A World of Regions  Military alliance formed to stop the

spread of communism (formed by

Regions – a group of countries located in the Russian states)
same geographically specified area or are  US., England, France, and West Germany
amalgamation of two regions or a combination of join NATO
more than two regions organized to regulate and  Countries transferred to NATO
oversee flows and policy choices especially when they saw that they have
strong military defense
Regionalism – is both seen as political and
economic phenomena; a political process In order for Russia to counteract this
characterized by economic policy cooperation and organization of these regional groups that was
coordination among countries made by the NATO, they started establishing the
WARSAW PACT
 Happening when there is already a certain
political process that is happening within WARSAW PACT (1955)
a certain country in a specified region
 Military alliance formed in response to
Regionalization – refers to the regional NATO
concentration of economic flows  Founded by U.S.S.R. and included
countries such as Poland and East
 How the economy works within and
Germany
abound a certain regional territory
 When they found out that the Warsaw
REASONS WHY COUNTRIES FORM Pact was actually very weak organization,
REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS: majority of these countries in 2015, now
transferred into NATO
1. For Military Defense  In 2015, the only country that remained in
 The most widely known defense grouping Warsaw Pact is the Soviet Union (Russia)
is the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty
Organization) which was formed during
the Cold War when the Western
European countries and the US agree to
protect Europe against the threat of the
Soviet Union.
 This gave rise to the Soviet Unions
Regional Alliance called the Warsaw
Pact, consisting of the Eastern European
countries under the Soviet Domination
 Europe has been divided into the Western
European Countries and the Eastern
European Countries (EAST VS.WEST)
 Western European Countries –
protected by NATO
 Eastern European Countries –
protected by the Soviet Union
 They became part of regionalism in order
for them to depend on their countries
militarily
NATO (1948)

