The document discusses the main religions and languages found in Europe, noting that the three dominant religions are Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, and the main language families are the Germanic, Romance, and Slavic languages, which developed from Latin and ancient Greek. It provides details on the core beliefs and histories of the main religions, including their origins and holy texts, as well as information on the distribution of languages and religions across different European regions.

1. Europe:
Religion & Language
Mrs. Sample
Sixth Grade
Social Studies

2. European Language
• Many Europeans are bilingual or multilingual.
Meaning… they speak two or more languages.
• Native languages in Europe belong to the
Indo-European language family.
• The branches are Germanic, Romance, and
Slavic languages.

3. Language Families
• Germanic: Examples include German and
English.
• English is spoken in more parts of the world
than any other language.

4. Language Families
• Romance: Examples include French & Italian.
• The Romance Languages are based on Latin,
the language of ancient Romans.

5. Language Families
• Slavic:
Russian is an
example of
Slavic
languages
which are
based on
ancient Greek
letters.

6. Religions
• Main three religions in Europe include
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

8. Judaism
• Followers are called Jews
• Holy book is the Torah (Old Testament of the Bible)
• Leader is a Rabbi
• They believe they are the descendants of Abraham
and Sarah, the first people to worship “Yahweh”
(God).
• Settled the area that is now Iraq over 3,700 years
ago.
• They follow the Ten Commandments provided by
Moses from Mount Sinai on the Sinai peninsula.
• Believe Jesus was a prophet and the messiah is
coming.

9. Christianity
• Followers are called Christians
• Holy book is the bible (old testament & new)
• Old testament is the Torah and new testament is
the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
• Leader is called a priest or pastor
• They believe Jesus was God’s son- the Messiah.
• Came out of Southwest Asia. Many Jews
converted to Christianity when Jesus began
preaching in what is today Israel.
• He was convicted of treason and crucified.

10. Christianity Divides
• Two main divisions: Catholic (Pope), &
Protestant (Martin Luther)
• Majority of Christians in Europe are Catholic
and are concentrated in the southern regions
such as France, Spain, and Italy.
• More Protestants are found in the northern
countries such as Germany and the United
Kingdom.
• Most Eastern Europeans, such as Russia,
practice Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

11. Islam
• Followers are called Muslims
• Holy book is the Qur’an (Koran)
• Believe in the same god as others, but call him
“Allah”
• Leader is called an imam.
• Do not believe Jesus was the son of God.
• Follow the teachings of Muhammad who they
believe was the last prophet (they believe
Abraham, Moses, and Jesus were all prophets)
• Converted most Arabs from the Arabian peninsula
to practice Islam.

13. Islam’s Five Pillars of Faith
• The belief… “The 5 Pillars of Islam”
– 1. the profession – “There is no God but Allah,
and Mohammed is his prophet.”
– 2. prayer – 5 times a day, facing Mecca
– 3. fasting – during Ramadan (the month in
which God began to reveal the Quran to
Muhammad).
– 4. zakat – giving to the poor
– 5. make the Hajj- journey to Mecca

14. Today
• Many Muslims are immigrating to Western
Europe, making Islam the fastest growing religion
in Europe.
• Muslim populations are highest in France,
Germany, and the U.K.
• Christianity is the largest religion in the world,
while Islam is the second largest.
• There are far fewer Jewish believers in the world.
• In Europe, most Jews live in France, the U.K.
Russia, and countries once part of the Soviet
Union

15. Quick Quiz!
1. What language group is spoken in the U.S.?
2. What language group is spoken in the country shaped
like a boot?
3. What language is based on the Greek alphabet?
4. What language group is spoken in the France?
5. What faith is the historical foundation for Christianity
& Islam?
6. What faith is dominant in Europe?
7. France, Spain, and Italy follow which religion?
8. This religion is the fastest growing in Europe?
9. Most Russians follow this religion?
10.Muhammad founded this religion in the 7th century?