“Help!!” on five venerable religions

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:08 pm by Richard Ostling

“Help!!” on five venerable religions 2015-03-13T22:08:09-04:00 Richard Ostling

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

JAEDE ASKS:

I need to know the founder, area of the world it’s in, what their holy book is called, and their holidays, for Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto.

THE RELIGION GUY ANSWERS:

Jaede headlined this item “Help!!” and was probably sweating over some school exam or term paper so this comes too late. Nonetheless, a sketch of these five Asian creeds might be informative since they’re lesser-known than the much larger Hinduism and Buddhism. The Guy is grateful that Jaede didn’t ask about their complex belief systems and practices! And after some research The Guy failed in attempts to summarize their many regional and local holidays. Much more could be said but here are a few basics.

The five are listed below in order of adherents as of 2010, estimated by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell seminary, a standard data source. Such numbers are controversial, and aspects of these faiths influence much broader populations, reflected in higher numbers from such sources as www.patheos.com/Library.html. Apart from the statistics, The Guy relied especially on The Encyclopedia of Religion (1987). Conventional years and centuries are designated here by the multifaith B.C.E. (Before Common Era) and C.E. (Common Era) rather than the familiar B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini, “Year of the Lord”).

SIKHISM (10,678,000 adherents) was founded in India by Guru Nanak (1469-1539 C.E.) and developed by a series of nine authoritative successors through 1708 C.E. Its center is the Golden Temple in Amritsar, near today’s border with Pakistan. Most Sikhs live in India but the faith has spread to Sikh communities worldwide (where the men stand out by wearing obligatory turbans). Though a distinct world religion, Sikhism shares some concepts with Hinduism (e.g. reincarnation and the law of karma) and Islam (worship of one all-powerful God). Its scripture is the Adi Granth (“First Book”), also called the Granth Sahib, collected hymns and poems of the Guru and others. This is supplemented by collected life stories about the Guru as well as manuals of conduct. Further info at www.thesikhencyclopedia.com.

CONFUCIANISM (5,759,000) is an ancient philosophy of China with influence in the worldwide Chinese diaspora and nearby nations, especially Japan and Korea. This is more an ethical path than a religion with defined gods, though many venerate or worship their ancestors and the founding sage Confucius (K’ung Fu-tzu or “Master Kung”). He lived from 552(?) to 479 B.C.E., roughly contemporary with the Buddha and the Bible’s prophets of exile, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. The primary scripture is the well-known Analects, conversations between Confucius and his disciples, compiled after his death and perhaps centuries later. Confucianism functioned as China’s official state creed as early as the 2d Century B.C.E. and often thereafter. But its cultural status was opposed by the 20th Century Republic. When Communists gained power they all but abolished the creed but have shifted to limited toleration (see the January 13 New Yorker magazine). Also: http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Adler/Reln270/Berling-Confucianism.htm.

SHINTO (4,175,000) is the historic faith of Japan, consisting of age-old beliefs and practices that were defined under this name in the 6th Century C.E. to distinguish the heritage from Buddhist inroads. Shinto has no founding personality. It also has no official scripture as such, though 10 historical annals compiled in the 8th Century C.E. and later can be seen as sacred. Japan’s emperors embraced Shinto as an aspect of nationality and patriotism, reinforced in the 1868 “Restoration.” After Japan’s World War Two defeat, “state Shinto” and emperor worship were abolished, but shrine-based devotionals continue amid occasional controversy. See: http://k-amc.kokugakuin.ac.jp/DM/dbTop.do;jsessionid=1B9695B313567D2A9152DC59C8019E01?class_name=col_eos.

JAINISM (2,629,000) is an ascetic faith of India known for observance of ahimsa (non-violence and strict protection of all living things as sacred). Jains believe their faith originated in a primordial line of 24 great teachers culminating in the Lord Mahavira, a 6th Century B.C.E. contemporary of Confucius and the Buddha. Jainism’s original scriptures, the 14 Purvas, were lost, but material from these was incorporated into 32 (or 45) treatises known collectively as Agams (traditions) or the Jain Shrut, which were preserved orally and apparently reached written form early in the Common Era. See: www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/jainhlinks.html.

TAOISM or DAOISM (1,734,000) is a primeval faith of China that became an organized entity early in the Common Era and thereafter often competed and alternated with Confucianism as the ideology of state dynasties while influencing popular folk religions and vice versa. Its founder or historical formulator was Lao-tzu, another 6th Century contemporary of the Buddha and Confucius, who is depicted in writings dating from around 100 B.C.E. Lao-tze is the reputed author of the primary scripture, the Tao-te Ching, but some scholars date it centuries after his time. A secondary work, the Chuang-tzu, is named for its author. China’s Communist rulers have worked to abolish Taoism but it survives on Taiwan and elsewhere in the Chinese diaspora. See: www.taoism.net.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

March 10, 2014

Could the pope ever be Jewish?

Next Post

March 24, 2014 Why did some ancient religions fall and others rise?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which book of the Bible contains the story of Balaam’s talking donkey?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Exodus 1 Samuel Numbers Judges