Follow the Leader Trivia Quiz

Answer: Manichaeism

At the age of twelve Mani was blessed with a vision that instructed him to walk away from his father's sect and start to preach the "true word" of Jesus. He would have a similar vision at age 24. He travelled to India to study Hinduism and a range of other extant philosophies.

His form of Gnostic Christianity would bring together elements of both Hinduism and Buddhism, and highlighted the need for followers to work toward purification and greater devotion.

Answer: The Religious Society of Friends

Fox was an English Dissenter (Protestant Christians who moved away from the Church of England) and was uncompromising when it came to his Christian beliefs and faith. He was radical in his approach and detested ritual showings of prestige. He founded the Quaker movement (the Religious Society of Friends) in 1624 as a religion that promoted equality, meditation, silence and a strong acknowledgement of the Scripture.

He was often persecuted for his beliefs and preaching. William Penn (of Pennsylvania) became a convert.

Answer: Buddhism

The name 'Dalai Lama' means Ocean of Wisdom and became commonly used in 1578 with the third of the dynasty. The Dalai Lama is the primary monk in the Buddhist religion, and historically, is also the governor of Tibet. The Dalai Lama decides to be reborn and when he dies a child born about the same time as the Dalai Lama dies is considered for the role. Since China took over Tibet, Buddhist leaders have indicated that the next Dalai Lama will not be born in a country governed by China.

Answer: Yogi Transcendental Meditation

Mahesh Prasad Varma, who would later change his name to Maharishi Mahesh, was born to a warrior caste Hindu family in Jabalpur in 1917. He studied in 1940 and soon became a follower of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati. He would study meditation for twelve years before moving to the Himalayas to deepen his experience.

His first organisation was the Spiritual Regeneration Movement and it was one of a number of such operations that came under his banner of transcendental meditation. It was a movement that grew rapidly and attracted numerous celebrities, of which the most famous were the Beatles.

Answer: Missionaries of Charity

Born in Skpoje in 1910, legend has it that Teresa felt a calling from God at an early age. She moved to India after only a few months of training, completed her vows in 1931 and adopted her name after St Therese of Lisieux - the patron saint of missionaries. Deeply moved by the poverty that surrounded her in Calcutta she set up an order called The Missionaries of Charity, an organisation devoted to serving the destitute around the globe.

She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and was canonized in 2016.

Answer: Jainism

Mahavira was born in 582 BC (going by Digambara Jain teachings) or 599 BC (according to Svetambara Jain texts). He was a strong advocate of non-violence. In his view there should be "non-injury" to all living beings; to cause harm to them would bring about bad karma.

In addition he preached the disciplines of truth, chastity, non-attachment and non-stealing. His symbol is the lion and he is usually depicted in a meditative position, either sitting or standing.

Answer: Philosophical movement

Ukraine born Blavatsky is said to have travelled widely during her teenage years and was introduced to the spiritual adepts, the Masters of the Ancient Wisdom, who instructed her to travel to Tibet to develop a deeper understanding of religion, philosophy and science.

She eventually found her way to New York where she set up the Theosophical Society in conjunction with her friends Henry Olcott and William Judge in 1875. Two years later she would publish her teachings and understandings in the book "Isis Unveiled".

Answer: Society of Jesus (Jesuits)

Saint Ignatius of Loyola was a Basque Spanish priest, responsible for the founding of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). The Jesuits acted as missionaries and were bound by a vow of special obedience to the Pope. They would benefit from this and emerge as a significant entity, particularly during the Counter-Reformation. Ignatius is remembered for a simple set of meditations and prayers he created.

These along with some other mental training he published in a book called "Spiritual Exercises" in 1548. Ignatius died in 1556, was beatified in 1609 and canonized in 1622.

Answer: Salvation Army

The English-born Booth switched to Methodism is his early adult years and was a staunch believer in Christianity, particularly evangelical, but he became frustrated at the lack of opportunities to preach in the Methodist church and decided to go solo.

In 1865 he and his wife, Catherine, formed the Christian Revival Society, dedicated to helping the poor in East London. Not only did they provide food and shelter to the needy, but they also took the time to try and save them spiritually. In 1878 they changed the name to the Salvation Army because Booth did not see himself as a volunteer but as a soldier of God.

Answer: Sikhism

The founder of Sikhism was born in Punjab, India and was said to have found his spiritual awakening at a very early age. He placed his efforts into studying Hinduism and Islam extensively and is remembered during this period for being rebellious and not always accepting religious dogma.

As the first of the Sikh gurus, he instructed his followers to concentrate on their spiritual aspects and teachings so that they could remove their egotism and embrace selflessness.