whom the Gospel Paul called “the apostle to the Jews,” Paul, according to legend, called himself.
"servant of Jesus Christ among the Gentiles." In this sense, it is Paul who can be considered the first patriarch (if not the founder) of Christianity.

In the conditions of the increasingly rigid dogmatic basis of Christian doctrine, the life of the original sects and communities led by charismatic leaders, full of dangers and persecution, but distinguished by freedom of spirit and action, was becoming a thing of the past. In the new conditions, they were replaced by officials elected by believers (and then approved from above) - deacons, bishops, presbyters.

The replacement of charismatic leaders with a bureaucratic hierarchy is an inevitable phenomenon in the conditions of the emerging church with its strict canons and inviolable dogmas. Purified from the “sins” of youth, the Christian Church became an institution quite acceptable to the socio-political elite, whose influence among the masses made rapprochement with it and its use desirable.

1.6. Wave of persecution of Christianity

Originating in a remote province of the Roman Empire (Judea) in the 1st century, Christianity until the middle of the 4th century. was persecuted by the Roman authorities. First in one province, then in another, or even throughout the entire empire, a wave of persecution immediately arose: temples were destroyed, clergy and ordinary believers were arrested. A Christian slave was persecuted in the same way as an officer or patrician who converted to Christianity.

These three centuries of persecution for all subsequent centuries taught Christians two great truths (with which even those who do not consider themselves believers agree): truth does not depend on the will of the authorities; a humiliated and poor person may turn out to be right.

And after another 17 centuries - in the 20th century - another empire again declared war on Christians. And again - desecrated and destroyed churches, and again hundreds of thousands killed. This time the ground, watered with martyr's blood, became
Russia. The atheistic empire demanded unconditional agreement not only with its policies, but also with its philosophy, with its worldview. None of the waves of persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire lasted more than ten years. IN
In the Soviet Union, persecution continued for seven decades.

Near one of the Siberian camps there is a grave in which 50 priests lie. They were taken out of the camp and ordered to dig a trench. They lined it up on its edge. And then they approached everyone with a pistol and asked the question: “Well, does your God exist or not?” The answer “yes” was followed by a shot. Not one renounced.

In the 20th century Christians (primarily priests) were killed in Nazi Germany and Mexico, Khmer Rouge Kampuchea and Maoist China, Albania (where religion was prohibited by the constitution) and Yugoslavia, Romania and Poland...

The relationship between the Church and earthly authorities was so difficult. But within the Church itself, throughout the history of its existence, many dramatic and sometimes tragic events took place. Today Christianity is represented by three denominations, each of which is divided into many denominations, i.e. movements, sometimes very different in their beliefs. But both Orthodox and Catholics, and most Protestants recognize the dogma (the definition of the Church, which has unconditional authority for each of its members) about the Holy Trinity, they believe in salvation through
Jesus Christ, recognize one Holy Scripture - the Bible.

1.7. Statistics on Christianity

Counting the exact number of Christians is not easy. However, general statistics give the following figures. Today, Christian believers make up 1/3 of the population living in Europe and Australia, Northern and
Latin America, New Zealand and New Guinea. The Orthodox Church numbers about 120 million people in its ranks, the Roman Catholic
The Church unites about 700 million believers, the Protestant churches that are members of the World Council of Churches unite about 350 million people.

1.8. Schism of Christianity

Christianity has long ceased to be a monolithic religion. Reasons of a political nature, internal contradictions that have accumulated since
IV century, led to the XI century. to a tragic split. And before this, there were differences in worship and understanding of God in different local churches. With the division of the Roman Empire into two independent states, two centers of Christianity were formed - in Rome and in Constantinople (Byzantium). Local churches began to form around each of them. The tradition that has developed in the West has led in Rome to a very special role of the Pope of Rome - the High Priest - the head of the Universal Church, the vicar of Jesus Christ. The Church in the East did not agree with this. Two Christian denominations formed
- Orthodoxy and Catholicism.

2. Orthodoxy

Orthodoxy established itself in Europe on territory that once belonged to
The Byzantine Empire or countries under its influence: most of the Balkan Peninsula and Russia.

