Course Summary

Refresh your teaching style by taking our World Religions for Teachers: Professional Development course. In just a few weeks, watch our video lessons and take the self-assessment quizzes to complete the course and earn professional development credits.

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8 chapters in World Religions for Teachers: Professional Development

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Week {{::cp.getGoalWeekForTopic(0, 8)}}

Ch 1. Bygone Religions {{cp.topicAssetIdToProgress[14722].percentComplete}}% complete

	Best Score
Lesson 1 - What Is Religion? - Definition & Role in Society	Take Quiz
		Take Quiz
Lesson 2 - Theories on the Origins of Religion: Overview	Take Quiz
Lesson 3 - Primal Religions: Types & Practices	Take Quiz
Lesson 4 - Mystery Cults and the Early Mother Goddess	Take Quiz
Lesson 5 - Religions of Sumer and Akkad: Definition & History	Take Quiz
Lesson 6 - What Are the Myths of Babylon? - Definition & Significance	Take Quiz
Lesson 7 - The Epic of Gilgamesh	Take Quiz
Lesson 8 - Greek Myth and Religion	Take Quiz
Lesson 9 - The Odyssey: Greek Epic	Take Quiz
Lesson 10 - Roman Myths and Religion	Take Quiz
Lesson 11 - Gods of the Home: Primal Roman Religious Practices	Take Quiz
Lesson 12 - The Religions of Meso-America	Take Quiz
Lesson 13 - The Meso-American Religious Rites of Passage	Take Quiz

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Ch 2. World Religion: Hinduism {{cp.topicAssetIdToProgress[15432].percentComplete}}% complete

			Course Progress	Best Score
	Lesson 1 - The Origins of Hinduism: the Indus River Valley & the Harappa Culture			Take Quiz
	Lesson 2 - The Vedas: Hinduism's Sacred Texts			Take Quiz
	Lesson 3 - The Vedic and Upanishadic Periods: Description, Influences & Texts			Take Quiz
	Lesson 4 - Hindu Deity: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva			Take Quiz
	Lesson 5 - The Bhagavad Gita's Story of Arjuna & Krishna: The Three Paths to Salvation			Take Quiz
	Lesson 6 - The Epic of Ramayana: Importance of the Vishnu			Take Quiz
	Lesson 7 - The Hindu Belief System: Dharma, Karma, and Moksha			Take Quiz
	Lesson 8 - Hindu Castes and the Laws of Manu			Take Quiz
	Lesson 9 - Hinduism: The Four Stages of Life			Take Quiz
	Lesson 10 - The Four Goals of Hindu Life: Kama, Artha, Dharma & Moksha			Take Quiz
	Lesson 11 - Hindu Rituals, Ceremonies, and Festivals			Take Quiz
	Lesson 12 - Mohandas Gandhi and the British Invasion			Take Quiz
	Lesson 13 - Theosophy and Hinduism's Reaction to the West			Take Quiz

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Ch 3. World Religion: Buddhism {{cp.topicAssetIdToProgress[16155].percentComplete}}% complete

			Course Progress	Best Score
	Lesson 1 - Gautama Buddha: The Founding of Buddhism			Take Quiz
	Lesson 2 - Nirvana: Enlightenment and Buddhist Salvation			Take Quiz
	Lesson 3 - The Four Noble Truths & the Eightfold Path to Enlightenment			Take Quiz
	Lesson 4 - Buddhism: The Middle Way to Enlightenment			Take Quiz
	Lesson 5 - The Three Baskets and the Dhammapada: Description & Overview			Take Quiz
	Lesson 6 - The Triple Gem of Buddhism: The Buddha, The Dharma & The Sangha			Take Quiz
	Lesson 7 - Gender Equality in Buddhism			Take Quiz
	Lesson 8 - Emperor Asoka: The Height of Buddhism			Take Quiz
	Lesson 9 - Non-violence and the Buddhist Belief System			Take Quiz
	Lesson 10 - The Branches of Buddhism: Theravada, Mahayana & Vajrayana			Take Quiz
	Lesson 11 - The Dalai Lama: Tibetan Buddhism			Take Quiz
	Lesson 12 - Chinese Buddhism and the Taoist Threat			Take Quiz
	Lesson 13 - Japanese Zen Buddhism: Description, Branches & Revival			Take Quiz

Week {{::cp.getGoalWeekForTopic(3, 8)}}

Ch 4. World Religion: Confucianism {{cp.topicAssetIdToProgress[18356].percentComplete}}% complete