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 2. To pool their resources, get better return
for their exports, as well as expand their
leverage against trading partners
 i.e., OPEC (Organization of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries)
established in 1960 by Iran, Iraq,
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela to
regulate the production, and sale of oil;
they dictated the crude oil prices in the
world market which gave them members
immense power since the world is highly
dependent on oil
 OPEC – regulates the production and
sale of oil
 Those countries who has a lot of
resource of petroleum actually created
their own regional groups
 This particular group is what they use
against putting an embargo where those
countries who oppose them are banned
from exporting their oil or making the
oil prices higher
 In order for them to protect the prices
and in order for them to create pool of
resources, and get better returns in their
exports, they created such regional group
 End Goal – expand their leverage
against trading partners – which
means that they would like to have a
certain advantage over those countries
where they supply these crude oil (more
or less there will be less competition on
their part, more so on agreeing on the
price of oil which will be beneficial for
their own economy
3. To protect their independence from the
pressures of superpower politics
 i.e., The presidents of Egypt, Ghana,
India, Indonesia, and Yugoslavia created
the NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) in
1961 to pursue world peace and
international cooperation, human rights,
national sovereignty, rational and national
equality, non-intervention, and peaceful
conflict resolution.
 NAM are countries who do not have any
bias over whom they need to ally with
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(whether western Europe, northern
America)
 NAM is called non-align because the
association refused to side with either the
First world capitalist democracies in
Western Europe and North America or
the communist states of Eastern Europe
 Only started with 5 countries (Ghana,
India, Egypt, Indonesia, and Yugoslavia)
 NAM has now 120 members
4. Due to Economic Crises
 i.e., ASEAN – which roots its history
from the collapsed of the Thai economy
in 1996 after foreign currency speculators
and troubled international banks
demanded Thai government to pay back
its loans which eventually bankrupted the
Thai economy. This crises began to
spread to other Asian countries and was
solved when China, Japan, and South
Korea agreed to establish an emergency
fund to anticipate such crises to happen
again
 In order for the bankruptcy not to occur
again, certain Asian countries like Korea,
China and Japan backed up the economy
of Thailand, decided to actually create an
Asian association where all Asian
countries will be brought off and that is
the ASEAN (Association of Southeast
Asian Nations)
 The crises made the ASEAN more
unified and coordinated. This association
has come a long way since it was formed
as coalition of countries which were pro-
American and supportive of the US
intervention in Vietnam
 U.S is very supportive of the ASEAN
group because they know that the
ASEAN countries are pro-American
 LOGO of ASEAN – 10 slash of ASEAN
represents the 10 members-countries of
the ASEAN (Brunei Darussalam,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand, and Vietnam)
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 CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES TO
REGIONALISM
 The resurgence of militant nationalism and
populism – i.e., anti – NATO
Because of regionalism, there are militant
group that are anti-NATO or pro-WARSAW,
because of that, there is a division of people, who
are pro-NATO or anti-NATO
Those who are anti-NATO want to dismantle
this particular organization is all about. But there
are also those who refuse to dismantle NATO
after the collapse of Soviet Union
There is now a bias between how one
countries feeling against or pro U.S.
U.S. is part of the allied power together with
other European countries and they are against the
axis powers (Russia, China, North Korea)
 The continuing financial crises – i.e., Greece
leaving the European Union
Even one of the advantages of regionalism for
them to be protected from military crises, still it
cannot be denied by the fact that there are still
financial crises that each country is facing
Because of the financial crises that European
countries experienced, one of its country which is
Greece, forced to leave this regional organization
 The anti-immigrant sentiment and populists’
campaign against Europe – i.e., Brexit
It is the reason for Brexit (Britain exit the
European Union) because they have different
views about anti-immigrant sentiment
Brexit – where all the people in the United
Kingdom vote to leave the European Union in
response to anti-immigrant sentiment that they are
trying to express
Right after the votation, they were able to
hear the people’s voice stating that they would
like to be separated from the European Nations
Now, U.K. is not part of the European
Nations
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 Disagreement over the extent to which
member countries should sacrifice their
sovereignty for the sake of regional stability –
i.e., Phil. Disputes over China’s claim to West
Philippine Sea
Even Philippines is a member country, we
cannot protect ourselves militarily because of
China’s influence on other countries. Other
countries are influenced by Chinese investments
 Differing visions of what regionalism should
be for – i.e., having different views regarding
globalization, developments, and democracy
The countries who are part of the regional
association sometimes are disagreeing on some
beliefs like having different views about
globalization, developments, and democracy
Example: Singapore, China, and Russia see
democracy as an obstacle to the implementation
and deepening of economic globalization because
constant public inquiry about economic projects
and lengthy debates slow down implementation or
lead to unclear outcomes
Democracy seems to be a tedious procedure
and does not help in the efficiency towards global
decision making.
If there are major regionalism which are made up
of different countries or state, there are also
regionalism who are non-state (these regional
association are group of organizations which are
not made up of countries or state instead
communities engage in regional organizing)
NON-STATE REGIONALISM
 Happens when communities engage in
regional organizing
 A “new regionalism” which can vary
from being a tiny associations that
include no more than a few actors and
focus on a single issue.
 It can also be a huge continental unions
that address a multitude of common
problems from territorial defense to food
security
 These organizations rely on the power of
individuals, non-governmental
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 organization (NGO) and associations to
link up with one another in pursuit of a
particular goal or goals
 made up of individuals and such
individual who direct and gives path on
the regional
 They are identifies with reformists who
share the same values, norms, institutions,
and systems that exist outside of the
traditional, established mainstream
institutions and government
 Their primary power lies in their moral
standing and their ability to combine
lobbying with pressure politics to be able
to push through what they need to push
through especially if these non-state
regionalism have something that would
like to be push through in terms of
regional policies that will be affecting all
the countries which are part of major
region group (NAM, NATO, OPEC) all
state regionalism (powered by the state
in itself or countries)
 Different from state-to-state regionalism
when it comes to identifying the problems
NON-STATE REGIONALISM – powered by
individual people
 Partners with governments to initiate
social change wherein those who work
with governments participates in
institutional mechanisms that afford some
civil society groups to voice and
influence in technocratic policy – making
processes
 The ones who are lobbying or support the
state regionalism
 Not as stable as state regionalism because
since it is run by individuals, they do not
have all the means or financial resources
to be able to flourish their cause. They
need the support of the state regional
association in order to fund the activities
of the non-state regional associations
 Pressure politics – because they have the
power to lobby the state organization,
trying to further enhance their causes
Examples are:
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 The new regionalism in ASEAN
 Hemispheric Social Alliance in South
America which opposes the NAFTA
(North American Free Trade Agreement)
 Roundtable of National Associations
and Networks and NGOs in Latin
America which participates in summits,
forums, and dialogues with presidents and
ministers
 Citizen Diplomacy Forum which tries to
influence the policies and programs of the
organization of American States
 ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human
Rights which pushes to prevent
discrimination, uphold political freedom,
and promote democracy and human rights
throughout the regions.
 ASEAN Parliamentarians they are the
ones who lobby or the ones who talk
or push/motivate to aims or goals of
ASEAN parliamentarians especially
the issues of democracy, human
rights
CHALLENGES OF NON-STATE
REGIONALISM
 Poorly financed making their impact in
global politics limited compared to its
counterparts who have large state funding
Unlike state regionalism which is run by the
government or state and has sources of fund, non-
state regionalism will have a problem with their
finances since it is only run by individuals and
because they don’t have much resources
 Discord among its members which would
stems from disagreements over issues like
gender and religion
Since this non-state regionalism are made up
of individuals and these individuals are made up
of different views and opinions, and perspectives
and so, they have disagreements of what could
happen, what could not happen, and what could
possibly happen. Disagreements are the cause of
separation and could be dismantled.
 Governments may not be welcoming to this
new trend and set up obstacle after another
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 Some state or government do not want this
particular non-state regional association to mid-
lane their own affairs, they would like this non-
state regionalism to be a way from how the
government should work so in order for them not
to push through their cause, these governments
are trying to create several obstacle that would
demean this particular organization
The governments are actually preventing or
blocking their cause to further their cause

