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Depending on their distribution and role, all religions are divided into world and national.
The most widespread of the world's religions is Christianity, which is practiced by approximately 2.4 billion people, mainly in Europe, America and Australia. The second place in terms of the number of believers (1.3 billion) is occupied by Islam (Muslims), which is declared the state religion in many countries located mainly in Asia and Africa.
The third place among world religions in terms of the number of adherents belongs to Buddhism (500 million), which is widespread in Central, Southeast and East Asia.
AT recent times very big influence for all world development began to exert the Islamic factor. Today, the Muslim world includes more than 50 countries, and there are Muslim communities in 120 countries.
Large in terms of the number of inhabitants are Islamic states - Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Iran, Turkey, Egypt. Almost 20 million people practice Islam in Russia; it is the second largest and most popular religion in the country after Christianity.
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Table 1. Main features of the geography of religions |
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Interpretation of the data in the table in the regional plan indicates the following: Christianity in all its forms is distributed almost exclusively in foreign Europe.
At the same time, Catholicism is most widely represented in the southern, partly in the western and eastern parts Europe, and Protestantism in Northern, Central and Western Europe.
Orthodoxy is widespread in the east and southeast of Europe.
All world and many major national religions are spread in Foreign Asia. This is, first of all, Islam, as well as Buddhism and Christianity, which has spread only in the Philippines, Lebanon (along with Islam) and Cyprus. The national religion of Israel is Judaism.
In North Africa, in a number of countries lying south of the Sahara, in Somalia and, in part, in Ethiopia, Islam dominates.
Protestantism prevails among the white population in South Africa.
In all other African countries, as a rule, both Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism) and traditional local beliefs are represented.
In the Americas, Christianity dominates in two of its forms - Protestantism and Catholicism. For example, in the United States, the majority of believers are Protestants and Catholics. Latin America is dominated by Catholicism. As a result, America accounts for more than half of all Catholics in the world.
In Australia, the majority of believers are Protestants, who are about twice as many as Catholics.
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Chapter 2 Islam in the modern world
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World experience in the spread of religions shows that the religious composition of the population is not static and is subject to significant and sometimes fundamental changes over time.
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Catholicism in the modern world
5.
Catholicism in the modern world
The beginning of the modern understanding of the social development of the world in Catholicism was laid by the encyclical of Pope Leo XIII "Rerum novarum" ("New things", 1891), which had the subtitle "On the position of the working class, or on the so-called social question" ...
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1.3 Buddhism in the modern world
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Buddhism in the modern world
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4.
Religion today has a great power of influence on the spiritual life of a person, primarily on morality. In our country, the influence of religion has increased significantly. On television, we often see worship services taking place in churches ...
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3.
The role of religion in the modern world
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The spread of Islam in the world
Islam or Islam, the second most faithful religion in the world in Christianity.
At the beginning of the XXI century. There are more than half a million Muslims in the world, i.e., every fourth inhabitant of our planet has spoken Islam. 2/3 of Muslims live in Asia, about 1/3 in Africa, the Muslim population from other regions is relatively small (Table 1).
Table 1
Distribution of Muslims by regions of the world, 2005.
"Islamic dog" occurs in the tropical latitudes of the northern hemisphere throughout the Old World.
The boundaries of this religious and cultural space are well defined. The north crosses the south shores mediterranean sea and the Black Sea, then at the foot of the North Caucasus, along the border of forests and steppes in Eurasia, and then along the Alpine-Himalayan mountain belt. The southern border runs along the southern borders of the Sahara, then crosses the Indian Ocean, and in the east it shifts slightly into the southern hemisphere, almost touching Australia.
On the map on p. 26 black colors that show predominant Muslim dominance, colored in North Africa and Southwest Asia.
Compare this map with the map of people in the world. Did you notice the similarity? 80% of this intense shady area is inhabited by Arab people who speak the same Arabic language and have a common Arab identity. Very concentrated Muslims, not Arabs, are Turkey (with Turks), Iran (with Persians), Afghanistan and Pakistan (with an abundance of multilingual ethnic groups).
It is above all the closest neighbor of the Arabs; their fate is closely intertwined with the fate of the Arab people.
table 2
Countries with the highest percentage of Muslims, 2005
| Bahrain | 0.7 | 0.7 | 100,0 |
| West Sahara | 0,3 | 0,3 | 100,0 |
| Kuwait | 2,3 | 2,3 | 100,0 |
| Mauritania | 3,1 | 3,1 | 100,0 |
| Maldives | 0,3 | 0,3 | 100,0 |
| Saudi Arabia | 26,4 | 26,4 | 100,0 |
| Somalia | 8,6 | 8,6 | 100,0 |
| Yemen | 20,7 | 20,7 | 99,9 |
| turkey | 69,7 | 69,5 | 99,8 |
| Algeria | 32,5 | 32,2 | 99,0 |
| Afghanistan | 29,9 | 29,6 | 99,0 |
| Oman | 3.0 | 3.0 | 99,0 |
| Morocco | 32,7 | 32,3 | 98,7 |
| Iran | 68,0 | 66,7 | 98,0 |
| Comoros | 0.7 | 0.7 | 98,0 |
| Palestinian territories | 3,8 | 3,7 | 98,0 |
| Tunisia | 10,1 | 9,9 | 98,0 |
| Iraq | 26,1 | 25,3 | 97,0 |
| Libya | 5,8 | 5,6 | 97,0 |
| Mayotte (Fr.) | 0.2 | 0.2 | 97,0 |
| Niger | 11,7 | 11,3 | 97,0 |
| Pakistan | 162,4 | 157,5 | 97,0 |
| United Arab Emirates | 2,6 | 2.5 | 96,0 |
| Gambia | 1,6 | 1,5 | 95,0 |
| Qatar | 0.9 | 0.8 | 95,0 |
Why is the Islamic world so close to the Arab world?
