Religion has been an essential pillar in human history and has contributed to forming cultures, education and civilization. There are many religions practiced throughout the world. However, there are few who have millions of followers. Two of the greatest religions in the world based on the number of members are Christianity and Islam. These two faiths are closely linked and are part of a larger religious group known as the Abrahamic religions. Abrahamic religions are religions based on an ancient Israelite religious figure known as Abraham.
Common characteristics of Abrahamic religions
All religions that are defined as Abramoiche share several common characteristics. A shared characteristic among these religions is that they are all monotheistic. Monotheism is the practice of worshiping a deity. Although all Abrahamic religions worship a deity, every religion refers to divinity using a distinct name. These religions believe that God created the world and has absolute authority over the world and humanity. Another characteristic shared by Abrahamic religions is the belief in prophets as the link between God and humanity in which God reveals himself to these few people selected to offer guidance and instructions to humanity. The city of Jerusalem is also a unifying factor between the Abrahamic religions and the city is of fundamental religious importance for all religions.
Judaism
Judaism is the oldest of the four Abrahamic religions and is the religion of which the other three religions are founded. The Jewish religion is the religion that includes the cultural, philosophical and religious beliefs of the Jewish people. Judaism has estimated 17 million followers in the world, making it the third largest Abrahamic religion behind Christianity and Islam. One of the most important passages of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Tanakh outlines the history of religion from the creation of humanity until the 5th century BC. According to Judaism, Abraham is identified as the founding father of the Jews, and is from one of the descendants of Abraham, Judah, that religion takes its name. As one of the oldest religions in the world in history, Judaism is traced back to the Bronze Age when it was already a religion established in the Middle East. Another sacred text in Judaism is the Talmud which consists of historical Jewish Jewish sentences. Judaism is composed of three main groups which are reformed Judaism, orthodox Judaism and conservative Judaism in which the three differ in the interpretation of Jewish laws. All three Jewish denominations are derived from ancient Rabbinic Judaism.
Christianity
Christianity is one of the main Abrahamic religions and is also the most popular religion in the world with religion having more than 2.4 billion followers globally. About 33.06% of the total population of the world is identified as Christians. Christianity is based primarily on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth (also known as Jesus Christ) a 1 st Century Jewish teacher who Christians believe to be the Son of God. Jesus of Nazareth and his followers were originally believers of Judaism, but later they split up to establish their religion.
Christianity takes its name from the name “Christ” which translates to “Messiah”, and therefore the term “Christians” means “followers of Christ”. The life of Jesus of Nazareth and his teachings are written in four books known as the canonical Gospels. According to these books, Jesus Christ was born of a virgin woman, Mary and her husband Joseph whose lineage goes back to Abraham. Christians, therefore, identify themselves as descendants of Abraham through their faith in Jesus Christ.
Christianity was originally practiced by a few Jews in Judea, but the popularity of the religion grew after Emperor Constantine I recognized religion in the 4th century and promoted its growth in the Roman Empire. Christianity is composed of three main denominations: the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church and the Protestants. Mary and her husband Joseph whose lineage goes back to Abraham. Christians, therefore, identify themselves as descendants of Abraham through their faith in Jesus Christ. Christianity was originally practiced by a few Jews in Judea, but the popularity of the religion grew after Emperor Constantine I recognized religion in the 4th century and promoted its growth in the Roman Empire.
Christianity is composed of three main denominations: the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church and the Protestants. Mary and her husband Joseph whose lineage goes back to Abraham. Christians, therefore, identify themselves as descendants of Abraham through their faith in Jesus Christ. Christianity was originally practiced by a few Jews in Judea, but the popularity of the religion grew after Emperor Constantine I recognized religion in the 4th century and promoted its growth in the Roman Empire.
