II. Major Belief Systems

Seven belief systems shaped the world in 1750. The Regents tests these in two ways. First, stimulus-based questions ask you to identify a belief system from a quotation of its core teachings. Second, comparison questions ask you to identify what beliefs share or differ. You need core teachings, geographic distribution, and one or two distinctive features for each.

1. Christianity

• Type: Monotheistic, Abrahamic, founded ~30 CE by followers of Jesus of Nazareth

• Core texts: Bible (Old and New Testaments)

• Central teachings: Jesus as son of God and savior, salvation through faith, Ten Commandments, love of neighbor, resurrection and eternal life
• Major split: Catholic vs. Protestant after the Reformation (Martin Luther, 1517). Eastern Orthodox had split earlier in 1054.
• Geography in 1750: Europe, the Americas (through colonization), parts of Africa, growing presence in Philippines
• Political significance: The Pope held substantial political power in Catholic Europe. The Reformation broke the religious unity of Western Europe and helped justify new political identities (e.g., Henry VIII and the Church of England).