The point of Islamic religious foundations: Islam was established in the Arab media, the main book of Muslims "Quran" is sacred in Arabic, only to become a true Muslim, can only be read in Arabic, and prayers in Arabic can be read.
Despite the fact that the proportion of Muslims in the population is mainly located in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa, countries in terms of the number of Muslims located in South and Southeast Asia.
Most Muslims live in Indonesia - more than 200 million, in second place with almost 160 million - in Pakistan, finally, third - it already seems to be a non-Muslim India, where 130 million people are recognized as the Prophet Muhammad (!). Is this paradoxical, since the cradle of Islam is Saudi Arabia in the list of countries (Table 3), with the number of Muslims being only fifteenth?
Table 3
Countries with nai a large number Muslims, 2005
| Indonesia | 213 | Tanzania | 13 |
| Pakistan | 158 | Niger | 11 |
| India | 130 | mali | 11 |
| Bangladesh | 127 | Senegal | 10 |
| Egypt | 73 | Tunisia | 10 |
| turkey | 70 | Somalia | 9 |
| Iran | 67 | Guinea | 8th place |
| Nigeria | 64 | Azerbaijan | 7 |
| China | 37 | Thailand | 7 |
| Ethiopia | 35 | Kazakhstan | 7 |
| Morocco | 32 | Burkina Faso | 7 |
| Algeria | 32 | Ivory Coast | 6 |
| Afghanistan | 30 | Tajikistan | 6 |
| Sudan | 29 | USA | 6 |
| Saudi Arabia | 26 | Philippines | 6 |
| Iraq | 25 | Congo (Kinshasa) | 6 |
| uzbekistan | 24 | France | 6 |
| Yemen | 21 | Libya | 6 |
| Russian Federation | 20 | Jordan | 5 |
| Syria | 17 | Chad | 5 |
| Malaysia | 14 | Kenya | 5 |
According to the Ministry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (http://www.hajinformation.com) and the Muslim population worldwide.
Much will become clear if we remember what natural conditions prevail in the Middle East.
Hot dry climate, lack of water limits the entire population in these areas. South and Southeast Asia are different, where conditions tend to be more comfortable to live in and manage.
Muslims in India make up only 12%, but more than one billionth of the country, turning into a 130 millionth situation with China. Local Muslims (Ujghuri, Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, Dungans, etc.) make up less than 3% of the "middle kingdom" of the population, but the absolute numbers of this figure reach 37 million - this is more than in such large Muslim countries as Algeria, Morocco but Iraq.
QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES ON THE MAP, p.
the first Do you remember from history where and when the source of the source?
3.2 Geography of world religions
Who was the main prophet of this faith? In what city was he born and lived? Find this place on a geographic map and evaluate its geographic location.
second Using the map of the Arab caliphate of the new school atlas for the history of the Middle Ages, Mark cartogram (pp. 24-25) and cartogram (p. 26), the upper limit of the territorial distribution of the Arabic calypso (best use of photocopy).
In what regions of the world do Muslims live outside the historical Arab state - the Caliphate?
What do you think, under what circumstances?
What part, formerly part of the Arab estate, is now almost without a Muslim population?
What historical events made it?
third The desktop "personal data in the world" published in "Geography", number 6-12 / 2006, identifies five Muslim countries (with a population of more than half representing Muslims) with the highest GDP per capita. Where did the wealth of these countries come from?
Have they always been distinguished by a high level of economic development? At what point did the economic boom start in these countries?
fourth On the printed publications, online news agencies, television news, they have created centers of inter-ethnic conflicts on the opposite map, including Muslims.
Are there conflicts in a world where both opposites represent Muslims?
Give examples, mark on the map. I appreciate the relative position of the tricks you mark with you. Are there spatial patterns on their site? Where are these conflicts more: in countries with high or low percentages of Muslims?
fifth Find a map of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) (for example, from Geography,
No. 17/2005). Compare this card with the cartogram and cartogram given in this issue.
Which countries with more than 6 million Muslims do not belong to the OIC and do not even have observers in it? Why do you think so?
What religions are predominant in these countries?
Until the eighteenth century. were the main characteristics of the geography of religions, and since then there have been no major changes in it. Changes, mainly related to the number of believers in individual religious movements, which were associated with a large increase in the population of a certain group (the number of Christians, especially Orthodox and Protestants), grew more slowly.
To understand the geography of religions, it is important to know how they are classified.
The oldest religions traditionally received from distant ancestors. At present, the geography of their distribution is quite wide, but the number of believers is small, with the exception of Africa.
World religions are characterized by a much larger number of followers and a wider territorial distribution. Universal religions have members in many countries and regions of the world, and ethnic divided mainly between people of the same nationality.
About 2/5 believers in the world Christians(Estimates of the number of believers are relative, because
The main characteristics of the geography of world religions are the structural-logical scheme
Religion is not counted among the population in most countries of the world). This is the absolute majority in America, Australia and Europe. In Africa, their numbers are about the same as for Muslims, and there are relatively few Christians in Asia. It can be said that Christianity is the religion of the Western world (see also the article "Population of the Earth").
Half of Christian believers Catholics. The most "Catholic" region in the world has become Latin America, where absolute absolute number Catholics make up more than 9/10 of the population.
Half of the Catholics in Europe, and very relative prevail - only 1/3. The largest country in the world with the number of Catholics (in millions, ..): Brazil - 133, Mexico - 76, USA - 67, the Philippines - 54, Italy - 48. Among them is Spain, called the "beloved daughter of Catholicism." "
As for all Christians, the city of Jerusalem has become sacred to Catholics (Jerusalem is also a sacred place to Muslims and Jews), which is actually the birthplace of Christianity.
The pure Catholic sanctuary is Rome, where the Vatican is located (the religious center of the Catholic world, where the residence of the chief Catholic is the Pope). During the pilgrimage, Christianity in sacred places is not as widespread as, for example, between Muslims or Hindus. However, the southern French city of Lourdes annually receives up to 2 million Catholics from the local miraculous spring.
