World Religions and Philosophies

Comparative Religions
Here are resources and lessons providing an overview of the comparative religious study process and materials structured to deliver a comparative study perspective on two or more religions.
World Religions - General
This section provides materials on the principles of the academic study of religion as well as general resources on sacred text, anthologies of sources, and materials organized by theme rather than belief system.
Baha'i
These lessons and resources support the academic study of Baha'i beliefs and practices. The Baha'i faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Baha'u'llah in 19th-century Persia. It emphasizes the spiritual unity of all humankind. It is a small faith group with an estimated 5.5 to 7 million adherents around the world, including the United States.
Buddhism
This section has lessons and resources for the academic study of the beliefs and practices of Buddhism, a widespread religion or philosophy, founded by Siddartha Gautama in 6th c. BCE India. There are over 300 million Buddhists worldwide divided into two main schools: Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.
Chinese Traditional Religions
This section helps users explore traditional Chinese religion through lessons and resources. Chinese traditional religion is a mixture of religious practices, which extend back thousands of years with elements of Buddhism, Chinese folk religion, Taoism, Confucianism and ancestor worship. An estimate of 394 million people practice Chinese traditional religion.
Christianity
Here is a wealth of academic material on Christianity, the world's most widespread religion, numbering over two billion adherents. A set of beliefs and practices first established in Judaism, Christians follow the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Christianity is mainly divided among Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox communities, but widely varied in doctrine and practice within those traditions.
Hinduism
Resources and lessons here relate to the academic study of Hinduism. Hinduism is a diverse body of religious, philosophical, and cultural practice native to and predominant in India but now distributed widely through migration.
American Indigenous Religions
These lessons and resources examine beliefs, stories, and spiritual practices that are integrated into the ancient and traditional ways of life of pre-contact Americans and post-contact native peoples who did not become part of or adapted European religious traditions.
Islam
Here are lessons and resources to support the academic study of Islam, a religion of the 1.5 billion Muslims widely distributed globally. Originating in the Middle East, Muslims see their monotheistic religion as an extension of God’s revelations to the Jews and Christians, through revelations to the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th c. CE.
Judaism
The resources and lessons in this section support the academic study of Judaism in public schools. Judaism is the monotheistic religion of the Jewish people of about 14 million adherents. It’s spiritual and ethical principles are embodied chiefly in the Torah but there is a broad heritage of tradition as well, of which even non religious Jews are a part.
Sikhism

Here are resources and lessons to support the academic study of Sikhism, a monotheistic religion that was founded in northern India in the 16th century by the Guru Nanak. There are about 23 million Sikh adherents, many in the United States.
Confucianism

Here are resources and lessons to support the academic study of Confucianism, an ethical and philosophical system, also described as a religion, developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551 - 479 BCE).
Secular Philosophies
This section of resources and lessons is devoted to secular ethical traditions, defined as philosophical constructs that offer principles and foundational wisdom around which people build constructive, peaceful ways of life. Some scholars estimate that secular ethical traditions and other non religious people represent about one billion people in the world today.
Other
Since it impossible to create a list of religions that includes everyone, this section is designed to provide access to academic resources about small religious groups, not included in the sections above, that are growing in influence around the world.