Lesson 2.
Religions from
West Asia
Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems
General Academic Strand | Humanities and Social Sciences
Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam emerged in
West Asia.
2
The founders and early
followers of these
religions were greatly
influenced by the
cultures and geographic
features of the region.
3
Learning
● Cite regions or places where specific
Competenci religions evolved (HUMSS_WRB12-I/IIIb-
es
2.1).
● Analyze the culture of the region that gave
rise to specific religions
(HUMSS_WRB12-I/IIIb-2.2).
● Explain how geography influences religion
and religion affects culture
(HUMSS_WRB12-I/IIIb-2.3).
4
Learning
● Outline the significant historical events in
Objectives
West Asia.
● Explain the influences of West Asia’s
geography and culture on Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.
● Compare and contrast Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.
5
WORDS TO REMEMBER
● Eurocentric – centered on Europe or the
Europeans
● Forefather – an ancestor; a member of the
past generations of one's family
● Topography – the art or practice of detailed
graphic representation of a place using maps
or charts
6
Common Origin of the Religions from West Asia
Abraham
● Judaism: considered as Patriarch, he
traveled from Ur, Mesopotamia to fulfil the
God’s promise of land and great number of
children
● Christianity: the spiritual father of
Christians; Jesus Christ traced his roots to
him and to his descendants
● Islam: one of the important prophets 7
Common Origin of the Religions from West Asia
Monotheism
Having the same roots, the Abrahamic religions
(Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) believe that there
is one God that possess three important
attributes:
● omniscience
● omnipresence
● omnipotence
8
omnipotent
GO
D
omniscient omnipresent
The three important attributes of God
9
The Abrahamic Religions: Judaism
Torah
● also known as Torat
Moshe (The Laws of
Moses)
● refers to the first five
books of the Hebrew
Bible
● narrates the creation
story, their laws and
10
The Abrahamic Religions: Judaism
Jewish History
● Abraham as the
father of the nation
of Israel
● became the very
foundation of
Judaism’s religious
tradition and
customs 11
The Abrahamic Religions: Christianity
Jesus Christ
● proclaimed that he was
the son of God
● he was a Jewish
● his followers proclaimed
his miracles, preaching,
and teachings hence,
the beginning of
Christianity 12
The Abrahamic Religions: Christianity
The early followers of Christianity were persecuted
under the Roman Empire.
13
The Abrahamic Religions: Christianity
Constantine the Great
● ordered the Edict of
Milan that recognized
Christian practices as
"acceptable" in Roman
society
● the first Roman emperor
to convert to Christianity
14
The Abrahamic Religions: Islam
Muhammad
● the founder of Islam
(submission to the will
of God)
● Allah, through Angel
Gabriel, appeared to
him several times all
through his life to reveal
the divine truths
15
The Abrahamic Religions: Islam
Quran
● Islam’s most sacred
book
● the compilation of
Allah’s revelations and
messages
● states that Muhammad
received the first
message from Angel 16
The Abrahamic Religions: Islam
The Spread of Islam
● Muhammad was able to
unite the tribes in the
Arabian Peninsula
(caliphates).
● after Muhammad’s death,
the caliphates become
responsible in converting
the lands of West Asia and
17
JOURNEY OF ABRAHAM
18
Check
Your
Progress
Aside from the story of Abraham, are there
any other linkages that could be made
among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?
19
Influence of Geography in West Asia
● Geography played
an essential role in
the proliferation of
Judaism,
Christianity, and
Islam.
● West Asia has been
the crossroads of
people from different 20
Influence of Geography in West Asia
● West Asia connects
three continents:
Asia, Africa, and
Europe.
● The regions had
been conquered by
several ancient
civilizations and
empires. 21
Influence of Geography in West Asia
The Roman Empire occupied the region for many years, as
can be seen in many ruins scattered all throughout the
region.
22
Influence of Culture in West Asia
● West Asia had been
inhabited by the
Semites.
● Semitic culture can
be traced to the
history of the
Abrahamic religions.
23
Influence of Culture in West Asia
● Influences of Semitic
culture can be observed
in the Abrahamic
religions:
- language
- patriarchal society
- prophetic orientation
- ethical norms
- belief in divine
revelation and
24
Check
Your
Progress
Explain how the arid lands of West Asia
affected the founders and the first
followers of Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam.