Protestants There are half of the Catholics in the world.
Their primary focus is in Europe, as well as the United States and Canada. Only in Australia Protestants make up an absolute majority among loyal people (about 2/3). The majority of Protestants are concentrated (in millions) in the USA - 70, Great Britain - 40, Germany - 30. Many Protestants are concentrated in South Africa, Australia and Canada.
room orthodox The believers are relatively small and their main focus is in Eastern Europe.
Orthodox only in Europe represent an important part of the likely population (about 1/4). The largest Orthodox believers in the country are Russia, Ukraine, Romania.
The second largest religion in the world Islam.
The majority of Muslims in Asia, but in Africa, together with Christians, constitute the majority of the probable population. There are much more Muslims in Europe (about 1/10 believers). Among the indigenous peoples, Islam is mainly carried out in southeastern Europe, in the territory of the former Ottoman Empire.
Many immigrant Muslims in France and the UK. The majority of believers are Sunni Muslims, and only in Iran and part of Iraq are there many members of the Shiite interpretation of Islam. In Islamic political world these religious differences sometimes lead to complex conflicts. Islamic countries are quite compactly located from North Africa to South Asia. The exception is a large Islamic settlement in Southeast Asia. The largest Muslim believers in the country (in millions): Indonesia - 161, Pakistan - 126, India - 100, Bangladesh - 100, Turkey - 58.
Pilgrimage to sacred places is one of the most important elements of the Islamic faith.
Special worship had two places in Saudi Arabia in Mecca - the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad (in the Russian transcription of Muhammad) and Medina - at the end of his burial. The Shiites have their own holy places in Iraq. Millions of Muslims made annual pilgrimages to Arabia's holy sites, although they are now mostly on planes.
third world religion Buddhism which is significantly less than the first two in terms of the number of believers.
Buddhists were quite compact in Asia, except for their western part. The pilgrimage is not so great, but many believers visited the birthplace of Buddha in Lumbini, a small village (the foothills of the Himalayas), where a monument with the inscription: “Here the sublime was born” was preserved. The maximum number of Buddhists in the world (millions of people ..) Japan - 92, China - 70 , Thailand - 54 Myanmar - 39, Vietnam - 38.
Among the ethnic religions, the most adherents are the Hindu and Chinese religions.
Religious buildings are great dishes.
They create a special kind of settlements. It is unlikely that everyone will confuse a mosque with an Orthodox church. We are less aware of the appearance of Hindu, Buddhist or Shinto shrines. The photograph shows the exterior of some of the more characteristic temple buildings.
It is customary to destroy tribal, local (national) and world religions. The world religions are Buddhism, Islam and Christianity.
world religions
Buddhism, the oldest world religion, exists mainly in two main varieties - Hinayana and Mahayana, which also need to be added to Lamaism. In the world religion developed in China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Vietnam and many other countries. Buddhism as a world religion has reached its most perfect image in Tibet in Lamaism In Russia, Lamaism is carried out by the inhabitants of Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia.
There are currently about 300 million members of this religious lesson.
Christianity is spreading among the peoples of Europe and in other parts of the world where migrants live in this part of the world. In Europe, almost exclusively Christianity in all its forms.
The number of Christianity is approaching 2 billion people. Christianity includes three main areas: Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism, in which there are many different religions and religious associations.
Catholicism (Catholicism) is the most important branch of Christianity.
The most widely represented in the southern, partially western and eastern parts. It was professed by the Latins (Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese, French, etc.), as well as the Irish, Bretons, Basques, some German countries (Austrians, Flemings, part of the Germans), most of the faithful Hungarians, some Slavic peoples (Poles, Czechs , Croats, Slovenes, most Slovaks, some western Ukrainians and Belarusians), Lithuanians and the Latvian side. Catholicism is the dominant religion in Latin America and the Philippines; There are important groups of Catholics in the United States and Canada (French Canadians), as well as in Indo-China and some African countries (former colonies).
Protestantism.
The largest areas of Protestantism are Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglicanism, Methodism, and Baptism. Protestantism is widespread in Northern, Central and Western Europe.
It is spoken by most Germans, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, English, Swedish, Finnish.
§16. Ethnic composition of the population. Geography of world religions
It is predominant in the United States and other English speaking countries (Canada, Australia, New Zealand). For example, there are 140 million believers in the United States—72 million Protestants and 52 million Catholics.
In Canada, there are slightly more Catholics than Protestants. In Australia, Protestants predominate among believers, about twice as many as Catholics. Large groups of Protestants are present in South Africa, Brazil, Estonia and Latvia.
Orthodoxy of Byzantine origin was established in the east and southeast of Europe. Kievan Rus received Christianity in 988 with Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich.
Orthodoxy is practiced in almost Slavic countries - Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, Greece, Montenegro. Orthodox also profess such nations as Mordvins, Maris, Komis, Udmurts, Chuvashs, some countries of the Caucasus (Georgian and South Ossetians) and Siberia (Yakuts, etc.). The Armenian Gregorian Church is located near the Orthodox Church.
In many countries of the African continent, Christianity is actually represented (Catholicism and Protestantism, since these countries were recently colonized European countries) and traditional local beliefs.
In Africa, Christianity is a monophyte in Ethiopia and partly in Egypt.
Islam is the second in Christianity in terms of adherents of the world faith (1.1 billion people).
Muslim (Islam), divided into two currents - Sunnis and only in Iran (partially in Iraq, Yemen, Azerbaijan) - Shiites. Sunni Islam is widespread in southwestern Asia, as well as in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the southern Philippines. Significant Sunni groups are found in India (about 150 million) and in western China. His confession is all the peoples of the North and Africa south of the Sahara - the inhabitants of Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Somalia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Niger, Chad, Gambia, Mauritania and others.
