Comparative religion facts for kids

For other uses, see Comparative religion (disambiguation).

Comparative religion is a way of studying the world's religions by looking at how they are similar and different. It compares their main ideas, practices, and how they have affected people and places.

By comparing religions, we can better understand important questions about life. These include ideas about what is right and wrong (ethics), the nature of reality (metaphysics), and how people can find salvation or inner peace. This study also looks at where different religions came from and what they have in common. It helps us understand human beliefs and practices about things that are considered sacred, special, or divine.

When we compare religions, we often group them by where they started. These groups include Middle Eastern religions, Indian religions, East Asian religions, African religions, American religions, and Oceanic religions. We also look at ancient religions from places like Greece and Rome.

History of Comparing Religions

A statue of Ibn Hazm, a key figure in early comparative religious studies, in Córdoba, Spain.

People have been comparing religions for a long time. In the Islamic Golden Age, scholars like Al-Biruni and Ibn Hazm studied many different religions. Their work was very important for understanding different beliefs.

Al-Biruni wrote about the calendars, customs, and religions of various cultures. This showed how different groups lived and believed. Later, in the 1800s, social scientists became very interested in comparing religions. They wanted to understand both ancient and "primitive" beliefs. Some famous scholars who did this work include Max Müller and James George Frazer.

It's important to remember that comparing religions can be tricky. Sometimes, people might try to make all religions fit into one way of thinking, often based on their own beliefs. For example, some religions like Buddhism and Chinese Folk Religions have mixed together over time. This is different from how some Western religions see themselves, where you usually belong to only one faith.

Also, ideas like "salvation" can mean different things. For some, it means eternal life after death. But for religions like Hinduism and Theravada Buddhism, it might mean escaping the cycle of reincarnation and finding a state of non-existence or peace.

Main Religious Groups

When we compare religions, we often divide them into groups based on where they started. This helps us see patterns and connections.

Middle Eastern Religions

These religions come from the Middle East. They include some of the world's largest faiths.

Abrahamic Religions

The Abrahamic religions are a group of three major faiths: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. They are called "Abrahamic" because they all see Abraham as an important figure in their holy stories. These religions believe in one God. Smaller religions like the Baháʼí Faith are also sometimes included in this group.

Judaism: This is the oldest of the Abrahamic religions. Jews believe that God made a special agreement, called a covenant, with the Children of Israel. Their holy book is the Torah, which is part of the Tanakh (or Hebrew Bible). They also have other important texts like the Talmud.

Christianity: Christians believe that Christianity continues and fulfills the Jewish Old Testament. They believe that Jesus is the Messiah (Christ) promised in the Old Testament. Christians also follow the New Testament. They generally believe that Jesus, as the Son of God, suffered, died on the cross, and was resurrected to bring salvation to people.

Islam: Muslims believe that the Quran is the final and complete message from God (called Allah in Arabic). They believe this message was given to Muhammad, who they see as the final prophet. Muslims believe that the current Christian and Jewish scriptures have been changed over time and are not the original divine messages.

Baháʼí Faith: This religion started from a movement in the 1800s that broke away from Islam. Baháʼís believe in the unity of all religions and that there is one God. They have a smaller number of followers compared to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Judaism and Christianity have some big differences in their beliefs and practices. Islam and Judaism, however, share many common ideas and ways of life. This is because Islam developed in a way that was often close to Jewish traditions. Christianity and Islam also share some basic ideas, but Islam sees the Quran as the final and complete revelation that includes and updates earlier ones.

Mandaeism: This is an ancient religion that believes John the Baptist is their main prophet. They practice frequent baptisms. Scholars believe Mandaeism started in the first few centuries CE, possibly in Mesopotamia or the Syro-Palestinian area. Mandaeans believe their religion is older than Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Iranian Religions

Many important religions and movements came from Greater Iran, where people spoke different Iranian languages. These include Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, and Manichaeism.

Depiction of the Faravahar, a popular symbol for Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism is one of the most important religions from Iran. It became very popular in the Persian Empires. While it declined after the rise of Islam, it still exists today, especially among the Parsis in India.

Scholars have noticed similarities between Zoroastrianism and the Abrahamic religions. They wonder if Zoroastrianism influenced these faiths. For example, both share ideas about a struggle between good and evil, light and darkness. They also believe in the resurrection of the dead and the importance of free will.