2.1. Definition of Orthodoxy

The word “orthodoxy” is a translation of the Greek “orthodoxy.” "Orthos" -
“correct” (hence, for example, “spelling”), and the word “doxa” has two meanings in Greek: “judgment”, “opinion” and “glory”, “glorification”.
Thus, the word “orthodoxy” could be translated into Russian both as “right-thinking” and as “Orthodoxy”, i.e. the ability to praise correctly
God. The Eastern Church chose the second meaning for itself, thereby emphasizing the predominance of the ethical-aesthetic principle over the rational. In the ancient Church, the word “orthodoxy” denoted the main requirement for the faith and life of Christians. The definition of “Orthodox” was assigned to the Eastern
Church in the late Middle Ages.

2.2. Orthodox Church of Byzantium

In the Eastern Empire (Byzantium), the church did not receive much independence and political influence. Divided, moreover, into a number of patriarchates (Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem), it found itself almost completely dependent on the state and practically identified itself and its interests with its interests. It is also worth noting that the sphere of influence and mass base of all patriarchates was small, and after the Islamization of the Middle Eastern world it became completely miniscule.
In Byzantium, the dogmas and canons of the Orthodox Church were formulated. Within the framework of Byzantine culture, the principles of church art developed, which became canonical for all Orthodox churches.

In the Orthodox Church as a whole, due to its relative weakness and political insignificance, there have never been mass persecutions of the “Holy Inquisition” type, although this does not mean that it did not persecute heretics and schismatics in the name of strengthening its influence on the masses. At the same time, having absorbed many ancient pagan customs of those tribes and peoples who accepted Orthodoxy (there were many of them, at least in Rus' alone), the church was able to rework and use them in the name of strengthening its authority.
Ancient deities turned into saints of the Orthodox Church, holidays in their honor began church holidays, beliefs and customs received official coverage and recognition. Only a few overtly overt pagan rituals, such as the worship of idols, which went back to the fetishism of ancient times, were persecuted and gradually died out, but even here, the church skillfully transformed them, directing the activity of believers to the worship of icons.

2.3. Basic Law of Orthodoxy

The imperial power supported the desire for church unity and thereby contributed to an increasingly harmonious and clear disclosure of the Orthodox doctrine. The rules of reception - the acceptance by the entire church “body” of any norms - have become one of the basic laws of Orthodoxy. No person, no body of the Church, no matter how broad in composition it may be, can be completely infallible. In matters of faith, only the Church is infallible -
“the body of Christ” – as a whole.

In Orthodoxy, Tradition is understood not only as a set of sacred books, writings and decisions of councils, but also as a direct action of the Holy Spirit and the earthly Church. It is believed that it is this mystical component of Church Tradition that has preserved the continuity and purity of the Orthodox Church since apostolic times.

2.4. Russian Orthodox Church

With the strengthening of ancient Rus', the Orthodoxy it borrowed from Byzantium gradually strengthened and the metropolitans appointed from Constantinople finally turned into into independent patriarchs. The period of independence of the Russian Church from the Patriarchate of Constantinople actually began on December 15, 1448, when the Russian bishops independently elected Metropolitan Jonah as their primate. During the arrival in Moscow on January 26, 1589 of the Patriarch of Constantinople Jeremiah in the Assumption Cathedral
Kremlin Metropolitan Job of Moscow was elevated to the rank of patriarch. The Russian Orthodox Church not only supported the tsarist power, but also submitted to it and willingly collaborated with it (only occasionally there were exceptions; for example, Patriarch Nikon in the 17th century tried to put the church above secular power).

Orthodoxy brought with it from Byzantium to Rus' high level culture, moral experience, philosophical and theological thought, aesthetic feeling. Church art has left priceless creations of architecture, icon painting, and singing.

During the years of the Tatar-Mongol yoke and unrest, the Russian Orthodox Church reconciled the warring princes and was the guardian of national culture. She took patriotic positions during the years of disasters and enemy invasions. This was the case in
1812, and during the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945.