On the territory of the CIS, residents participate in Islam Central Asia and Kazakhstan, the North Caucasus, as well as residents of some of the republics that make up Russia - Tatars, Bashkirs and some of the inhabitants of Siberia. In Europe, Islam is relatively large groups population (Bosniaks, Albanians, part of Bulgaria, migrants living in Europe - immigrants from countries where Islam is spoken).
local religions
Confucianism was created in the middle.
1 thousand BC in China as a social and ethical doctrine, presented by the philosopher Confucius. For many centuries it was a kind of state ideology. Other local (national) religions of China - Taoism - are based on a combination of elements of Buddhism and Confucianism.
Hinduism means not just the name of a religion.
In India, where it has become widespread, it is a whole religious form, from the simplest ritual, polytheistic to philosophical and mystical, monotheistic.
Shinto is the indigenous faith of Japan (along with Buddhism). It is a combination of elements of Confucianism (respect for ancestral cultures, patriarchal foundations of the family, respect for elders, etc.) and Taoism.
Judaism spreads exclusively among living people living in different countries world (the largest groups are in the USA and Israel).
The total number of Jews in the world is about 14 million people.
Ethnic religions include totemism, shamanism, pagan cultures and others. Distribute it among African tribes and in some Asian countries(Mongolia, Buryatia, Yakutia, Komi, etc.).
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There are countless religions in the world. Some of them have long been forgotten, and some are only gaining momentum. And which of them is the oldest religion on earth?
Which religion is recognized as the most ancient?
When determining the most ancient faith, several facts must be taken into account. There are some religions, the mention of which remained only in old traditions and legends. Among these are the religions of the Incas and Aztecs. This is a developed religion, which has many followers in its ranks. The Inca faith is rich in a variety of gods. This is due to the military activities of the tribes. When new peoples were captured, deities from the traditions and legends of the captives were added to the existing religion. Due to the possibility of the emergence of new deities, this belief did not disappear without a trace, but simply transformed into new currents.
Of the existing ones, one of the first was the religion of the Sumerians. It was distinguished by many gods, each of which had its own followers, called the Anunnaki. They were priests who helped ordinary people communicate with their idols and convey to the people the wishes of the gods.
The oldest of the world's religions is Judaism, born on the teachings of Vedism. It is based on religion, which later laid the foundation for Christianity. But the imperfection of the existing gods and the many contradictory statements of this religion served to make it one of the shortest.
What is the latest religion to appear?
The concept of "young" is very relative, because when the count goes on for millennia, several centuries of great importance does not have. That is why the earliest faith - "Islam" seems to us to have long been known and widespread.
The belief is based on serving Allah, a Muslim puts the teachings of God above his own wishes. Nowadays, Islam is quite popular, Muslims live in 50 countries of the world. Almost a quarter of the total population the globe are adherents of Islam. This religion appeared in the seventh century AD, when the prophet Mohammed received the first verses of the Koran. The common teaching is more than thirteen centuries old, but the younger religions of modern times are not known.
The popularity of this belief is due to strict rules and a righteous lifestyle. Many children are born in Muslim families, which is why there are more and more adherents of Islam. A mullah serves to communicate between God and man. He conducts rituals and reads prayers, whether it be nikah, ayah or other ceremonies.
When did early Christianity appear?
The current reckoning begins from the Nativity of Christ, therefore the beginning of the first century AD in the lands of the Eastern Mediterranean is considered the birth of Christianity.
Before the advent of this religion, people worshiped many mythological deities. In Christianity, there is one God who will understand and forgive everyone if a person sincerely repents of his misdeeds. It combines all the positive qualities of pre-existing deities.
Christianity is based on the suffering and pain of Jesus Christ, who chose this path in order to atone for human sins. That is why the path to true enlightenment lies through suffering. One god ready to accept any person of any faith, if he really wants it. A Christian is associated with a peace-loving wanderer who preaches the path of truth and wants to help every lost soul.
Thanks to its peaceful teachings, Christianity gained great popularity and became one of the three most widespread beliefs in the world along with Islam and Buddhism. Now this religion is divided into three currents:
- orthodoxy;
- Catholicism;
- Protestantism.
What ancient religions existed before?
Buddhism is another equally old religion. It originated in the fifth century BC. The appearance of Buddhism was preceded by a change in the teachings and basic provisions of Brahmanism.
This faith is based on the doctrine of erasing the boundaries between closed castes and divisions of society. All people are equal before God, regardless of their material wealth and position. Buddhism originally appeared in India, but quickly spread to other countries such as China, Mongolia, Tibet and others. In the modern world, almost half a million people are considered adherents of Buddhism.
Other less popular ancient religions include Finnish deities in Finland, the Canaanite faith, and Atonism. On the shores of the island of Crete, the Minoan religion was known, headed by the goddess of nature. The Assyrian people worshiped the god Ashur.
Mithraism was popular in European lands. Its spread became possible thanks to the conquests of Alexander the Great. Mithra is the god of heaven and justice.
What is the oldest faith in the world?
Some believe that Hinduism is the very first religion. He combined pagan deities and the foundations for the birth of Christianity. At one time, Hinduism was as popular as the three most widespread religions in our time.
In the third century BC, the Tengrian religion, which originated in Central Asia, was known. It is based on belief in the spirits of ancestors. The teachings were passed down from generation to generation, although there is no written confirmation of this fact.
Buddhism appeared in the fifth century BC, which also makes this belief one of the oldest. 
Zoroastrianism is considered one of the first beliefs. There is no exact data on the origin of this religion, although the first mention of it appeared in the sixth century BC in the lands of Iran. The first written references appeared around the first century BC, but then Zoroastrianism was already considered an ancient faith. The main sacred collection of religious laws is the Avesta. This book is written in a now dead language. Chief god is Ahura Mazda, the creator of the whole world. He sent to earth only one prophet - Zarathustra.
