We explore the world's largest religions by population. You'll learn about the history, beliefs, and practices of the major religions, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. We'll delve into the numbers and examine where these religions are most commonly practiced. Whether you're interested in learning more about different religions or just want to increase your knowledge, this provides a comprehensive overview. So, join us on this religious journey around the world and discover the diversity and commonalities across various faiths. By understanding the world's major religions, we can gain a better understanding of the role they play in shaping our societies and cultures.
1. CHRISTIANITY
Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the
personage of Jesus of Nazareth, or Jesus Christ. Christianity ascended in the
30s–50s CE as a religious sprout of Judaism based on the teachings of Jesus,
who was himself Jewish. Early Christianity rejected many of the social,
cultural, and religious institutions of Judaism and pursued radically different
strains of spiritual thought. Within a century a recognizable Church was
founded. The texts of the faith and its most important creeds were codified in
the 300s CE. Despite persecution, Christianity became the state religion of the
Roman Empire and all of its inheritors and in the time since the different
Christian denominations have collectively become the largest faith in the world
by a wide margin.
ISLAM
Islam is a strictly monotheistic faith founded by the
prophet Muhammad in the year 607 in present-day Saudi Arabia. His teachings,
collected in the Quran, claim common descent with many Jewish and Christian
beliefs. Muhammad preached monotheism in the city of Mecca despite opposition
from local polytheists, and quickly built a religious community of early
Muslims. The Islamic community was forced to relocate to Medina in 622, after
which the group codified and began their expansion across the Arabian Peninsula.
Nearly all of Arabia converted to Islam by 632, the year of Muhammad's death
and in the years since it has grown to become the world's second largest
religion, mostly concentrated in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
ATHEISM / NON RELIGIOUS
“Atheist” (literally meaning 'without gods') includes those
who reject a belief in the existence of a god or gods and those who simply
choose to live without a god or gods. Along with this often, but not always, go
disbelief in the soul, an afterlife, and other beliefs arising from god-based
religions.
HINDUISM
Hinduism is by many accounts the oldest religion in the
world, due to its origins in Vedic beliefs dating as far back as the 1500s BCE.
The religion has no founder, and is a synthesis of many different Indian
religious traditions. The religion waxed and waned in competition with Jainism
and Buddhism throughout Indian history, before seeing a huge resurgence after
the medieval period. Thereafter it became the dominant religion on the Indian
subcontinent. Hinduism is one of the most geographically concentrated of the
major world religions—of the world's 1.12 billion Hindus, 1.07 billion live in
India and Nepal. The sheer number of practitioners, however, makes Hinduism the
world's third largest religion.
BUDDHISM
Buddhism is a religious tradition founded by Gautama Buddha
in the early 400s BCE, drawing from (or opposing) many of the same Vedic
traditions that inform Hinduism. Buddhists engaged Hindus and Jains in
religious dialogues for centuries, developing mutual competing traditions and
beliefs. Buddhism flourished in India, receiving support from several powerful
leaders, before declining during the medieval period. Buddhism continued to
grow and develop in East Asia, having a profound impact on the cultural
landscape of the entire region. Buddhism is today the fourth largest religion
in the world, being the majority religion of many countries in Southeast Asia,
and with nearly 200 million practitioners in China.
Ethnic religions relate closely to culture, ethnic heritage,
and to the physical geography of a particular place. Ethnic religions do not
attempt to appeal to all people, but only one group, maybe in one locale or
within one ethnicity. Judaism and Hinduism are two prime examples of ethnic
religions.
Native African religions are centered on ancestor worship,
the belief in a spirit world, supernatural beings and free will (unlike the
later developed concept of faith). Deceased humans (and animals or important
objects) still exist in the spirit world and can influence or interact with the
physical world.
SIKHISM
Sikhism is a young religion founded in the early 1500s CE in
Punjab (Northern India) by the Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak was raised as a Hindu in
the Muslim-ruled Mughal Empire, but he rejected both dominant faiths and began
preaching his own religion. A community formed around him. Over the next two
centuries, the Sikhs would be led by nine more gurus. The last living guru
named the Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, as his successor, and there has
since been no single leader of the Sikh community. Despite being a religious
minority, the Sikhs overthrew the Mughals and founded a major empire in
Northern India in the 1800s. By different definitions Sikhism is either the
fifth or eighth largest religion in the world, mostly concentrated in their
home region of Punjab.
SPIRITISM
Spiritists assert that communication between the spiritual
and material worlds happens simultaneously, to varying degrees. They believe
that some people barely sense what the spirits tell them in an entirely
instinctive way and are unaware of their influence.
JUDAISM
Judaism is a strictly monotheistic religion practiced by the
Jewish people, an ethnic and religious nation descended from the historic
peoples of Israel and Judah. Judaism, as it would be recognized today,
originated in the Middle East in at least the 500s BCE, although certain
religious traditions or beliefs can be traced back much further— in fact,
according to the Hebrew calendar, the religion began in 3761 BCE, as the
current year is 5782. Its adherents have long faced persecution from dominant
religious groups around them. The Roman Empire destroyed the Second Temple, the
centre of Judaism, and the nation was scattered. Through to the modern day,
Jews have been the victims of intense violence and discrimination. All the
same, Judaism has persisted and remains one of the most visible and widely
practiced religions in the world.
BAHA'I
Baha'i is the youngest major world religion, founded in 1863
by the prophet Bahá'u'lláh. Baha'i grew out of the earlier religion of Babism,
whose founder the Bab presaged the coming of another great prophet like the
coming of Muhammad. Baha'i originated in Iran, although its current center is
in Haifa, Israel. Baha'i is a monotheistic religion, but it teaches that
religious truth is manifested and revealed by the founders of all the major
world religions, including Jesus Christ and the Buddha. Baha'is believes that
the different cultural interpretations of religion all have the same goal, and
they strive for prosperity across faiths. There are around eight million
Baha'is today, who indirectly vote for the leaders of their religion every few
years.
JAINISM
Jainism is an ancient religious tradition from India; per
its practitioners Jainism is eternal, or at least older than Hinduism, but many
historical estimates will place it contemporary with Buddhism as a Classical
offshoot of old Vedic tradition. Like Buddhism, Jainism received varying
degrees of support or opposition from powerful sponsors, and was in constant
dialogue with India's other religious traditions. Unlike Buddhism, Jainism
didn't spread far outside of its home in India, and today the vast majority of
the world's 4-5 million Jains live in India. The Jain community enjoys a large
profile, however, due to their high literacy rates and the esteem Mohandas
Gandhi professed for Jain teachings and beliefs.
SHINTO
Shinto is the traditional religion of Japan, which
incorporates a vast array of local beliefs and customs across the nation. These
traditions were collected and described as something like Shinto in the 800s
CE, although the different beliefs predate this. Shinto is, for the most part,
not an organized religion, and is instead the foundation of many cultural
practices in Japan. Likewise, it's difficult to produce a number of people who
follow Shinto; based off of membership in Shinto organizations, only 4% of
Japan follows the religion. However, up to 80% of Japanese people (even ones
who proclaim no religious belief) still keep shrines and make Shinto prayers.
The intimately cultural quality of Shinto means that it is limited almost
entirely to Japan.
CAODAISM
Caodaism is a monotheistic faith founded in Vietnam in the 1920s that blends beliefs and symbolism primarily from Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism and Roman Catholicism. It also integrates secular ideas like the Big Bang, as well as notable foreigners like Victor Hugo and Joan of Arc, to unify all mankind.