2.5. Orthodoxy and modernity

In present-day Russia, Orthodoxy is practiced by believers of Slavic origin, as well as by the peoples of the North and Volga region.

The residence of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' is located in Moscow. In addition to the Russian dioceses, under the administration of the Moscow Patriarchate there are bishoprics in the CIS countries, a number of dioceses in Western and Central Europe,
Northern and South America. The Russian Orthodox Church also includes the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which received the right of self-government in 1990, and the autonomous Japanese Orthodox Church.

The Russian Orthodox Church performs services according to the Julian calendar. The main liturgical language is Church Slavonic. In parishes
Western Europe services are performed in the main European languages.

2.6. Old Believers

With Russian history Orthodox Church The Old Believers are closely related.
Its emergence dates back to the time of the schism of Russian Orthodoxy, the cause of which was the church and ritual reform begun by the patriarch
Nikon in the middle of the 17th century. Many priests of various ranks, who found it difficult to retrain and perform rituals according to the new liturgical books and according to the new rules, went into schism. Adherents of the “Old Orthodox rites” who did not accept the changes in the external forms of church life, most of them peasants, fled from persecution. They fled to the deep forests of the Volga region, the North, Siberia, on the southern outskirts of the country, or founded their own communities abroad. Many anti-government movements and various rebellious forces took the form of Old Believers. In 1685, a special decree was issued definitively prohibiting schism. In the 50-60s of the 17th century, at the Councils of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Old Believers were cursed, which was lifted only in 1971, when it was recognized that the old rituals were “equally honorable” to the post-reform ones, that is, they were just as canonical.
(legal). Thus, the Moscow Patriarchate has taken a serious step towards overcoming the schism of the Russian Church that occurred three centuries ago. To this day, the Rogozhskoe cemetery in Moscow remains one of the leading centers of Russian Old Believers. In its churches, services are conducted as was customary in the Russian Church of the 17th century before Nikon’s reforms.

3. Catholicism

The life of Western Europe was dominated by the Roman Catholic Church until the 16th century. There are few dogmatic and liturgical differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Orthodoxy interprets the Trinity differently (believes that the Holy Spirit comes only from God the Father), does not recognize purgatory between heaven and hell, does not practice issuing indulgences, and administers communion with bread (and not unleavened, but leavened) and wine. But it always held on to these differences very tightly, especially after the final break with Catholicism in 1054.

3.1. Definition of Catholicism

The term “Catholicism” (or “Catholicism”) is derived from the Greek adjective “katholicos” - “universal”. "Ekklesia catholica" means
"universal (conciliar) Church." These are the words included in the original Nicene
Constantinople Creed: “I believe... in the Catholic Church...”.

3.2. Catholic Church

The Catholic Church means universal, universal, claiming that she, and she alone, is the true and complete embodiment of Christianity. The Catholic Church, unlike the Orthodox Church, has a single head - the Pope. The head of the church is considered the vicar of Christ on earth and the successor of the Apostle Peter. The Pope performs a triple function: Bishop of Rome, Shepherd of the Universal Church and Head of the Vatican State. The current Pope John
Paul II was elected in 1978. The Catholic Church, according to its teaching, carried within itself a “reserve of good deeds” and divine grace, which helped to achieve salvation and remove sins from the human soul. Catholicism has taken a leading place in many countries of Europe and America. With the blessing of the Roman Catholic Church, many cultural traditions of “pagan” antiquity with its free-thinking were consigned to oblivion and condemned. True, the church tradition, which cultivated Latin, contributed to the preservation of a significant part of the manuscript heritage of ancient culture. The teachings of Aristotle, revived with the help of the Arabs, significantly corrected by the church, even became
(along with the Bible) is a kind of supreme and almost the last word of spiritual culture. However, much was irretrievably lost, and above all, spiritual freedom. Catholic priests (who took a vow of celibacy and therefore were not bound in their activities by personal and family interests, who devoted themselves entirely to the service and interests of the church) jealously monitored the strict observance of church dogmas and rituals, mercilessly punished heretics, which included everyone who had any knowledge of -dared to deviate from official teaching. The best minds medieval Europe died at the stake
to the “holy” Inquisition, and to the rest, the intimidated and humbled “sinners,” the church willingly sold indulgences—absolution of sins—for a lot of money.