			Course Progress	Best Score
	Lesson 1 - The Founding of Confucianism: Overview & Influence			Take Quiz
	Lesson 2 - Jen, Li, and the Five Relationships of Confucianism			Take Quiz
	Lesson 3 - Te: The Ethics and Rituals of Confucianism			Take Quiz
	Lesson 4 - The Ancestor Cult and the Dual Soul			Take Quiz
	Lesson 5 - Mencius Teachings and the Mandate of Heaven			Take Quiz
	Lesson 6 - Teachings of Hsun-tzu and the Evils of Man			Take Quiz
	Lesson 7 - Tung Chung-shu: Confucianism in the Han Dynasty			Take Quiz
	Lesson 8 - Neo-Confucianism, Chu Hsi vs. Wang Yang-ming			Take Quiz
	Lesson 9 - The Decline of Confucianism and the Republic of China			Take Quiz
	Lesson 10 - The Confucianism of Japan and Korea			Take Quiz
	Lesson 11 - Confucianism and Women			Take Quiz

Week {{::cp.getGoalWeekForTopic(4, 8)}}

Ch 5. World Religion: Taoism {{cp.topicAssetIdToProgress[18825].percentComplete}}% complete

			Course Progress	Best Score
	Lesson 1 - The Origins of Taoism: History, the Uncarved Block & Tao-Te Ching			Take Quiz
	Lesson 2 - Taoism as ''The Way'': Yin and Yang & the Wu-wei Concept			Take Quiz
	Lesson 3 - The Texts of Taoism: Tao-te Ching, Chuang-tzu & the Taoist Canon			Take Quiz
	Lesson 4 - Taoism: Chang Ling and the Heavenly Masters			Take Quiz
	Lesson 5 - The Classic of Great Peace: The Taoist Doctrine of Salvation			Take Quiz
	Lesson 6 - Taoist Alchemy: The Elixir of Immortality			Take Quiz
	Lesson 7 - Taoist Sects: Heavenly Masters and the Perfect Truth			Take Quiz
	Lesson 8 - Korean Taoism: History, Influence & Expansion			Take Quiz

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Ch 6. World Religion: Islam {{cp.topicAssetIdToProgress[14723].percentComplete}}% complete

			Course Progress	Best Score
	Lesson 1 - Mohammed and the Birth of Islam			Take Quiz
	Lesson 2 - The Qur'an and the Hadith: Islamic Revelation			Take Quiz
	Lesson 3 - Five Pillars of the Islamic Faith: Overview, the Quran & Sharia Law			Take Quiz
	Lesson 4 - Islamic Life and Sharia Law: Faith & Culture			Take Quiz
	Lesson 5 - The Spread of Islam and the Progress of the Caliphates			Take Quiz
	Lesson 6 - Suleiman and the Ottoman Empire: History, Culture & Exploits			Take Quiz
	Lesson 7 - Muslim Learning: Scientific, Artistic, Medical & Literary Accomplishments			Take Quiz
	Lesson 8 - Islam Divides: The Sunni and the Shiite			Take Quiz
	Lesson 9 - Off-Shoots of Islam: The Sufi and Bahai			Take Quiz
	Lesson 10 - Islamic Fundamentalism and World Politics: Wahhabi Movement, Muslim Brotherhood & Jihad			Take Quiz

Week {{::cp.getGoalWeekForTopic(6, 8)}}

Ch 7. World Religion: Judaism {{cp.topicAssetIdToProgress[14724].percentComplete}}% complete

			Course Progress	Best Score
	Lesson 1 - What's the Difference Between Polytheism and Monotheism?			Take Quiz
	Lesson 2 - The Hebrews and Their Beliefs			Take Quiz
	Lesson 3 - The Jewish Belief System: Description, Elements & History			Take Quiz
	Lesson 4 - Christian Antisemitism in Medieval Europe			Take Quiz
	Lesson 5 - Reconquista and Spanish Inquisition			Take Quiz
	Lesson 6 - Jewish Denominations: Examples & History			Take Quiz
	Lesson 7 - Jewish Holidays and Rituals: Examples & History			Take Quiz

Week {{::cp.getGoalWeekForTopic(7, 8)}}

Ch 8. World Religion: Christianity {{cp.topicAssetIdToProgress[14725].percentComplete}}% complete

