Top 10 Oldest Religions In the World 2021
Several religions claim that their teachings have existed since beginning of human civilization. Throughout history, probably the religions are only things which been around humans since the origins of mankind, from pre-historic to modern times.
As the written history is only around 5,000 years old, which results in lack of written records of the knowledge of pre-historic religion, which being concluded from archaeological records and beliefs, and from assumptions. Much pre-historic religion is subject to continued debate.
Several major religions of the world like Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism are associated to a spiritual leader or prophet who set the foundation of the these religions. The origins of such religions are usually trace back to the lifetime of these prophets.
While other religions emerged as spiritual beliefs and ritualistic practices of a large portion of people which have been encouraged by one or more spiritual leaders. Most of traditional religions have such an origin.
Some traditional religions and
spiritual practices and beliefs have emerged and disappeared throughout the ages as often as empires from history. Several large religious like Manichaeism, Mithraism, and Tengriism have been lost from history. But still few of the oldest religions are practiced are around the world today.
As the written history is only around 5,000 years old, which results in lack of written records of the knowledge of pre-historic religion, which being concluded from archaeological records and beliefs, and from assumptions. Much pre-historic religion is subject to continued debate.
Several major religions of the world like Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism are associated to a spiritual leader or prophet who set the foundation of the these religions. The origins of such religions are usually trace back to the lifetime of these prophets.
While other religions emerged as spiritual beliefs and ritualistic practices of a large portion of people which have been encouraged by one or more spiritual leaders. Most of traditional religions have such an origin.
Some traditional religions and
spiritual practices and beliefs have emerged and disappeared throughout the ages as often as empires from history. Several large religious like Manichaeism, Mithraism, and Tengriism have been lost from history. But still few of the oldest religions are practiced are around the world today.
Scroll through to see all Top 10 Oldest Religions In the World 2021.
10. Taoist :-
Taoist is one of the five religion which are officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. Taoism is a belief from China which give importance to living in harmony with the Tao. The Tao is the source, pattern of everything that exists.
The roots of Taoism traces back at least to the 4th century BCE. Lao Tzu is recognized as one of the founders of Taoism. The work of Lao Tzu —the Tao Te Ching—is dated to the late 4th century BCE. Taoism has had a influence on Chinese culture throughout the centuries. It is also a major religion in Taiwan and it also have adherents in a number of other countries, like Hong Kong, Macau and Southeast Asia.
Confucianism, also known as Ruism, is a traditional religion which originated in ancient China. Which described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a way of governing, or simply a way of life. It is believed that Confucianism may be the continuation of the Shang-Zhou official religion. The adherents worshipped the supreme godhead, called Shangdi.
Confucian concept says that in order to govern others one must first govern oneself according to the universal order. Confucius claimed that he never invented anything but was only transmitting ancient knowledge. Confucianism introduces the imperial examination system in China. This system allowed anyone who passed an examination to become a government officer, a position which would bring wealth and honour to the whole family. The Chinese imperial examination system started in the Sui dynasty.
Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic
religion. It guides that Muhammad is a messenger of God. Islam teaches that God is merciful, all-powerful, and unique, and has directed humanity through prophets, revealed scriptures.
Islamic law (sharia), which reaches on every aspect of life and society, from banking and welfare to women and the environment. The cities of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are considered as the three holiest sites in Islam. The primary scriptures of Islam are the Quran, believed to be the word of God.
With around 1.9 billion followers,
It is the world's second-largest religion, which comprises 24.9% of the world's population, known as Muslims. Muslims make up a majority of the population in 51 countries. About 12% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country; 31% live in South Asia, the largest population of Muslims in the world; 20% in the Middle East–North Africa, where it is the dominant religion; and 15% in sub-Saharan Africa.