3.3. Statistics and geography of Catholicism

The innermost essence of the Catholic faith, of course, cannot be comprehended with the help of numbers, but they can give at least a general idea of \u200b\u200bactivities
Catholic Church. According to statistics, there are from 600 to 850 million Catholics in the world, which is about 15% of the planet. IN
In Latin America, 90% of the population are Catholics, in Europe there are about 40%, in
North America - only 25%, in Africa - 13%, and in Asia no more than 2.5%, with two thirds of them living in the Philippines.

There are several large Catholic communities in the world that live and develop according to their own special laws. For example, in Latin countries
America's population is growing rapidly. There are not enough priests, but missionary activity - evangelization - goes on continuously, and it is there
The Catholic Church becomes a truly people's "church for the poor."
On the contrary, in Western European, traditionally Christian countries, there are fewer and fewer Catholics, and the number of Catholic priests is correspondingly decreasing.

The Catholic Church in the countries of Eastern Europe finds itself in difficult conditions.
Europe, which had long been under pressure from atheistic propaganda. However, since the beginning of the 90s, these countries have had the right to freely choose their religion. In Muslim countries, the few Catholics are treated differently depending on the level of religious tolerance in a given country. Today the Catholic Church proclaims the need to find a solution global problems modernity in the spirit of humanism, respect for life and the dignity of the human person.

3.4. Reformation and Catholicism

In the first half of the 16th century, the reformist social and religious movement, aimed at changing the very foundations of the structure of the church and associated with the worldview of the emerging bourgeoisie, led to the fact that vast areas of the Central, Western and Northern regions broke away from Catholicism.
Europe. The emerging anti-feudal movement was also directed against the Catholic Church. Leaders of the Reformation in Germany and Switzerland - Luther, Jean
Calvin and Zwingli accused the Catholic Church of distorting true Christianity, sharply opposed the dogma of papal infallibility, the practice of selling indulgences, the tinsel and pomp of Catholic worship, and finally, against exaggerating the role of the church as a mediator between man and God. The only mediator between people and God
The Reformation recognized Christ.

Of course, the Reformation did not at all mean the death of Catholicism. Having resorted to the help of the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church managed to survive and until today its entire church hierarchy, headed by the Pope, is a serious force, the influence of which is felt in many parts of the world.
However, the era of the Reformation dealt Catholicism and, in general, the omnipotence of the Christian Church such a blow from which it was no longer possible to recover. Time
The “Holy Inquisition” and total control over the thought, over the spiritual life of people by the church began to become an irrevocable past. Catholicism - following the Protestant Church - was forced to agree that God has a “divine” place, that is, a very specific place in the life and activities of people, the rest of their time and attention should be given to other matters that were not directly related to religion and did not depend on from her intervention and assessment. This, naturally, did not mean that the role of the church was reduced to almost zero. And yet, the separation of the church from the state and from various spheres of people’s business activity, which was the result of the Reformation, played a huge role in the destinies of Western Europe, in its successful development along the capitalist path.

4. Protestantism

At this time there arose new variety Christianity, bourgeois in spirit - Protestantism. It is characterized by individualism in matters of faith: every believer has the right to read and interpret the revelation of God - the Bible.
Protestantism taught that it is not so much rituals that are important, but the conscientious performance by everyone of their duties, that is, in conscientious work a person embodies the Christian commandments. Protestantism (evangelical teaching) affirms the equality of all believers before God and preaches salvation by faith already in earthly life, denies monasticism, as well as celibacy of the clergy (by the way, mandatory for Catholic priests), does not accept church ranks and recognizes only the authority of the Bible. Protestantism is characterized by the desire to separate the spheres of influence of the spiritual power of the church and the secular power of the state: to God - what is God's, and to Caesar - what is Caesar's. Protestantism shifted the center of gravity of religious life from church forms to the individual, to its improvement.

