Download Ethnic Religions - Stepek AP Human Geography

Ethnic Religions
Why Do Religions Have Different
Distributions?
• Limited diffusion of ethnic religions
– more tied to physical environment
– universalizing religions usually compete with or
intrude on ethnic religions
• Examples of syncretism:
– Christianity with African ethnic religions
– Buddhism with Confucianism in China
– Buddhism with Shinto in Japan
– Ethnic religions can diffuse with migration
• Hinduism in Guyana due to Indian diaspora
Hinduism
• 3rd largest religion in the world
– 900 million adherents
– 97% of Hindus are found in India
• rest in Nepal
• Many paths to spirituality
– Individual decides best way to worship
– Vaishnavism (Vishnu) 70%
• Incarnations (Krishna, Buddha, Jesus?, etc.)
– Sivaism (Siva) 26%
• Protector and destroyer of ignorance
– Shaktism (female consorts of Vishnu/Siva)
• Origin
Hinduism
– Basic ideas brought by Aryans (Indo-Europeans)
– Intermingled with Dravidians
– No clear founder, archaeological evidence dating from 2500 B.C.
– ‘Karmic” religion (cause and effect)
– Dharma = set of rules for caste
– Caste = social class
– Social mobility is limited, Why? discuss
• Holy places
– Riverbanks, coastlines, mountains
– Temples often located on riverbanks/water
– Ganges River is the most sacred, Varanasi = pilgrimage site
• Effects on landscape
– Overcrowding/pollution due to pilgrimages
– Hindus cremate dead = preserves land, no cemeteries BUT
» Cremation strains wood supply, pollutes water
• 14 - 15 million
Judaism
– 1/3 USA, 1/3 Israel, 1/3 elsewhere
• 15% in Europe (90% before WWII)
• Origin and diffusion
– Abraham’s migration/covenant
– Promised land ↔ monotheism
– Moses
– Exodus (escape from Egypt)
– Ten Commandments, conquest of Canaan
– Kingdom of Israel (Saul, David, Solomon)
– 10 lost tribes (Assyrians)/2 tribes remain (Babylon)
– Tribe of Judah = “Jewish”
– Diaspora (after 70 AD by Romans)
– “re-clustering” due to est. of Israel
– Zionism = movement for a Jewish homeland
The Jewish calendar
• Rosh Hashanah
– New Year
• Yom Kippur
• Autumn holidays express
worry over winter rains
– Day of Atonement
• Passover
• Sukkot
• Feast of Weeks
• Spring harvest and
sacrifices commemorated
in Exodus
• Islam’s 3rd most holy site
– Dome of the Rock
• Western “Wailing” Wall
– Solomon built 1st temple
• Destroyed by Neo-Babylonians
• Rebuilt after Babylonian Captivity
– Remnant of 2nd Temple
• Destroyed by Romans 70 AD
Jewish Symbols
• Confucianism
Chinese Ethnic
– Kong Fuzi (551 – 479 BCE)
• Proper relationships/behavior bring Religions
stability
• answers to bigger questions come
later
– metaphysics
– borrows spirituality from
Buddhism/Daoism
– Neo-Confucianism
• Daoism
– Laozi (604 – 531? BCE)
• Seek the way or “dao”
– Harmony with nature (feng shui)
– Yin and yang (the natural and spiritual
world consists of opposite forces: the
ugly and beautiful, the dark and the
light, masculine and feminine)
Animistic Religions
• African ethnic religions
– 100 million/12% of Africans
– animism
• things in nature have living spirits/consciousness
• celebration of the natural
– competition with universalizing religions
• Leads to decline (50%) in animism
• Africa now: 46% Christian/40% Muslim
• Shinto
Animistic Religions
– Japanese animism
• As state religion it previously elevated emperor as divine
(renounced after WWII)
• Temples marked by distinctive Japanese gate (torii)
– separates sacred space from the profane
• Shinto
Animistic Religions
– Japanese animism
• As state religion it previously elevated emperor as divine
(renounced after WWII)
• Temples marked by distinctive Japanese gate (torii)
– separates sacred space from the profane
– Mixed with Buddhism (syncretism) = Zen
• Other
– Isolated areas, indigenous areas
• Amazon rainforest
• Arctic Ocean (Komis/Samoyeds in Siberia, Inuit in Canada, Sami in
Scandinavia)
• Interior of SE Asia
• Interior of large Indonesian islands (Borneo and New Guinea)
• Interior of Australia (Aborigines)