Religious Diversity Journeys curricula introduces diverse world religions and cultural traditions with immersive first-person learning.
Religious Diversity Journeys allows students to experience visits to five different houses of worship and one cultural journey for first-person learning about the Christian, Hindu, Islam, Jewish, and Sikh faith traditions.
About Christianity
The word “Christian” means “follower of Christ” and has been in use since sometime during the first one hundred years of the Common Era(CE).
Jesus, the central figure of the Christian religion, was born in the city of Nazareth around the year 2 Before the Common Era(BCE), and lived until about the year 30CE. Christians regard Jesus as the prophesied Messiah (In Greek: Christ) of the Biblical book Christians call the Old Testament and commonly refer to him as Jesus Christ…learn more about Christianity here.
About Hinduism
Hinduism, also known as Sanatana Dharma, is the world’s oldest living religion. A specific date of Hinduism’s origin is unknown, with most scholarship pointing to Hinduism starting in the Indus Valley of India between 2300 B.C.E. and 1500 B.C.E. Many believers, though, have long considered Hindu wisdom to have existed since before recorded time began.
In relating to other religions, Hinduism asserts that it is not only harmful, but inherently flawed to insist that one’s own path towards God is the only true and meaningful path…learn more about Hinduism here.
About Islam
Muhammad (peace be upon him)* was born in about 570 of the Common Era in the city of Mecca – in what is now the modern country of Saudi Arabia. Muhammed (PBUH) is revered by Muslims as the last and greatest of God’s human prophetic messengers. *Peace be upon him, often abbreviated as “PBUH” in English is a honor that Muslims use when writing or saying the name of their Prophet.
The world Islam means to “surrender” or “submit” to the will of God, and is closely related to the word ‘salam’, which means peace. Thus, Muslims believe that submitting to the will of God is a way to attain inner peace. ‘Allah’ is the word for ‘God‘ in Arabic…learn more about Islam here.
About Judaism
Judaism is a religion comprising the religious, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jewish people. The central religious belief of Judaism is that there is only one God. This is known as monotheism. Monotheism was uncommon at the time Judaism was born nearly 5,000 years ago. According to Jewish tradition, God revealed God’s self to Abraham, the ancestor of the Jewish people.
God revealed the Torah, which includes the Ten Commandments, to Moses. Some laws in the Torah pertain to the Jewish people’s relationship with God…learn more about Judaism here.
About Sikhism
Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak, who was born in the year 1469 of the Common Era (CE) in the Punjab region of South Asia. Punjab is a geographic area currently split between the country India and the country Pakistan.
Sikhism is a unique religion, and is not a branch of, or a blend of any other faith traditions. Many mark the Sikh faith as beginning in about the year 1500 CE, when Guru Nanak began to teach about faith principals that were very distinct from all other religious traditions of the time in India. Guru Nanak witnessed tremendous human suffering and offered a revolutionary method of living that gave equality and freedom to all…learn more about Sikhism here.
The Religious Diversity program aligns with the Michigan Department of Education Grade Level Content Expectations for the Study of World Religions and the National Council for the Social Studies: College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework.
RDJ enhances MI Department of Education Grade Level Content Expectations for the Study of World Religions by
– Origin Stories
– Historical Chronology
– Expressions of Belief and Culture
– Ethical Contributions
– Similarities and Differences Across Traditions
RDJ incorporates the National Council for the Social Studies: College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework by
– Developing Questions
– Applying Concepts and Tools
– Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence
– Communicating Conclusions Through Informed Action
Don’t see your city? Please contact us at RDJ.IFLC@gmail.com for information on how to add your school!
