Religion An introduction for children and beginners, with teaching materials and ideas for the classroom.

Religion of the world

Islam

Islam is the only unified monotheistic religion founded in Arabia in the early 7th century AD by the last Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). With over 2 billion members, Islam is now the second largest religion in the world after Christianity.

Judaism

Judaism refers to the Jewish religion, tradition and way of life, philosophy and often culture on the one hand, and the Jewish people as a whole on the other.

Christianity

Christianity is a world religion that originated from Judaism. Its followers are called Christians, and the totality of Christians is also called Christendom.

Buddhism and Hinduism

Buddhism is a religion, but it is very different from the so-called faith-based religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Like Hinduism and Taoism, the teachings of the Buddha are a religion of experience. Their goal is to develop one’s mind and attain “Buddhahood.”

In terms of the number of members of religious communities, Germany is a predominantly Christian country. In 2020, around 22.2 million people belong to the Roman Catholic Church and another 20.2 million to the Protestant churches.

In Germany, however, more and more people are turning their backs on the church. The number of church members is declining and the number of resignations is increasing.

There are also religions in which people believe in many gods. For example, the Hindus, who live mainly in India, Nepal and Bali. They worship Ganesha, the elephant god, Hanuman, the monkey god, and Brahma, the creator god.

Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism, Hinduism, Judaism, Atheism and Islam: Discover with us what makes the great world religions so dynamic, how they have shaped the history of mankind and whether they have more in common than we might think.

Typical features of religions (e.g., spaces for religious contact, sacred texts, prayers, commandments and rules, religious representations, symbols, objects, festivals); a brief explanation of their meaning in the context of their particular religion.