One of the oldest religions, dating back tens of millennia, is and. This belief was common among most peoples on earth, for example, among the Siberian Yakuts. Shamanism is based on the unity of man and nature, and the shaman acted as a link between them, he knew how to communicate with spirits and apply the methods of traditional medicine. This belief had a greater impact on the formation of culture and lifestyle of people.
It is possible that earlier religions also existed, but due to the lack of written evidence, this cannot be proven.
The followers of Jesus Christ are united in more than 100 churches, movements and sects. These are Eastern Catholic churches (22). Old Catholicism (32). Protestantism (13). Orthodoxy (27). Spiritual Christianity (9). Sects (6). It is the largest world religion both in terms of the number of adherents, which are about 2.1 billion, and in terms of geographical distribution - almost every country in the world has at least one Christian community.
On the issue of relationships Christianity and science, one can see two extreme - although dominant, but equally incorrect points of view. Namely, firstly, that religion and science are in no way consistent with each other - religion, brought to its ultimate "foundations", does not need science and denies it, and vice versa, science, for its part, excludes religion to the extent that is able to explain the world without resorting to the services of religion. And, secondly, that between them, in fact, there are no and cannot be any fundamental disagreements - already due to the different subject matter and different directions of "metaphysical" interests. It is not difficult to see, however, that both points of view (1) dialectically presuppose each other and (2) in the same way, dialectically (“antinomically”, etc.) are determined in relation to one principle (“unity” of the world, being, consciousness etc.) - negative in the first case, positive in the second.
Judaism divided into 11 currents: Orthodox Judaism, Litvaks, Hasidism, Orthodox Modernism, Religious Zionism, Conservative Judaism, Reform Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism, Humanistic Judaism Movement, Renovationist Judaism of Rabbi Michael Lerner, Messianic Judaism. Has up to 14 million followers.
The positive aspects of the interaction between science and the Torah are as follows. According to the Jewish worldview, the world was created for the sake of the Torah and the Torah was the plan for the creation of the world. Therefore, potentially they form a harmonious whole.
Islam breaks up into 7 currents: Sunnis, Shiites, Ismailis, Kharijites, Sufism, Salafis (Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia), radical Islamists. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims. Muslim communities exist in more than 120 countries and unite, according to various sources, up to 1.5 billion people.
The Quran encourages the development of science and scientific knowledge, encourages people to think about natural phenomena and study them. Muslims believe scientific activity act of a religious nature. On my own example, I can say that when working under contracts in Muslim countries, I always met with a warm welcome, respect and gratitude. In the Russian regions, they strive to get information “for free, please” and forget to say thank you.
Buddhism consists of three main and many local schools: Theravada - the most conservative school of Buddhism; Mahayana - the latest form of development of Buddhism; vajrayana - an occult modification of Buddhism (Lamaism); Shingon-shu is one of the main Buddhist schools in Japan, belonging to the Vajrayana direction. The estimate of the number of followers of Buddhism ranges from 350-500 million people. According to the Buddha, “everything we are is the result of our thoughts, the mind is everything.”
Shintoism is the traditional religion of Japan. Forms of Shinto: temple, imperial court, state, sectarian, folk and domestic. Zealous supporters of Shintoism, who gave preference to this particular religion, turned out to be only about 3 million Japanese. The development of science in Japan speaks for itself.
Religions of India. Sikhism. Religion based in Punjab, in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. 22 million followers.
Jainism. Dharmic religion, which appeared in India around the 6th century BC. e., preaches non-harm to all living beings in this world. 5 million followers.
Hinduism. A religion that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The historical name of Hinduism in Sanskrit is sanatana-dharma, which means "eternal religion", "eternal path" or "eternal law". It has its roots in the Vedic civilization, which is why it is called the oldest religion in the world. 1 billion followers.
The privileged caste is the Brahmins. Only they alone could be clergymen. Brahmins in ancient india had great benefits. In addition to the monopoly on professional religious activities, they also had a monopoly on pedagogical and scientific activities.
Religions of China. Taoism. Chinese traditional teaching, including elements of religion, mysticism, divination, shamanism, meditation practice, science.
Confucianism. Formally, Confucianism never had an institution of the church, but in terms of its significance, the degree of penetration into the soul and education of the consciousness of the people, it successfully played the role of religion. In imperial China, Confucianism was the philosophy of scholarly thinkers. Over 1 billion followers.
African traditional religions. Confessed by about 15% of Africans, include a variety of representations of fetishism, animism, totemism and ancestor worship. Some religious beliefs are common to many African ethnic groups, but they are usually unique to each ethnic group. Has 100 million followers.
Voodoo. The general name for religious beliefs that appeared among the descendants of black slaves taken from Africa to South and Central America.
It is difficult to say anything about the place of science in these religions, since there is a lot of magic there.
Shamanism. The name of a complex of people's ideas about the ways of conscious and purposeful interaction with the transcendental ("other world") world, primarily with spirits, which is carried out by a shaman, is a well-established name in science.
Cults. Phallic cults, the cult of ancestors. In Europe and America, the cult of ancestors ceased to exist long ago, having been replaced by the study of pedigrees. It still exists in Japan today.
As well as their classifications. In religious studies, it is customary to distinguish the following types: tribal, national and world religions.
Buddhism
is the oldest religion in the world. It originated in the 6th century. BC e. in India, and is currently distributed in the countries of South, Southeast, Central Asia and the Far East and has about 800 million followers. Tradition links the emergence of Buddhism with the name of Prince Siddhartha Gautama. His father hid bad things from Gautama, he lived in luxury, married his beloved girl, who bore him a son. The impetus for a spiritual upheaval for the prince, as the legend says, was four meetings. At first he saw a decrepit old man, then a leprous sufferer and a funeral procession. So Gautama learned old age, sickness and death are the fate of all people. Then he saw a peaceful, impoverished wanderer who needed nothing from life. All this shocked the prince, made him think about the fate of people. He secretly left the palace and family, at the age of 29 he became a hermit and tried to find the meaning of life. As a result of deep reflection, at the age of 35 he became a Buddha - enlightened, awakened. For 45 years, the Buddha preached his teaching, which can be briefly reduced to the following main ideas.
