Confusianism
By: Christine LaPuma, Camila Galindo, Taylor Olson,
Origin of the Religion
Origin and finder
Confucianism originated in china by the Chinese philosopher Confucius.Basic religious beliefs
- Humaness
- Benevolence
Confucianism is a philosophy about daily conduct and the ways of everyday people.
Classification of ReligionConfucianism is an ethnic religion because the rooting of traditional value.
Branches or Divisions of the religion
There are not any branches of religion in confucianism like the other Ethnic or Universalizing religions, it stayed one religion.
Geographic Distribution
- Relocation Diffusion when Confucius traveled around China
- Hierarchical Diffusion because the Duke of Zhou was impressed with his customs and begun to rule accordingly.
Holy Places
- Home altar and village which contains the burial tomb of their ancestors
- A temple at Confucious’ birth place Qufu
- Taipei Temple and the Taiwan Temple which are two temples that perform rituals to Confucius twice a year
- Confucian Temple (Wen Miao Temple) located in Shanghai
Where is it Practiced Today
- China
- Japan
- Korea
- Vietnam
Number of Followers
- 6,111,056 people or 0.09% of the world's population
Map Illustrating Distribution of Followers Below
Confucius (Key Figure)
Confucius, the founder of confucianism, was born into a family of noble descent in the state of Lu. He traveled through China’s state, pursuing truth, kindness and perfection throughout his journey. He had a great impact on the Duke of Zhou, and convinced various nobles to rule according to certain social customs.
Holy Texts
The Confucian Classics The Book of Changes, or Yi Jing The Book of History, or Shu Jing The Book of Odes, or Shi Jing The Book of Rites, or Li JingAnnals of Spring and Autumn, or Qunqiu The Four Books Analects of Confucius1, or Lunyu Book of Mencius, or Mengzi Great Learning, or Daxue Doctrine of the Mean, or Zhongyong
Places of Worship
Lu, China was the location of where Confucius was born, Confucius Temple located at Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, in Shangdong Province, Confucian Temple (Wen Miao Temple) in Shanghai is dedicated to worship of Confucius and study of his texts
Impact on social and family structures:
-Confucianism places very little importance on laws, they believed that trust, defense, and sufficient food were essential components of a government
- Since Confucianism stressed family values and social interactions, local governments were based on social relationships. Confucianism also became a mandatory requirement for government officials who had to pass the civil exam that tests their knowledge of Confucianism
Impact on cultural beliefs and expectations:
Confucianism has been identified as the major cultural factor that explains the economic success of the Asian Five Dragons (Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan). Confucianists are expected to follow the rules of confucianism and pass them on their children.