| Religion | Origins & History | Texts |
Atheism | Appears in history, but especially after the Enlightenment (19th cent). | Marx, Freud, Feuerbach, and Voltaire. |
Asatru |
Revival of Norse and Germanic paganism, 1970s Scandinavia and USA. | Eddas (Norse epics); the Havamal (proverbs attributed to Odin) |
Baha'i Faith |
Founded by Bahá'u'lláh, 1863, Tehran, Iran. | Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and other Bahá'í leaders |
Bön |
Indigenous religion of Tibet. | Bonpo canon |
Buddhism |
Founded by Siddharta Gautama (the Buddha) in c. 520 BC, NE India. | Tripitaka (Pali Canon); Mahayana sutras like the Lotus Sutra; others. |
Cao Dai |
Founded in 1926, Vietnam by Ngo Van Chieu and others based on a séance. | Caodai canon |
Chinese Religion |
Indigenous folk religion of China. | None |
Christianity |
Founded by Jesus Christ in c. 30 AD, Jerusalem area. | The Holy Bible (Old and New Testaments) |
Christian Science |
Founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1879, Massachusetts. | Christian Bible, Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures |
Confucianism |
Founded by Confucius (551–479 BC), China | Analects |
Deepak Chopra |
Founded by Deepak Chopra in 1991, California |
Deepak Chopra's many books, such as the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success |
Deism |
Especially popularized in the 18th-cent. Enlightenment under Kant, Voltaire, Paine, Jefferson, and others |
Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason and similar texts |
Eckankar |
Founded by John Paul Twitchell in 1965, Las Vegas. | Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad and books by Harold Klemp |
Epicureanism |
Founded by Epicurus in c.300 BC, Athens. | Letters and Principal Doctrines of Epicurus |
Falun Gong |
Founded by Li Hongzhi in 1992 in China | Zhuan Falun and other writings by Master Li |
Freemasonry |
Origins unclear; especially popular since 16th cent. in Scotland. Grand Lodge of England founded 1717. | A "Volume of the Sacred Law," which is Bible, Qur'an, or other text |
Gnosticism |
Various teachers including Valentinus, 1st-2nd cents. AD | Gnostic scriptures including various Gospels and Acts attributed to apostles. |
Greek Religion |
Variety of religions of ancient Greeks | Epic poems of Homer and Hesiod. |
Hinduism |
Indigenous religion of India as developed to present day. | The Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, etc. |
Islam |
Founded by Muhammad in 622 AD, Saudi Arabia | Qur'an (Scripture); Hadith (tradition) |
Jehovah's Witnesses |
Founded by Charles Taze Russell in 1879, Pittsburgh | New World Translation of the Scriptures |
Judaism |
The religion of the Hebrews (c. 1300 BC), especially after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD. | Bible (Tanakh), Talmud |
Mormonism |
Joseph Smith, 1830, New York | Christian Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price |
Scientology |
Founded by L. Ron Hubbard in 1954, California | Writings of Hubbard, such as Dianetics and Scientology |
Shinto |
Indigenous religion of Japan. | none |
Sikhism |
Founded by Guru Nanak, c. 1500 AD, Punjab, India. | Adi Granth (Sri Guru Granth Sahib) |
Stoicism |
Founded by Zeno in c.313 BC, Athens. | Fragments of founders plus later writers like Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius. |
Taoism |
Founded by Lao-Tzu, c. 550 BC, China. | Tao Te Ching, Chuang-Tzu |
Zoroastrianism |
Founded by Zoroaster in c.6th cent. BC, Persia. Official religion of ancient Persia. May have influenced Judaism and Vedic religion. | Zend Avesta |