4.1. Statistics on Protestantism

The United States is considered the most evangelical country (that is, the most Protestant): 22% of all evangelicals live here, forming more than 250 different denominations (religions). Large groups of Protestants live in Europe and America, with smaller numbers in Africa, Asia, and Australia.

4.2. Protestantism in Russia

Protestantism is widespread in Russia. The most numerous are Evangelical Christians - Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Pentecostals, and Lutherans. Protestantism began to penetrate into Russia from economically devastated Europe from the beginning of the 17th century, along with skilled people who tried to find use for their talents and abilities here.

4.3. Protestant denominations

The largest Protestant denomination in Russia is the Evangelical Christian Baptists. Baptistism was brought to Russia in the 19th century by German colonists who settled mainly in the southern provinces. In the northern and central provinces, the teaching of Evangelical Christians developed, which was very close in principle to Baptistism. The beginning of its spread is associated with the activities of Lord G. Redstock, who came from England and organized the first sect in St. Petersburg in the 70s of the 19th century.

There are associations of Evangelical Christian Baptists in almost all regions and republics of the former USSR. Their attraction to the western and southern borders is noticeable, and their influence is gradually increasing in the capital regions.

Seventh-day Adventists appeared in Russian Empire in the 80s of the XIX century. The spread of their teachings was facilitated by the activities of missionaries.

Pentecostals are a sect that formed in the USA at the beginning of the 20th century and then appeared in Russia. home distinguishing feature this doctrine is faith in
“the descent of the Holy Spirit” on the apostles on the fiftieth day after the resurrection
Christ. In Russia, Pentecostal associations are represented throughout its territory.

Islam is the second world religion after Christianity in terms of the number of followers, a religion of humility and complete submission to the Almighty will. It was founded in
VII century on the basis of Arab tribal religions, the Prophet Muhammad. He proclaimed that there is only one great Allah and that everyone should be obedient to his will. It was a call to unite the Arabs under the banner of one god. Muhammad called on the Arabs to believe in and serve one god in anticipation of the end of the world, the day of judgment and the establishment of a “kingdom of justice and peace” on Earth. In the Islamic religion, Allah is the only god, faceless, supreme and omnipotent, wise, all-merciful, the creator of all things and its supreme judge. Next to him there are no gods, no independent creatures of any kind. There is no Christian trinity here with its intricate relationship between God the Father, his son Jesus and the mystical figure of God the Holy Spirit. In Islam there is a teaching about heaven and hell, about rewarding a person in the afterlife for his deeds. At the Last Judgment, Allah himself will interrogate each of the living and the dead, and they, naked, with a book in which their deeds are recorded, will wait in fear for his decision. Sinners will go to hell, the righteous will go to heaven.

5.1. Holy book of Muslims

The holy book of Muslims is the Koran. It records the basic ideas and beliefs of Muhammad. According to the generally accepted tradition in Islam, the text of the Koran was revealed to the prophet by Allah himself through the medium of Jabrail. Allah has repeatedly conveyed his sacred commandments through various prophets - Moses,
Jesus, and finally Muhammad. This is how Islamic theology explains the numerous coincidences between the texts of the Koran and the Bible: transmitted through earlier prophets sacred text was distorted by Jews and Christians, who did not understand much in it, missed something, distorted it, therefore only in latest version, authorized by the great prophet Muhammad, the faithful can have the highest and indisputable divine truth.

This legend of the Koran, if purified of divine intervention, is close to the truth. The main content of the Koran is as closely related to the Bible as Islam itself is close to Judeo-Christianity.

The Koran consists of 114 chapters, which talk about all aspects of life, including justice, morality, and ritual regulations. These treatises are very diverse in character. Along with the retelling of biblical stories, here you can find discussions about the procedure for divorce, along with descriptions of historical events - discussions about the universe, about the relationship of man with the world of supernatural forces. The Koran devotes a lot of space to the fundamentals of Islamic law; it contains both lyrical and poetic texts and mythological subjects. In a word, the Koran, like the Bible, is a kind of divine encyclopedia, a “book of books”, a body of knowledge and instructions for almost all occasions.

