From chapters 1-5, I learned about the main features of Indigenous Religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Indigenous religions seem to be common religions within one state or have followers predominantly among members of one nation, but they are hardly as widespread as Christianity. Hinduism is a religion that is well-known worldwide, tolerated by many other beliefs, and practiced mainly in India. I believe that Hinduism is well accepted because of its traditional nature and peaceful atmosphere of the commandments. Buddhism creates a similar impression and is characterized by highly spiritual practices, which is why it is famous worldwide. Jainism is also a dharmic religion, believed to have originated in the ninth and sixth centuries BC, which preaches non-harm to any living creature. However, I still have questions regarding Indigenous religious practices and their implication in the modern world since people might not broadly practice them. In addition, I still have a question regarding Jainism and its role in the religious society compared to other dharmic religions.
Chapters 6-7 gave me a perception of the religions prevalent in East Asian countries. For example, Confucianism is one of the modern national religions of China, which was formed at the turn of the new era based on the ethical-philosophical teachings of Confucius and his followers. It intersects with the biblical story of Jesus Christ and his followers, except Confucius is more of a philosopher than a preacher. Taoism, in turn, does not particularly interested in the order of society and public decency. The most fascinating about these chapters for me was studying Shintoism, the native religion of the Japanese. The whole concept of the world of the supernatural that surrounds the faith has been worshiped by the Japanese, and it has a deep connection with national folklore. However, I am still questioning how Confucianism became a religion since this was only philosophical teaching. In addition, I wonder whether religion must have implications for gods, heaven, hell, etc.
From chapters 8-10, I learned about the most famous Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The one particular aspect that seemed especially fascinating to me is that they are completely different despite having common subjects such as the existence of Scripture and the belief in the revelation of their teachings. Consequently, I question how the religions with the exact origin happened to become significantly distinct. Moreover, which factors played the most crucial roles in forming and interpreting Abrahamic groups?