Comparing Western Monotheistic Religions

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Comparing Western Monotheistic Religions
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Aim To what extent were early monotheistic
religions similar?
Vocabulary Monotheism, ethics, Torah, Messiah,
Bible, Golden Rule, Koran, Five Pillars of Faith,
sharia
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Major beliefs of Judaism

• Originates 1200 BCE in Near East Kingdoms of
  Judah and Israel (1000 BCE-70 CE) located in
  crossroads of Egypt and MesopotamiaMajor
  Beliefs 1 God YahwehFollow Yahwehs
  lawsBooks or Scripture Torah (5 Books of
  Moses), Old Testament10 Commandments are within
  the Torah
• Since 576 BCE majority of Jews live in Diaspora
  (outside of Jewish Kingdoms or state)

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The Ten Commandments

• Exodus Chapter 20
• 1 And God spoke all these words, saying,
• 2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of
  the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
• 3 "You shall have no other gods before me.
• 4 "You shall not make for yourself a graven
  image, or any likeness of anything that is in
  heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or
  that is in the water under the earth 5 you shall
  not bow down to them or serve them for I the
  LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the
  iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the
  third and the fourth generation of those who hate
  me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of
  those who love me and keep my commandments.
• 7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your
  God in vain for the LORD will not hold him
  guiltless who takes his name in vain.
• 8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9
  Six days you shall labor, and do all your work
  10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD
  your God in it you shall not do any work, you,
  or your son, or your daughter, your manservant,
  or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the
  sojourner who is within your gates 11 for in six
  days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and
  all that is in them, and rested the seventh day
  therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and
  hallowed it.
• 12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your
  days may be long in the land which the LORD your
  God gives you.
• 13 "You shall not kill.
• 14 "You shall not commit adultery.
• 15 "You shall not steal.
• 16 "You shall not bear false witness against your
  neighbor.
• 17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house
  you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his
  manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his
  ass, or anything that is your neighbor's."

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Major beliefs of Christianity

• Jesus Christ is divine
• Trinity Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
• Scripture The New Testament updates the Old
  Testament (10 Commandments focused on)
• Spirit of Law (Ethical Code) is most important
• Forgiving, Understanding God
• Sacraments Baptism, Communion, etc. (performed
  by Church or the individual becomes the debate)
• Salvation can be achieved for next world

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Matthew 118

• The Birth of Jesus Christ
•  18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came
  about His mother Mary was pledged to be married
  to Joseph, but before they came together, she was
  found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
  19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man
  and did not want to expose her to public
  disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
   20But after he had considered this, an angel of
  the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
  "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take
  Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived
  in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give
  birth to a son, and you are to give him the name
  Jesus,c because he will save his people from
  their sins."
•  22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord
  had said through the prophet 23"The virgin will
  be with child and will give birth to a son, and
  they will call him Immanuel"dwhich means, "God
  with us."
•  24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of
  the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as
  his wife. 25But he had no union with her until
  she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name
  Jesus.

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Luke 629

• And to him that smiteth thee on the one cheek,
  offer also the other and him that taketh away
  thy cloke, forbid not to take thy coat also.

Q How does the quote allude to some important
Christian values?
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Christianity main divisionsearly Christianity
persecuted by Romans until Emperor Constantine
converts to the religion (330s). Eventually by
late 380s it becomes the official religion of the
Roman Empire

• Eastern Orthodox Christianity split 1066
  officially from West
• Practiced in Eastern Roman Empire, then Byzantine
  Empire,
• Today in Russia and Eastern Europe
• 400 million followers

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Early Christianity

• Starts in Near East
• Paul (universalist converts including
  gentiles non-Jews vs Peter (local missionary
  work) Peter later changes his outlook to fit
  with Pauls
• By 100 CE minority communities arise throughout
  Roman Empire
• Orthodoxy (dominant correct way) vs heterodoxy
  (minority opinions)
• Heterodoxies (heresies) include What is the
  Trinity? What is Jesus (son of God, Messiah,
  Prophet, etc.)
• Good vs Evil, Importance of Knowledge vs deeds
• Includes Arianism, Nestorianism, Manichaesim,
  Gnostics, etc.
• Orthodox way becomes clear under Emperor
  Constantine and Council of Nicaea (330s-350s CE)

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Compare Judaism and Christianity

• Judaism

• Christianity

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Major beliefs of Islam
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('Qur'an,' II, 166-75, 180-2, 186-93) 0
believers, eat of the good things wherewith We
have provided you, and give thanks to God, if it
be Him that you serve. These things only has He
forbidden you carrion, blood, the flesh of
swine, what has been hallowed to other than God.
Yet whoso is constrained, not desiring, nor
transgressing, no sin shall be on him God is
All-forgiving, All-compassionate. Those who
conceal what of the Book God has sent down on
them, and sell it for a little price-they shall
eat naught but the Fire in their bellies God
shall not speak to them on the Day of
Resurrection neither purify them there awaits
them a painful chastisement.
Q How is a Muslims life centered around
religion?
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Q Why did a split occur in Islam?
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Compare the three monotheistic religions
Pillars of Faith Judaism Christianity Islam
When founded and by whom
Number of members
Where popular
Main beliefs
Holy Books