Jainism is an ancient Indian religion that follows its spiritual ideas and history through a succession of twenty-four leaders known as TIrthankaras. Jainism is considered to be eternal dharma with the Tirthankara leading every time cycle of the cosmology.
the first TIrthankaras was
Rishabhanatha, who lived millions of years ago, the twenty-third Tirthankara Parshvanatha from 8th century BCE, and the 24th Tirthankara, Mahavira around 600 BCE.
The main religious beliefs of the Jain dharma are ahiṃsā, anekāntavāda, aparigraha and asceticism. Jains take five main vows: ahiṃsā (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (not stealing), brahmacharya (sexual continence), and aparigraha (non-possessiveness). Parasparopagraho jīvānām is its motto and the Ṇamōkāra mantra is its most common and basic prayer.
Jain dharma is one of the world's oldest continuously-practiced religions. The religion has between four and five million followers, mostly in India. Outside India, some of the largest communities are in Canada, Europe, and the United States.
Buddhism is an Indian religion based on original teachings attributed to Gautama Buddha. It originates in India as a Sramana tradition sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, spreading through much of Asia. It is the world's fourth-largest religion, which represents over 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists.
The foundation of religion is laid by Gautama Buddha who born as Siddhārtha Gautama in the 5th or 4th century BCE.
Buddhism comprises a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on the Buddha's teachings and resulting interpreted philosophies. Two major existent departments of Buddhism are generally identified by scholars are Theravāda and Mahāyāna
The goal of Buddhism is to overcome suffering (duḥkha) caused by desire and ignorance of reality's true nature, including the non-existence of the self. Most Buddhist traditions give importance to exceeding the individual self through the attainment of Nirvana or by following the path of Buddhahood, ending the cycle of death and rebirth.
Buddhism is followed by an estimated 535 million people. Which represents 7% to 8% of the world's total population. China is the country with the largest population of Buddhists, approximately 244 million.
Over 98% of all Buddhists live in the Asia-Pacific and South Asia region.
Christianity is an Abrahamic
monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Its adherents, known as Christians. Christians believes that Jesus is the Christ, whose coming as the Messiah was prophesied in the Hebrew Bible, called the Old Testament in Christianity, and chronicled in the New Testament.
Christianity began as a Second Temple Judaic sect in the 1st century in the Roman province of Judea.
Christianity, practices may include baptism, the Eucharist (Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper), prayer (including the Lord's Prayer), confession, confirmation, burial rites, marriage rites and the religious education of children.
It is the world's largest religion, with about 2.4 billion followers. Christians make up a majority of the population in 157 countries and territories, and
76% of Europeans, 73% in Oceania and about 86% in the Americas (90% in Latin America and 77% in North America) identified themselves as Christians.
Shinto is a religion which originated in Japan. Shinto is Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its followers often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. practitioners are known as Shintoists. Shinto traced back to Japan's Yayoi period (300 BCE to 300 CE). There is no central authority in control of Shinto and much diversity exists among practitioners.
Shinto does not give prominence to specific moral codes although it places a major conceptual focus on ensuring purity, largely by cleaning practices such as ritual washing and bathing. Shinto has no single creator or specific doctrinal text, but exists in a diverse range of local and regional forms.
Shinto is primarily found in Japan, during the period of the empire it was introduced to various Japanese colonies.
Zoroastrianism or Mazdayasna is one of the world's oldest continuously practiced religions. Religion is based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. Zoroastrianism has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil and an eschatology, predicting the ultimate conquest of evil by good.
Zoroastrianism promotes an uncreated and benevolent deity of wisdom, Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord), as its supreme being. The unique historical features of Zoroastrianism, such as its judgment after death, heaven and hell, and free will may have influenced other religious and philosophical systems, including Second Temple Judaism, Gnosticism, Greek philosophy, Christianity, Islam, the Baháʼí Faith, and Buddhism.
It served as the state religion of the ancient Iranian empires for more than a millennium, from around 600 BCE to 650 CE, but declined from the 7th century CE onwards after the Muslim conquest of Persia of 633–654. The current number of Zoroastrians at around 110,000–120,000 at most, with the majority living in India, Iran, and North America; their number has been thought to be declining.
