Download Universalizing Religions

Religion
a fundamental part of human culture
Can have a profound effect on human interaction with their environment and other cultures
thereby shaping the development of a people’s cultural landscape
Religion
Although religious affiliation is on the
decline in some parts of the world’s core
regions, it still acts as a powerful shaper of
daily life, from eating habits and dress
codes to coming of age rituals and death
ceremonies, holiday celebrations, and
family practices in both the core and
periphery
Religion
Definitions:
relatively structured set of
beliefs & practices through
which people seek mental &
physical harmony with the
powers of the universe.
Set of stones, symbols,
beliefs, & practices that give
meaning to the practitioner’s
experiences of life though
reference to an ultimate
power of reality
A belief system and a set of
practices that recognizes the
existence of a power higher
than humans
Religion
Religion encompasses
ancestral or cultural
traditions, writings, history,
and mythology, as well as
personal faith and religious
experience
Through rituals religion is
celebrated (birth, marriage,
death, etc.)
Religion doesn’t just explain
natural forces but helps
people make sense of their
place in the world.
Religion
Religion is one of the most
complex, and often
controversial, aspects of the
human condition.
Definitive trait of a culture
and highly territorial
phenomenon with links to
the spirit of a place, ethnicity,
and nationality
Example
Core component of culture
Often lies at the root of
conflict
Virgin of Guadalupe
Types of Religions
Proselytic
Example: Christianity
seeks new members and aims
to convert mankind
Ethnic
Example: Judaism
Identified with a particular
ethnic or tribal group and
doesn’t seek converts
Syncretic
Syncretism
Example: Brazil – Umbunda
Combines elements of two or
more belief systems
Orthodox
Russian Orthodox
Emphasizes purity of faith,
“right teaching”
Types of Religions
Polytheistic
Belief in more than one
god, or goddess
Hinduism?? , Voodoo
Monotheistic
Belief in one god, or
goddess
Islam, Christianity, Judaism
Animistic
Centered on the belief that
inanimate objects, such as
mountains, boulders, rivers,
and trees, possess spirits and
should therefore be revered.
Universalizing vs. Ethnic Religions
Universalizing Religions
Have universal appeal and attract all
people to their beliefs
Examples:
Christianity, Islam, Buddhism
Universalizing religions can be
broken down into:
Branches:
Large fundamental divisions
within a religion
Denominations:
60% of world follows a
universalizing religion
Ethnic religions
Attempt to appeal to only one group
One place or one ethnicity
Examples:
Judaism, Hinduism
Groups of common
congregations within a branch
Sects:
Smaller groups that have
broken away from a recognized
denomination within a branch
Religion Families
Abrahamic
Christianity
Islam
Judaism
Baha’I faith
Rastafarianism
Indian
Hindu
Buddhism
Sikhism
Jainism
Religion Families
African
Primal Indigenous
African traditional
African Diasporic
Far East
Taoism
Confucianism
Shinto
Codaism
Yiguando
Chinese folk
Religion Families
Other
Juche
Spiritism
Neopaganism
Ah-E Haqq
Yazidism
Scientology
Fundamentalism
Intolerance of other religions
Today there are several
movements in Christianity,
Judaism, Hinduism, and
Islam
Signals a return to
founding principles, or
literal interpretations of
the text
Often leads to violence
Example: bombing of
abortion clinics, 9-11
Universalizing Religions
Christianity
Islam
Buddhism
Sikhism
Ba’hai
Christianity
Largest universalizing religion
2 billion adherents
Predominate in:
North America
South America
Europe
Australia
Origin
Palestine (Israel)
Doctrine
10 commandments
Founder
Jesus of Nazareth
Date: 30 C.E.
Diffusion
Initially
Relocation- Migration
missionaries
Expansion
Contagious- Roman Empire
Branches of Christianity
Roman Catholic
Protestant
Europe: SW, East
Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, etc.
South America
Europe: Northwest
North America = 40% (NW, SE)
North America= 28% (highly
clustered)
Headed by Pope
Receive grace from sacraments
Eucharist
Reformation- Martin Luther
Oct 31, 1517
Individuals could directly
communicate with God
Eastern Orthodox
Europe: SE, East
Middle East
Ruled by Patriarchs
Split with Roman Catholic
teachings after 8th century C.E.
Christianity
Holy book
Bible
 Administration

Roman Catholic *hierarchical
 Pope
 Archbishops- Province
Holy places
Churches
Jerusalem
 Bishops- Diocese
 Priests- Parish