THE GLOBALIZATION OF RELIGION

RELIGION GLOBALISM
Concerned with the sacred Concerned with material things
Follows Divine Commandments Follows human-made laws
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 Believes in the possibility of communication
between humans and the transcendent; the God,
Allah defined and judges’ human action in moral
terms (good vs bad)
The religious duty us to live virtuous, sin-less life
such that when he dies, he is assured of a place in
the other world
Aspires to be a saint
Religious detests politics and power
Concerned with spreading holy ideas globally
His actions can lead to the highest material
satisfaction and wisdom that this new status
produces
Less worried whether they will end up in heaven or
hell
Trains to be a shrewd businessperson
Globalist values politics and power as both means
and ends to open up further economies of the world
Focused on the realm of markets, spreading goods
and services

 The contemporary world is furiously religious

 Religions are the foundations of modern republics
- i.e., Malaysian government places religion at the center of the political system where it
constitution explicitly states that Islam is the religion of the Federation and that the
“Head of Islam” are its rulers
- i.e., late Iranian religious leader, Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini saw Islamic rule was the
superior form of government because it is spiritual
 Religious movements do not hesitate to appropriate secular themes and practices
- i.e., Islamic schools teach not only Islam but also modern science, social sciences,
modern banking, civic education, rights of women, pluralism, and democracy
 Religion was the result of a shift in state policy
- i.e., church of England was shaped by the rationality of modern democratic culture
- I.e., in U.S. religion and law were fused together to hep build this modern secular
society
- i.e., Religion has always been at the very center of all great political conflicts and
movement of social reform
- i.e., Religion has always been in the center of all social issues, from independence to
abolition, from nativism to women suffrage, from prohibition to civil rights movements