The most important texts of the religion are those included within the Avesta, which encompasses as central the writings of Zoroaster known as the Gathas. Zoroaster declared that Ahura Mazda was the supreme creator, the creative and sustaining force of the universe through Asha.
Judaism is an Abrahamic primarily ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. And it is considered as one of the oldest monotheistic religions.
Judaism has its roots as an organized religion in the Middle East during the Bronze Age. Modern Judaism evolved from ancient Israelite religion around 500 BCE. Abraham is hailed as the first Hebrew and the father of the Jewish people. As a reward for his act of faith in one God, he was promised that Isaac, his second son, would inherit the Land of Israel
Judaism's texts, traditions and values strongly influenced later Abrahamic religions, including Christianity and Islam.
With between 14.5 and 17.4 million adherents worldwide, Judaism is the tenth largest religion in the world.
roughly 0.25% of the total world population. About 43% of all Jews reside in Israel and another 43% reside in the United States and Canada, with most of the rest living in Europe, and other minority groups spread throughout Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
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. The word Hindu is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, many practitioners refer to their religion as Sanātana Dharma means the Eternal way, which refers to the idea that its origins lie beyond human history, as revealed in the Hindu texts. Another, though less fitting, self-designation is Vaidika dharma, the 'dharma related to the Vedas.'
Hinduism is a diverse system which include range of philosophies and shared concepts, rituals, cosmological systems, pilgrimage sites and shared textual sources that discuss theology, mythology, Vedic yajna, yoga, agamic rituals, and temple building, among other topics. Hindu beliefs include the four Puruṣārthas, the proper goals or aims of human life; namely, dharma (ethics/duties), artha (prosperity/work), kama (desires/passions) and moksha (freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth), as well as karma (action) and saṃsāra (cycle of death and rebirth). Hinduism prescribes the eternal duties, such as honesty, refraining from injuring living beings (Ahiṃsā), patience, forbearance, self-restraint, virtue, and compassion, among others. Hindu practices include rituals such as puja (worship) and recitations, japa, meditation (dhyāna), family-oriented rites of passage, annual festivals, and occasional pilgrimages. Along with the practice of various yogas, some Hindus leave their social world and material possessions and engage in lifelong Sannyasa in order to achieve Moksha.
Major scriptures of Hinduism are the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Purānas, the Mahābhārata, the Rāmāyana, and the Āgamas.
Hinduism is the most widely professed faith in India, Nepal and Mauritius. Significant numbers of Hindu communities are found in Southeast Asia including in Bali, Indonesia, the Caribbean, North America, Europe, Oceania, Africa, and other regions. Hinduism is the second fastest-growing religion in the world, after Islam with a growth of 17%.
The roots of Taoism traces back at least to the 4th century BCE. Lao Tzu is recognized as one of the founders of Taoism. The work of Lao Tzu —the Tao Te Ching—is dated to the late 4th century BCE. Taoism has had a influence on Chinese culture throughout the centuries. It is also a major religion in Taiwan and it also have adherents in a number of other countries, like Hong Kong, Macau and Southeast Asia.
9. Confucianism :-
Confucianism, also known as Ruism, is a traditional religion which originated in ancient China. Which described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a way of governing, or simply a way of life. It is believed that Confucianism may be the continuation of the Shang-Zhou official religion. The adherents worshipped the supreme godhead, called Shangdi.
Confucian concept says that in order to govern others one must first govern oneself according to the universal order. Confucius claimed that he never invented anything but was only transmitting ancient knowledge. Confucianism introduces the imperial examination system in China. This system allowed anyone who passed an examination to become a government officer, a position which would bring wealth and honour to the whole family. The Chinese imperial examination system started in the Sui dynasty.
