What do people believe in?
Belief systems provide guidance to people in different ways and can shape personal identity and culture. MYP Inquiry questions Factual What are the beliefs of the major world religions? What is an indigenous belief? What examples are there of non religious belief? Conceptual How does belief change over time? How can identity be shaped by personal belief? Debatable To what extent does belief cloud or clarify our judgement? Is it possible to believe in nothing? |
|
What are the beliefs of the major world religions?
Buddhism
Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life. There are 376 million followers worldwide. Buddhists seek to reach a state of nirvana, following the path of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, who went on a quest for Enlightenment around the sixth century BC. There is no belief in a personal god. Buddhists believe that nothing is fixed or permanent and that change is always possible. The path to Enlightenment is through the practice and development of morality, meditation and wisdom. Buddhists believe that life is both endless and subject to impermanence, suffering and uncertainty. These states are called the tilakhana, or the three signs of existence. Existence is endless because individuals are reincarnated over and over again, experiencing suffering throughout many lives. It is impermanent because no state, good or bad, lasts forever. Our mistaken belief that things can last is a chief cause of suffering. |
|
Islam
Islam is a major world religion with more than a billion followers worldwide. The followers of Islam are called Muslims. The religion of Islam is divided into two major branches, that of Sunni and Shi'a traditions. Islam as a religion originated on the Arabian peninsula and has spread to many regions of the world. Islam is a monotheistic religion, with belief in one God (the Arabic word for God is Allah), and the teachings of the religion can be found in the holy book, the Qur'an. There is debate over the exact origins of the Islamic faith, but the general consensus is that the religion became established through the teachings and life of the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century CE/AD. According to the Islamic faith, Muhammad received messages from God Allah; through the Angel Jibrail (Arabic for Gabriel) and these messages were later written down as the Qur'an. Muhammad was said to have been visited several times by the Angel Jibrail and Muslims view Muhammad as the final messenger of God. |
|
The Qur'an
The Qur'an was created to contain the messages or revelations that the Prophet Muhammad received during his lifetime. The book covers a wide range of issues including advice on how to live a good life. The book is not arranged in chronological order or written as a narrative. The chapters of the Qur'an make reference to different themes. Each chapter is known as a surah, of which there are more than a hundred, and each has a different name, including The Elephant', 'The Moon' and 'The Thunder'. The Qur'an is a highly revered book for Muslims and there are a number of rituals attached to using the book. For example, it must always be kept on clean surfaces as a mark of respect, it is often carried in a bag to keep it clean and when placed on a bookshelf it must be on the highest shelf with no other book above it. |
The Golden Age of Islam
After the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632CE/AD, the Islamic religion continued to expand rapidly and a series of caliphates (the name given to an Islamic government that is run by a leader who is said to be a successor of Muhammad) took control over areas across the Middle East, North Africa, Southern Europe and Central Asia. The time period of the seventh and eighth centuries CE/AD became known as the 'Golden Age of Islam' as scholarship flourished with particular developments in the arts, sciences, mathematics and literature.
Activity - A radio interview - Understanding Islam.
In pairs, write the script for a short radio interview. One student should take on the role of the presenter who asks a series of questions. The second student plays the role of an expert of world religions who answers the questions. It is assumed that the audience knows little about religion and that the interview will be no longer than four minutes. Your interview should cover: The origins of Islam, the Qur'an, how Muslims worship, pilgrimage (see textbook), the Golden Age of Islam and Sharia Law. Although the expert will speaking more than the interviewer, it is important that the expert does not do all the talking. When the script is finished, use your iPads to record the interview and put your completed work in both of your OneNotes. |
Hinduism
Hinduism is the third largest world religion with about 900 million Hindus worldwide. The religion dates back over 4,000 years. Hinduism is made up of a variety of different religious beliefs and practices which originated near the river Indus in India. The name 'Hindu' comes from the word Indus.
Beliefs Central to Hinduism is the belief in a supreme God Brahman, the universal soul, which is found in everything. Brahman is worshipped in a variety of forms, including Vishnu, Krishna, Rama, Shiva and several others. Hinduism does not have any founder. Hindus believe that life is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed by Karma. |
|
Festivals
Hindus celebrate many holy days
www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism |
|
Worship
Puja (worship) takes place in the Mandir (temple). Mandirs vary in size from small village shrines to large buildings, surrounded by walls. People can also visit the Mandir at any time to pray and participate in the bhajans (religious songs). Hindus also worship at home and often have a special room with a shrine to particular gods.
Puja (worship) takes place in the Mandir (temple). Mandirs vary in size from small village shrines to large buildings, surrounded by walls. People can also visit the Mandir at any time to pray and participate in the bhajans (religious songs). Hindus also worship at home and often have a special room with a shrine to particular gods.
Christianty
|
Christianity is the world's largest religion with more than 2 billion followers. It has multiple branches or denominations. These include Roman Catholic, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox and Methodist denominations.