CHRISTIANITY
DEFINITION

 This religion derived from Jesus Christ, based on the bible as sacred scripture, and professed by
Eastern Roman Catholic, and Protestant bodies
 Conformity to the Christian religion
 The practice of Christianity
 Focuses on the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ
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  Root word of Christianity is Christ
OVERVIEW

 Is the most widely practiced religion in the world with more than 2 billion followers. The Christian
faith centers on beliefs regarding the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
 While it started with a small group of adherents, many historians regard the spread and adoption of
Christianity throughout the world as one of the most successful spiritual missions in human history
HISTORY

 According to the Bible, the first church organized itself 50 days after Jesus’s death on the Day of
Pentecost – when the Holy Spirit was said to descend into Jesus’s followers
 Most of the first Christians were Jewish converts, and the Church was centered in Jerusalem.
Shortly after the creation of the church, many Gentile (non-Jews) embraced Christianity
 One of the most important missionaries was the apostle Paul, a former persecutor of Christians
 Paul’s conversion to Christianity after he had a supernatural encounter with Jesus is described in
Acts of the Apostles
 Many historians believe Christianity wouldn’t be as widespread without the work of Paul
Persecution of Christians

 Early Christians were persecuted for their faith by both Jewish and Roman leaders
 Under Emperor Domitian, Christianity was illegal. If a person confessed to being a Christian, he or
she was executed
 Starting in 303 A.D., Christians faced the most severs persecutions to date under the co-emperors
Diocletian and Galerius. This became known as the Great Persecution
Constantine Embraces Christianity

 When Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, religious tolerance shifted in the
Roman Empire
 In 313 A.D., Constantine lifted the ban on Christianity with the Edict of Milan. He later tried to
unify Christianity and resolve issues that divided the church by establishing the Nicene Creed
 Many scholars believe Constantine’s conversion was a turning point in Christian history
The Catholic Church

 In 380 A.D., Emperor Theodosius I, declared Catholicism the state religion of the Roman Empire.
The Pope, or Bishop of Rome, operated as the head of the Roman Catholic Church
 Catholics expressed a deep devotion for the Virgin Mary, recognized the seven sacraments, and
honored relics and sacred sites
 When the Roman Empire collapsed in 476 A.D., differences emerged among Eastern and Western
Christians
 In 1054 A.D., the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox church split into two groups
 Catholic Church – often referred to as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church,
with approximately 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2019
The Crusades

 Between about 1095 A.D. and 1230 A.D., the Crusades, a series of holy wars, took place. In these
battles, Christians fought against Islamic rulers and their Muslim soldiers to reclaim holy land in the
city of Jerusalem
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  The Christians were successful in occupying Jerusalem during some of the Crusades, but they were
ultimately defeated
 After the crusades, the Catholic Church’s power and wealth increased
The Reformation

 In 1517, a German monk Martin Luther published 95 Theses – a text that criticized certain acts of
the Pope and protested some of the practices and priorities of the Roman Catholic Church
 Luther’s ideas triggered the Reformation – a movement that aimed to reform the Catholic church.
As a result, Protestantism was created, a different denominations of Christianity eventually began to
form
Belief System

 Christians are monotheistic; thus, they believe there’s only one God, and he created the heavens and
the earth
 This divine Godhead consists of three parts: The father (God himself), The son (Jesus Christ), and
the Holy Spirit
 Christians believe God sent his son Jesus, the messiah to save the world
 The essence of Christianity revolves around the life, death, and Christian beliefs on the resurrection
of Jesus
 They believe Jesus was crucified on a cross to offer they forgiveness of sins and was resurrected
three days after his death before ascending to heaven
Holy Bible

 Includes important scriptures that outline Jesus’s teachings, the lives and teachings of major
prophets and disciples, and offer instructions for how Christians should live
 Both Christians and Jews follow the Old Testament of the Bible, but Christians also embrace the
New Testament
Cross

 Is a symbol of Christianity
 It recalls the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the redeeming benefits of his Passion and death. The
cross is thus a sign both of Christ himself and of the faith of Christians

