One way to bring some order to this multitude of faith systems, rituals, traditions and experiences is to define the Religion of Book as distinct from other types of religions.
The Religion of Book is dominated by holy scriptures that are binding the whole together.
There are holy books in almost every religion, for example the Veda literature in Hinduism or Avesta in Zoroastrianism. However, the unparalleled significance given to holy scriptures in the religions listed above (and others similar to them) into a category of their own.
Religions of Book include the largest religions in the world. According to one estimate
- Christianity: 2.1 billion
- Islam: 1.5 billion
- Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion
- Hinduism: 900 million
- Chinese traditional religion: 394 million
- Buddhism: 376 million
- primal-indigenous: 300 million
- African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million
- Sikhism: 23 million
- Juche: 19 million
- Spiritism: 15 million
- Judaism: 14 million
- Baha'i: 7 million
- Jainism: 4.2 million
- Shinto: 4 million
- Cao Dai: 4 million
- Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million
- Tenrikyo: 2 million
- Neo-Paganism: 1 million
- Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand
- Rastafarianism: 600 thousand
- Scientology: 500 thousand
No comments:
Post a Comment