Monotheistic , , AND Standard

SS6G11: The student will describe the cultural characteristics of Europe. B. Describe the major religions in Europe: include Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Essential Question

What do the three Western religions have in common?

Europe is home to 3 main religions: 1. Judaism 2. Christianity 3. 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. Jerusalem, Israel Judaism 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 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

 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. Islam

Place of Worship: Mosque There are 2 main groups of Muslims: Sunnis and Shiites. Main religion of the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia