World Prayer Beads Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mormonism

Mormons do not use prayer beads because they associate prayer beads with rote prayers, which they do not feel reflect deep engagement with God.

Answer: Hinduism

Both Hindus and Buddhists use a set of beads called a mala as an aid to prayer. The mala usually consists of 108 beads. They are primarily used to count mantras, but can also be used when repeating the names of a deity.

Answer: Islam

The Muslim prayer beads, or masbaha, is used as an aid to memorizing verses from the Qu'ran and in reciting the 99 names of God. Most consist of a loop of 99 beads divided into three sections of 33 beads.

Answer: Into decades

Catholic rosaries are divided into groups of ten beads, or decades. Anglican rosaries, on the other hand, are divided into weeks, or groups of seven beads.

Answer: Japanese Buddhism

Juzu means "counting beads." Another name for this Buddhist prayer beads is neju, or "thought beads." The Chinese call their prayer beads shu zhu or nian zhu and the Theravada Buddhists term them seik badi.

Answer: In the late 20th century

Anglican prayer beads were created in the mid 1980s as an aid to prayer and differ from the Catholic rosary in numerous ways, including that there are 33 beads instead of 59 and prayers are not made through the intercession of the Virgin Mary. The Anglican rosary is primarily used as a tactile aid to prayer and need not represent a rigid set of particular prayers.

Answer: Latin

The term "rosary" comes from the Latin word "rosarium," which means "rose garden."

Answer: Catholicism

The veneration of Mary has been encouraged by numerous Catholic popes, and the rosary is used as a tool in this practice. The practice of the rosary has been called by Romano Guardini, a Catholic theologian, "participation in the life of Mary, whose focus was Christ."

Answer: Eastern Orthodoxy

The Eastern Orthodox, as well as Eastern Catholics, use a "prayer rope" that is usually made of silk or wool. It is typically used to count the number of times the "Jesus Prayer" is said, a short prayer that runs: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Answer: Lutheran

While Mormons, Baptists, and Presbyterians discourage the use of rosaries, the Lutheran church encourages its members to pray the rosary and uses a similar format as Roman Catholics. In lieu of the Catholic Hail Mary, Lutherans use either Martin Luther's evangelical praise of the mother of God or the pre-Trent Hail Mary, which is part of the Magnificat.