Life is suffering, the cause of which are the desires and passions of people. To get rid of suffering, it is necessary to renounce earthly passions and desires. This can be achieved by following the path of salvation indicated by the Buddha.
After death, any living being, including humans, is reborn again, but already in the form of a new living being, whose life is determined not only by its own behavior, but also by the behavior of its "predecessors".
We must strive for nirvana, i.e., dispassion and peace, which are achieved by renunciation of earthly attachments.
Unlike Christianity and Islam Buddhism lacks the idea of God as the creator of the world and its ruler. The essence of the doctrine of Buddhism boils down to a call to every person to embark on the path of seeking inner freedom, complete liberation from all the shackles that life brings.
Christianity
It arose in the 1st century. n. e. in the eastern part of the Roman Empire - Palestine - as addressed to all the humiliated, thirsting for justice. It is based on the idea of messianism - the hope for the Divine deliverer of the world from everything bad that is on Earth. Jesus Christ suffered for the sins of people, whose name in Greek means "Messiah", "Savior". By this name, Jesus is associated with the Old Testament traditions about the coming to the land of Israel of a prophet, a messiah who will free the people from suffering and establish a righteous life - God's kingdom. Christians believe that the coming of God to Earth will be accompanied by the Last Judgment, when He will judge the living and the dead, direct them to heaven or hell.
Basic Christian ideas:
- Belief that God is one, but He is a Trinity, i.e. God has three "persons": the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, which form the one God who created the Universe.
- Faith in the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ - the second person of the Trinity, God the Son - this is Jesus Christ. He has two natures simultaneously: Divine and human.
- Faith in Divine grace - a mysterious power sent by God to free a person from sin.
- Belief in the afterlife and afterlife.
- Belief in the existence of good spirits - angels and evil spirits - demons, along with their master Satan.
The holy book of Christians is Bible, which means "book" in Greek. The Bible consists of two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. Old Testament is the oldest part of the Bible. The New Testament (actually Christian works) includes: four gospels (from Luke, Mark, John and Matthew); the deeds of the holy apostles; Epistles and Revelation of John the Theologian.
In the IV century. n. e. Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. Christianity is not one. It split into three streams. In 1054 Christianity split into Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. In the XVI century. The Reformation, an anti-Catholic movement, began in Europe. The result was Protestantism.
And recognize seven christian sacraments: baptism, chrismation, repentance, communion, marriage, priesthood and unction. The source of doctrine is the Bible. The differences are mainly as follows. In Orthodoxy there is no single head, there is no idea of purgatory as a place of temporary accommodation for the souls of the dead, the priesthood does not give a vow of celibacy, as in Catholicism. In charge of catholic church there is a pope elected for life, the center of the Roman Catholic Church is the Vatican - a state that occupies several quarters in Rome.
It has three main streams: Anglicanism, Calvinism and Lutheranism. Protestants consider that the condition for the salvation of a Christian is not formal observance of rituals, but his sincere personal faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Their teaching proclaims the principle of a universal priesthood, which means that every lay person can preach. Virtually all Protestant denominations have reduced the number of sacraments to a minimum.
Islam
It arose in the 7th century. n. e. among the Arab tribes of the Arabian Peninsula. This is the youngest of the world. There are followers of Islam more than 1 billion people.
The founder of Islam is a historical figure. He was born in 570 in the city of Mecca, which at that time was a fairly large city at the crossroads of trade routes. In Mecca, there was a shrine revered by most pagan Arabs - the Kaaba. Muhammad's mother died when he was six years old, his father died before his son was born. Muhammad was brought up in the family of his grandfather, a noble family, but impoverished. At the age of 25, he became the manager of the household of the wealthy widow Khadija and soon married her. At the age of 40, Muhammad acted as a religious preacher. He declared that God (Allah) chose him as his prophet. The ruling elite of Mecca did not like the sermon, and by 622 Muhammad had to move to the city of Yathrib, later renamed Medina. The year 622 is considered the beginning of the Muslim chronology according to the lunar calendar, and Mecca is the center of the Muslim religion.
The Holy Book of Muslims is a processed record of Muhammad's sermons. During the lifetime of Muhammad, his statements were perceived as the direct speech of Allah and were transmitted orally. A few decades after the death of Muhammad, they were written down and will compose the Qur'an.
plays an important role in the beliefs of Muslims Sunnah - collection of instructive stories about the life of Muhammad and Sharia - a set of principles and rules of conduct binding on Muslims. The most serious ipexa.Mii among Muslims are usury, drunkenness, gambling and marital infidelity.
The place of worship for Muslims is called a mosque. Islam forbids depicting a person and living creatures; hollow mosques are decorated only with ornaments. There is no clear division between clergy and laity in Islam. Any Muslim who knows the Qur'an, Muslim laws and rules of worship can become a mullah (priest).
Ritualism is given great importance in Islam. You may not know the intricacies of faith, but you should strictly follow the main rites, the so-called five pillars of Islam:
- pronouncing the formula of the confession of faith: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet”;
- performing a daily fivefold prayer (prayer);
- fasting in the month of Ramadan;
- giving alms to the poor;
- making a pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj).
Russia is a huge state uniting many nations with one word "Russians". However, this does not prevent each nation from having its own religious traditions and customs. Many foreigners are surprised and delighted by the way the issue of religion is treated in our country. In Russia, none of the religious movements can take the status of the dominant one, since at the legislative level the country is recognized as a secular state. Therefore, peoples can choose for themselves the faith they want, and no one will persecute them for this. But still, what religions exist in Russia? Are there really so many diverse movements in the country that peacefully coexist with each other? We will try to answer these and other questions in the article.
