The New Childrens Encyclopedia

WORLD RELIGIONS

159

 THE SUPPER AT EMMAUS

This stained glass window shows

Jesus, having risen from the dead,

sharing a meal with two disciples.

CHRISTIANITY

Christians believe that Jesus Christ, a

Jewish holy man born in Bethlehem,

around 0 CE, was God in human form.

According to Christian tradition he was

put to death by the authorities, but

returned to life three days later. The

Christian Bible is made up of the Jewish

Tanakh—the Old Testament—and a new

set of scriptures—the New Testament.

 THE CROSS

Jesus Christ

died on a cross.

Christians

believe that

because of this

sacrifice, his

followers will

have eternal life

with God in

Heaven.

Saints are people

who lived especially

holy lives. Some

saints are linked

with specific

countries or causes.

For example, Saint

Andrew is the

patron saint of

Russia and Scotland.

 THE CHALICE

Holy Communion

is a Christian ritual

in which bread is

eaten and wine is

drunk to remember

Jesus’ sacrifice. The

wine may be served

in a chalice.

Catholicism There are

many different branches of

Christianity, the largest of

which is Roman Catholicism.

The leader of the Roman

Catholic Church is the Pope.

Catholics believe that the Pope

is the successor to Saint Peter,

who Jesus appointed as the first

head of the Church.

ISLAM

Islam was founded in Arabia in the

7th century CE by the prophet Muhammad.

Muslims believe in one God, Allah, who

sent 25 prophets down to Earth, the last

one being Muhammad. Earlier prophets

included Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.

The Qur’an Allah’s teachings, as

dictated to Muhammad, were recorded

in a book called the Qur’an.

Muslims try to live by rules

set down in the Qur’an.

The most important duties

are known as the Five Pillars:

O

praying five times a day

O

giving to the needy

O

fasting during Ramadan

O

making a pilgrimage to Mecca

O

proclaiming your beliefs

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, during

which the Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad. Throughout

Ramadan Muslims neither eat nor drink between dawn and

sunset. This helps them to understand poverty and to focus

their minds on prayer and reading the Qur’an. Ramadan ends

with Eid ul-Fitr, the Fast-Breaking Festival. Believers visit the

mosque and eat traditional foods with family.

 MECCA, in Saudi

Arabia, is the most

holy city in Islam, and

the birthplace of

Muhammad. Muslims

must face Mecca

whenever they pray,

wherever they are in

the world.

Hinduism Buddhism Sikhism Judaism

CULTURE