Unit 5.1-5.2

Question 1

What is the largest religion in the world by adherents?

Answer 1

Christianity (2.4 billion)

Spread through colonization and missionary work, with significant migration patterns.

Question 2

How did Christianity spread from its origin?

Answer 2

Through relocation diffusion by missionaries and hierarchical diffusion during Roman times, later by contagious diffusion since 1500 C.E.

Question 3

What percentage of Christians have migrated?

Answer 3

5%

Comprises only ⅓ of the population but ½ of the world’s international migrants.

Question 4

What is the second largest religion in the world?

Answer 4

Islam (1.9 billion)

Question 5

What are the two main branches of Islam?

Answer 5

Sunni and Shiite

Sunni makes up 88% of the Muslim population.

Question 6

Which branch of Islam is the majority in Iran?

Answer 6

Shiite

Question 7

How did Islam diffuse rapidly after Muhammad’s death?

Answer 7

From Saudi Arabia, Muslims controlled much of Southwest Asia and North Africa within 200 years.

Question 8

What is the third largest religion in the world?

Answer 8

Hinduism (1.2 billion)

Question 9

What type of religion is Hinduism classified as?

Answer 9

Ethnic religion

Question 10

What is the fourth largest religion in the world?

Answer 10

Buddhism (507 million)

Question 11

How did Buddhism spread?

Answer 11

Along trading routes from northeastern India, introduced by Chinese Buddhist missionaries.

Question 12

What percentage of the world population do Folk Religions account for?

Answer 12

Approximately 6%

Question 13

Define Universalizing Religions.

Answer 13

Religions that try consciously to spread their message and appeal to all people.

Question 14

Define Ethnic Religions.

Answer 14

Religions that do not consciously try to spread their message, appealing primarily to one ethnic or cultural group.

Question 15

What percentage of the world population is unaffiliated with a religion?

Answer 15

About 16%

Question 16

If unaffiliated individuals were considered a religion, what would their rank be?

Answer 16

Third largest

Question 17

What regions are predominantly Christian?

Answer 17

Western Hemisphere, Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa

Question 18

What regions are majority Muslim?

Answer 18

Southwest Asia and North Africa

Question 19

What is the primary reason for the diversity of faiths in the United States?

Answer 19

Multiple denominations of Christianity

Question 20

What are the three major branches of Buddhism?

Answer 20

• Theravada
• Mahayana
• Vajrayana

Question 21

Who is Abraham in the context of religious history?

Answer 21

A biblical figure promised by God to have many descendants and nations.

Question 22

What are Abrahamic Religions?

Answer 22

Religions that are based on the Old and New Testaments.

Question 23

What does syncretic religion refer to?

Answer 23

A combination of several traditions.

Question 24

What is Animism?

Answer 24

Folk religions where elements of the natural world are animated or have conscious life.

Question 25

What is significant about Jerusalem?

Answer 25

A holy city for Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

Question 26

What are the Five Pillars of Islam?

Answer 26

• Shahadah
• Salat
• Zakat
• Sawm of Ramadan
• Hajj

Question 27

What is religious fundamentalism?

Answer 27

A literal interpretation and strict adherence to the basic principles of a religion.

Question 28

Who is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people?

Answer 28

Dalai Lama