Type of Christianity

 Catholic – governed by Pope and Catholic Bishops

 Eastern Orthodox – split into independent units each governed by a Holy Synod; there is no
central governing structure akin to the Pope
 Protestant – separates the Roman Catholic Church over disputes about faith and jurisdiction.
Reformists of the Roman Catholicism | Promoted by Luther | Protest some of Roman Catholic
Beliefs and Ideology
o The protestant church is further divided into denominations

Baptist Pentecostal Christian Reform Christian Science

Episcopalian Lutheran Church of Nazarene Quaker
Evangelist Anglican Disciples of Church Seventh Day
Adventist
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 Methodist Evangelical United Church of
Christ
Presbyterian Assemblies of God Mennonite

Christians

 Followers of Christianity
 Are the people who follow or adhere to Christianity
 Are people whose behavior and heart reflects Jesus Christ
 Are the ones who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ
 Are members of the Christian denomination having part in the union of the United Church of Christ
concluded in 1961
 They believed Jesus’ teachings, they accepted Jesus’ death and resurrection as the payment for sin,
and they emulated Jesus in the way they lived
 Believed the Bible is God’s Word and teaches the following about what it means to be Christian
Jesus’ Teachings

 Love God
 Love your neighbor as yourself
 Forgive others who have wronged you
 Love your enemies
 Ask God for forgiveness of your sins
 Jesus is the Messiah and was given the authority to forgive others
 Repentance of sins is essential
 Don’t be hypocritical
 Don’t judge others
 The Kingdom of God is near. It’s not the rich and powerful – but the weak and poor – who will
inherit this kingdom
Christian Values

 Being gracious and merciful to others is behaving like Christ

 Forgiving, lobing and praying for our enemies is Christ-like
 Striving for justice resembles Jesus
 But it’s not simply good works that make someone Christian, being a follower and disciple by Jesus
extends beyond our toward behavior. It includes condition of heart
 Welcoming and serving the marginalized the “least” among us, is being like Jesus
 Caring for the sick, needy, underprivileged, widowed, orphaned, poor, abused, and vulnerable
Christian by Country

 There were 2.4 billion Christians around early 21 st century, Christians have composed of about 33
percent of the world’s population for around 200 years. The largest Christian denomination is the
Roman Catholic Church, with 1.3 billion adherents, representing half of all Christians
 The United States has the largest Christian population in the world followed by Brazil, Mexico,
Russia
By Region

 Europe – 75.2% Christians

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  Latin America-Caribbean – 90.0% Christians
 Sub-Saharan Africa – 62.9% Christians
 Asia Pacific – 7.1% Christians
 North America – 77.4% Christians
 Middle East-North Africa – 3.7% Christians

BUDDHISM
Buddhism

 Is the world’s fourth-largest religion with over 520 million followers, or over 7% of the global
population, known as Buddhists. Buddhism encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual
practices largely based on original teachings attributed to the Buddha and resulting interpreted
philosophies.
Siddhartha Gautama

 Founder of Buddhism who later became known as “the Buddha,” lived during the 5th century B.C.
 Gautama was born into a wealthy family as a prince in present-day Nepal. Although he had an easy
life, Gautama was moved by suffering in the world.
Three Universal Truths
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  Everything in life is impermanent and always changing.
 Because nothing is permanent, a life based on possessing things or persons doesn't make you happy.
 There is no eternal, unchanging soul and "self" is just a collection of changing characteristics or
attributes.
Four Noble Truths

 The truth of suffering (dukkha)

 The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya)
 The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha)
 The truth of the path that frees us from suffering (magga)
The Eightfold Path

 Right understanding and viewpoint

 Right Meditation
 Right Mindfulness
 Right Effort
 Right Work
 Right Action
 Right Speech
 Right Values and Attitude
The Five Perceptions

 Do not harm or kill living things

 Do not take things unless they are freely given
 Lead a decent life
 Do not speak unkindly or tell lies
 Do not abuse drugs or drink alcohol

