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They tend to derive morality, ethics, religious laws, or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature. According to some estimates, there are roughly 4,200 religions, churches, denominations, religious bodies, faith groups, tribes, cultures, movements, or ultimate concerns. [2]
World religions is a category used in the study of religion to demarcate at least five—and in some cases more—religions that are deemed to have been especially large, internationally widespread, or influential in the development of Western society. Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism are always included in the list.
Worldwide percentage of adherents by religion as of 2020 [1] Christianity. Islam. Irreligion. Hinduism. Buddhism. Folk religions. The world 's principal religions and spiritual traditions may be classified into a small number of major groups, though this is not a uniform practice.
- Christianity. Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered around the personage of Jesus of Nazareth, or Jesus Christ. Christianity arose in the 30s–50s CE as a religious offshoot of Judaism based on the teachings of Jesus, who was himself Jewish.
- Islam. Islam is a strictly monotheistic faith founded by the prophet Muhammad in the year 607 in present-day Saudi Arabia. His teachings, collected in the Quran, claim common descent with many Jewish and Christian beliefs.
- Baha'i. Baha'i is the youngest major world religion, founded in 1863 by the prophet Bahá'u'lláh. Baha'i grew out of the earlier religion of Babism, whose founder the Bab presaged the coming of another great prophet like the coming of Muhammad.
- Shinto. Shinto is the traditional religion of Japan, which incorporates a vast array of local beliefs and customs across the nation. These traditions were collected and described as something like Shinto in the 800s CE, although the different beliefs predate this.
Jul 28, 2023 · How many religions are there in the world? If you ask ten different religious studies experts, you’ll probably get twenty different answers. The majority of people follow one of five major world religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
Dec 4, 2022 · Understand the different religions of the world and see the major religions of the world. Learn about the various beliefs of the biggest religions in the world. Updated: 12/04/2022.
Field Listing. Religions. This entry is an ordered listing of religions by adherents starting with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of total population. The core characteristics and beliefs of the world's major religions are described below.