Manichaeism is another Iranian faith that shares many ideas with Zoroastrianism. It also believes in the prophets Zoroaster, Gautama Buddha, and Jesus Christ. It has a dualist view of the world, where good and light are against evil and darkness. Manichaeism and Mandaeism also share figures and stories from the Abrahamic faiths.

Indian Religions

The Rig Veda is one of the oldest Vedic texts. This image shows a Rig Veda manuscript from the early 1800s.

Indian religions are all the faiths that started in South Asia. It is often said that religions like Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism have a close connection to Hinduism, seeing it as their common origin.

Al-Biruni studied the ancient Vedic religions of India in great detail. His writings give us important information about India's religions and cultures before the 11th century. Many Hindus believe that the Buddha included many Hindu ideas in his teachings. Important Hindu leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Vivekananda recognized Buddhist influence. Gandhi himself did not see Buddhism or Jainism as separate from Hinduism.

East Asian or Taoic Religions

The Chinese character for Tao, a main idea in Taoism.

A Taoic religion is a faith or philosophy that focuses on the East Asian idea of Tao ("The Way"). This group includes religions like Taoism, Confucianism, Shintoism, and others. In many parts of East Asia, Buddhism has also taken on some Taoic features.

Tao can be thought of as the flow of the universe or the power behind the natural order. It is believed to keep the universe balanced and organized. Following the Tao is linked to having a "proper" attitude, good morals, and a certain way of life. This is connected to the idea of De, which means "virtue" or "power." De is how Tao is actively shown.

Taoism and Ch'an Buddhism (which became Zen Buddhism in Japan) have influenced each other for centuries in China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.

Some people in history, like Jesuit missionaries, noticed similarities between traditional Chinese beliefs and Christianity. They thought that ancient Chinese texts might even contain Christian ideas. For example, they saw parallels between Chinese flood myths and the biblical flood, or between Chinese sages and figures from Christianity. There was also a noted similarity between the Tao being "the Way" and Christ saying he was "the Way." While scholars today don't agree with these ideas, they were important in the history of comparative religion.

When Nestorian Christianity came to China, it also started to blend with Chinese Buddhism and Taoism. Christians used Buddhist and Taoist ideas to explain their faith. This led to the creation of texts that showed a mix of Christianity and Buddhism. This blending became so strong that when a Chinese emperor persecuted Buddhists in the 9th century, he also claimed Christianity was just a different kind of Buddhism. This led to the decline of Nestorian Christianity in China.

Comparing Different Faiths

Here are some examples of how different religions are compared:

Baháʼí Faith

Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion
Baháʼí Faith and Buddhism
Baháʼí Faith and Hinduism
Baháʼí Faith and Zoroastrianism

Buddhism

Buddhism and Christianity
Buddhism and Eastern religions
Buddhism and Gnosticism
Buddhism and Hinduism
Buddhism and Jainism
Buddhism and Theosophy
Buddhism and Islam
Comparison of Buddhism and Christianity

Christianity

Christianity and other religions
Buddhism and Christianity
Comparison of Buddhism and Christianity
Christianity and Islam
Christianity and Judaism
Christianity and Neopaganism
Christianity and Paganism
Christianity and Vodou
Christianity and Mormonism
Christianity and Theosophy

Mormonism

Mormonism and Christianity
Mormonism and Islam
Mormonism and Judaism

Confucianism

Confucianism and eastern religions
Confucianism and western religions

Hinduism

Hinduism and other religions
Baháʼí Faith and Hinduism
Buddhism and Hinduism
Hindu–Islamic relations
Jainism and Hinduism
Hinduism and Sikhism
Hinduism and Judaism

Islam

Islam and other religions
Christianity and Islam
Hindu–Islamic relations
Islam and Jainism
Islamic–Jewish relations
Islam and Sikhism
Mormonism and Islam

Jainism

Buddhism and Jainism
Islam and Jainism
Jainism and Sikhism

Judaism

Christianity and Judaism
Islamic–Jewish relations
Hinduism and Judaism

Paganism and Neopaganism

Christianity and Paganism
Christianity and Neopaganism

Sikhism

Hinduism and Sikhism
Islam and Sikhism
Jainism and Sikhism

Taoism

Taoism and other religions

Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism and other religions
Zoroastrianism and Baháʼí Faith