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Comparative religion

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The Major religious groups of the world.
Map showing the prevalence of "Abrahamic" (purple), "Indian" (dark yellow), and "Taoic" (light yellow) religions in each country.

Comparative religion is a field of religious study that analyzes the similarities and differences of themes, myths, rituals and concepts among the world's religions. Religion can be defined as "Human beings' relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, spiritual, or divine".[1]

In the field of comparative religion, the main world religions are generally classified as either Abrahamic, Indian or Taoic. Areas of study also include creation myths and Humanism.

Abrahamic religions

Main article: Abrahamic religion

In the study of comparative religion, the category of Abrahamic religions consists of the three monotheistic religions, Christianity, Islam and Judaism, which claim Abraham (Hebrew Avraham אַבְרָהָם ; Arabic Ibrahim ابراهيم ) as a part of their sacred history. Other religions (such as the Bahá'í Faith) that fit this description are sometimes included but also often omitted.[2]

The original belief in the One God of Abraham eventually became present-day Judaism. Christians believe that Christianity is the fulfillment and continuation of the Jewish Old Testament, with Jesus as the messiah of Old Testament prophecy and subsequent New Testament teachings and continued prophecy. Islam believes the present Christian and Jewish scriptures have been modified over time and are no longer the original divine revelations as given to Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. For Muslims the Qur'an is the final revelation from God, with Muhammad as his messenger for its transmission.

Comparing Abrahamic religions

The "Tomb of Abraham," cenotaph above the cave traditionally considered to be the burial place of Abraham in the Cave of the Patriarchs.

Christianity and Judaism are two closely related Abrahamic religions that in some ways parallel each other and in other ways fundamentally diverge in theology and practice. The article on Judeo-Christian tradition emphasizes continuities and convergences between the two religions. The article on Christianity and Judaism compares the different views held by both religions.

Main article: Christianity and Judaism
Further information: [[:Judeo-Christian and Supersessionism]]

The historical interaction of Islam and Judaism started in the 7th century CE with the origin and spread of Islam. There are many common aspects between Islam and Judaism, and as Islam developed it gradually became the major religion closest to Judaism. As opposed to Christianity which originated from interaction between ancient Greek and Hebrew cultures, Judaism is very similar to Islam in its fundamental religious outlook, structure, jurisprudence and practice.[3] There are many traditions within Islam originating from traditions within the Hebrew Bible or from postbiblical Jewish traditions. These practices are known collectively as the Isra'iliyat.[4]

Main article: Islam and Judaism
Further information: [[:People of the Book, Tahrif, Biblical narratives and the Qur'an, and Judeo-Islamic philosophies (800 - 1400)]]

The historical interaction between Christianity and Islam connects fundamental ideas in Christianity with similar ones in Islam. Islam and Christianity share their origins in the Abrahamic tradition, although Christianity predates Islam by centuries. Islam accepts many aspects of Christianity as part of its faith - with some differences in interpretation - and rejects other aspects. Islam believes the Qur'an is the final revelation from God and a completion of all previous revelations, including the Bible.

Main article: Christianity and Islam
Further information: [[:Biblical narratives and the Qur'an, People of the Book and Tahrif]]

Indian religions

Main article: Indian religions

There are a number of religions that have originated on the Indian subcontinent. They encompass Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

The religion of the Vedic period is the historical predecessor of the Hindu religion. The Vedic and the Sramana tradition co-existed and influenced each other since pre-historic times. Jainism and Buddhism are a continuation of the Sramana tradition. Buddhism further diversified, into Chinese and Japanese schools.

Comparing "Dharmic" religions

The Rig Veda is one of the oldest Vedic texts. Shown here is a Rig Veda manuscript in Devanagari, early nineteenth century.
Main article: Buddhism and Hinduism
Main article: Brahman § Brahman in Earliest Buddhism
Further information: [[:Buddha as an Avatar of Vishnu, Gautama Buddha in world religions, and God in Buddhism]]

Most scholars believe that Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16], with origins perhaps as far back as to the prehistoric times,[17][18][19][20][21] or 5000 years.[22]

"The kinship of the religions of India stems from the fact that Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs look back to Hinduism as their common mother."[23]

Buddhism is a both post-Vedic religion. Gautama Buddha is mentioned as an Avatar of Vishnu in the Puranic texts of Hinduism. Some Hindus believe the Buddha accepted and incorporated many tenets of Hinduism in his doctrine, however, Buddhists disagree and state there was no such thing as Hinduism at the time of Buddha and in fact, "Indeed, it absorbed so many Buddhist traits that it is virtually impossible to distinguish the latter in medieval and later Hinduism."[24] Prominent Hindu reformers such as Gandhi[25] and Vivekananda[26] acknowledge Buddhist influence. Gandhi, like Hindus himself did not believe Buddha established a non-Hindu tradition. He writes, "I do not regard Jainism or Buddhism as separate from Hinduism."[27]

Main article: Buddhism and Jainism
Further information: [[:Shramana]]

Buddhism and Jainism are the two branches of the Shramana tradition that still exist today. Until recently Jainism was largely confined to India, while Buddhism has largely flourished outside of India. However the two traditions share remarkable similarities. In his life, the Buddha undertook many fasts, penances and austerities, the descriptions of which are elsewhere found only in the Jain tradition. Ultimately Buddha abandoned these methods on his discovery of the Middle Way or Magga. To this day, many Buddhist teachings, principles, and terms used in Buddhism are identical to those of Jainism, but they may hold very different meanings for each.

