1. Who is the founder of this week’s religion? Are there any other major contributors to the development of the religion?
Judaism is an oldest monotheistic religion among the three faiths f Islam and Christianity that originated in the Middle East. The religion started over 3500 years ago. The founder of the religion was Moses despite the fact that Jews draw their history back to Abraham. Other contributors of Judaism religion include Jacob and Isaac (Bbc.co.uk, 2014). The three patriarchs are the spiritual and physical ancestors of Judaism.
2. Describe the historical progression of this week’s religion. What are some key events that have helped to shape the religion’s core beliefs and practices?
Judaism ha history that dates back to over 3000 years. It has its roots in the Middle East. The ancient Israelites traced their origin to one family that started to distinguish itself from other cultures through their worship to one God. The Hebrew Bible contains this evidences that were written over a thousand years after the events that it describes. The tests associate the origin of Judaism to Abraham who was a herder and entered into a covenant with God. God promised of many heirs and an inheritance of Canaan. The texts continue to set out the chronicle of events of conflict. The events include the exodus and the issuance of Torah. This was after Joseph who had been sold to that land took the children of Israel to Egypt. They suffered and God revealed himself to his people through Torah.
3. Describe the current belief system of this week’s religion. Have there been any major changes to the religion’s beliefs and practices? If so, what are they?
The Jews believe on the existence of one God and that they have a special covenant with their God. They keep the law in exchange for the goodness of their God. The Judaism faith believes that individuals according to how much contribution they make towards holiness. They worship on the Sabbath day because they believe it is a time for rest and enjoy the delights that come with the Sabbath. The Jews belief in prayer and they communicate with God through various prayers. They have various festivals like Passover, New Year, Day of Atonement and festival of the lights. Their religious practices have remained the same but matters of technology and westernization threaten other practices.
Reference
Bbc.co.uk,. (2014). BBC - Religion: Judaism. Retrieved 17 November 2014, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/