Meditation

 is an essential practice to most Buddhists. Buddhists look within themselves for the truth and
understanding of Buddha's teachings. They seek enlightenment, or nirvana, this way. Nirvana is
freedom from needless suffering and being fully alive and present in one's life. It is not a state that
can really be described in words -- it goes beyond words.
 means focusing the mind to achieve an inner stillness that leads to a state of enlightenment.
Dharma

 Buddha’s teachings are known as “dharma.” He taught that wisdom, kindness, patience, generosity,
and compassion were important virtues
 Specifically, all Buddhists live by five moral precepts, which prohibit:
 Killing living things
 Taking what is not given
 Sexual misconduct
 Lying
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  Using drugs or alcohol

HINDUISM
Hinduism

 Hinduism is the world's oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating
back more than 4,000 years. Today, with about 900 million followers, Hinduism is the third-largest
religion behind Christianity and Islam. Roughly 95 percent of the world's Hindus live in India.
 Hinduism is an Indian religion and dharma, or way of life. It is the world's third-largest religion,
with over 1.25 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global population, known as Hindus.
 Followers believe there are multiple paths to reaching their god. Hindus believe in the doctrines of
samsara (the continuous cycle of life, death, and reincarnation) and karma (the universal law of
cause and effect). One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is “atman,” or the belief in soul.

 Hinduism Symbol

 The “AUM” symbol (or OM – the symbol in the center) symbolizes the Universe and the ultimate
reality. It is the most important Hindu symbols. At the dawn of creation, from emptiness first
emerged a syllable consisting of three letters – A-U-M (often written as OM).
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  The word swastika means "good fortune" or "being happy" in Sanskrit, and the symbol represents
good luck.
Brief History of Hinduism

 The word "Hindu" originates from the Sanskrit word for river, sindhu. The Indus River running
through northwest India into Pakistan received its name from the Sanskrit term sindhu. The
Persians designated the land around the Indus River as Hindu, a mispronunciation of the Sanskrit
sindhu.
 The birthplace of Hinduism is Indus River Valley which runs through northwest India into Pakistan.
The Indus Valley civilization, or "Harappan civilization" originated sometime around 4,500-5,000
B.C.E. and reached its zenith between 2300 to 2000 BC. The two major known cities of the Indus
Valley civilization were Harappa and Mohenjodaro.
 Harrappa was first excavated in 1921. These cities indicate a centralized state with extensive town
planning, common construction techniques, regular weights and measures, as well as trade, farming
and domesticated animals.
Beliefs

 Hindus believe in the doctrines of samsara, a process of reincarnation. a continuous cycle in which
the soul is reborn over and over again according to the law of action and reaction. At death many
Hindus believe the soul is carried by a subtle body into a new physical body which can be a human
or non-human form (an animal or divine being) and karma (the universal law of cause and effect).
Gods and Goddesses

 Brahma- the god responsible for the creation of the world and all living things
 Vishnu- the god that preserves and protects the universe
 Shiva- the god that destroys the universe in order to recreate it
 Devi- the goddess that fights to restore dharma
 Krishna- the god of compassion, tenderness and love
 Lakshmi- the goddess of wealth and purity
 Saraswati- the goddess of learning

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ISLAM
Islam

 Islam, major world religion promulgated by the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the 7th century
CE. The Arabic term islām, literally “surrender,” illuminates the fundamental religious idea of Islam
—that the believer (called a Muslim, from the active particle of islām) accepts surrender to the will
of Allah (in Arabic, Allāh: God). Allah is viewed as the sole God—creator, sustainer, and restorer of
the world.
 Islam by definition means submission and has the extended meaning of peace.
Crescent and Star

 The faith of Islam is symbolized by the Crescent and Star. The Crescent is the early phase of the
moon and represents progress. The star signifies illumination with the light of knowledge.
Five Pillars of Islam
Muslims follow five basic pillars that are essential to their faith. These include:

 Shahada: to declare one’s faith in God and belief in Muhammad

 Salat: to pray five times a day (at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening)
 Zakat: to give to those in need
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  Sawm: to fast during Ramadan
 Hajj: to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during a person’s lifetime if the person is able
Islam, one of the three major world religions, along with Judaism and Christianity, that profess
monotheism, or the belief in a single God. In the Arabic language, the word Islam means “surrender” or
“submission”—submission to the will of God. A follower of Islam is called a Muslim, which in Arabic
means “one who surrenders to God.” The Arabic name for God, Allah, refers to the same God worshiped by
Jews and Christians. Islam's central teaching is that there is only one all-powerful, all-knowing God, and this
God created the universe. This rigorous monotheism, as well as the Islamic teaching that all Muslims are
equal before God, provides the basis for a collective sense of loyalty to God that transcends class, race,
nationality, and even differences in religious practice. Thus, all Muslims belong to one community, the
umma, irrespective of their ethnic or national background.
Within two centuries after its rise in the 7th century, Islam spread from its original home in Arabia
into Syria, Egypt, North Africa, and Spain to the west, and into Persia, India, and, by the end of the 10th
century, beyond to the east. In the following centuries, Islam also spread into Anatolia and the Balkans to
the north, and sub-Saharan Africa to the south. The Muslim community comprises about 1 billion followers
on all five continents, and Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world. The most populous Muslim
country is Indonesia, followed by Pakistan and Bangladesh. Beyond the Middle East, large numbers of
Muslims live in India, Nigeria, the former republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and
China.
One of the reasons for the growth of the Muslim community has been its openness to new members.
Children born to Muslim parents are automatically considered Muslim. At any time, a non-Muslim can
convert to Islam by declaring himself or herself to be a Muslim. A person's declaration of faith is sufficient
evidence of conversion to Islam and need not be confirmed by others or by religious authorities.

Sharia Law

 Islam’s legal system is known as Sharia Law. This faith-based code of conduct directs Muslims on
how they should live in nearly every aspect of their lives.
 Sharia law requires men and women to dress modestly. It also outlines marriage guidelines and
other moral principles for Muslims.
Islam Today

 In recent years, Islam’s supposed association with terrorism and mass murder has sparked a political
debate in many countries. The controversial term “radical Islam” has become a well-known label to
describe the religion’s connection to acts of violence.
 While some Muslims use their faith to justify terrorism, the vast majority do not. In fact, Muslims
are frequently victims of violence themselves.
 While Muslims aim to clear up misconceptions about their faith, the religion continues to spread
rapidly. Today, Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion. Experts predict Islam will surpass
Christianity as the largest religion by the end of the century.
Muslims have an established way of greeting each other

 It is recommended to greet someone with the phrase as-salaamu alaikum, which means ‘peace be
upon you’. As a Muslim, if you are greeted in this way, it is then obligatory to return the greeting by
saying wa alaikum as-salaam, which translates as ‘and unto you peace’.
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Countries where Islam is the state region
26 predominantly Muslim countries have anchored Islam or a specific form of it in their constitution as a
state religion.

 Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan,
Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, Sahrawi Republic, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

JUDAISM
Judaism

 Is an ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization
of the Jewish people. Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the covenant
that God established with the Children of Israel. It is considered as world’s oldest monotheistic
religion dating back nearly 4,000 years. Followers of Judaism believe in one God who revealed
himself through ancient prophets. The history of Judaism is essential to understanding the Jewish
faith, which has a rich heritage of law, culture and tradition.
 Judaism, monotheistic religion developed among the ancient Hebrews. Judaism is characterized by a
belief in one transcendent God who revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets
and by a religious life in accordance with Scriptures and rabbinic traditions. Judaism is the complex
phenomenon of a total way of life for the Jewish people, comprising theology, law, and innumerable
cultural traditions.
More about Judaism

 The Jews believe in one god as was instituted by Abraham, who they call Yahweh and from whom
all creation flows. Judaism believes in prophets, of whom Moses was the first. The Talmud, the
body of Jewish law, is considered Yahweh's exclusive and immutable law. The Synagogue is the
Jewish place of worship.
 Jewish people worship in holy places known as SYNAGOGUES, and their spiritual leaders are
called RABBIS. The six-pointed Star of David is the symbol of Judaism.