Consider the topic under the prism of the law
Freedom of religion in Russia is constitutionally enshrined. Citizens decide for themselves what to believe in and which temples to visit. Also, you can always remain an atheist and not support any of the confessions. And there are quite a few of them on the territory of the country: according to the latest data, seventy religious denominations have been identified that are actively operating in the state. Based on this, we can safely conclude that the issue of religion in Russia is not acute. Believers respect each other's rights and freedoms without encroaching on alien religious traditions.
At the legislative level, there is a ban on insulting the feelings of believers and committing actions that can be interpreted as disrespect for them. There are criminal penalties for such acts.
Such an attitude towards religion ensures the inviolability and invariability of freedom of religion in Russia. Many scientists believe that this is predetermined historically. After all, our country has always been a multinational state, where conflicts on the basis of religious hatred have never arisen. All nations and peoples have respected each other's rights and beliefs for many centuries. This situation is observed even today.
However, many are interested in what religion in Russia can be considered the most important? Let's look for the answer to this question together in the following sections of the article.
The religious composition of the population of Russia
It is not difficult to determine the types of religion in Russia. This can be approximately done by every resident of the country, having a sufficient number of friends and acquaintances. Most likely, among them will be Christians, Buddhists and even adherents of Islam. However, these are far from all the religions represented in the state. In fact, each of them has branches and a few religious associations. Therefore, in reality, the religious "carpet" looks much more colorful.
If we focus on official statistics, then Christianity can be called the main religion in Russia. It is noteworthy that it is followed by a large part of the population. But at the same time, religion is represented by all the main branches:
- orthodoxy;
- Catholicism;
- Protestantism.
What religion in Russia can be put in second place in terms of prevalence? Oddly enough for many, but this religion is Islam. It is confessed mainly in the south of our country.
The third and subsequent places are occupied by Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism and other religious movements. In the next section, we will talk in more detail about the religion of the peoples of Russia.
Statistical data
To find out about religion in Russia as a percentage, you need to turn to official sources. However, there is some tension with them in the country. The fact is that thanks to freedom of religion, the state does not control the number of believers. It cannot provide accurate data on confessions and religious self-identification of citizens. Therefore, it is possible to extract any useful information only from sociological surveys of the population, and it is difficult to vouch for their reliability. Moreover, most of the sociologists' data are rather contradictory, and only after a thorough comparative analysis can any conclusions be drawn.
If we focus on the latest data from the Russian Academy of Sciences (2012-2013), then in percentage terms the religious picture looks like this:
- Seventy-nine percent of the respondents consider themselves Orthodox;
- Muslims - four percent of Russians;
- no more than one percent of the country's citizens identified themselves with other religious movements;
- nine percent of respondents did not identify themselves with any religion;
- Seven percent of the population identified themselves as atheists.
And here is what the list of religions in Russia looks like for the same years as a percentage, according to data from one of the sociological organizations:
- Orthodoxy is professed by sixty-four percent of Russians;
- other Christian movements - one percent;
- Islam, six percent;
- other religions, one percent;
- about four percent of citizens cannot self-determine.
As you can see, information from different sources is slightly different from each other. However, such statistics of religions in Russia does not distort the overall picture.
Christianity in Russia
Per recent decades the population of our country has increasingly begun to return to the religious traditions of their ancestors. People again reached out to the temples and began to try to observe religious traditions and prescriptions. Most of the population remained faithful to the traditional religion - Christianity. In Russia, it is practiced by more than half of the country's population. However, not all of those who identified themselves with this religion attend temples and services. Most often they are called nominally Christians, meaning by this the centuries-old traditions of the Slavic people as a whole.
But do not forget that religion itself has several currents and representatives of almost everyone live on the territory of the Russian state:
- orthodoxy;
- Catholicism;
- Protestantism;
- Old Believers and other few currents.
If we state the facts without going into details, then the overwhelming majority of followers in Russia is Orthodoxy. And only then the rest of the currents follow. But all of them definitely deserve respect and attention.
Orthodoxy
If we are talking about which religion in Russia - Orthodoxy or Christianity, can claim the title of "main religion", then it is worth noting the incompetence of the question itself. Many who are ignorant of religious matters for some reason share these concepts and put them different sides barrier. However, in reality, Orthodoxy is just one of the equal denominations of Christianity. But in our country, its followers are the majority of the population.
According to some reports, more than eighty million people profess Orthodoxy. They live in different subjects of the Russian Federation and prevail in them. Naturally, the main part of believers is the Russian population. But there are many Orthodox peoples among other peoples, they include themselves:
- Karelians;
- Mari;
- Chukchi;
- Enets;
- Evenks;
- tofalars;
- Kalmyks;
- Greeks and so on.
Sociologists count at least sixty nationalities, which, out of a large number of types of religions in Russia, make their choice in favor of Orthodoxy.
Catholicism
This religion has been present in Russia since the adoption of Christianity. Over the centuries, the size of the community has constantly changed, as well as the attitude towards the confession. In some times, Catholics were highly respected, in others they were persecuted by the state authorities and the Orthodox Church.
After the revolution of the seventeenth year, the number of Catholics was significantly reduced, and only in the nineties, when the attitude towards religion in general changed, the followers of the Latin rites began to actively open their churches in Russia.
On average, there are about five hundred thousand Catholics in our country; they have formed two hundred and thirty parishes united into four large dioceses.
Protestantism
This Christian denomination is one of the largest in our country. According to three years ago, it has about three million people. Such an incredible number of believers may raise doubts about the correctness of the calculations, but it must be borne in mind that the Protestant community is divided into numerous movements. These include Baptists, Lutherans, Adventists and other communities.
According to sociological services, among Christian denominations, Protestants are second only to Orthodox in the number of believers.
