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Religions
Where Are Religions Distributed?
Religion
• Religion distinguishes itself from other
belief systems by its emphasis on the
sacred (holy) and divine (heavenly or
godly spirit).
• Religions usually explain the
relationship of the individual to the
world, as well as the meaning of life and
death.
Origins of Religions
• Universalizing religions attempt to appeal to all people, not
just those living in a particular location.
• Universalizing regions have precise places of origin.
• Often based on events in the life of an influential man.
• Ethnic religions have a relatively concentrated spatial
distribution whose principles are likely to be based on the
physical characteristics of the particular location.
• Ethnic religions are not tied to single historical individual; often
have unclear or unknown origins.
• Often remain within the culture where they originated.
• Typically have relatively more clustered distributions than do
universalizing religions.
• Ethnic religion with largest number of followers is Hinduism.
• 900 million adherents, nearly all concentrated in India and Nepal
Universalizing religions
• The three main universalizing religions are:
• Each attempts to be global in its appeal to all people, not just
those living in one location.
Universalizing Religions
• Each universalizing religion is
divided into subgroups:
• Branches is a large basic division
within a religion.
• Denominations are divisions of
branches that unite local groups in
a single administrative body.
• Sects are relatively small groups
that do not affiliate with the more
mainstream denominations.
Major religions of the world as a percent of the world population
• There are many different
religions in the world, but
most people who call
themselves religious adhere to
the few religions on the chart.
• ~58% of the world's
population identifies with
Christianity, Islam, or Buddhism.
5 Major World Religions
Diffusion of Religions
• Asia is home to each hearth for
Christianity, Islam, and
Buddhism.
• Followers transmitted the
messages preached in the
hearths to people elsewhere
(missionaries)
• Each of the three main
universalizing religions has a
distinct diffusion pattern.
History of Religion
Christianity
• This universalizing religion has the most followers and the most
widespread distribution.
• It is the predominant religion in:
•
•
•
•
North America
South America
Europe
Australia
Origins of Christianity
•
•
•
•
Founded: ~2,000 years ago
Founding: Based on teachings of Jesus
Origin: Region located in present-day Palestine
Hierarchical Diffusion
• Emperor Constantine helped diffuse the religion throughout
the Roman Empire by embracing Christianity.
• Relocation Diffusion
• Missionaries, individuals who help transmit a religion
through relocation diffusion, initially diffused the religion
along protected sea routes and the excellent Roman roads.
• Migration and missionary activity by Europeans since 1500
have extended Christianity all over the world.
• Permanent resettlement in the Americas, Australia, and
New Zealand
Christianity
Three major branches include…
1. Roman Catholic – 51% of the world’s Christians; concentrated in Latin America,
Quebec, Central Africa, South and Eastern Europe)
2. Protestant – 24% of the world’s Christians; strong in N. America, S. America, Northern
Europe, Britain, South Africa, and Australia
3. Orthodox – 11% of the world’s Christians; prevalent in Eastern Europe and Russia
Christianity in the United States
Patterns have been determined
primarily because of
migration/settlement patterns.
Branches of Christianity in the United States
• Catholic: ~20%
• Protestant: ~46%
• Orthodox: ~0.5
• LDS: ~1.6%
Islam
• It is the second largest religion in the world.
• It is the predominant religion in:
• Middle East from North Africa to Central Asia
• Indonesia
• Pakistan
• Bangladesh
• It is also the youngest of the world religions.
• The religion is diffusing rapidly to other areas.
Origin of Islam
• Founded: ~1,500 years ago
Mosque
• Founder: Prophet Muhammad
• Origin: Makkah (Mecca) located in
present-day Saudi Arabia
• Muhammad’s successors organized
followers into armies and led a
conquest to spread the religion over
an extensive areas of Africa, Asia,
Europe
• Relocation diffusion of missionaries
to portions of sub-Saharan Africa and
Southeast Asia transmitted the religion
well beyond its hearth.
The Quran contains
several verses
regarding the origin of
the Ka’ba. It states
that the Kaaba was the
first House of
Worship, and that it
was built by Ibrahim
and Ishmael on God's
instructions.
Ramadan is the ninth month in the
Islamic calendar. (June 6, 2016- July 5,
2016) It is a holy month when Muslims
around the world focus on prayer, fasting,
giving to charity, and religious devotion.
Each day during Ramadan, Muslims do not
eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. They
are also supposed to avoid impure thoughts
and bad behavior. Muslims break their daily
fasts by sharing meals with family and
friends. The end of Ramadan is celebrated
with a three-day festival.
Islam
Two major branches include…
1. Sunni
• 83% of all Muslims
• Largest branch in most Muslim
countries in Southwest Asia and
North Africa
2. Shiite (Shia)
• 16% of all Muslims
• Most live in Iran
• Also in Pakistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan,
Iraq, Afghanistan, Oman, Yemen
and Bahrain
Islam
The split between Sunni and Shiite branches
occurred over the rightful successor to
Muhammed, the religion’s founder.
• The Sunni believed that Muhammed’s successor
should be chosen by agreement among the
religion’s leaders.
• The Shiite believe that the successor should be a
member of Muhammed’s bloodline.
• Differences led to conflict that created hostilities
that have continued through the years.
Islam
• Only two countries in the Middle East are
majority Shiite: Iran and Iraq.
• All the rest, with the exception of
Lebanon (half and half) and Israel
(Jewish), are majority Sunni.
• Historically, there have been many
tensions between the two groups.