About a quarter of the text of the Koran is devoted to descriptions of the life and work of various prophets. For some reason, the first man Adam and even the famous Alexander the Great (Iskander) ended up in the rank of prophet in the Koran.
Last on this list is Muhammad, the last and greatest of the prophets. After him there were no more prophets and there will be no more, until the end of the world and doomsday, until the second coming of Jesus. The descriptions of the acts of the prophets are taken almost entirely from the Bible, with only a few changes.

The Koran was not accessible to everyone - it was studied and analyzed by only a relatively few literate and educated Muslims, primarily experts in Islamic dogma, theologians and jurists. The commandments of Islam reached the broad masses of the common people and illiterate peasants only in the oral form of sermons and in the form of sacred commandments, which constituted a mandatory set of rules of conduct for every believer, especially religious ones.

5.2. "Five Pillars of Faith"

Islam has five main duties for a Muslim: confession, prayer, fasting, almsgiving and hajj.

The principle of confession is central to Islam. To become a Muslim, it is enough to solemnly pronounce the phrase that there is no god but Allah and
Muhammad is his prophet. Thus, a person becomes submissive to Allah, a Muslim. But, having become one, he had to observe the remaining duties of a true believer.

Prayer is a mandatory daily five-fold ritual. Those who do not pray five times a day are infidels. On Fridays and holidays, solemn services are held, led by imams (“standing in front”). Before prayer, the faithful must perform ablution, a rite of purification (small - washing hands, feet, face; and large, in case of serious uncleanness - complete washing of the whole body). If there is no water, it is replaced with sand.

Fast. Muslims have only one main and obligatory fast - Ramadan; it lasts a month, during which from dawn to dusk the faithful, except for small children and the sick, have no right to eat, drink, smoke, or have fun. In addition to Ramadan, Muslims also fast at other times - according to a vow, in case of drought, as compensation for missed days of Ramadan.

Alms. Every property owner is obliged to share his income once a year, allocating part of it as alms in favor of the poor. Mandatory almsgiving - zakat - was perceived as a cleansing ritual for the wealthy and was usually calculated at several percent of their annual income.

Hajj. It is believed that every healthy Muslim should visit the holy places in Mecca and worship the Kaaba once in his life. Pilgrims who complete the ritual receive an honorary name - Khoja.

To these five, another pillar of faith is often added, the sixth – holy war against infidels (jihad or ghazavat). Participation in the war freed from all sins and provided the faithful who fell on the battlefield with a place in heaven.

5.3. The mosque and its functions

The place of worship, sermons and prayers is the mosque. It is also a meeting place for the faithful on all important occasions, a kind of cultural center. The construction of mosques in Islam has always been considered a charitable deed.
No expense was spared on this, so mosques, especially in cities and capitals, are often magnificent structures. Interior The mosque looks modest, even if the closed part of it is covered with rich carpets. There are no idols, no decorations, no musical instruments.

An important function of the mosque is to organize the education of children. Education in Islamic countries has always been religious and was under the tutelage of local spiritual authorities. The imam and mullah of this mosque were also teachers here.

5.4. "Muslim World"

Unlike Christianity, Islam developed in conditions of religious and political unity, so that its authorities were the political and at the same time religious leaders themselves - the prophet, caliphs, emirs, and local government officials. Any official was obliged to coordinate his actions with the norms of the Koran and Sharia, i.e. take into account the role of the clergy, the power of religion. Islam served as a powerful impetus for the development of such a phenomenon as
the “Muslim world”, which grew up in the vast territory of the Middle East with a powerful political structure and a highly developed civilization. The successes and achievements of Arab culture influenced many countries, including the cultural centers of Christian Europe. Except Arab countries Islam is practiced in India, China, and Indonesia. From the Arab states of the North
In Africa, Islam spread to neighboring black countries and moved further south. From many religious systems modern world Islam is one of the most significant forces.

