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The Top Dozen Religions of the World
Listed by number of adherents worldwide

What are the largest religions of the world? What are their membership statistics, relative size, locations, rankings? Find out now simply by looking at the table and map below:

Religion:Members:
Christianity 2 Billion
Islam 1.2 Billion 
Hinduism 785 Million 
Buddhism 360 Million 
Judaism 17 Million
Sikhism 16 Million
Baha'i5 Million
Confucianism5 Million
Jainism 4 Million
Shintoism3 Million
Wicca.7 Million
Zoroastrianism .2 Million

To put this in perspective, consider the map, below, showing the distribution of adherents to all the major world religions. (Because this map is so large, you will be able to view it in its own window. Note: the window can be increased or decreased in size to allow viewing the map in full resolution.)



More about Christianity
More about Islam
More about Hinduism
More about Buddhism
More about Judaism
More about Zoroastrianism
More about Jainism
More about Sikhism
More about Scientology

Sacred Spaces
Churches and cathedrals, temples and mosques, sacred shrines and holy mountains, as well as rivers, lakes and streams ... every religious tradition has its sacred places. This gallery of photographs focuses on some of the most noted of these, illustrating how the world's people carve out a place for the holy even in the world of time and space. Enjoy.

Christianity is the largest religion in the world, but given the differences between and among the different denominations, one might speak of the world's "Christianities" and then ask:

Christians: Who Are They; Where are They
Our map is color coded to show the world wide distribution of Christians according to country and population density.

The Families of Christianity
Christianity is a tremendously diverse movement that is often seen as being divided into several family groups. While it is difficult to describe or depict this diversity, our tables and maps are a good a place to start.

The Protestant Denominations of North America
Ever wonder what distinguishes and identifies the various Protestant denominations? Here is a list of these churches with their logos and links to their websites.

Eastern Orthodox Christians
One of the three major branches of Christianity, the Orthodox Churches are lesser known in North America, but prevail elsewhere. Their traditions, theology, art, liturgy, and practices are distinct and well worth deeper study.

Numbers in our table are highly conjectural, but are extrapolated from several serious, and in some cases, scholarly efforts to rank world religions by size, including:

Charles Henderson

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If you want to talk with someone in person,  please feel free to call 917-439-2305

The Rev. Charles P. Henderson is a Presbyterian minister and is the author of God and Science (John Knox Press, 1986).  
A revised and expanded version of the book is appearing here.
God and Science (Hypertext Edition, 2015).
He is also editor of a new book, featuring articles by world class scientists and theologians, and illustrating the leading views on the relationship between science and religion:
Faith, Science and the Future (CrossCurrents Press, 2017).

Charles also tracks the boundry between the virtual and the real at his blog: Next World Design, focusing on the mediation of art, science and spirituality in the metaverse.  

For more information about Charles Henderson.
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