Hinduism and Sikhism have had a long and complex relationship. Views range from Sikhism being a distinct faith in itself to Sikhism being a sect of Hinduism. A vast majority of Sikhs oppose the notion that Sikhism is a sect of Hinduism, while others stress the similarities, but recognise that the religions are distinct.

Main article: Hinduism and Sikh Panth

Jainism and Sikhism have both originated in South Asia and are Eastern philosophical faiths. Jainism, like Buddhism, rejected the authority of the Vedas and created independent textual traditions based on the words and examples of their early teachers.

Taoic religions

Main article: Taoic religion
Further information: [[:Tao and De]]
The Chinese character depicting Tao, the central concept in Taoism.

A Taoic religion is a religion, or religious philosophy, that focuses on the East Asian concept of Tao ("The Way"). This forms a large group of religions including Taoism, Confucianism, Jeung San Do, Shinto, Yiguandao, Chondogyo, Chen Tao and Caodaism. In large parts of East Asia, Buddhism has taken on some taoic features.

Tao can be roughly stated to be the flow of the universe, or the force behind the natural order. It is believed to be the influence that keeps the universe balanced and ordered and is associated with nature, due to a belief that nature demonstrates the Tao. The flow of Chi, as the essential energy of action and existence, is compared to the universal order of Tao. Following the Tao is also associated with a "proper" attitude, morality and lifestyle. This is intimately tied to the complex concept of De, or literally "virtue". De is the active expression of Tao.

Taoism and Ch'an Buddhism for centuries had a mutual influence on each other in China, Korea and Vietnam. These influences were inherited by Zen-Buddhism when Ch'an Buddhism arrived in Japan and adapted as Zen-Buddhism.

Comparing Taoic religions

Comparing between traditions

Main article: Comparing Eastern and Western religious traditions
Further information: [[:prehistoric religion, religions of the Ancient Near East, Proto-Indo-Iranian religion and Proto-Indo-European religion]]

Buddhism

Christianity

Confucianism

Hinduism

Islam

Jainism

Taoism

Zoroastrianism

Mysticism and Esotericism

See also

References

  1. ^ What is Religion? Definitions and Quotes.
  2. ^ Why Abrahamic? Lubar Institute for the Study of the Abrahamic Religions at the University of Wisconsin
  3. ^ Rabbi David Rosen, Jewish-Muslim Relations, Past and Present, November 2003
  4. ^ Rabbi Justin Jaron Lewis, Islam and Judaism, October 2001
  5. ^ P. 386 Transcultural Concepts in Nursing Care By Margaret M. Andrews, Joyceen S. Boyle
  6. ^ P. 484 Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions By Wendy Doniger, M. Webster, Merriam-Webster, Inc
  7. ^ P. 285 Communication for Development in the Third World By Srinivas R. Melkote, H. Leslie Steeves
  8. ^ P. xvi The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism By Linda Johnsen
  9. ^ P. 219 Faith, Religion & Theology By Brennan Hill, Paul F. Knitter, William Madges
  10. ^ P. 72 Multicultural Clients By Sybil M. Lassiter
  11. ^ P. 15 Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation By Ian Stevenson
  12. ^ P. 6 Hinduism By Sue Penney
  13. ^ P. 22 The Best Guide to Eastern Philosophy and Religion By Diane Morgan
  14. ^ P. 212 Alternative Religions By Stephen Hunt
  15. ^ P. 35 Common Spirit Common Ground By Michael Strange
  16. ^ P. 72 Canadian and World Politics By John Ruypers, Ruypers, Austin, Carter, Murphy
  17. ^ P. 186 Information Please Almanac, Atlas and Yearbook
  18. ^ P. 6 The World's Great Religions By Yoshiaki Gurney Omura, Selwyn Gurney Champion, Dorothy Short
  19. ^ P. 169 The Encyclopedia of Religion By Mircea Eliade, Charles J. Adams
  20. ^ P. 585 The New Encyclopaedia Britannica By Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc 1987
  21. ^ P. xxv The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Religions By Brandon Toropov, Luke Buckles
  22. ^ P. 22 The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geography By Joseph Gonzalez, Michael D Smith, Thomas E. Sherer
  23. ^ Religions of the World S. Vernon McCasland, Grace E. Cairns, David C. Yu
  24. ^ MLA style: "monasticism." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 14 Aug. 2007 <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-38700>.
  25. ^ “owes on eternal debt of gratitude to that great teacher,”Mahatma Gandhi and Buddhism Y.P. Anand An Encounter with Buddhism http://www.iop.or.jp/0414/anand.pdf
  26. ^ He is the ideal Karma-Yogi, acting entirely without motive, and the history of humanity shows him to have been the greatest man ever born; beyond compare the greatest combination of heart and brain that ever existed, the greatest soul-power that has ever been manifested. Essay, Ideal Karma Yogi http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/5208/karmayoga/ideal.html
  27. ^ P. 17 Gandhi By Ronald Terchek

Further reading

  • Ankerl, Guy. Global communication without universal civilization. INU societal research. Vol. Vol.1: Coexisting contemporary civilizations : Arabo-Muslim, Bharati, Chinese, and Western. Geneva: INU Press. ISBN 2-88155-004-5. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
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