8. Islam :-
Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic
religion. It guides that Muhammad is a messenger of God. Islam teaches that God is merciful, all-powerful, and unique, and has directed humanity through prophets, revealed scriptures.
Islamic law (sharia), which reaches on every aspect of life and society, from banking and welfare to women and the environment. The cities of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are considered as the three holiest sites in Islam. The primary scriptures of Islam are the Quran, believed to be the word of God.
With around 1.9 billion followers,
It is the world's second-largest religion, which comprises 24.9% of the world's population, known as Muslims. Muslims make up a majority of the population in 51 countries. About 12% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country; 31% live in South Asia, the largest population of Muslims in the world; 20% in the Middle East–North Africa, where it is the dominant religion; and 15% in sub-Saharan Africa.
7. Jainism :-
Jainism is an ancient Indian religion that follows its spiritual ideas and history through a succession of twenty-four leaders known as TIrthankaras. Jainism is considered to be eternal dharma with the Tirthankara leading every time cycle of the cosmology.
the first TIrthankaras was
Rishabhanatha, who lived millions of years ago, the twenty-third Tirthankara Parshvanatha from 8th century BCE, and the 24th Tirthankara, Mahavira around 600 BCE.
The main religious beliefs of the Jain dharma are ahiṃsā, anekāntavāda, aparigraha and asceticism. Jains take five main vows: ahiṃsā (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (not stealing), brahmacharya (sexual continence), and aparigraha (non-possessiveness). Parasparopagraho jīvānām is its motto and the Ṇamōkāra mantra is its most common and basic prayer.
Jain dharma is one of the world's oldest continuously-practiced religions. The religion has between four and five million followers, mostly in India. Outside India, some of the largest communities are in Canada, Europe, and the United States.
6. Buddhism :-
Buddhism is an Indian religion based on original teachings attributed to Gautama Buddha. It originates in India as a Sramana tradition sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, spreading through much of Asia. It is the world's fourth-largest religion, which represents over 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists.
The foundation of religion is laid by Gautama Buddha who born as Siddhārtha Gautama in the 5th or 4th century BCE.
Buddhism comprises a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on the Buddha's teachings and resulting interpreted philosophies. Two major existent departments of Buddhism are generally identified by scholars are Theravāda and Mahāyāna
The goal of Buddhism is to overcome suffering (duḥkha) caused by desire and ignorance of reality's true nature, including the non-existence of the self. Most Buddhist traditions give importance to exceeding the individual self through the attainment of Nirvana or by following the path of Buddhahood, ending the cycle of death and rebirth.
Buddhism is followed by an estimated 535 million people. Which represents 7% to 8% of the world's total population. China is the country with the largest population of Buddhists, approximately 244 million.
Over 98% of all Buddhists live in the Asia-Pacific and South Asia region.
5. Christianity :-
Christianity is an Abrahamic
monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Its adherents, known as Christians. Christians believes that Jesus is the Christ, whose coming as the Messiah was prophesied in the Hebrew Bible, called the Old Testament in Christianity, and chronicled in the New Testament.
Christianity began as a Second Temple Judaic sect in the 1st century in the Roman province of Judea.
Christianity, practices may include baptism, the Eucharist (Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper), prayer (including the Lord's Prayer), confession, confirmation, burial rites, marriage rites and the religious education of children.
It is the world's largest religion, with about 2.4 billion followers. Christians make up a majority of the population in 157 countries and territories, and
76% of Europeans, 73% in Oceania and about 86% in the Americas (90% in Latin America and 77% in North America) identified themselves as Christians.
4. Shinto :-
Shinto is a religion which originated in Japan. Shinto is Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its followers often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. practitioners are known as Shintoists. Shinto traced back to Japan's Yayoi period (300 BCE to 300 CE). There is no central authority in control of Shinto and much diversity exists among practitioners.