25
Comparing and Contrasting Judaism, Islam, and Christianity
Table 1. A comparison of the Abrahamic religions’ main features
Feature Judaism Christianity Islam
Belief in a monotheism monotheism monotheism
Deity
Relationship direct ancestor spiritual member of the
with Abraham or patriarch ancestor line of prophets
Founder Abraham Jesus Christ Muhammad
Origin of the Ur, Galilee/Judea, Medina,
Founder(s) Mesopotamia Palestine Arabian 26
Comparing and Contrasting Judaism, Islam, and Christianity
Table 1. A comparison of the Abrahamic religions’ main features
Feature Judaism Christianity Islam
Founding Year The founding year is 1st century CE 7th century
unclear. As early as CE
1,200 BCE, Jewish
people already
existed in
archaeological
records.
27
Comparing and Contrasting Judaism, Islam, and Christianity
Table 1. A comparison of the Abrahamic religions’ main features
Feature Judaism Christianity Islam
Advancemen Jewish Diaspora Disciples went out to The unified tribes
t allowed the every part of the known of the Arabian
proliferation of world to spread the Peninsula formed a
religion in teachings of Jesus Christ caliphate and
different parts of and form Christian conquered the
the world. communities in major lands of North
cities of the Roman Africa, Palestine,
Empire. Persia, and Asian
Minor.
28
Identify if the statement is correct or not.
Try
This!
[Link] a tribe that came from
Abraham, the Jewish people
formed into a nation.
TRUE FALSE
29
Identify if the statement is correct or not.
Try
This!
[Link] the Great
conquered the Arabian
Peninsula and its nearby
regions in the 7th century.
TRUE FALSE
30
Identify if the statement is correct or not.
Try
This!
3. The Lake of Galilee is a body of
water in West Asia that links the
region to important port cities in
North Africa, Southern Europe,
and Asia.
TRUE FALSE
31
Identify if the statement is correct or not.
Try
This!
[Link] of the attributes of God is
omnipotence which refers to a
supreme being’s enormous
power.
TRUE FALSE
32
Identify if the statement is correct or not.
Try
This!
5. Emperor Nero was a Roman
emperor who accused early
Christians of burning Rome,
leading to their persecution.
TRUE FALSE
33
Wrap- ● The common roots of Judaism, Christianity, and
Up
Islam can be traced to the prophet Abraham.
Hence, the three religions are collectively called
the Abrahamic religions.
● The origin of Judaism is closely knitted to the
beginning of the Jewish people.
● Jesus Christ and his followers preached and
performed miracles. His death and resurrection
commenced the start of the Christian faith.
34
Wrap-
Up ● Muhammad was the founder of Islam. Through
20 years of divine revelation, the teachings of
Islam were established, and Muslims spread it
through the caliphates.
● The geography and culture of West Asia heavily
influenced the three monotheistic religions.
35
Challen
ge
Yourself
Choose two religions that originated from
West Asia and make an in-depth
comparison using concrete examples.
36
Photo Credits
● Slide 3: Godreligions by ApChrKey is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
● Slide 8: One of the pyramids of Giza by Mohamed Abdelrahim is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via
Wikimedia Commons.
● Slide 11: View of Wildflowers, Fields, and Lake Kinnaret (Sea of Galilee) - Israel (5710715820) by
Adam Jones is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
● Slide 17: Three main Abrahamic Religions SVG by Fuse809 is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via
Wikimedia Commons.
● Slide 20: Open Torah, the Jewish Holy Book by Lawrie Cate is licensed under CC BY 2.0 via
Wikimedia Commons.
● Slide 22: Christ in the Land Bountiful by Simon Dewey is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via
Wikimedia Commons.
● Slide 25: Entrance Mecca mosque is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
● Slide 26: IslamicGalleryBritishMuseum3 by LordHarris is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via
Wikimedia Commons.
● Slide 27: Mezquita del Viernes, Shamakhi, Azerbaiyán, 2016-09-27, DD 13-15 HDR by Diego Delso is
licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. 37
Bibliography
[Link] Editors, “Judaism,” History, September 16, 2020’
[Link]
[Link] Editors, “Islam,” History, October 8, 2019.
[Link]
Lipka, Michael, “Muslims and Islam: Key findings in the U.S. and around the world,” Pew Research Center,
August 9, 2017.
[Link]
the-world/
“Monotheism,” Merriam-Webster, October 21, 2020.
[Link]
“Story of Survival in Philippines During Holocaust,” Atlanta Jewish Time, January 22, 2020.
[Link]
38
Bibliography
Wiener, Noah, “The Origin of Christianity,” Biblical Archeological Society, October 20, 2020.
[Link]
Vajada, Georges, “Judaism,” Britannica, January 23, 2020.
[Link]
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