World Religions Timeline

World Religions Timeline

Invasion, Creation, and Migration

The Battle for Land

Religions Crossing Borders

When Religion Began

Religion Today

Zoroastrianism:

• Translation of Gatha's to English help spread the religion (1870)
• First temple built in America (1878)
• Emigration to the U.S. after establishment of Islamic Republic of Iran (1979)
• Estimated to be almost 20,000 in the U.S

Hinduism:

• Ghandi helps India gain independence from Pakistan (1947), just many of the "Fundamentalist" movements
• Approximately 1.2 millon in the U.S.

Sikhism:

• Discrimination (Islamaphobia)
• Less than 600,000 worldwide

emaze.com

Judaism:

• The Nazi Party, Hitler, and the Holocaust (1932-1939) destroyed the Jewish population
• 5.5 million in the U.S

Daoism and Confucianism:

• Strict Chinese communism makes religions controlled (1950's), but there is tolerance
• Both have religious centers located in the U.S., but majority reside in China

Islam:

• The extreme actions of the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and ISIS, leave many American's with Islamaphobia
• 3.3 million in the U.S

pintrest.com

cepdauphine.overblog.com

freepik.com

• Esoteric movements based on the Tantras (ca 1,000 CE)
• Hinduism spreads to south India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Nepal
• Completion of the Hadith, the life of Muhammad told (900 CE)
• Zoroastrianism moves to India---Parsi communities (960 CE)
• Jainist migration from South India to Northwest India (1000 CE)
• Sufi orders begin in Islam---mystical, song, and love for Allah (1050 CE)
• Separation of Roman and Byzantine churches (1054 CE)
• Zhu Xi founds Neo-Confucianism (1130 CE)
• Muslims eliminate Buddhism in North India (1200's CE)
• The Crusades---Christianity vs Islam (1096-1270 CE)
• National Confucian Academy in Korea established (1204 CE)
• Birth of the Kabbalah---Hasidism (1280 CE)
• Anti-Semitism: The Jews move to the ghettos (1200-1300's CE)
• Mongols invade Iran, Zoroastrians persecuted (1381 CE)
• Constantinople captured by the Ottoman Empire (Muslims) (1453 CE)
• Birth of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism (1469 CE)
• Sikhism officially founded (1499 CE)
• African slaves bring indigenous religions to the Western Hemisphere (1500's CE)

• Rabbis rise and synagogues are formed (300 CE)
• Intense Roman persecutions of Christians (303-311 CE)
• Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism develops in India (320 CE)
• With the help of Constantine, Christianity becomes state religion of the Roman Empire (380 CE)
• End of Christian and Jew turmoil---"Sister religions" (400 CE)
• Buddhism begins to enter China and Korea (400-420 CE)
• Bodhidharma founds Zen Buddhism (500 CE)
• Polytheistic religion in Arabia with Allah as the highest god (500's CE)
• The Code of Justinian provokes wave of anti-Semitism (527 CE)
• Shinto, as a term, is introduced as Japanese Indigenous Religion (550 CE)
• Birth of the prophet Muhammad, founder of Islam, in Mecca (570 CE)
• Beginning of Christian mission to England (596 CE)
• Muhammad visited by the angel Gabriel and God's word (609CE)
• First revelation that appears in the Qur'an
• 27th day of Ramadan

• The Second Temple Period (539 BCE-70 CE)
• Now referred to as "Judaism"
• Cyrus defeats Babylonians, second temple built
• Diaspora of the Jews
• Pharisees, Essenes, and messianic movements
• Torah is written (First 5 books of the Old Testament)
• Revolts for land--Destruction of temple by the Romans--ended all forms of Judaism expect Pharisees
• Beginning of Hindu Classical Period (400BCE)
• Laws of Manu and Bhagavad Gita
• Buddhist scripture recited and standardized (~480-410 BCE)
• Jainism split--Digambar vs. Shvetambar (460 BCE)
• Loss of Persian Empire, loss of Zoroastrianism (334 BCE)
• Daoism recognized as a religion (300 BCE)
• Daode Jing and Zhuangzi
• Mahayana Buddhism emerges (200 BCE)

religionfacts.com

• Pre-Hindu Indus Valley Civilizations flourish (3,000-1800 BCE)
• Chinese civilizations along the Yellow River (ca 3,000 BCE)
• The story of Abraham and the patriarchs that would become the Book of Genesis (2,000-1,800 BCE)
• Abraham's covenant with God, Henotheism
• Abraham and his descendants migrate to Egypt (1700 BCE)
• The Early Vedic Period (1,500-1,000 BCE)
• Aryan migration into northern India
• The spoken version of the Vedas

The events that would become The Book of Exodus (1280 BCE)

• Israel's enslavement and Moses
• The First Temple Period (950-586 BCE)
• Covenant on Sinai Mountain
• King Solomon's creation of the first temple to God in Jerusalem
• The rise of Hebrew prophets
• The split----Israel and Judah
• Assayrian Empire destroys Israel, Babylonian Empire conquers Judah and destroys the temple

Shinto:

• Very small prescence outside of Japan
• War crimes, especially the shrine in Yasukuni, is a hot topic
• 90% of people in Japan practice Shinto