Shinto does not give prominence to specific moral codes although it places a major conceptual focus on ensuring purity, largely by cleaning practices such as ritual washing and bathing. Shinto has no single creator or specific doctrinal text, but exists in a diverse range of local and regional forms.
Shinto is primarily found in Japan, during the period of the empire it was introduced to various Japanese colonies.
3. Zoroastrianism :-
Zoroastrianism or Mazdayasna is one of the world's oldest continuously practiced religions. Religion is based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. Zoroastrianism has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil and an eschatology, predicting the ultimate conquest of evil by good.
Zoroastrianism promotes an uncreated and benevolent deity of wisdom, Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord), as its supreme being. The unique historical features of Zoroastrianism, such as its judgment after death, heaven and hell, and free will may have influenced other religious and philosophical systems, including Second Temple Judaism, Gnosticism, Greek philosophy, Christianity, Islam, the Baháʼí Faith, and Buddhism.
It served as the state religion of the ancient Iranian empires for more than a millennium, from around 600 BCE to 650 CE, but declined from the 7th century CE onwards after the Muslim conquest of Persia of 633–654. The current number of Zoroastrians at around 110,000–120,000 at most, with the majority living in India, Iran, and North America; their number has been thought to be declining.
The most important texts of the religion are those included within the Avesta, which encompasses as central the writings of Zoroaster known as the Gathas. Zoroaster declared that Ahura Mazda was the supreme creator, the creative and sustaining force of the universe through Asha.
2. Judaism :-
Judaism is an Abrahamic primarily ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. And it is considered as one of the oldest monotheistic religions.
Judaism has its roots as an organized religion in the Middle East during the Bronze Age. Modern Judaism evolved from ancient Israelite religion around 500 BCE. Abraham is hailed as the first Hebrew and the father of the Jewish people. As a reward for his act of faith in one God, he was promised that Isaac, his second son, would inherit the Land of Israel
Judaism's texts, traditions and values strongly influenced later Abrahamic religions, including Christianity and Islam.
With between 14.5 and 17.4 million adherents worldwide, Judaism is the tenth largest religion in the world.
roughly 0.25% of the total world population. About 43% of all Jews reside in Israel and another 43% reside in the United States and Canada, with most of the rest living in Europe, and other minority groups spread throughout Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
1. Hinduism :-
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. The word Hindu is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, many practitioners refer to their religion as Sanātana Dharma means the Eternal way, which refers to the idea that its origins lie beyond human history, as revealed in the Hindu texts. Another, though less fitting, self-designation is Vaidika dharma, the 'dharma related to the Vedas.'
Hinduism is a diverse system which include range of philosophies and shared concepts, rituals, cosmological systems, pilgrimage sites and shared textual sources that discuss theology, mythology, Vedic yajna, yoga, agamic rituals, and temple building, among other topics. Hindu beliefs include the four Puruṣārthas, the proper goals or aims of human life; namely, dharma (ethics/duties), artha (prosperity/work), kama (desires/passions) and moksha (freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth), as well as karma (action) and saṃsāra (cycle of death and rebirth). Hinduism prescribes the eternal duties, such as honesty, refraining from injuring living beings (Ahiṃsā), patience, forbearance, self-restraint, virtue, and compassion, among others. Hindu practices include rituals such as puja (worship) and recitations, japa, meditation (dhyāna), family-oriented rites of passage, annual festivals, and occasional pilgrimages. Along with the practice of various yogas, some Hindus leave their social world and material possessions and engage in lifelong Sannyasa in order to achieve Moksha.
Major scriptures of Hinduism are the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Purānas, the Mahābhārata, the Rāmāyana, and the Āgamas.
Hinduism is the most widely professed faith in India, Nepal and Mauritius. Significant numbers of Hindu communities are found in Southeast Asia including in Bali, Indonesia, the Caribbean, North America, Europe, Oceania, Africa, and other regions. Hinduism is the second fastest-growing religion in the world, after Islam with a growth of 17%.
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