## TL;DR

Major world religions: Christianity (2.4B, Jesus Christ, Bible), Islam (1.9B, Muhammad, Quran), Hinduism (1.2B, oldest, diverse traditions, Vedas), Buddhism (520M, Siddhartha Gautama, Four Noble Truths), Judaism (15M, Torah, foundational to Christianity/Islam). Non-religious/unaffiliated: ~1.2B.

## Core Explanation

Christianity: Catholic (1.3B), Protestant, Orthodox — Trinity, salvation through faith. Islam: Sunni (85-90%), Shia — Five Pillars (prayer, fasting, charity, pilgrimage, faith declaration). Hinduism: karma, dharma, samsara (reincarnation), moksha (liberation). Buddhism: Four Noble Truths (suffering, cause, cessation, Eightfold Path). Sikhism (30M, Punjab, monotheistic, equality).

## Further Reading

- [The World's Religions (Huston Smith)](https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-worlds-religions-huston-smith)