Download Unit 5 - Religion

RELIGION
AP Human Geography
Religion Regions
Religion Terms
• Religion: a cultural system of beliefs, traditions and
practices often centered around the worship of a
deity or deities (god/gods)
• Universalizing Religions: Religions that seek to
convert nonbelievers to their ranks
(Christianity/Islam)
• Ethnic Religions: religions that are associated with
a particular ethnic group (Hinduism, Judaism)
•Monotheism: Belief in on Supreme Being
•Polytheism: belief in multiple gods
•Syncretic religions: the process of
combining multiple beliefs and practices
into one system
• Traditional Religions: a subset of ethnic
religions. These faiths are practiced by small
groups of people who largely live in isolated or
developing areas of the world (tribal groups in
Africa, Native American tribal groups)
• Animism: the belief that souls and gods inhabit
all or most objects, especially natural objects
such as trees, stones and bodies of water
Commonalities in Major Religions:
•Religions have a tendency to splinter
•Have a founder or key figure
•Have scriptures
•Have rituals
•Have structures for prayer or religious
rituals
•Teach a form of the Golden Rule
•Preach Peace
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Religions Jigsaw Activity
• Groups will each be assigned to read one section from the Chapter on
Religions
8C: Hinduism
8F: Christianity
8D: Buddhism
8H: Islam
8E Judaism
• As you read, you must find the following information:
•Origin of the religion (background story/history)
•Classification of religion – monotheistic, polytheistic, universalizing,
etc.
•Branches or divisions of religion
•Basic beliefs
•Key figures of worship, important people within the religion
•Scared writings
•Places of worship
•Where is it practiced today?
•How many people practice the religion?
JUDAISM
Judaism
• 14 million adherents
• Monotheistic (claims to the oldest one)
• Based on covenant with Abraham
• Scriptures: Torah – 5 books of the “Law”
• Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
• Sects
• Orthodox, Conservative, Reform
• Israel – More Jews in New York City than in Israel
• Homeland for Jewish people
• Created 1948
• Conflict between Israel and Palestine
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CHRISTIANITY
Christianity
• Emerged from Judaism – Jesus was a Jew!
• Official religion of Roman Empire – 312 CE
• Facilitated geographical spread
• Model for its bureaucratic structure
• Significant growth in Africa, Asia and Latin
America
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Christian Fundamentals
Areas of almost complete agreement:
• Sacraments of Baptism & Matrimony
• Monotheism involving one God in a trinity of persons
(referred to as a mystery)
• Blessing and sharing bread and wine at least in memory
of Jesus sacrifice
• Jesus was/is 100% God and 100% human
• Salvation comes from belief in and acceptance of Jesus
as one’s savior
• There will be a second coming at the end of time
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Christian Denominations: Sects
•Eastern Orthodox
• Greek, Serbian, Russian, Armenian, etc.
•Roman Catholic – Latin Rite & Greek Rite
• Largest single denomination in the USA
•Protestant – hundreds of denominations
• Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, etc.
•Peripheral – significant differences from the
mainstream Christian denominations
• Mormon, Jehovah Witnesses, etc.
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ISLAM
Islam
• Muhammad, prophet
• Allah (word for God)
• Monotheistic
• Major Sects: Sunni – 85% and Shiite – 15%
• Qur’an, the holy book, is sufficient to direct
all aspects of life, seen as direct word of god,
as told to Muhammad.
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Five Pillars
Five Pillars of Islam
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Belief in one God
Five daily prayers facing Mecca
Generous alms (help to poor)
Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan
Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj)
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HINDUISM
Hinduism
• Most ancient religious tradition in Asia (world?)
• Vedas – Hindu sacred texts
• May be viewed as polytheistic
• Castes
• Brahman, priestly
• Kshatriya, warrior/ruler
• Vaisya, tradesman and farmer
• Sudra, servant and laborer
• Untouchables (5th caste)
• Central belief is in reincarnation
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Characteristics of Hinduism
•No clergy or religious requirements –
•No real splintering or sects
• Can be practices in many ways & at many levels so there
was no need to “split off.”
