What are the types and development history of religions in the world?

There are many kinds of religions in the world, and there are many ways to divide them according to different classification standards. The following are some major religions and their brief introductions:
Judaism: The religion of the Jewish people, one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world. Its doctrines are mainly based on the Tanakh (the Old Testament in Christianity), emphasizing the uniqueness of God and faith in God, observance of the law, etc. Judaism has had an important influence on the development of Christianity and Islam.
Christianity:
Catholicism: Centered in the Vatican in Rome, with the Pope as its supreme leader. It has a relatively strict system in terms of organizational structure and rituals, emphasizing the authority of the church and the continuation of tradition.
Protestantism: A sect separated from Catholicism after the Reformation in the 16th century, emphasizing personal understanding and belief in the Bible, advocating that believers communicate directly with God, and opposing some cumbersome rituals and hierarchical systems of Catholicism.
Orthodoxy: Centered in Constantinople, it has certain similarities with Catholicism in terms of doctrines and rituals, but also has its own unique traditions and characteristics. Orthodoxy has a wide range of believers in Eastern Europe, Russia and other places.
Buddhism:
Southern Buddhism: Mainly spread in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar and other countries in Southeast Asia. Its doctrine emphasizes personal practice and liberation, focusing on meditation and the practice of Buddhist teachings.
Chinese Buddhism: Spread in China, Japan, South Korea and other countries and regions. It integrates China's traditional culture and philosophical thoughts and has developed many sects, such as Zen, Pure Land, Huayan, etc.
Tibetan Buddhism: Mainly popular in Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan and other regions of China, as well as parts of Mongolia and India. It has unique religious rituals, practice methods and organizational systems, emphasizing the practice of Tantra.
Islam: It is divided into two major sects, Sunni and Shia. Sunni is the largest sect in Islam, widely distributed in the Arab world and other parts of the world; Shia is mainly distributed in Iran, Iraq, Syria and other countries and regions. The core of Islamic doctrine is to believe in the only God Allah, emphasizing the beliefs and behavioral norms of Muslims.
Hinduism: The main religion in India, with a long history and a complex doctrine system. Hinduism believes in many gods, including Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and other major gods, and also emphasizes the concepts of cause and effect, reincarnation and rebirth. The religious classics of Hinduism include the Vedas and the Upanishads.
Taoism: A native Chinese religion, with "Tao" as the highest belief. It emphasizes the harmonious coexistence of man and nature, and the pursuit of immortality and immortality. The ideas of Taoism originated from ancient Chinese philosophical thoughts and folk beliefs, with rich cultural connotations and unique practice methods.
Sikhism: Originated in the Punjab region of India, it emphasizes equality, justice and unity. Sikhs advocate force, and male believers usually have long hair, wear turbans and carry daggers.
Jainism: One of the ancient religions in India, it advocates non-violence and non-killing, and emphasizes the purity of the soul through self-cultivation and spiritual liberation.
Zoroastrianism (Zoroastrianism): Originated in ancient Persia, it worships the god of light Ahura Mazda and opposes darkness and evil. The religion had a wide influence in ancient Persia, but later gradually declined.
The history of religious development is very long and complex. Here is a brief overview:
Primitive religion stage: Primitive religion already existed in the early days of human society. The religious beliefs of this period are often related to people's awe of natural phenomena and worship of their ancestors. People believe that all kinds of forces in nature are controlled by gods, and they pray for the protection of gods through sacrifices, prayers, etc. For example, some artifacts from the late Paleolithic period (50,000-13,000 BC) are generally considered to be related to religious concepts, such as prehistoric lion-man statues, the Venus of Willendorf, cave paintings in the Chauvet Cave, and elaborate ritual burials in the Saumur area.
The development of ancient religion:
With the development of human civilization, more complex religious systems have emerged in some regions. For example, the religious beliefs of ancient Egypt were mainly polytheistic, the pharaohs were regarded as the incarnation of gods, and the pyramid texts were one of the oldest religious classics in the world.
Ancient Greek religion was also polytheistic, and its myths and legends had a profound impact on Western culture.
Judaism gradually took shape around 2000 BC, emphasizing the uniqueness of God and the belief in the covenant with God, laying the foundation for the later development of Christianity and Islam.
Religious changes in the Axial Age: The period from 900 BC to 200 BC was called the "Axial Age" by German philosopher Karl Jaspers. During this period, many figures and religious philosophical systems emerged that had an important impact on the development of human thought and religion. For example, Jainism and Buddhism emerged in India, and the founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni, advocated equality of all beings and liberation from suffering; China's Confucianism and Taoism also took shape during this period, which had a profound impact on the values ​​and beliefs of the Chinese.
Evolution of religion in the Middle Ages:
Christianity gradually became the dominant religion in Europe, and the Roman Empire declared Christianity as the state religion in 380. During the Middle Ages, the Christian Church had a huge influence in Europe, not only controlling people's spiritual life, but also having important power in politics, economy and other aspects. Many religious wars occurred during this period, such as the Crusades.
Islam rose in the Middle East and quickly spread to Asia, Africa and other regions, establishing a huge Islamic empire.
Hinduism continued to develop in India and interacted with religions such as Buddhism.
Development of modern religions: The Reformation in the 16th century caused a major split in Christianity, resulting in many sects such as Protestantism. At the same time, with the colonial expansion and geographical discoveries of Europe, Christianity spread to all parts of the world.
Diversification of modern religions: Since the 20th century, world religions have shown a trend of diversification. On the one hand, traditional religions are constantly adapting to the development of modern society, reforming and adjusting; on the other hand, some new religious movements are constantly emerging, but the influence of most new religions is relatively small.