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Why do Religions
Organize Space in
Distinctive Patterns?
Every religion organizes space
in its own way, from distinctive
houses of worship to varying
methods of disposing of the
dead.
How each religion
distributes these elements
depends on its beliefs.
PLACES
OF
WORSHIP
Places of worship are
sacred structures that work
to physically anchor religion
to the landscape.
In many cases, houses of worship
are the largest and most elaborate
structures in a community.
CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
Houses of worship are important
because they are seen as SACRED
SPACES, an environment imbued
with the spirit of God.
Attendance at a COLLECTIVE
SERVICE is considered very
important to Christians.
No single architectural style
dominates in Christianity; each
denomination has its own style,
which vary by region.
CATHOLIC houses of worship are
generally very elaborate, representing the
power and wealth of the Church.
They are divided between
CHURCHES and
CATHEDRALS.
Cathedrals are the central
building of a DIOCESE
and are administered by a
BISHOP.
In general, because they largely rely on the
goodwill of their congregation, the design of
most Baptist churches reflects the economic
status/size of the community they serve.
Muslim Mosques
Space for community assembly,
not specifically viewed as a
sanctified place - congregants are
sacred, not objects.
All prayer is in Islam is undertaken
while facing Mecca; mosques are
laid out in order to facilitate this.
Distinctive feature is a minaret, a tower
where a man known as a muezzin
summons people to worship.
Some of the world’s
largest mosques are
relatively new, and
have been built by
wealthy benefactors in
the Middle East.
Buddhist Pagodas
• Contain relics believed to
be a portion of Buddha’s
body or clothing.
• Not just one building;
usually includes tall, manytiered towers AND
surrounding gardens.
Not designed for
congregational worship;
prayer is an individual act
in Buddhism.
Sacred
PLACES in
Universalizing
Religions
• Cities and places
associated with
the founder’s life
are endowed
with holiness.
• Some universalizing
faiths often call upon
adherents to complete
PILGRIMAGES, or trips
to holy destinations.
• This is important in both
Islam and Buddhism.
Buddhist pilgrimage is focused
on tracing the path of the Buddha;
it involves visiting eight holy sites
in India and Nepal.
Islamic pilgrimage, called
the Hajj, is a requirement
for all able Muslims to
complete in their lifetime.
Sacred
SPACES in
ETHNIC
RELIGIONS
Ethnic religions are closely
tied to the physical geography
of their hearth, often focused
on RESOURCES like water
and the harvest.
These forces are often
associated with gods or
spirits.
Hinduism is closely tied to
physical geography of India; the
holiest places are riverbanks and
coastlines.
Hindus believe that they
achieve purification by bathing
in holy water, like the Ganges.
Ethnic Religion
 Holidays closely aligned with natural
events and physical geography of the
homeland.
 Celebration of seasons is common
Universalizing Religion
 Major holidays relate to events in the life
of the founder.
Solstice
Special significance in some ethnic
religions
Stonehenge is a prominent
remnant of a pagan structure
dedicated to the Solstice.

Disposing of the Dead
 Burial
 Christians, Muslims, and Jews
typically bury the deceased in
designated areas called cemeteries.
 Each has their own rites for preparing a
body for burial.
Cremation
Hindus wash the bodies
of the deceased with
water from the Ganges
River first, then burn
them with a slow fire on
a funeral pyre.
RELIGIOUS TOPONYMS
Roman Catholic
immigrants have
frequently given religious
place names to settlements
primarily in the U.S.
Southwest and Quebec
Hierarchical Religions
 Organize territory into administrative
units; rigidly ordered.
 Leaders are accountable to a higher-up.
 Roman Catholic Church is the best
example, but some PROTESTANT
denominations are hierarchical, like
Episcopalians and Methodists.
CATHOLIC HEIRARCHY OF POWER
PRIEST
>
BISHOP
>
ARCHBISHOP
>
POPE (From ‘Pontiff,’ or BRIDGE).
Catholic territorial units are
called DIOCESE.
Locally Autonomous Religions
• No religious hierarchy
• No formal territorial
organization
• HINDUISM&
JUDAISM are good
examples
SOCRATIVE!