•Each individual is seeking to comprehend the
ultimate reality while living out his/her dharma
(duty) with the goal of union with Brahman once
the cycle of reincarnation is ended.
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BUDDHISM
Buddhism
•Siddhartha Gautama/Buddha – Enlightened One
•Four Noble Truths
• Life involves suffering
• Cause of suffering is desire
• Elimination of desire ends suffering
• Right thinking and behavior eliminate desire
•Diffused from India
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Buddhism
•Nirvana
•Buddhism is a way of living that achieves release
from reincarnation and suffering
•God is not knowable, so is, therefore, not a
major concern in Buddhism
•Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) rejected the
caste system
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Buddhism
•Scriptures: Vinaya (discipline) – expanded later
•Branches:
• Theravada (south) – monk seeks own deliverance
• Mahayana (north) – role ritual
• Tibetan Lamaism – example of syncretism
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Branches of Buddhism
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Confucianism
• Confucianism: A Chinese folk religion or philosophy
that began about 2,500 years ago and that
emphasizes proper social relationships and
individual morality.
• Confucius lived from 551-479 BC in China
• Importance of loyalty to one’s parents, family and
government
• Supports an orderly state (strong government)
Taoism
• Taoism: An ancient Chinese
philosophy or religion
focused on individual
morality, self-restraint, and
humility
• Much more mystical
compared to Confucianism
• Focuses more on the
individual
Sikhism
•Sikhism: Monotheistic religion founded in
South Asia in the late 15th Century as a
reaction to perceived problems with the
teachings of Islam and Hinduism
•Offshoot of Hinduism
•Centered around the Punjab area
•Guru Nanak (founder)
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Baha’i
• Baha’i: A universalizing
religion founded in the 19 th
Century in present day Iran
and Iraq. It is practiced
today in nearly every
country.
• Main message is that all
peoples are the same
regardless of background or
religion
• Seeks to unite all people of
the world
Shintoism
• Shintoism: The traditional animistic religion of
Japan
• Believers acknowledge that kami are present in
natural objects
• People pray and honor the kami to ensure that
good fortune falls on them.
• Kami = not god or gods; spirits that are concerned
with human beings
Jainism
• Jainism: developed about the same time as
Buddhism as a reaction to Hinduism (6 th Century BC)
• Jains believe that the only way to escape the cycle of
rebirth is to cease all activity that might accumulate
bad karma
• Thus, monastic living is the only true way to
salvation: monks and nuns renounce all possessions,
wandering by foot for much of their lives, begging
for food and trying not to harm any living thing.
African Tribal Religions
• African Tribal Religion: A catch all term that refers
to many individual religions in Africa that have
some things in common.
• Most are forms of animism
• Focus is on maintaining order in society and life, not
on eternal salvation
• Failure to respect the gods might bring a bad
harvest or infertility
Religion & Politics
• Freedom of religion
• Historically the exception rather than the “rule.”
• Theocracy
• Church rules directly – government based on
“scriptures.”
• Separation of church and state
• Islamic fundamentalists oppose it – favor theocracy
• Instituted by United States Constitution to preserve
religious freedom.
• Terrorism – unacceptable resort of those who feel
marginalized – usually more about power than it is
about religion (emotional excuse for violence)
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Social Impact of Religion
• Gender roles
• Women’s rights, duties, obligations, opportunities, etc.
• Patriarchal or matriarchal societies
• Diet and food preparation restrictions
• Kosher – rule related to how acceptable food is prepared
• Pork – forbidden to Jews & Muslims
• Beef – unacceptable to Hindus – many are vegetarians
• Alcohol – forbidden to Muslims
• Ethics and morals
• Guidelines for the “good” life
• Schools and social and medical institutions
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Religion and Environment
•Burial practices
•Origin of the world
• All have some creation story which usually indicates the
place of humans in that creation
•Relationship with nature
• Exploitive approach – Christianity in practice rather in
teaching
• Adaptive approach – Animism and most “Eastern”
religions
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