			Course Progress	Best Score
	Lesson 1 - The Gospels: The Life of Christ			Take Quiz
	Lesson 2 - The Early Christian Church and Its Ties to Judaism			Take Quiz
	Lesson 3 - Paul and the Early Church Fathers			Take Quiz
	Lesson 4 - Early Critics of Christ: Pharisees and Sadducees			Take Quiz
	Lesson 5 - St. Stephen & Christians in the Roman Empire			Take Quiz
	Lesson 6 - The Conversion of Constantine and the Ascent of Christianity			Take Quiz
	Lesson 7 - St. Augustine's City of God			Take Quiz
	Lesson 8 - Charlemagne's Holy Roman Empire and the Divine Right to Rule			Take Quiz
	Lesson 9 - The Great Crusades: History and Timeline			Take Quiz
	Lesson 10 - The Great Schism Between the East and Western Churches			Take Quiz
	Lesson 11 - Thomas Aquinas' Influence on the Catholic Church			Take Quiz
	Lesson 12 - Martin Luther, the 95 Theses and the Birth of the Protestant Reformation			Take Quiz
	Lesson 13 - Religious Reform in Switzerland: Calvin & Zwingli's Teachings in the Reformation			Take Quiz
	Lesson 14 - The Seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church			Take Quiz
	Lesson 15 - The Council of Trent: The Catholic Church Survives the Reformation			Take Quiz
	Lesson 16 - The Ecumenical Movement of the 20th Century			Take Quiz

How It Works

Earn professional development credits to renew your religion teaching license with World Religions for Teachers. Brush up on world religions topics so you can better teach history, anthropology, and other topics involving religion. Learn on your own schedule and at your own pace. You can complete this course in under two weeks - perfect for teachers who need to earn religion credits in a hurry!

Watch engaging video lessons about bygone and current religions.
Check your knowledge of things like Hinduism and Judaism with practice quizzes and exams.
Ask clarification questions from our expert religion instructors.
Earn 3 college credits by taking the UExcel World Religions exam.

Always check with your school district or state Department of Education to ensure that the course credits will be accepted before beginning the course. UExcel credits are accepted by over 2,000 schools and directly by many state departments of education.

Who's It For?

World Religions for Teachers is ideal for any teachers looking to earn credits to use toward licensure renewal. The flexible, self-paced format makes it easy to fit your studies into a busy schedule. The course is fully online, so you can study anytime, anywhere. This course also benefits:

History and anthropology teachers who want to brush up on world religions
Teachers who want to incorporate engaging world religions videos into their instruction
Teachers planning a world religions unit or course
Aspiring religion teachers

Why It Works

Fun and Engaging: Animations and interesting examples make world religions easy to learn.
Expert Instructors: Expert religion instructors break difficult concepts down so they are easy to remember.
Practice Makes Perfect: Quizzes and practice exams let you review world religions terminology and key concepts and track what you've mastered.
Quick and Flexible: Learn on your own schedule and on any device. You could earn religion credits in less than two weeks.

Other Benefits

Access our full library of professional development courses for teachers, including Western Civilization to 1648 for Teachers, Sociology for Teachers, and World Conflicts Since 1900 for Teachers.
Find 10,000 engaging lessons that you can use in your classroom or assign out to students.
Watch more lessons in world religions as well as anthropology, history, geography, and other related topics.
Earn transferable college credit for dozens of courses.

Evaluate This Course

After you've worked through all or part of the course, please share your feedback with us! We take the quality of our lessons and courses very seriously and appreciate any comments on how we can improve your experience. If you'd like to let us know how effective you found this course, please fill out our survey by clicking on this link.

Course Plan for Earning Credit in Less Than Two Weeks

Follow this course plan if you want to complete World Religions for Teachers and be ready to earn transferable credit in less than two weeks. For each chapter assignment, take all of the lesson quizzes and the practice chapter exam at the end of each chapter. If you miss any questions, review the video lesson to master the concept.

Day	Assignment	What You'll Learn
Day 1	Chapter 1	Bygone Religions (theories on the origins of religion, mystery cults, Greek myth and religion, Roman myth and religion)
Day 2	Chapter 2	World Religion: Hinduism (the origins of Hinduism, the Vedas, Hindu deities, Hindu castes)
Day 3	Chapter 3	World Religion: Buddhism (nirvana, gender equality, non-violence)
Day 4	Chapter 4	World Religion: Confucianism (ethics and rituals, the evils of man, Confucianism and women)
Day 5	Chapter 5	World Religion: Taoism (the origins of Taoism, the texts of Taoism, Taoist sects, Taoist alchemy)
Day 6	Chapter 6	World Religion: Islam (Muhammad, the Qur'an, Sharia law, off-shoots of Islam)
Day 7	Chapter 7	World Religion: Judaism (difference between polytheism and monotheism, Jewish denominations, Jewish holidays and rituals)
Day 8	Chapter 8	World Religion: Christianity (early Christian ties to Judaism, early critics of Christ, the Great Crusades, religious reform in Switzerland)
Day 9	Final Exam	Take the practice final exam to see what you've mastered and make sure you are ready to earn credit for world religions

Earning Credit

Earning College Credit

Did you know… We have over 200 college courses that prepare you to earn credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. You can test out of the first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. Anyone can earn credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level.

To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page

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World Religions for Teachers: Professional Development