Buddhism:

• Has become a "Hollywood" type of religion--clothing, yoga, incense, Buddha statues, etc
• Around 495 million worldwide

Jainism:

• Professional occupations
• Approximately 30,000 in the U.S

jainsworld.com

Christianity:

• The largest religion of the U.S with over 78% identifying as Christian
• Over 240 million
• Many denominations and churches
• Controversy with the Roman Catholic Church

New World Religions- The Church of Scientology:

• Church founded by L. Ron Hubbard (1954)
• Started off as a means to understand mental and emotional problems---turned into a religious approach
• Extremely controversial---celebrities, strange practices
• Local center here in Clearwater!

bibleencyclopedia.com

buzzfeed.com

prezi.com

pintrest.com

johnworldpeace.com

openclipart.com

emaze.com

1,000 CE

500 CE

1,000 BCE

500 BCE

Present

Christianity is Born

Introduction to New Ideals

Development of Islam

Introduction to Sikhism

historypak.com

• The birth of Zarathustra, founder of Zoroastrianism (630 BCE)
• Introduction of Dualism and Monotheism
• Ahura Mazda is the one God, with Angra Mainyu opposing him
• The birth of Mahavira, founder of Jainism (599 BCE)
• Asceticism
• Upanishadic Period (600-400 BCE)
• Early writings of the Upanishads with emphasis on reincarnation and karma
• The birth of Siddhartha Gutama, founder of Buddhism (around 550-570 BCE)
• The Four Passing Sights and The Middle Path
• Traditional dating of Laozi, founder of Daoism (575-525 BCE)
• Cyrus the Great rules in Persia- allows for religious harmony (550-530 BCE)
• The birth of Confucius, founder of Confucianism (551 BCE)
• Darius the Great rules (521-486 BCE)
• Monuments dedicated to Ahura Mazda

• The birth of Jesus (4 BCE)
• 12 disciples
• Parables, healing, miracles, equality, devotion
• The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus (~30 CE)
• Became "Jesus Christ, the Son of God"

Paul and other missionaries start churches in Eastern Roman Empire

(~46 CE)

• Conversion of gentiles
• Separation and animosity of Judaism and Christianity (70 CE)
• The New Testament begins with the Four Gospels and the Letters of Paul and John (~100 CE)
• The Life of Buddha and the Lotus Sutra are written (100 CE)
• Sassanian Empire begins to rebuild Zoroastrianism (224 CE)
• "The Golden Age"--Largest religion of the empire, again
• Wang Bi introduces Daoist concepts to Confucianism (226 CE)
• Shinto shrine founded in Japan (250 CE)
• Aborigines, power of nature, kami, stories of Izanagi and Izanami

• Finalization of Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmud by the rabbis (~600 CE)
• Emperor Gaozu builds temple at the birthplace of Laozi (618-626 CE)
• Flight of Muhammad and followers to Medina and back to Mecca (622-630 CE)
• The Hijra and the beginning of the calendar
• The death of Muhammad---sparks the rise of the Shi'as and the Sunnis (632 CE)
• Shi'a branch established (656 CE) and defeated by the Sunnis (680 CE)
• Islamic conquests in Christianity's area of origin (from 635 CE)
• Rapid expansion of Arab rule begins under the rule of the "Rightly Guided Caliphs" (635 CE)
• Arabs take over Sassanian Empire, Islam replacing Zoroastrianism as the official religion (640 CE)
• Confucianism, Shinto, Daoism, and Buddhism coexist---writing system, literature, philosophy and art are shared ( beginning in the 600's CE)
• Buddhist temples are built, hindering Daoism (691 CE)
• Kojiki and Nihongi, important Shinto writings, were written (712-720 CE)
• Emperor Han Yu suppresses Buddhism (beginning 768 CE)
• Shari'a, Islam religious law, completed (850 CE)

• Roman Catholic missionaries to Japan and Europeans in India (1500's CE)
• English church becomes independent of Rome
• The Mughai (Muslims) rule in north India (beginning 1526 CE)
• Guru Ram Das founds the city of Amristar and builds the The Golden Temple (1574 CE)
• The pilgrims arrive in North America, bringing Christianity (1620 CE)
• Sikhism is a developed religion with the help of Guru Arjan Dan (1581-1606 CE) who made Amristar the capital, began the Guru Granth, and became a martyr for their religion
• Emperor Leyasu bans Christianity from Japan, persecuting them (1614 CE)
• Zoroastrians flee to India, to avoid Islam conversion (1642 CE)
• Guru Gobind Singh finishes the Guru Granth and forms the Khlasa (1675-1708 CE) The Dasam Granth was created after his death.
• Wahhabi Islam movements begin (1703 CE)
• Afghan invaders massacre Zoroastrians (1719 CE)
• First english translation of the Bhagavad Gita (1794 CE)
• Jewish emancipation from Christian and state control in Europe (1800's CE)
• Reform, Orthodox, and Conservative movements
• Meji Restoration---separation of Shinto and Buddhism (1869 CE)
• Japan grants religious freedom (1873 CE)

wikipedia.org

en.qantara.de

sikhism.blogspot.com