This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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History of Religions
History of the 3 Monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and of the main different Christianity confessions (Roman Catholicism, Eastern Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, Anglicanism and Protestantism)
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Pedagogical Approaches
New pedagogical approaches to teach history of religion
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Role of Religions in Civilization
How to didactically promote among students of different confessions, the capacity of a critical analysis and understanding of the role played by religions in the history of mankind
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Interreligious Students’ Competences
Set of teaching contents, to be used by teachers to highlight and valorize the universal values of tolerance and universalisms that all Monotheistic religions and religious texts contain to promote and sustain mutual understanding among students
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Managing Multi-Religious Classes
Teaching Sources to help teachers dealing with multicultural and multi-religious classes
Map
An interactive didactical map interactive didactical map giving access to sites with a religious relevance.-
Introduction
A comparative review of the liturgical celebrations, ceremonies and dietary rules existing in the different religions.
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Celebrations
Description and comparative analysis of the celebrations of different religions and confessions
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Ceremonies
Description and comparative analysis of the ceremonies of different religions and confessions
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Dietary Rules
Description and comparative analysis of the dietary rules of different religions and confessions
Events
The Pathway through Religions project has been promoted trough conferences and articles.
Conferences
The Pathway through Religions project was presented in a number of events in order to report about the activities carried out and the results achieved
Press Review
The Pathway through Religions project partnership made contacts with web sites focusing on the fields of educationPartnership
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Contractual Partners
From this section it is possible to access to a description of each contractual partner of the Pathway through Religions project.
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Schools
From this section it is possible to access to the information about the schools involved in the Pathway through Religions Project in the European countries involved.
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Associated Partners
As a result of the exploitation activity a number of associated partners officially joined the project in order to contribute to the improvement of the project impact on their target groups and to ensure the project sustainability by continuing using the project deliverables in the next years.
This section of the Pathway through Religions portal provides administrative information for the project contractual partners and for the European Commission and it is password protected.
History of Religions
Homepage > Teachers’ Guide > History of Religions
History of the 3 Monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and of the main different Christianity confessions (Roman Catholicism, Eastern Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, Anglicanism and Protestantism)
History and Philosophy of Religions
4. Judaism
Judaism is a monotheistic religion that originates from the covenant between God, addressed in the sacred texts by the name of Yahweh, and the Jewish people. At the origin of this alliance is the patriarch Abraham, from whom the other two great monotheistic religions, Christianity and Islam developed in the Mediterranean basin, also take inspiration. Abraham is placed in the biblical tradition at the beginning of the second millennium B.C. Although there is no historical evidence for this figure, Judaism would therefore be one of the oldest monotheistic religions. Its basic texts are contained in the twenty-four Tanakh books, whose fundamental part is represented by the first five, called the Torah; although the oral tradition is very important, being represented by the texts of Mishnah and the Talmud.
The history of Judaism is intimately linked to the Jewish people's affairs. One of the most important figures is Moses, considered the greatest prophet, but also a leader and a legislator, who led the Jewish people to the land promised to Abraham and his descendants.
Over the centuries, Judaism has passed through various organizational models, from the reign of Solomon (first half of the 10th century BC) up to 70 AD. The centre of religious life was represented by the Temple of Jerusalem. After its destruction, in Jewish religion there is no longer a real priesthood, and public worship no longer requires sacrifices, only studying and prayer activities.
In order to live according to the Torah, a Jew is required to observe the precepts that apply to his condition; among them, circumcision, observance of the Sabbath and the observance of specific food bans. Religious Jews pray three times a day, while a fourth prayer is added to Saturday and to festivals. Festivals are special days that commemorate and celebrate moments of the Jewish history, as well as some aspects of the relationship between God and the world.
The history of Judaism is intimately linked to the Jewish people's affairs. One of the most important figures is Moses, considered the greatest prophet, but also a leader and a legislator, who led the Jewish people to the land promised to Abraham and his descendants.
Over the centuries, Judaism has passed through various organizational models, from the reign of Solomon (first half of the 10th century BC) up to 70 AD. The centre of religious life was represented by the Temple of Jerusalem. After its destruction, in Jewish religion there is no longer a real priesthood, and public worship no longer requires sacrifices, only studying and prayer activities.
In order to live according to the Torah, a Jew is required to observe the precepts that apply to his condition; among them, circumcision, observance of the Sabbath and the observance of specific food bans. Religious Jews pray three times a day, while a fourth prayer is added to Saturday and to festivals. Festivals are special days that commemorate and celebrate moments of the Jewish history, as well as some aspects of the relationship between God and the world.
Online Resources
- JudaismFor a general presentation, with more references and links.
- Jewish CalendarPresentation of Jewish calendar with references and examples
- Jewish calendarExample and practical data, useful for activities with students
- Jewish festivities and traditionsGood presentation with references
Practical Activity
- Jewish Festivities and TraditionsUsing the links suggested at the end of this form, students are invited to identify a festivity in the Jewish calendar which can be linked to a tradition of their own culture.