Iraq's Civil War
• Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people
around the world.
• The word comes from 'budhi', 'to awaken'.
• It has its origins about 2,500 years ago in India when
Prince Siddhartha Guatama, known as the Buddha,
was himself awakened (enlightened) at the age of 35.
• To many, Buddhism goes beyond religion and is more
of a philosophy or 'way of life'. It is a philosophy
because philosophy 'means love of wisdom' and the
Buddhist path can be summed up as:
(1) to lead a moral life,
(2) to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions
(3) to develop wisdom and understanding.
Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhist temples
Buddhist monks
Bodhi Tree
Buddhism
• Diffused relatively slowly from its origin in
northeastern India.
• Emperor Asoka accredited with much of its diffusion
throughout the Magadhan Empire (273 to 232 B.C.).
• Missionaries sent to territories neighboring the
empire.
• Buddhism was introduced to China along trade routes
in the first century A.D.
• The religion diffused along the Silk Road across the
Indian Ocean to East and Southeast Asia primarily.
• Today, the predominant religion in India is Hinduism
(ethnic religion).
Buddhism
Three major branches include…
1. Mahayana
• 56 percent of Buddhists
• Located primarily in China, Japan, and
Korea
2. Theravada
• 38 percent of Buddhists
• Located primarily in Cambodia, Laos,
Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand
3. Vajrayana (Tantrayana)
• 6 percent of Buddhists
• Located primarily in Tibet and Mongolia.
China:
Not religious
(Chinese tradition)
Buddhism
Christianity
Islam
87%
6%
2%
1.7%
Other Universalizing Religions
• Sikhism stresses continual improvement
and movement toward perfection through
individuals taking responsibility for their
own actions.
• Baha’i is a relatively new faith founded in
Iran in 1844. Most followers live in Iran
• It combines Hinduism and Islam but centers
its teaching on the founder, Nanak
• Followers are concentrated in the Punjab
region of India.
Ethnic Religions
Ethnic religions- appeal primarily to one group of people living in
one place.
• 26 percent of world’s population practices an ethnic religion.
A combination of Buddhism (a universalizing religion) with
Confucianism, Taoism, and other traditional Chinese practices is
practiced in East Asia and Southeast Asia.
• Blending or combining of several traditions is known as
syncretism.
Animism is an ethnic religion whose followers believe that
inanimate objects or natural events, such as natural disasters, have
spirits and conscious life.
• 100 million Africans adhere to animism.
• Confucianism and Shintoism
With the Earth’s surface dominated by four large religions, expansion of the territory occupied by one religion
may reduce the territory of another.
Ethnic Religions
Judaism
• First recorded religion to espouse monotheism, belief
that there is only one God.
• Contrasts polytheism- the worship of a collection of gods.
• Distribution
• 2/5 live in the United States
• 2/5 live in Israel
• The rest live in Europe
• Christianity, Islam, and Judaism can trace their roots back
to Abraham.
Summary
• The world has three large universalizing religions —Christianity, Islam,
and Buddhism—each of which is divided into branches and
denominations.
• A universalizing religion has a known origin and clear patterns of
diffusion, whereas ethnic religions typically have unknown origins and
little diffusion.
• Holy places and holidays in a universalizing religion are related to the
events in the life of its founder or prophet. They are related to the local
physical geography in an ethnic religion.
• With the Earth’s surface dominated by four large religions, expansion
of the territory occupied by one religion may reduce the territory of
another.
Religious Wars in the Middle East
Conflict in the Middle East is among the world’s longest standing.
• Jews, Christians, and Muslims have fought nearly 2,000 years to control the same small strip of Land
in the Eastern Mediterranean.
• Judaism: special claim to the territory it calls the Promised Land where major events in the
development in the religion occurred.
• Islam: Muslim army conquered this land in seventh century A.D. Jerusalem is the third
holiest city to Muslims, because it is believed to be where Muhammad ascended into heaven.
• Christianity: considers it the Holy Land and Jerusalem the Holy City, because the major
events in Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection occurred there.
Conflicting Perspectives
of the Holy Land
• After the 1973 war, the Palestinians
emerged as Israel’s principal
opponent.
• Palestinians viewed themselves as the
legitimate rulers of Israel.
• Biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle
East is the status of Jerusalem.
• Peace will likely not be possible, if one
religion has political control over
Jerusalem.
Syncretism
• The fusion of two distinctive cultural traits into a
unique new hybrid trait.
Examples of Cultural Syncretism in the Americas
Due to the dramatic mixing of very different cultures, and the
often violent nature of that mixing, the Americas have a great
tradition of cultural syncretism. Consider the Rastafari
movement from Jamaica. Rastafarianism is Christian practice that
blends Ethiopian-Hebrew spirituality, 19th-century Pan African
identity, Caribbean slave religions, and yes, the spiritual use of
marijuana. Despite having so many influences, Rastafarianism is
completely unique and cannot be labeled as truly part of any of
the original sources.
The Rastafarian movement
is a unique practice but
influenced by many others
In North America, the Ghost Dance was a
popular syncretic movement amongst Native
American people in the late 19th century.
According to the founder of the Ghost
Dance, Wovoka, God showed him a vision of
his ancestors in heaven engaged in traditional
Native American culture, and taught him the
dance to reunite spirits of the living and the
dead and bring peace and prosperity back to
Native American people. Christianity here
was not adopted to protect culture against an
inquisition, but adopted as part of local
belief systems that made it their own.