Download Religion Essay Review

A.
Huang He River Valley
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B.
Taoism
a)
Lao-Tsu published Tao-te-Ching (Book of the Way)
b)
Feng Shui – the art + science of organizing living spaces to channel life forces. Geomancers are the masters.
c)
Followers are ethnic, live in harmony w/ nature, monotheistic
Confucianism
a)
Founded by Confucius (obviously)
b)
13 texts make the Confucius Classics
c)
Like Taoism, it’s monotheistic + ethnic
d)
Provided the blueprint for Chinese civilization
Easter Mediterranean Hearth
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Judaism
a)
Torah + Bible
b)
Abraham made a pact with god that if Jews worshipped God, he would protect them. Moses was the teacher.
c)
Grew out of Semitic tribes
(1)
Now an ethnic religion w/ 18 mil adherents, monotheistic
(2)
US + Israel have the most adherents
(3)
Reform + Orthodox + Conservative are the main sects
Christianity
a)
Bible
b)
Jesus of Nazareth founded it. When he was crucified, an ancient prophecy was fulfilled giving followers eternal life.
c)
Spread thru European colonization
(1)
Largest religion – 2+ billion adherents (40% of major religions), Monotheistic + Universalizing
(2)
3 main sects
(a)
East Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant
(i)
Some countries in Europe are still split b/w Protestant + Catholic
(a)
3.
C.
South Asian Hearth
1.
Switzerland
Islam
a)
Qur’an
(1)
Believe in the 5 pillars and that only Allah is pure
b)
Abraham fled to Medina from Mecca, starting the hejira. This began the Muslim Era. It now spreads thru relocation
migration
(1)
Fastest growing religion – 1.5 billion adherents
(2)
Focused in N Africa + SW Asia, but Indonesia has the most w/ 200 million. Monotheistic + Universalizing
(a)
2 main sects – Sunni (largest) + Shi’ite
(b)
Shi’ite = Iran = Persians. They believe Muhammad’s family members are the successors.
Hinduism
a)
Some recognize Vedas (4 sacred texts)
(1)
Brahman = god; Monotheistic/Polytheistic + Ethnic
b)
Began in Indus River
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E.
(1)
No longer in Pakistan; Cultural Landscape of Hinduism = landscape of India
c)
Karma, reincarnation, caste system (Dalits), cremate dead, Ganges is sacred
Sikhism
a)
***SYNCRETIC*** - Islam + Hinduism
Buddhism
a)
From Hinduism
b)
Siddhartha = Buddha, under the Bodhi tree
(1)
8 path fold
(2)
Enlightenment comes thru knowledge + self-work
(3)
Monotheistic + Universalizing
(a)
2 main sects – Mahayana + Theravada
Shintoism
a)
Japan
b)
Nature + Ancestor worship
(1)
Can be considered animistic, ethnic
(2)
Cremate the dead
x-Faith
Interfaith – Boundaries b/w major world faiths
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Happens a lot when religious differences = source of social division
a)
Africa’s Muslim-Christian countries
*ISRAEL + PALESTINE*
a)
Judaism vs. Islam
(1)
The Jewish people are fighting Palestinians (Arabs)
b)
Palestine is using terrorism to fight against Israel
*NIGERIA*
a)
North – Muslim, South – Christian
b)
The most fertile land is in the middle, so that’s where the most conflict takes place
*YUGOSLAVIA*
a)
A buncha people that didn’t get along w/ each other were shoved together
b)
The Serbs (majority) tried to keep the country together, and a war b/w Serbs + Croats (Muslims) began
(1)
Bosnia + Herzegovina were caught in the middle
(2)
Eventually Kosovo became a nation
(a)
Russia + Serbia do not recognize it as independent
F.
Intrafaith – Boundaries b/w a single major faith
G.
Religious Fundamentalism – movements to return to the religious foundations
1.
North Ireland
a)
Catholic vs. Protestant communities
(1)
As Protestants from Scotland came, native Catholics were discriminated upon
(2)
The Catholics begin rebelling
b)
The Protestants and Catholics distance themselves w/ activity space, and “peace walls” b/w communities are being
constructed
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H.
Result of frustration over society’s values + loss of religion
CHRISTIANITY
a)
Catholics
(1)
Holy Family Church w/ Mel Gibson
b)
Protestants
(1)
Society should be in line with the Bible
(2)
Gaining popularity
JUDAISM
a)
Kach + Kahane Chai
(1)
Radical anti-Arab group
ISLAM
a)
Drive literal translation of the Qur’an, and infidels in the Arab world
b)
Taliban
(1)
Afghanistan, haven for Jihad holy war
c)
Wahhabi Islam – the West is Evil
(1)
Founded by the Saudis
(2)
Two main goals
(a)
Rid of infidels
(b)
Get rid of modern culture + tech in the Islam tradition
Jerusalem
1.
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3.
Jews
a)
Western (Wailing) Wall at Temple Mount
Christians
a)
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Muslims
a)
Dome of the Rock
(1)
Adjacent to Western Wall
I.
Balkan Peninsula (Part of former Yugoslavia)
J.
Random Access Terms
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Imagine it as the dividing line between Catholics in the west of it and Eastern Orthodox in the, well, East + South of it
a)
West Side uses Roman alphabet, East side uses Cyrillic.
b)
Pockets of Muslims in the Middle + South
Secularism – Indifference/rejection of religion
Monotheistic – One god
Polytheistic – 2+ gods
Animistic – Inanimate objects have souls and affect human path
Diaspora – scattering of Jews
Zionism – Idea that Jews have a homeland
Indigenous religion – Local in scope, passed down thru families, reverence for nature
Shamanism – Community faith where people follow their shaman
Pilgrimage – Paying respects to a religious site
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K.
Sacred sites – Places infused w/ religious meaning
a)
Made of reverence or fear
Minarets – Towering balconies over Mosques to call people to prayer
Ethnic cleansing – Getting rid of other people/nations systematically, sometimes killing them
Hajj – Pilgrimage to Mecca
Ziarats – Non-hajj pilgrimages to other sacred sites
Cultural geography –
Cultural environment –
Cultural Ecology –
Islamization – process by which Islam spreads
Dry World - Arabian + Sahara Desert
1.
Called Arab World, Islamic World, or Middle East
a)
2.
Judaism, Christianity, Islam diffused from here
Mesopotamia
a)
Fertile Crescent, farmers, home of the two earliest hearths
b)
Believed to have survived b/c of the Hydraulic civilization theory
(1)
c)
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Irrigated farming + lots of food, control
Domesticated many things, Europeans used these ideas
Climate change may have destroyed these civilizations
a)
Agriculture b/c of changing environmental conditions
b)
Power emerged with the Persians, Greeks, Romans
c)
Zoroastrianism existed in Iran, and before 600 none of the religions had been dominant in their origin
Levant – Area from Greece to North Egypt
a)
Christianity tried to wage Holy War vs. Islam
b)
Christian minority of 25% in Lebanon
c)
Modern conflict is Judaism vs. Islam
d)
5.
L.
B/c the Ottoman Empire had very poor boundaries when it collapsed, neighboring Muslim states have conflict
Middle East is based primarily on oil
a)
South + SE part of Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, Caspian Sea region are main zones
b)
Oil wealth causes division in Islamic countries
6.
Intra-Realm migration – wealth attracted people in the realm
7.
Inter-Realm migration – flow of people from outside the realm
Random Important Facts ‘n’ Stuff
1.
When population clusters are scattered, cultural transitions are hard to discern
2.
Realms - subject to change, this has affected the world at large