6.Buddhism

Buddhism also belongs to the world religions. Buddhism is a religion of overcoming suffering. Buddhism arose in India in the 6th-5th centuries. BC, five centuries earlier than Christianity and twelve centuries before Islam. Siddhartha Gautama
Shakyamuni, known to the world under the name of Buddha, i.e. The Enlightened One was the son of a prince from the Shakya tribe.

6.1. Buddha's Teachings

The world, as the Buddha saw it, is an infinite number of separate fleeting entities, in a state of beginningless excitement, but gradually moving towards tranquility and the absolute destruction of all living things, when its elements are brought one after another to complete peace. Peace of mind is the only real bliss that life can give.

Birth and aging, illness and death, separation from a loved one and union with an unloved one, an unachieved goal and an unsatisfied desire - all this is suffering. Suffering comes from the thirst for existence, pleasure, creation, power, eternal life. To destroy this insatiable thirst, to renounce desires, to renounce earthly vanity - this is the path to the destruction of suffering.
To avoid suffering, a person must suppress all attachment, all desire, and become indifferent to the joys and sorrows of life, to death itself. It is beyond this path that lies complete liberation, nirvana.

6.2. "The Eight-Part Path"

Developing his teachings, the Buddha developed a detailed so-called eight-fold path, a method of comprehending the truth and approaching nirvana.
1. Righteous faith (one should believe the Buddha that the world is full of sorrow and suffering and that it is necessary to suppress passions).
2. Righteous determination (you should firmly determine your path, limit your passions and aspirations.
3. Righteous speech (you should watch your words so that they do not lead to evil - speech should be truthful and benevolent).
4. Righteous deeds (one should avoid unvirtuous actions, restrain oneself and do good deeds).
5. Righteous life (one should lead a worthy life, without causing harm to living things).
6. Righteous thought (you should monitor the direction of your thoughts, drive away everything evil and tune in to the good).
7. Righteous thoughts (you should understand that evil is from your flesh).
8. Righteous contemplation (one should constantly and patiently train, achieve the ability to concentrate, contemplate, go deeper in search of truth).

Following this path, a person achieves enlightenment, becomes a saint and plunges into nirvana - non-existence, when the chain of rebirths stops and death no longer leads to a new birth, but frees him from everything - from all desires, and with them from suffering, from returning to which -form of individual existence.

6.3. Commandment of mercy

In Buddhism, the commandment of mercy is of great importance. You cannot kill any living creature. We must be equally kind to both the good and the evil. You cannot pay evil for evil, because this only multiplies evil and suffering.
The closest to the teachings of Buddhism are the monks who have renounced everything worldly and devoted their entire lives to pious meditation. Those who entered the monastery (sangha) renounce everything that connected them with the world - family, caste, property - and take five vows: do not kill, do not steal, do not get drunk, do not lie, do not commit adultery.

The main thing in Buddhism is the ethical teaching of personal salvation of a person without the help of supernatural forces.

6.4. Modern Buddhism

In the life of modern India, colossal difficulties are associated with religious strife between Hindus and Muslims, Sikhs.
Many Buddhist centers, temples and monasteries arose in India, but Buddhism did not become widespread and became a world religion outside its borders - in China, Japan, Central Asia, Korea,
Vietnam and a number of other countries, having long ago lost their position in their homeland.
The rejection occurred because Buddhism rejected caste and religious ritualism, and therefore did not fit into the social structure and culture of Indian society, based on the tradition rejected by Buddhism.
In Russia, Buddhism found its followers among indigenous peoples
Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva. The popularity of Buddhism is growing rapidly, especially in capital cities (Moscow and St. Petersburg). This can most likely be explained by the fashion for Western culture, since it was in the West that interest in Eastern religions increased.

In terms of the diversity of religions professed, Russia is a unique country. Among its population there are followers of all world religions: Christianity
(Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism), Islam and Buddhism.

Tutoring

Need help studying a topic?

Our specialists will advise or provide tutoring services on topics that interest you.
Submit your application indicating the topic right now to find out about the possibility of obtaining a consultation.

Today it is difficult to give an unambiguous answer to the question of which religion is the most ancient, the first to arise. Archaeological excavations provide new and new ground for further conclusions regarding the emergence of religion.

