Standard
SS6G11: The student will describe
the cultural characteristics of
Europe.
B. Describe the major religions in
Europe: include Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam
Similarities
Monotheistic: belief in one god/supreme
being
Started in Southwest Asia
Abraham is important to all 3 religions.
Jerusalem is an important holy city
All 3 have a holy book
All 3 have a place of worship.
Judaism
This is the religion of the Jewish
people.
Founder: Abraham in about 2000 B.C.
The Jewish holy book is the Torah.
Considered the oldest of the 3
Western religions
Judaism
Place of Worship- Synagogues and Temples
Jewish people are still waiting for a messiah or savior.
Roughly around 15 million followers worldwide.
Three Main types of Judaism: Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform.
Christianity
Founder: Jesus Christ in around 30 AD.
The Christian holy book is the Bible.
Based on the teachings of Jesus: love of
God and neighbor, a regard for justice,
and a belief that Jesus is the Son of God.
Christians believe Jesus is the Messiah or
savior.
Christianity
Place of Worship- Churches and chapels.
Divided into 3 Main Groups: Eastern Orthodox,
Roman Catholic, and Protestant.
All denominations follow the teachings of Jesus.
The early Christian church spread throughout
the Roman Empire.
About 2.1 billion followers worldwide.
Islam
Islam means “submission to the will of Allah or God” in Arabic.
People who follow the beliefs of Islam are called Muslims and the founder is Muhammad.
Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last prophet of Islam.
They do acknowledge that Abraham and Jesus were prophets, just not the most important one.
Islam
The Muslim holy book is the Qur’an (Koran) and it states how people
should live their lives.
There are 5 main duties of Muslims- Known as the Five Pillars of Faith
1. Prayer
2. Giving to Charity
3. Belief in and submission to one God (Allah)
4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan
5. A Trip to Mecca once in a lifetime.
About 1.3 billion followers worldwide.
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