Mormons- hierarchical
 Calendar

Roman/ Protestant
 Gregorian calendar

Orthodox
 Julian calendar

Holidays
 Easter= death and resurrection of
Jesus
 Christmas= Birth of Jesus
Landscape impact
Churches
Roman Catholic
More elaborate
Cathedrals
Protestant
More plain
Orthodox
Cathedrals, Byzantine style
Cemeteries
Christians bury their
dead
Hierarchy in burials
Islam
2nd largest universalizing religion
World’s fastest growing religion
1.3 billion people
Founder
Diffusion
Military conquest after
Muhammad’s death
Then relocation diffusion
through missionaries
Muhammad
Ex. North Africa
622 C.E.
Ex. Indonesia- Arab traders
Origin
Arabian Peninsula, Middle East
Doctrine
5 Pillars of Islam
Allah one true God
Prayer 5x a day facing Mecca
Charity
Fast during Ramadan
Hajj- Pilgrimage to Mecca
Main Branches of Islam
Sunni
Sufi branch
83 % of Muslims
1% of Muslims
Middle East, Asia
More mystical dimension of
Islam
“people following the example of
Muhammad”
Succession of Muhammad
From the community
Shiite
16% of Muslims
Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Azerbaijan,
Oman, and Bahrain
Word for “sectarian”
Succession of Muhammad
Must come from familial line of
Muhammad
Islam
Holy Book
Administration
The Quran
Local autonomy
No formal religious hierarchy
Holy Places
Mecca
Birthplace of Muhammad
Secular states
Calendar
Lunar calendar
Medina
30 year cycle
Muhammad's tomb
19 years with 354 days
Jerusalem
11 years with 355 days
Muhammad’s ascension
Holidays
Holy month of Ramadan
Landscape Impact
Mosques
Central, open-air courtyard
Minaret tower
Cemeteries- Burial of dead
Art
Calligraphy
Geometric design
Buddhism
3rd largest universalizing
religion
Difficult to gage number
Doctrine
Four noble truths
8-fold path
Can be Buddhist and other religion
400 million adherents
China, SE Asia
Founder
Siddhartha Gautama
563 B.C.E.
Diffusion
Origin
India/ Nepal
No rapid diffusion
Emperor Asoka 273- 232 B.C.E.
Trade routes brought it to China
Branches of Buddhism
Mahayana
Tibetan
56 %
6%
China, Japan, Korea
Tibet and Mongolia
Split from Theravada 2000
years ago
Less demanding
More encompassing
Theravada
38%
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri
Lanka, Thailand
Oldest branch
“way of the elders”
Full-time occupation, monks
Buddhism
Holy Book
none
Holy Places
Shrines
8 sacred sites
All associated with the Buddha
4 locations of miracles
Landscape Impact
Pagodas
Contain relic of Buddha
Not designed for congregational
worship
Calendar
Holidays
Buddha's birth, enlightenment,
and death
Same day for Theravada monks
Different for others
Other Universalizing Religions
Baha’i
7 million adherents
Origin
Grew out of Babi faith
Founder: Siyyid ‘Ali
Muhammad
Shiraz, Iran
1844 C.E.
Doctrine
Believe that one of Bab’s
disciples was a prophet of God
Function: to overcome disunity
in religions and establish a
universal faith
House of Worship
Temples on every continent
Calendar
Established by Bab
19 months with 19 days, 4 “extra”
Diffusion
Followers persecuted and
exiled to Iraq
Sikhism
One of the smaller universalizing
religions
25 million adherents
Founded in the late 15th century
in present day Pakistan
Lahore
Follows teachings of Guru Nanak
Chief religious prophet
God revealed himself to Nanak
One Creator, people have capacity for
improvement on earth
Sikhs mean disciple in Hindi
Monotheistic
Syncretic religion?
Blend of Hinduism and Islam
practices and beliefs
Diffusion of Sikhism
Diffused outward from its
origin in Pakistan, particularly
towards northern India
Sikhs have a global diaspora
today and are especially
prominent in the U.S., Canada,
the UK, former British colonies
of East Africa, and Australia
High concentration of Sikhs
exist in Punjab region
Straddles Northwestern India
and Northern Pakistan
Cultural Landscapes of Sikhism
Holiest Site:
The Golden Temple
In the Punjab region
Holy Book:
Guru Granth Sahib
contains the teaching of
all its prophets, called
gurus