Islam is a young religion

Surrendering oneself to God is how “Islam” is translated from Arabic. This religion, which is one of the world's, originated only in the seventh century. Its followers are Muslims, whose communities are in one hundred and twenty countries. Twenty-three percent of the world's population is Muslim. In forty-nine states they constitute the majority.

From a historical point of view, this is a very young religion. Finding personal experience, not harming anyone, openness to the gaze of God - this is what lies at the core of Islam. Believers believe that only God decides when to create a soul and when to dissolve it; accordingly, it does not appear at birth and does not disappear at the moment of a person’s death. According to Muslims, only Allah decides the fate of a person.

This religion can be called the youngest also because the average Muslim is only twenty-three years old.

What was ancient Christianity like?

The traditional worldview of the population has undergone significant changes with the advent of a new religion - Christianity. It appeared at the end of the first century BC - in the first half of the first century AD in the Eastern Mediterranean.

With the advent of Christianity, the mythological idea of life and world order began to collapse, and faith in a savior God appeared who could save every person. The main attribute of a just and pure god was justice.

The cults of the Eastern Mediterranean manifested themselves in different shapes. In the end, the ground was prepared for the spread of Christianity, since it was in it that the trends that had arisen by that time found their greatest embodiment. In early Christianity, suffering was deified, since God's grace was revealed exclusively to those who suffer. Faith called for unity in love, without dividing people into strangers and our own.

Christians perceived themselves on earth as temporary wanderers. At the center of the teaching, at the same time, it was man who was responsible for his actions and had the opportunity to choose his path to the Kingdom of God. This was the beginning of the transformation of Christianity into a world religion.

At first, the followers of the preacher Jesus were only a small group. The doctrine of it arose in the first half of the first century AD. Jesus, continuing the prophetic movement, first acted as a prophet. He opposed ritual regulation and formal rituals, which influenced the further spread of Christianity.

The idea of Christian charity was to help all those who suffer, and the reasons for this suffering are not important, it does not matter whether it is a woman or a man, a poor person, a cripple or a harlot. Mercy concerned the individual. Christianity said that anyone can be saved through faith. Gradually, Christianity, conquering the souls of people, began to turn into a world religion.

The oldest religion on Earth

The oldest religion in the world currently known (we do not take into account primitive cults) is Zoroastrianism. An accurate chronologization of the teaching that originated in Iran is difficult because it is so old. Most experts agree that the roots of Zoroastrianism go back to the sixth millennium BC, which means that the age of Zoroastrianism exceeds 7 thousand years. The first written monuments of this religion appeared at the turn of the new era, but at that time Zoroastrianism was already extremely ancient. The first material sources of the teaching were written down in the now dead language of the Avesta - the name of the holy book of the Zoroastrians.

The central place of Zoroastrianism is occupied by the deity Ahura Mazda - the beginningless creator of all things, the father of all the laws of the universe and the leader of the side of Good in the fight against Evil, which occurs in the world without his permission. His only prophet among people was Zarathustra, who, according to his teaching, brought to people the truth about God's revelation and opened their eyes to bad customs: bloody raids on neighboring tribes, looting, teachings of priests that encouraged violence.

Zoroastrianism had a huge influence on the Abrahamic religions, including the largest: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

What other ancient religions are there?

Several of the most ancient religions are known. One of these is the religion of the Sumerians. They had a rather complex pantheon of gods. Man had to subordinate his life to the service of these gods. The intermediaries between people and the seven main gods were gods called the Anunnaki.

One of the most unusual is the Inca religion. Their pantheon is very diverse, since, conquering new peoples, they added their deities to their pantheon. Of the modern world religions, the most ancient is Buddhism. It appeared more than two and a half thousand years ago. The basis was the ancient teachings of India - the desire for the divine, nirvana and enlightenment. This can be achieved only by rising above all attachments, through meditation and self-improvement. It is known about such ancient religions as the religion of the Druids, Celtic beliefs, shamanism, etc.

New religious movements appear almost every year. The website has a detailed article on the youngest religion.
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen