This list is Sourced from the Encylopaedia Britannica, Wikipedia,
Beliefnet, and Adherents.com (a collection of 43,870 adherent statistics
and religious geography citations). The list is based on number of
members. For a complete list (which also includes atheism and
agnosticism, see the
Wikipedia article or the
Encylopaedia Britannica chart).
1. Christianity [Abrahamic, 27 AD] 2.1 billion adherents [
Wikipedia |
Britannica |
Beliefnet]
Christianity is a monotheistic religion which is based on the
teachings of the Old Testament and Jesus of Nazareth. Christians believe
that Jesus, as the Son of God is part of the Trinity (God as three
persons in one), the others being God the Father and God the Holy
Spirit. Christians believe that Christianity fulfils Judaism. Most
Christians believe that the death and resurrection of Jesus to be the
cornerstone of their faith. Protestant ofshoots of Christianity believe
that salvation comes from the belief in God alone, whereas Catholic and
Orthodox Christians belief that faith, combined with good works is
required for salvation.
The Christian scriptures are called the
Bible – comprising two books, the Old Testament (based on the
Septuagint) and the New Testament. Protestants and Catholics have the
same books in the New Testament, but Martin Luther removed 7 books from
the Old Testament during the Protestant reformation, considering them to
be apocryphal. He also removed four books from the New Testament but
was later persuaded to put them back – they were Hebrews, James, Jude,
and Revelation.
Christians believe in Sacraments (Catholics and Orthodox and some
Anglicans believe in 7: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion,
Confession, Last Rites, Holy Orders, and Matrimony; some Protestants
(following Martin Luther) believe in the sacramental nature of Baptism
and Holy Communion, while others reject outright the concept of
sacramental theology.
Christianity is generally broken into three branches: Roman
Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. Catholicism is the
largest with over 1 billion adherents. The Orthodox and Catholic
Churches split in the 11th century in an event called the Great Schism.
Protestantism split from Roman Catholicism in in the 16th century in an
event called the Protestant Reformation.
2. Islam [Abrahamic, 610 AD] 1.3 billion adherents [
Wikipedia |
Britannica |
Beliefnet]
Islam is a monotheistic religion originating with the teachings of
Muhammad, a 7th-century Arab religious and political figure. Muslims
believe that God revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad, God’s final prophet,
and regard the Qur’an and the Sunnah (the words and deeds of Muhammad)
as the fundamental sources of Islam. They do not regard Muhammad as the
founder of a new religion, but as the restorer of the original
monotheistic faith of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. Islamic
tradition holds that Judaism and Christianity distorted the messages of
these prophets over time either in interpretation, in text, or both.
Almost all Muslims belong to one of two major denominations, the
Sunni and Shi’a. The schism developed in the late 7th century following
disagreements over the religious and political leadership of the Muslim
community. Roughly 85 percent of Muslims are Sunni and 15 percent are
Shi’a. Muslims consider the Qur’an to be the literal word of God; it is
the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe that the verses of
the Qur’an were revealed to Muhammad by God through the angel Gabriel on
many occasions between the years 610 and his death on July 6, 632.
Islam considers itself to be the supreme religion and therefore
Muslims must not place themselves in a position inferior to that of the
followers of other religions. Pursuant to this principle, Muslim women
may not marry non-Muslim men, non-Muslims may not inherit from their
Muslim relatives, and a testimony of a non-Muslim is inadmissible
against a Muslim. A non-Muslim who insults Islam must be put to death,
according to most schools of Islamic jurisprudence, or flogged and
imprisoned, according to others.
This item has caused some debate in the comments below. See
here for the complaint, and
here for the reply.
3. Hinduism [Dharmic, 1500 BC] 1 billion adherents [
Wikipedia |
Britannica |
Beliefnet]
Hinduism has no founder, being itself a conglomerate of diverse
beliefs and traditions. It is the world’s oldest existent religion, and
has approximately a billion adherents, of whom about 905 million live in
India and Nepal. Hinduism contains a vast body of scriptures. Divided
as revealed and remembered and developed over millennia, these
scriptures expound on theology, philosophy and mythology, providing
spiritual insights and guidance on the practice of dharma (religious
living). Among such texts, the Vedas and the Upanishads are the foremost
in authority, importance and antiquity. Other major scriptures include
the Tantras, the sectarian Agamas, the Pur??as and the epics Mah?bh?rata
and R?m?ya?a. The Bhagavad G?t?, a treatise excerpted from the
Mah?bh?rata, is sometimes called a summary of the spiritual teachings of
the Vedas.
Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs include Dharma (ethics/duties),
Sams?ra (The continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth), Karma
(action and subsequent reaction), Moksha (liberation from samsara), and
the various yogas (paths or practices). Hinduism is a diverse system of
thought with beliefs spanning monotheism, polytheism, pantheism, monism
and even atheism. It is sometimes considered as henotheistic (devotion
to a single “God” while accepting the existence of other gods), but such
a view may be considered an oversimplification of the complexities and
variations of belief.
4. Buddhism [Dharmic, 600 BC] 376 million adherents [
Wikipedia |
Britannica |
Beliefnet]
Buddhism is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means
roughly the “teachings of the Awakened One” in Sanskrit and Pali,
languages of ancient Buddhist texts. Buddhism was founded around the
fifth century BCE by Siddhartha Gautama – most commonly referred to as
The Buddha. In Buddhism, any person who has awakened from the “sleep of
ignorance” (by directly realizing the true nature of reality), without
instruction, and teaches it to others is called a buddha. All
traditional Buddhists agree that Shakyamuni or Gotama Buddha was not the
only Buddha: it is generally taught that there have been many past
Buddhas and that there will be future Buddhas too.
While there are now many sects of Buddhism, they all hold to four
fundamental points: 1, All accept the Buddha as their teacher; 2, all
accept the Middle Way (non-extremism), Dependant Origination, the Four
Noble Truths, and the Noble Eightfold Path; 3, all accept that both
monks and the laity can pursue the path to englightenment; and 4, all
consider Buddahood to be the highest attainment.
5. Sikhism [Dharmic, 1469 AD] 23 million adherents [
Wikipedia |
Britannica |
Beliefnet]
Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak (1469-1539 AD) who was the first of
Sikhism’s 10 Gurus, a lineage of holy teachers that continued until the
end of the 17th century. The Gurus are understood to be the mediators
of divine grace. Sikhism originated in the Punjab region of northwest
India, where it drew on elements from Bhakti Hinduism and Islamic Sufism
to develop into a distinctive religious tradition in its own right.
Sikhs believe that liberation from the karmic cycle of rebirths occurs
in the merging of the human spirit with the all-embracing spirit of God.
Sikh males are recognisable by their long beards and turbans – worn to
cover the hair that traditional says they should not cut.
Their religious worship involves contemplation of the divine Name.
The ultimate deity is known by several names: Sat (truth), Sat Guru
(true Guru), Akal Purakh (timeless being), Kartar (creator), and
Wahi-Guru (“praise to the Guru”). By concentrating on God’s Name (or
many titles), Sikhs believe that one conquers the ego and unites with
God.
The compilation of the Sikh scriptures, the Adi Granth, was begun in
1604 by the Fifth Guru. The last of the ten Gurus, Guru Gobind Singh,
announced that he would be the last personal Guru and that thereafter,
Sikhs were to regard the Adi Granth (Guru Granth Sahib) as their
teacher. This sacred book is considered the living embodiment of all ten
Gurus and is therefore the focus of worship in all Sikh temples and
local gurudwaras, or sanctuaries.
6. Judaism [Abrahamic, 1300 BC] 14 million adherents [
Wikipedia |
Britannica |
Beliefnet]
Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people, based on principles and
ethics embodied in the Bible (Tanakh) and the Talmud (Rabbinical
discussions on ethics, customs, and law). According to Jewish tradition,
the history of Judaism begins with the Covenant between God and
Abraham, the patriarch and progenitor of the Jewish people. Judaism is
among the oldest religious traditions still in practice today.
Throughout the ages, Judaism has clung to a number of religious
principles, the most important of which is the belief in a single,
omniscient, omnipotent, benevolent, transcendent God, who created the
universe and continues to govern it. Originally Judaism had priests and a
temple in which sacrifices were made to God. The priesthood is an
inherited position, and although priests no longer have any but
ceremonial duties, they are still honored in many Jewish communities.
Many Orthodox Jewish communities believe that they will be needed again
for a future Third Temple and need to remain in readiness for future
duty.
Following the destruction of Jerusalem and the expulsion of the Jews,
Jewish worship stopped being centrally organized around the Temple,
prayer took the place of sacrifice, and worship was rebuilt around
rabbis who acted as teachers and leaders of individual communities.
Modern Judaism is generally split into three groups: Orthodox,
Conservative, and Liberal.
7. Baha’i Faith [Abrahamic, 1900 AD] 7 million adherents [
Wikipedia |
Britannica |
Beliefnet]
Baha’i was founded in Iran in the mid-nineteenth century by Mirza
Husayn Ali (1817-1892). Better known as Baha’ullah, he believed that he
was the prophet foretold by the Bab, a religious leader who was believed
to be a direct descendent of the prophet Muhammad. Baha’ullah was
persecuted and banished several times during his life, and he died as a
prisoner in Palestine. Babism (from which Baha’i originates) was a
breakaway from shi’a Islam.
Important Baha’i prophets include Adam, the Jewish prophets, Jesus,
and Muhammed, all of whom have been succeeded by Baha’ullah. The closest
thing to a religious text the Baha’i have is Baha’ullah’s Kitab
al-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book) which contains detailed instructions for
Baha’i living.
The Baha’i believe that all religions teach the same truth. They
therefore reject prejudice–racial, political, or otherwise–and stress
ethical teachings such as world peace, education, and sexual equality.
Although they believe that God is completely unknowable, they hold that
God’s presence and works are evident in the creation of the world and
the existence of the prophets, among other things.
8. Confucianism [Taoic, 600 BC] 6.4 million adherents [
Wikipedia |
Britannica |
Beliefnet]
Confucianism is a Chinese set of philosphical and ethical beliefs
that were taught by the sage Confucius. It has had a tremendous effect
on East Asia right up to the 21st century. Debated during the Warring
States Period and forbidden during the short-lived Qin Dynasty,
Confucianism was chosen by Emperor Wu of Han for use as a political
system to govern the Chinese state. There is a large body of Confucian
texts which includes the I Ching (a series of divinations) and a series
of books on poetry, rituals, music, and more. You can view a complete
list of these texts on
Wikipedia.
Confucianist doctrine remained a mainstream Chinese orthodoxy for two
millennia until the 20th century, when it was attacked by radical
Chinese thinkers as a vanguard of a pre-modern system and an obstacle to
China’s modernization, eventually culminating in its repression during
the Cultural Revolution in the People’s Republic of China.
Confucianism aims at making not simply the man of virtue, but the man
of learning and of good manners. The perfect man must combine the
qualities of saint, scholar, and gentleman. Confucianism is a religion
without positive revelation, with a minimum of dogmatic teaching, whose
popular worship is centered in offerings to the dead, in which the
notion of duty is extended beyond the sphere of morals proper so as to
embrace almost every detail of daily life.
9. Jainism [Dharmic, 600 BC] 4.2 million adherents [
Wikipedia |
Britannica |
Beliefnet]
Jainism is one of the oldest religions in India and it has co-existed
alongside Hinduism despite being a minority of less than 1% of the
population. The religion was founded by Mahavira (“The Great Hero”) who
is considered to be the most recent in a long line of 24 teachers who
have brought Jainism to the world during various epochs. These teachers
preach a belief in enlightenment through austerity and rejection of the
world. Jains do not believe in a god and they seek release from endless
reincarnations through strict self-denial.
Jainism also places a great emphasis on non-harm of living things and
will often have their mouths covered with muslin to prevent
accidentally swallowing insects. Many Jains also use a small brush to
sweep the ground in front of them while travelling so they don’t
accidentally step on a creature.
The main religious text of Jainism is called Agamas. An agama is an
ancient Jain textbook. There were many agamas in ancient times, but as
time passed, many of them were lost or destroyed. At present, 45 agamas
are available. Agamas are written in the Prakrit language. These are
read and studied by Jain monks (sadhus) only. The sacred literature was
not written down until 500 AD.
There are two main types of Jain, the Digambaras and the
Shvetambaras. The Digambaras have much simpler rituals and disdain
earthly belongings to a point that the male monks live completely naked.
10. Shinto [Taoic, 300 BC] 4 million adherents [
Wikipedia |
Britannica |
Beliefnet]
Shinto is a religious system that originates in Japan which has
influences from Buddhism and other Chinese religions. Shinto recognizes
no all-powerful deity and is a diverse set of traditional rituals and
ceremonies, rather than a system of dogmatic beliefs or ethics. Shinto
recognises a variety of gods (kami) which are the powers of nature
primarily associated with such things as animals, trees, mountains,
springs, boulders, the sun, and sometimes ancestors. Offerings are made
to these gods and they are later eaten.
Shinto rituals involve dance and Shinto priests bless the offerings
to the gods with branches from the sacred sakaki tree dipped in holy
water. In some parts of Japan, women Shamans fall into a trance and
speak for the gods.
Shinto does not have a founder or canon of religious texts, but a
written Shinto mythology appears in the early sections of the
eighth-century books “Kojiki” (“Records of Ancient Matters,” completed
in 712 AD) and “Nihon Shoki” (“Chronicles of Japan,” completed in 720
AD), which record the role of the kami in creating Japan and the
Japanese imperial lineage
Source here