Orthodox associations in Russia: Old Believers
We have already mentioned that numerous religions in Russia, including Christianity, are divided into small groups that differ from each other in rituals and forms of service. Orthodoxy is no exception. Believers do not represent a single structure, they belong to various currents that have their own parishes and churches.
On endless Russian expanses There is a large community of Old Believers. This Orthodox trend was formed in the seventeenth century after the rejection of church reform. Patriarch Nikon ordered that all religious books be brought into line with Greek sources. This caused a split in the Orthodox Church, which continues to this day.
At the same time, the Old Believers themselves are also not united. They are divided into several church associations:
- priests;
- bespopovtsy;
- co-religionists;
- ancient Orthodox Church;
- andreevtsy and similar groups.
According to rather rough estimates, each association has several thousand followers.
Islam
Data on the number of Muslims in Russia is often distorted. Experts say that Islam is practiced by about eight million people in the country. But the highest clergy themselves give completely different figures - about twenty million people.
In any case, this figure is not static. Sociologists note that every year there are two percent fewer adherents of Islam. This trend is associated with military conflicts in the Middle East.
It is noteworthy that most of the Muslims call themselves "ethnic". They are traditionally associated with this religion, but they themselves do not adhere to certain rituals, traditions, and very rarely visit the mosque.
Historians note that the Slavs are very closely connected with Islam. In the fourteenth century, it was the state religion in part of the Russian territories. Once they were Muslim khanates, but were annexed to the lands of Russia as a result of conquests.
The most numerous people professing Islam are the Tatars. They play an important role in governing the denomination and preserving the cultural traditions of their ancestors.
Judaism
Representatives of this religious trend in Russia are at least one and a half million people. Most of them are Jewish people. Jews live mainly in large cities. Approximately half of the believers settled in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Today, there are seventy synagogues in the country. Distinctive feature Jews living on the territory of Russia is their adherence to traditions. They regularly visit the synagogue with the whole family and perform all the prescribed rituals.
Buddhism
There are about two million Buddhists in our country. This is mainly the population of three Russian regions:
- Buryatia;
- Tuva;
- Kalmykia.
The main part of the representatives of this confession are ethnic Buddhists. They profess one religion from generation to generation and pass traditions on to their children. Over the past decades, Buddhism has become extremely popular. Many begin to study its basics for the sake of interest and then become its active followers.
The plans to build a datsan in Moscow testify to the popularization of this religious movement. This temple should turn out to be one of the largest and most luxurious in Russia.
Other religions and common beliefs
A low percentage of followers of some beliefs does not allow them to be distinguished into large and significant denominations, however, in recent years there has been an increase in all kinds of religious associations.
Of great interest is the occult, Eastern practices and neo-pagan cults. These movements have their own rituals, traditions and norms of service. Every year, the Orthodox Church notes with great concern the growth of followers of various religious beliefs. However, they have yet to be able to contain it.
Do not forget about shamanism. Many peoples, including the Udmurts, Maris and Chuvashs, despite the fact that they self-identify as Orthodox, remain committed to the ancient rites and rituals of their ancestors. Shamanism is very developed in these territories.
Residents of remote Russian villages are also returning to the faith of their ancestors. In the settlements, you can often meet followers of the Rodnovers. They revive long forgotten traditions and worship the forces of nature. There is also such a trend as folk Orthodoxy. It is somewhat akin to paganism, but has bright distinctive features.
Prohibited Religions in Russia
Despite the fact that religious freedom is sacredly observed in our country, there are certain organizations that are banned in Russia. Destructive sects and extremist groups fall into this category. What is meant by this wording? Let's try to figure it out.
A person does not always come to faith in a simple and understandable way. Sometimes on his road there are people who are members of religious groups. They are subordinate to the spiritual leader and are often completely under his control. The organizers of such groups have hypnotic abilities, knowledge of neuro-linguistic programming and other talents that allow them to control the masses. Associations with leaders who skillfully govern and direct their flock in ways that harm their mental and physical health, as well as material well-being, are called "sects". Moreover, most of them have the prefix "destructive". They influence the consciousness of people and profit at their expense. Unfortunately, there were many such organizations in Russia. We will mention some of the forbidden sects in this section in more detail:
- "White Brotherhood". The leader of the organization was a former KGB officer who skillfully applied his knowledge in practice. Approximately ten years ago, the leadership of the sect was in the dock, but before that they managed to literally zombify several thousand people. They completely lost their property and went to live in a sect, where they eked out a powerless existence from hand to mouth.
- "Neo-Pentecostals". The sect that came to us from America managed to get into its ranks about three hundred thousand adherents of different ages. The purpose of the work of the leaders of the organization was enrichment. They skillfully controlled the crowd, bringing it with words and a colorful show almost to ecstasy. In this state, people were ready to give the leaders all their property and be left with nothing.
- "Jehovah witnesses". This sect is familiar to almost any Russian, its adherents have a habit of knocking on every apartment in search of new members of the organization. The technology of recruiting sectarians is so subtly thought out that people did not even notice how they became part of a religious organization. However, the activities of the leaders pursued purely mercantile goals.
Many extremist organizations that base their activities on religious beliefs and exist for the sake of terror, ordinary person unknown. However, their list is quite extensive, we cannot give it completely within the framework of the article. But we list some groupings:
- "Islamic State". There is hardly a person who does not know this name. An organization that organizes terrorist acts around the world has been banned on Russian territory for two years now.
- Jabhat al-Nusra. The group is also considered a banned religious terrorist group.
- "Nurcular". This organization is international and its activities on the territory of our country are punished according to the laws of the Russian Federation.
Many countries believe that the example of Russia, which has managed to unite many peoples and religious movements, must be considered on a global scale. Indeed, in some states the problem of religion is very acute. But in our country, every citizen chooses for himself which god he should believe in.
