Prophet regarded by Christians as the Son of God; he was crucified and resurrected three days later.
David
King of Israel and considered to be the founder of Jerusalem; many of the psalms in the Old Testament are attributed to David.
Calvinism: John Calvin
Protestant religion based on the theology of John Calvin, who founded Protestantism in France.
Talmud
Compilation of writings on Jewish law by generations of scholars and rabbis.
Reformation
Protest movement initiated by Martin Luther in reaction to the morals and practices of the Catholic Church.
Koran
Sacred text of Muslims; it contains the revelations made by Allah to the prophet Muhammad.
The Great Schism
Split between the Church of Rome and the Eastern Orthodox Church in Constantinople; it came about because the Greeks refused to recognize the authority of the pope in Rome.
Saint Peter
Apostle of Jesus Christ who is considered to have been the first pope of Rome.
Moses
God dictated the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai.
Abraham
The first biblical patriarch who is regarded as the ancestor of the Jewish people; God made his covenant with Abraham.
Shinto
Polytheistic religion of Japan with divinities such as stars, animals and plants that personify natural forces; Shintoists venerate the emperor.
Confucianism: Confucius
Religion of China named after the philosopher Confucius, whose teachings emphasize the natural order and hierarchy of things and the importance of being in harmony with nature.
Buddhism: Buddha
Asian religion named after a sage from India who taught that the aim of life is to abolish suffering and to achieve enlightenment or nirvana.
Polytheistic religion of India made up of a complex body of ideas, beliefs and practices.
Shiism
Branch of Islam that resulted from the schism initiated by Muslims who contested the succession of Abu Bakr; they regarded Ali, son-in-law of Muhammad, as the rightful caliph.
Sunnism
Branch of Islam that observes the Sunna, a body of traditional Muslim law based on the teachings and acts of Muhammad.
Islam: Muhammad
Religion of Muslims, who believe in Allah as the sole deity; Islam was founded by the prophet Muhammad and its teachings are collected in the Koran.