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Beliefs

 Jewish people believe there’s only one God who has established a covenant—or special agreement
—with them. Their God communicates to believers through prophets and rewards good deeds while
also punishing evil.
 Most Jews (with the exception of a few groups) believe that their Messiah hasn’t yet come—but will
one day.
 Jewish people worship in holy places known as synagogues, and their spiritual leaders are called
rabbis. The six-pointed Star of David is the symbol of Judaism.
 Traditionally, a person is considered Jewish if his or her mother is Jewish.
Three main beliefs at the center of Judaism

 are MONOTHESM, IDENTITY, and CONVENANT (an agreement between God and his
people). The most important teachings of Judaism is that there is ONE GOD, who wants people to
do what is just and compassionate.
Characteristics

 There is only one God

 There are no other Gods
 God can’t divided subdivided into different persons (unlike the Christian view of God)
 Jews should only worship only the one God
 God is Transcendent
 God doesn’t have body
 God created the universe without help

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CONFUCIANISM
Confucianism

 is a philosophy and belief system from ancient China, which laid the foundation for much of
Chinese culture. There are no Confucian gods, and Confucius himself is worshipped as a spirit
rather than a god.
 is often characterized as a system of social and ethical philosophy rather than a religion. In fact,
Confucianism built on an ancient religious foundation to establish the social values, institutions, and
transcendent ideals of traditional Chinese society.
 Confucianism, also known as Ruism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient
China.
Confucius

 At different times in Chinese history, Confucius (trad. 551–479 BCE) has been portrayed as a
teacher, advisor, editor, philosopher, reformer, and prophet. The name Confucius, a Latinized
combination of the surname Kong 孔 with an honorific suffix “Master” (fuzi 夫子), has also come
to be used as a global metonym for different aspects of traditional East Asian society.
Value

 The worldly concern of Confucianism rests upon the belief that human beings are fundamentally
good, and teachable, improvable, and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor,
especially self-cultivation and self-creation. Confucian thought focuses on the cultivation of virtue
in a morally organized world.
Philosophy

 Confucianism is an ancient Chinese belief system, which focuses on the importance of personal
ethics and morality. Whether it is only or a philosophy or also a religion is debated. Mencius (or
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 Meng Ke who lived from 372 to 289 B.C.E.) is the best-known Confucian philosopher after
Confucius himself.
Virtues

 Finally, the five constant virtues of Confucianism are “ren” (benevolence), “yi” (righteousness),
“li” (propriety), “zhi” (wisdom), and “xin” (trustworthiness).
Leadership

 In Confucianism, moral leaders “engage virtue in self, others and society through example and
virtuous conducts” (Bass & Steidlmeier, 1998, p. 9) and in so doing, they transform themselves,
others, and society accordingly.
History of Confucianism

 Founding and Overview. Confucianism was developed in China by Master Kong in 551-479 BC,
who was given the name Confucius by Jesuit missionaries who were visiting there. However, the
fundamental principles of Confucianism began before his birth, during the Zhou Dynasty.
 The main idea of Confucianism is the importance of having a good moral character, which can then
affect the world around that person through the idea of “cosmic harmony.”
 Confucianism believes in ancestor worship and human-centered virtues for living a peaceful life.
The golden rule of Confucianism is “Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do
unto you.” There is debate over if Confucianism is a religion.
 While Confucius gave his name to Confucianism, he was not the first person to discuss many of the
important concepts in Confucianism. Rather, he can be understood as someone concerned with the
preservation of traditional Chinese knowledge from earlier thinkers. After Confucius’ death, several
of his disciples compiled his wisdom and carried on his work. The most famous of these disciples
were Mencius and Xunzi, both of whom developed Confucian thought further.

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