Churches and Religions

The most conservative branch of the Anabaptists, with its origins in a schism of the Swiss Brethren (Mennonites), led by Jakob Amman, that began in 1693: noted for their honesty, charity and refusal to use modern machinery; almost half live in the USA		Amish
Pacifist sect that emerged in 1525 from the dissidence of some of Zwingli's disciples		Anabaptists
The belief that natural objects (animals, plants as well as inanimate objects including geographical features) have spirits that need to be respected and appeased		Animism
General interest magazine of the Jehovah's Witnesses (complementary to The Watchtower) – first issued in 1946		Awake!
Term used by Rastafarians for the material Western world		Babylon
The newest of the Semitic faiths: founded 1843 in Shiraz, Persia; accepts the prophets of Judaism, Christianity and Islam		Baha'i Faith
Seventh Day Adventist sect, formed 1955 and based in Waco, Texas; most of its followers, then led by David Koresh, were killed in an FBI assault in 1993		Branch Davidian
Siddharta Gautama (563 – 484 BC)		Buddha
The Tripitaka are the sacred writings of		Buddhism
A stupa or chorten is a structure housing relics, in
The Eight–Fold Way and the Four Noble Truths are features of
Founded by Dr. John Thomas, who emigrated from England to the USA in 1832; originally known as the Royal Association of Believers, the current name (which comes from the Greek for 'Brothers in Christ') was adopted during the American Civil War to allow adherents to avoid military service on opposing sides		Christadelphians
Founded in 1866 by Mary Baker Eddy, with the aim of combining primitive Christianity with spiritual or religious healing; its "textbook" is Science and Health (with Key to the Scriptures)		Christian Science
Egypt's principal Christian church (led by the Pope of Alexandria) – to which about 10% of the population belong		Coptic Church
Chinese spiritual practice, founded in 1992 by Li Hongzhi: name has been translated (by Britannica) as "Discipline of the Dharma Wheel"; persecuted by the Communist authorities since 1999		Falun Gong
38 members committed suicide in 1997, believing that Comet Hale Bopp would take them to another world		Heaven's Gate
Main religion of India (80%) and Bali		Hinduism
Divali, or the Festival of Lights, is a major festival in
Hare Krishna is a mantra (and a sect that took its name from the mantra) of
The Bhagavad Gita (part of the Mahabharata – said to be the longest epic poem ever written) is the most widely read scripture of
Ancient Indian religion: often said to have been founded around 500 BC by Mahavira (a.k.a. Vardhamana), although its followers regard him as the 24th in a lineage of tirthankaras (saviours and teachers) through whom they trace their traditions back to around 900 BC		Jainism
Founded in 1881 by Charles Taze Russell, as Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society; became known as the Bible Students; adherents meet in Kingdom Halls		Jehovah's Witnesses
Board of Deputies is the UK governing body of		Judaism
Orthodox, Reform and Liberalism are the three main strands of		Judaism
School of thought that originated in Judaism, around 1200, in France and Spain: a New York centre was established in 1965 by Philip Berg, who set out to teach the secrets of the Torah (previously known only to elite rabbinical scholars), and was followed by others in Los Angeles, London and Toronto; adherents include Madonna, Donna Karan, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore		Kabbalah
Principal church of all the Scandinavian countries		Lutheran
Name adopted by most Anabaptists in the 16th century (after Menno Simons)		Mennonites
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is better known as the		Mormon Church
Druids' sacred tree		Oak
Cult led by Jim Jones – 913 members committed suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, 1978		People's Temple
Society of Friends: better known as		Quakers
Developed in Jamaica during the 1930s; followers believe that Haile Selassie (Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974) was the Messiah		Rastafarianism
Mass suicide or murder in Uganda, 2000		Restoration of the Ten Commandments
Church communities are known as corps, and places of worship are often known as citadels, in the		Salvation Army
Judaism, Christianity, Islam: collectively (Semetic appears to be an error)		Semitic Faiths
Now known officially as the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing; adherents invented the circular saw, washing machine and clothes pin (among many other things)		Shakers
Japanese system of beliefs: involves devotion to invisible spiritual beings and powers (kami), shrines, and various rituals; sometimes described as a school of Buddhism; encouraged by the state from 1868, but disestablished after World War II when the Emperor Hirohito renounced the idea that he was a deity in human form		Shinto
Amaterasu, the sun goddess, is one of the principal deities in		Shinto
The Guru Granth Sahib (the "first rendition" of which is known as the Adi Granth) is the holy book of		Sikhism
Members committed suicide in Switzerland, France and Quebec, 1994 and 1997; followers included Princess Grace		Solar Temple
Chinese religion, dating from the 6th century BC: Yin & Yang are symbols of harmony in		Taoism
Lamaism: religion associated with		Tibet
Founded in Seoul, 1954, by Sun Myung Moon; popularly known as the Moonies		Unification Church
Began in Poland in the mid–sixteenth century; first become formalised in Britain in 1774, when Theophilus Lindsey organised meetings with the polymath Joseph Priestley at Essex Street Church in London		Unitarianism
Followers reject the concept of the Holy Trinity, regarding the Christian God as one being, and Jesus as a saviour inspired by God – but not as God incarnate		Unitarianism
Traditional, polytheistic religion of coastal West Africa – Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Ghana; perpetuated among the African Diaspora, particularly in Haiti, in a form syncretised (reconciled) with Catholic Christianity		Vodun or Vudun (Voodoo)
Newspaper of the Salvation Army		War Cry
Religious magazine of the Jehovah's Witnesses – launched 1879 (cf. Awake!)		Watchtower
One of the world's oldest religions, dating at least to the 5th century BC: named after its Iranian founder, its supreme deity is known as Ahura Mazda (Lord of Wisdom); its Indian followers are known as Parsees (Persians)		Zoroastrianism

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Churches and Religions