Primal beliefs from prehistory : Unseen forces are at work: making sense of the world ; Even a rock as a spirit: Animism is early societies ; Special people can visit other worlds: the power of the shaman ; Why are we here?: Created for a purpose ; Why do we die?: The origin of death ; Eternity is now: the Dreaming ; Our ancestors will guide us: the spirits of the dead live on ; We should be good: living in harmony ; Everything is connected: a lifelong bond with the gods ; The gods desire blood: sacrifice and blood offerings ; We can build a sacred space: symbolism made real ; We are in rhythm with the universe: man and the cosmos ; We exist to serve the gods: the burden of observance ; Our rituals sustain the world: renewing life through ritual
Ancient and classical beliefs from 3000 BCE : There is a hierarchy of gods and men: beliefs for new societies ; The good live forever in the kingdom of Osiris: preparing for the afterlife ; The triumph of good over evil depends on humankind: the battle between good and evil ; Accept the way of the universe: aligning the self with the dao ; The five great vows: self-denial leads to spiritual liberation ; Virtue is not sent from heaven: wisdom lies with the superior man ; A divine child is born: the assimilation of myth ; The oracles reveal the will of the gods: Divining the future ; The gods are just like us: Beliefs that mirror society ; Ritual links us to our past: living the way of the gods ; The gods will die: the end of the world as we know it
Hinduism from 1700 BCE : Through sacrifice we maintain the order of the universe: a rational world ; The divine has a female aspect: the power of the great goddess ; Sit up close to your guru: higher levels of teaching ; Brahman is my self within the heart: the ultimate reality ; We learn, we live, we withdraw, we detach: the four stages of life ; It may be your duty to kill: selfless action ; The practice of yoga leads to spiritual liberation: physical and mental discipline ; We speak to the gods through daily rituals: devotion through puja ; The world is an illusion: seeing with pure consciousness ; So many faiths, so many paths: god-consciousness ; Nonviolence is the weapon of th strong: Hinduism in the political age
Buddhism from 6th century BCE : Finding the Middle Way: the enlightenment of Buddha ; There can be an end to suffering: escape from the eternal cycle ; Test Buddha's words as one would the quality of gold: the personal quest for truth ; Religious discipline is necessary: the purpose of monastic vows ; Renounce killing and good will follow: let kindness and compassion rule ; We cannot say what a person is: the self as constantly changing ; Enlightenment has many faces: Buddhas and bodhisattvas ; Act out your beliefs: the performance of ritual and repetition ; Discover your Buddha nature: Zen insights that go beyond words
Judaism from 2000 BCE : I will take you as my people, and I will be your God: God's covenant with Israel ; Beside me there is no other God: from monolatry to monotheism ; The Messiah will redeem Israel: the promise of a new age ; Religious law can be applied to daily life: writing the oral law ; God is incorporeal, indivisible, and unique: defining the indefinable ; God and humankind are in cosmic exile: mysticism and the kabbalah ; The holy spark dwells in everyone: man as a manifestation of God ; Judaism is a religion not a nationality: faith and the state ; Draw from the past, live in the present, work for the future: progressive Judaism ; If you will it, it is no dream: the origins of modern political Zionism ; Where was God during the Holocaust?: A challenge to the covenant ; Women can be rabbis: gender and the covenant.
Christianity from 1st century CE : Jesus is the beginning of the end: Jesus's message to the world ; God has sent us his Son: Jesus's divine identity ; The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church: dying for the message ; The body may die but the soul will live on: immortality in Christianity ; God is three and God is one: a divine trinity ; God's grace never fails: Augustine and free will ; In the world, but not of the world: serving God on behalf of others ; There is no salvation outside the Church: entering into the faith ; This is my body, this is my blood: the mystery of the Eucharist ; God's word needs no go-betweens: the Protestant Reformation ; God is hidden in the heart: mystical experience in Christianity ; The body needs saving as well as the soul: Social holiness and evangelicalism ; Scientific advances do not disprove the Bible: the challenge of modernity ; We can influence God: why prayer works
Islam from 610 CE : Muhammad is God's final messenger: The Prophet and the origins of Islam ; The Qur'an was sent down from heaven: God reveals his word and his will ; The Five Pillars of Islam: the central professions of faith ; Th imam is God's chosen leader: the emergence of Shi'a Islam ; God guides us with shari'a: the pathway to harmonious living ; We can think about God, but we cannot comprehend him: theological speculation in Islam ; Jihad is our religious duty: striving in the way of God ; The world is one stage of the journey to God: the ultimate reward for the righteous ; God is unequaled: the unity of divinity is necessary ; Arab, water pot, and angels are all ourselves: Sufism and the mystic tradition ; The latter days have brought forth a new prophet: the origins of Ahmadiyya ; Islam must shed the influence of the West: the rise of Islamic revivalism ; Islam can be a modern religion: the compatibility of faith
Modern religions from 15th century : We must live as saint-soldiers: the Sikh code of conduct ; All may enter our gateway to God: class systems and faith ; Messages to and from home: the African roots of Santeria ; Ask yourself: "What would Jesus do?": Following the example of Christ ; We shall know him through his messengers: the revelation of Baha'i ; Brush away the dust of sin: Tenrikyo and the Joyous Life ; These gifts must be meant for us: cargo cults of the Pacific Islands ; The end of the world is nigh: awaiting the day of judgment ; The lion of Judah has arisen: Ras Tafari is our savior ; All religions are equal: Cao Đài aims to unify all faiths ; We have forgotten our true nature: clearing the mind with Scientology ; Find a sinless world through marriage: purging sin in the Unification Church ; Spirits rest between lives in Summerland: Wicca and the Otherworld ; Negative thoughts are just raindrops in an ocean of bliss: finding inner peace through meditation ; What's true for me is the truth: a faith open to all beliefs ; Chanting Hare Krishna cleanses the heart: devotion to the Sweet Lord ; Through qigong we access cosmic energy: life-energy cultivation in Falun Dafa
Directory : Branches of Hindusim ; Branches of Buddhism ; Branches of Judaism ; Branches of Christianity
