etymology
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followers of Christ (Greek christos, Messiah)
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Arabic islam, "submission" (to the will of God)
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of the Kingdom of Judah
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adherents called
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Christians
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Muslims
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Jews
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date founded
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c. 30 CE
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622 CE
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c. 1800 BCE (Abraham); 6th cent. BCE (Pentateuch); or 70 CE (destruction of Second Temple)
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place founded
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Southern Levant (modern-day Israel, Palestine, and Jordan)
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Arabian Peninsula
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Southern Levant (modern-day Israel, Palestine, and Jordan)
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languages
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Aramaic and Greek
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Arabic
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Hebrew
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founders
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Jesus, Peter, Paul
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Muhammad
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Abraham, Moses
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expansion
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within 60 years, churches in major cities in Palestine, Turkey, Greece and Rome; entire Roman Empire by end of 4th cent.
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within 12 years, entire Arabian peninsula; within 100 years, Muslim world stretched from the Atlantic to China
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little expansion; mostly confined to Palestine area throughout history
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schisms
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Catholic-Orthodox (1054); Catholic-Protestant (1500s)
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Shia-Sunni (c. 650 CE)
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Reform-Orthodox (1800s CE)
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branches
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Roman Catholic; Eastern Orthodox; Protestant
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Sunni (majority), Shi'a, Sufism
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Orthodox, Reform, Conservative
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main locations
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Europe, North and South America, Africa
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Middle East, North Africa, Southeast Asia
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Israel, Eastern Europe, USA
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adherents (world)
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2.2 billion
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1.6 billion
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14 million
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adherents (USA)
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159 million
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3.3 million
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5.6 million
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adherents (Canada)
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21 million
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500,000
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350,000
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adherents (UK)
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51 million
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320,000
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texts
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Bible (Hebrew Bible + New Testament)
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Qur'an (sacred text); Hadith (tradition)
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Hebrew Bible (Tanakh); Talmud
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Hebrew Bible
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canonical; called "the Old Testament"
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noncanonical and corrupted but useful as a inspired text
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canonical
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Apocrypha
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canonical (Catholic) or useful but noncanonical (Protestant)
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noncanonical
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noncanonical but useful
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New Testament
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canonical
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noncanonical and corrupted but useful as a inspired text
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noncanonical
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creeds
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Apostle's Creed, Nicene Creed
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Six Articles of Faith
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13 Articles of Faith
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religious law
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canon law (Catholicism)
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Sharia
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Halakhah
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religious authority
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Bible (all), ecumenical councils and creeds (Catholic and Orthodox), papal decrees and canon law (Catholic), continuing revelations (Pentecostal)
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Qur'an, Hadith
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Bible, Talmud, halakhah
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doctrine of scripture
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views vary: most believe inspired by God; some believe literal Word of God, inerrant in original languages
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inspired, literal word of God; inerrant in original language
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views vary
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prophets
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Biblical prophets were true prophets of God
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Biblical prophets were true prophets; Muhammad is the final and greatest
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Biblical prophets were true prophets of God
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god(s)
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One God, who is a Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit; angels; demons; saints
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One God (Allah in Arabic); the same God revealed (imperfectly) in the Jewish and Christian Bibles
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One God: Yahweh (YHVH)
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spiritual beings
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angels and demons
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angels, demons, jinn
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angels and demons
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revered humans
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saints, church fathers
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prophets; imams (especially in Shia Islam)
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prophets
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Messiah
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Jesus Christ is the Messiah awaited by the Jews
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Sunni: the Madhi (Messiah) will come in the future; identity is known only to Allah; Shi'a: was born in 869, is now the Hidden Imam
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the Messiah will come in the future
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Jesus
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Son of God, God incarnate, Word of God, Messiah, savior of the world
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true prophet of God, whose message has been corrupted
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false prophet
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birth of Jesus
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virgin birth
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virgin birth
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normal birth
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death of Jesus
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normal death plus spiritual suffering
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Jesus did not die, but ascended bodily into heaven (a disciple died in his place)
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normal death
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resurrection of Jesus
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affirmed
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rejected, because Jesus did not die; he ascended into heaven during crucifixion
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denied
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second coming of Jesus
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affirmed
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affirmed
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denied
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revelation
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through Prophets and Jesus (as God Himself), recorded in Bible
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through Muhammad, recorded in Qur'an
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prophets, recorded in Hebrew Bible
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human nature
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Created good but all inherit "original sin" from Adam, causing a tendency to evil
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born with equal ability to do good or evil
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two equal impulses, one good and one bad
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salvation
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correct belief, faith, good deeds, sacraments (Protestants emphasize faith alone)
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correct belief, good deeds, Five Pillars
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belief in God, good deeds
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predestination
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affirmed by most denominations
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affirmed
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afterlife
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Resurrection of body and soul; eternal heaven or hell (most denominations); temporary purgatory (Catholicism)
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eternal Paradise or eternal Hell
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Not emphasized; views vary: no afterlife, shadowy existence, World to Come (similar to heaven), Gehenna (similar to hell), reincarnation
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view of Christianity
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true religion
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respected as fellow "People of the Book" but have wrong beliefs and only partial, corrupted revelation
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false interpretation and expansion of Judaism
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view of Islam
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respected as a fellow monotheistic religion, but Muhammad is not seen as a true prophet
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true religion
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false interpretation and expansion of Judaism
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view of Judaism
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true religion but with incomplete revelation
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respected as fellow "People of the Book" but have wrong beliefs and only partial, corrupted revelation
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true religion
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house of worship
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church, chapel, cathedral, basilica, meeting hall
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mosque
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synagogue, temple, schul
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day of worship
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Sunday
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Friday
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Saturday
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clergy/leaders
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priest, bishop, archbishop, patriarch, pope, pastor, minister, preacher, deacon
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imams
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rabbis
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practices
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prayer, Bible study, baptism, Eucharist (Communion), church on Sundays, numerous holidays
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Five Pillars: Faith, Prayer, Alms, Pilgrimage, Fasting. Mosque services on Fridays. Ablutions before prayer. No alcohol or pork. Holidays related to the pilgrimage and fast of Ramadan.
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Circumcision at birth, bar/bat mitzvah at adulthood, observing Sabbath, wearing tallit and tefilin, prayer services
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major holidays
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Easter, Christmas, saints' days (some denominations)
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Al-Hijra, Ramadan, 'Id Al-Fitr
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Hanukkah, Rosh Hashanah, Purim
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symbols
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Cross, dove, anchor, fish, alpha/omega, chi rho
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Star and crescent; name of Allah in Arabic; color green; mosque silhouette
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Star of David, chai, hamsa, tree
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