Faith CoLab: Tapestry of Faith: Building Bridges: A World Religions Program for 8th-9th Grades

Leader Resource 2: Chart of Religions

Data is from a now-defunct website (adherents.com) compiled and managed by Preston Hunter; updated 2007. 

Chart of Religions

Faith Tradition

Adherents Worldwide

Date of Origin

Atheism and Agnosticism

1.1B

unknown

Indigenous religions worldwide

300M

unknown

Hinduism, indigenous to India

900M

unknown

Shintoism, indigenous to Japan

4M

unknown

Judaism

14M

1300 BCE

Jainism

4.2M

1300 BCE or older

Zoroastrianism

2.6M

1000 BCE

Taoism

20M (conservative estimate)

550 BCE

Buddhism

376M

520 BCE

Confucianism

6M (conservative estimate)

500 BCE

Christianity (all)

2.1B

30 CE

Roman Catholicism

1B (also included in "Christianity" above)

30 CE; emerged from the religion spread by apostles of Jesus

Islam

1.5B (940 Sunni)

622 CE

Eastern Orthodox Christianity

350M

schism with Church of Rome, 1054 CE; emerged earlier in local areas to the east of Europe

Sikhism

23M

1500 CE

Protestantism (the Reformation)

NA

1517 CE

Quakers

300K

1650 CE

Unitarianism

NA

emerged out of Anglican and Protestant religions in18th century; theology is much older

Universalism

NA

emerged out of Protestantism in 18th century; theology is much older

Mormonism

13M

1830 CE

Baha'i

7M

1863 CE

Seventh Day Adventists

10M

1863 CE

Christian Science

150-400K

1879 CE

Jehovah's Witnesses

6.5M

1879 CE

Humanism

unknown

Ancient roots: organizations in 20th century

Unitarian Universalism

800K

UUA organized in 1961 CE

Wicca

1-3M

1900 CE