Meet the Major Worldviews
Today you'll meet the six major world religions — Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism — plus Humanism. By the end, you'll know one distinctive feature of each and be able to explain the difference between Abrahamic and Dharmic traditions.
How many of the world's major religions can you name? Just list them.
Three of the six trace their roots to the same person: Abraham. They're called the "Abrahamic faiths."
Founded: ~30 CE, based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
Core belief: Jesus is the Son of God who died and rose again to save humanity from sin
Sacred text: The Bible (Old Testament + New Testament)
Key practice: Worship, prayer, sacraments (baptism, communion)
God: One God in three persons (the Trinity — Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
2.4 billion followers · Largest religion worldwide · Majority religion in the UK
Founded: 610 CE, when the Prophet Muhammad received revelations from God (Allah)
Core belief: There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger (Shahadah)
Sacred text: The Qur'an (believed to be the direct word of God in Arabic)
Key practice: The Five Pillars — declaration of faith, prayer, charity, fasting, pilgrimage
God: One God (Allah) — absolutely one, no partners, no Trinity
1.9 billion followers · Fastest-growing religion · Second-largest in the UK
Founded: ~2000 BCE, rooted in God's covenant with Abraham and the giving of the Torah to Moses
Core belief: There is one God who made a special covenant (agreement) with the Jewish people
Sacred text: The Torah (first five books), plus the wider Tanakh and Talmud
Key practice: Shabbat (Sabbath), dietary laws (kashrut), festivals, prayer
God: One God — the oldest monotheistic tradition still practised
15 million followers · Small but hugely influential · Oldest Abrahamic faith
Two more originated in India and share the concept of dharma (cosmic law, duty, or the right way of living).
Founded: No single founder — developed over 4,000+ years in the Indian subcontinent
Core belief: Brahman (ultimate reality) can be worshipped through many gods and goddesses; the soul (atman) is reborn through reincarnation until it achieves moksha (liberation)
Sacred texts: The Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and many more
Key practice: Puja (worship), meditation, yoga, festivals, pilgrimage
God: One ultimate reality (Brahman) expressed through many deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva)
1.2 billion followers · Third-largest religion · No single founder or text
Founded: ~5th century BCE by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha, "the awakened one")
Core belief: Suffering exists, but the Noble Eightfold Path and meditation can lead to Enlightenment (Nirvana)
Sacred texts: The Tripitaka (Three Baskets)
Key practice: Meditation, ethical conduct, the Middle Way
God: No creator God — the Buddha was a teacher, not a divine being
500 million followers · Varies by country · Originated in India but thrives in East Asia
Founded: 1500 CE by Guru Nanak in Punjab, India
Core belief: One God (Ek Onkar); no caste system; all humans are equal
Sacred text: The Guru Granth Sahib (the "living guru" — treated with reverence)
Key practice: Langar (free communal kitchen), meditation, seva (service to others)
God: One God — beyond gender, form, and all human understanding
30 million followers · Originated in Punjab, India · Strong emphasis on social justice
Not founded by a person: Emerges from the Enlightenment and rational thought
Core belief: Human reason, compassion, and the natural world are the focus. No God needed. Meaning comes from helping others and improving the world.
Sacred text: None — humanists draw on reason, science, and ethics
Key practice: Charity, volunteering, evidence-based thinking, the Golden Rule (treat others as you'd like to be treated)
God: No belief in God — but deeply ethical and values-driven
50–100 million humanists globally · Growing in secular societies · Values compassion without supernatural belief
Drag or click each teaching to the tradition where it belongs. Some traditions might have multiple features.
Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Islam, Judaism) share:
Dharmic traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism) share:
Worldviews can be plotted on a spectrum from theistic (belief in God) to atheistic (no belief in God):
Pick one tradition from the Big Six + One (or more) and write a short reflection (150–250 words) exploring:
1. All Abrahamic faiths believe in the same God.
True. Christians, Muslims, and Jews all worship the God of Abraham. Differences lie in belief about Jesus and the Prophet Muhammad.
2. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion.
True (mostly). Hindus worship many gods and goddesses, but many Hindu philosophers argue all are expressions of one ultimate reality (Brahman).
3. Buddhism requires belief in God.
False. The Buddha taught that belief in a creator God is not necessary for enlightenment. The focus is on suffering and the path to Nirvana.
4. Sikhism blends Islam and Hinduism.
Partially true. Guru Nanak (founder) lived in Punjab where both traditions were present, but Sikhism is a distinct worldview, not a blend.
5. Humanism is a religion.
False. Humanism is a worldview based on reason and compassion, not faith in God or supernatural claims. It's non-religious.
You've now met seven worldviews. Which one would you most like to learn about deeply? It doesn't have to be your own belief (if you have one).
These questions blend ideas from Lesson 1 and today's content. See how much you've retained and connected.
We looked at seven dimensions of religion last lesson. Using those dimensions, describe Christianity across at least 3 of them. (Narrative, Doctrinal, Ethical, Ritual, Experiential, Institutional, Material)
In Lesson 1, we defined a worldview as "a set of beliefs about fundamental questions." Now, how would you explain the difference between a religious worldview (e.g., Islam) and a non-religious worldview (e.g., Humanism) in a way that makes sense to a Year 6 student?
Using Smart's dimensions again, what is one dimension where Abrahamic faiths differ most from Dharmic traditions? Explain with examples.
Close everything. Name all seven worldviews and write one distinctive fact for each.