Most branches of Christianity agree on a few key aspects of the religion. The key belief is that of the existence of a single God who sent his son Jesus Christ to save humanity from suffering. The life of Jesus Christ is recorded in the New Testament, the second section of the Bible, which also explores his teachings and the early development of the Christian religion. The first section of the Bible is the Old Testament, which is shared with Judaism, also known as the Hebrew Bible. Christians believe in a monotheistic God who wants to help people in the world by forgiving them of the sins that they commit in life. The belief is that sin is something which people do and that by asking for forgiveness and demonstrating belief in Jesus Christ, people can achieve salvation. According to the Christian faith, Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in 6BC/BCE. The story of Jesus's birth is told in the Nativity and celebrated by Christians at Christmas on 25 December. After being baptized by John the Baptist in his early thirties, Jesus began his teachings and performing miracles. During this time, Jesus had a number of disciples who were his followers and 12 apostles who became important to the establishment of the Christian religion. |
According to the New Testament, Jesus's teachings and miracles increasingly threatened the authority of the Roman Empire and he was arrested, beaten and later crucified on a cross. Three days after he died, Jesus is said to have risen from the dead, where he appeared to his disciples for the final time to encourage the teachings and spread of Christianity.
God therefore appears in three different forms, according to Christians, as the Trinity: God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit. Christianity is split into several different denominations or branches. Although all denominations are part of the Christian faith, they hold different beliefs and interpretations of aspects of the religion. |
The Great Schism
After Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in the year 380, the religious tradition can be associated with that of the Roman Catholic branch. This was later broken into two by an event known as 'The Great Schism' or 'East-West Schism', which essentially divided the Christian faith into the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic denominations.
After Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in the year 380, the religious tradition can be associated with that of the Roman Catholic branch. This was later broken into two by an event known as 'The Great Schism' or 'East-West Schism', which essentially divided the Christian faith into the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic denominations.
This had geographic implications as the Eastern Orthodox traditions dominated areas including Russia and Eastern Europe while Roman Catholicism dominated Western Europe and, later, Latin America due to the expansion of Spain and Portugal during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
There was further division of Christianity during a historical time period known as the Reformation which was very important in Switzerland. The Reformation was largely driven by the work Martin Luther a German monk and John Calvin who respectively founded the Lutheran and Calvinist branches of the Protestant faith. In England, King Henry VIII officially broke with the Roman Catholic Church to establish the Church of England, and ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries. In recent years, further denominations have been founded including the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormon churches. |
Activities What is the Christian concept of sin? Why is belief in Jesus important? Explain briefly what the Christian festivals of Easter and Christmas commemorate. How many other Christian holy days are there in Vaud that mean we do not have to go to school? What are they and what do they commemorate? What was the Reformation? Explain briefly how it changed Christianity and research why Switzerland was so important to the Reformation. Complete the activity on Miracles (right). The Reformation Wall - Geneva
|
Judaism
Judaism has about 13 million followers throughout the world, mostly in USA and Israel. Judaism originated in the Middle East over 3500 years ago. Moses was the main founder of Judaism, but Jews can trace their history back as far as Abraham.
Judaism has about 13 million followers throughout the world, mostly in USA and Israel. Judaism originated in the Middle East over 3500 years ago. Moses was the main founder of Judaism, but Jews can trace their history back as far as Abraham.
Beliefs
Jews believe that there is only one God. It was the first monotheistic religion. Jews believe they have a special agreement or covenant with God. In exchange for all the good that God has done for them, Jewish people keep God's laws and try to bring holiness into every aspect of their lives. Judaism is a faith of action and Jews believe people should be judged not so much on what they believe as on the way they live their faith - by how much they contribute to the overall holiness of the world. |
|
Holy Books The most holy Jewish book is the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) which was revealed by God to Moses on Mount Sinai over 3,000 years ago. The Torah, together with the Talmud (commentary on the Torah), give the Jewish people rules for everyday life. Observing these rules is central to the Jewish religion.
Worship
Jews worship in Synagogues. A Jewish Religious leader is called a Rabbi (literally 'teacher') The most important day of the week is Shabbat (the Sabbath). It is the day on which Jews remember the seventh day of creation on which God rested. On Shabbat Jews stop working and make time for God and family life. Shabbat starts on Friday evening and ends at sunset on Saturday. Shabbat begins with the family sharing a meal. During Shabbat, services are held at the synagogue, often led by a Rabbi. Jewish festivals The most important Jewish festivals are: |
What is indigenous belief?
The word indigenous refers to anything that is native to a particular geographical region. This includes people, cultures, languages, or species of plants or animals. The Aborigines of Australia, for example, are an indigenous people, in contrast to the European settlers who arrived on the continent long after. Similarly, American Indians are the indigenous peoples of North America. Indigenous religions rarely have written sacred texts. Rather, their beliefs focus on dances, costumes, masks, ritual traditions, and sacred artefacts (material objects). These practices are part of a people's cultural identity and help them forge a sense of connection with their world. Indigenous religions transmit wisdom, cultural values, and history, not through formal education but through myths, storytelling, drama, and art. They tend not to rely on silent meditation or individualised experiences but on ritual activities that bind people to the community. Many of these rituals mark important occasions, such as planting or gathering a harvest. Yet in many indigenous religious traditions, people seek wisdom of their own through vision quests and similar private rituals. (Above) The Maori of New Zealand
|