How we study religions

World Religions is not about deciding which faith is "true". It uses the phenomenological method: describing beliefs and practices as they appear to and mean for the believer.

• Epoché (bracketing) — setting aside your own assumptions and judgements while you study.
• Empathy — trying to understand a tradition from the insider's point of view.
• Comparison — noting similarities and differences respectfully, without ranking.

Ninian Smart's seven dimensions give a checklist for any religion: ritual/practical, experiential, narrative/mythic, doctrinal, ethical, social/institutional and material. They help you compare religions fairly.

Nine religions, three families

The syllabus groups the nine religions so you always sample across the range:

• Dharmic (Indian) — Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism. Shared vocabulary of dharma (duty/teaching), karma (action and its effects) and rebirth in samsara.
• Abrahamic — Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Bahá'í. Monotheistic; trace spiritual descent to the prophet Abraham; scripture and covenant are central.
• Chinese & other — Taoism, alongside the world's many indigenous traditions (often oral, tied to land and ancestors).

Careful: these families are a study tool, not watertight boxes. Each religion is internally diverse, with many schools and communities.

Whose scripture?

The dharmic (Indian) religions

• Hinduism — a family of traditions with no single founder. Ultimate reality is Brahman; the self is atman; the goal is moksha (liberation from rebirth). Texts include the Vedas, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.
• Buddhism — founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha ("awakened one"). Teaches the Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path, aiming at nirvana. Scriptures include the Tripitaka (Pali Canon).
• Jainism — shaped by Mahavira, the 24th and last Tirthankara of this age (not its inventor). Its highest principle is ahimsa (non-violence). Texts are the Agamas.
• Sikhism — founded by Guru Nanak, first of ten Gurus. One God (Waheguru); scripture and eternal Guru is the Guru Granth Sahib; the community meal is langar.

Accuracy note: Mahavira is the last of 24 Tirthankaras, so it is wrong to call him the "founder" of Jainism — the tradition sees itself as eternal.

Path out of suffering

The Abrahamic religions

• Judaism — covenant faith of the Jewish people. One God; the Torah (first five books) sits within the Tanakh, interpreted through the Talmud. Key figures include Abraham and Moses.
• Christianity — centred on Jesus of Nazareth, believed to be the Son of God and risen from death. Scripture is the Bible (Old and New Testaments); many Christians confess God as Trinity.
• Islam — submission to the one God (Allah). Muhammad is held to be the final prophet; the Qur'an is God's word, with the Hadith recording the Prophet's example. Life is framed by the Five Pillars.
• Bahá'í — founded in 19th-century Persia by Bahá'u'lláh (with the Báb as forerunner). Teaches the oneness of God, religion and humanity; a principal text is the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.

Taoism and indigenous traditions

• Taoism (Daoism) — a Chinese tradition seeking harmony with the Tao (the Way). The Tao Te Ching is traditionally attributed to Laozi; the Zhuangzi is a second key text. Core ideas: wu wei (effortless action) and the balance of yin and yang.
• Indigenous religions — the world's many local and tribal traditions. They are usually oral rather than book-based, closely tied to land, ancestors and community, and enormously varied. They should be studied on their own terms, not judged against text-based religions.

Careful: "indigenous religion" is an umbrella term for thousands of distinct traditions — avoid treating them as one single system.

Sacred texts at a glance

Most (though not all) of the nine centre on a body of sacred writing:

• Hinduism — Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, plus epics (Ramayana, Mahabharata).
• Buddhism — Tripitaka (Pali Canon) and, in some schools, Mahayana sutras.
• Judaism — Torah and Tanakh, with the Talmud as rabbinic interpretation.
• Christianity — the Bible: Old Testament and New Testament (Gospels, letters).
• Islam — the Qur'an, alongside collections of Hadith.
• Sikhism — the Guru Granth Sahib.

Tip for the sort below: match the writing to the religion it belongs to. Naming a text (not quoting it) is exactly the sort of accurate detail the exam rewards.

Whose sacred text?

Tap a text, then tap the religion it belongs to.

Founders, prophets and teachers

Some religions look back to a clear founder; others to prophets or teachers in a longer line:

• Buddhism — Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.
• Sikhism — Guru Nanak, first of ten Gurus.
• Jainism — Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of this age.
• Islam — Muhammad, held to be the final prophet.
• Bahá'í — Bahá'u'lláh, the prophet-founder.
• Christianity — Jesus of Nazareth.
• Hinduism — no single founder; a river of traditions.

Match the key figure to the religion

Tap a figure on the left, then the religion on the right.

Comparing "ultimate reality"

A good comparison notices that religions answer the same big questions differently:

• One personal God — Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Bahá'í are strictly monotheistic.
• Brahman — for many Hindus, one ultimate reality expressed through many deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and more).
• No creator God at the centre — Buddhism and Jainism focus on liberation through the moral law of karma rather than worship of a creator.
• The Tao — Taoism speaks of an impersonal Way that underlies and balances all things.

Comparative skill: describe each view on its own terms first, then compare — that is the phenomenological approach in action.

Effortless action

The big ideas to know

You've surveyed all nine religions of Part 1. Press Finish to see your score.