Student Handout 3 - Global Belief Systems—Reference Sheet and Study Guide Belief System Founder Name Location of Name of Deity Sacred Text Leadership Basic Beliefs Symbols/Icons Amount of origin followers Date Where largest started percentage of followers exist Animism No text People in this religion generally No real Shamans (Tribal Religions) Gods believe that... often founder and other Often carry charms or types of A soul or spirit exists in every Probably Today: 232 connected to amulets, which leaders; object one of the million followers the natural they believe will earliest Their All life is sacred, including in Africa, Asia, world; beliefs ward off evil human main task plants and animals, and there Oceania, and the are passed spirits, belief was to is a balance what must be Americas through encourage systems, tend to the maintained between humans stories and fertility or long most and the natural world. myths life and can be likely between The spiritual world and the explaining the used for dating to the material world are connected. creation of healing. the community The spirits of the dead are fire, wind, Paleolithic and the still present and must be water, man, used Age world of honored. and natural in ceremonies the spirits. world. and are believed to have power Belief System Founder Name Location of
Student Handout 3 - Global Belief Systems—Reference Sheet and Study Guide Belief System Name Amount of followers Where largest percentage of followers exist Name of Deity Founder Location of origin Date started Sacred Text Leadership Basic Beliefs Symbols/Icons Animism (Tribal Religions) Today: 232 million followers in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas Gods Often connected to the natural world; beliefs are passed through stories and myths explaining the creation of fire, wind, water, man, and natural world. No real founder Probably one of the earliest human belief systems, most likely dating to the Paleolithic Age No text Shamans and other types of leaders; Their main task was to tend to the between the community and the world of the spirits. People in this religion generally believe that... A soul or spirit exists in every object All life is sacred, including plants and animals, and there is a balance what must be maintained between humans and the natural world. The spiritual world and the material world are connected. The spirits of the dead are still present and must be honored. often carry charms or amulets, which they believe will ward off evil spirits, encourage fertility or long life and can be used for healing. used in ceremonies and are believed to have power Belief System Name Founder Location of