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Why do Religions
Organize Space in
Distinctive Patterns?
Every religion organizes space
in its own way, from distinctive
houses of worship to varying
methods of disposing of the
dead.
How each religion
distributes these elements
depends on its beliefs.
PLACES OF
WORSHIP
CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
Houses of worship are important
because they are seen as SACRED
SPACES, an environment imbued
with the spirit of God.
Attendance at a COLLECTIVE
SERVICE is considered very
important to Christians.
No single architectural style
dominates in Christianity; each
denomination has its own style,
which vary by region.
CATHOLIC houses of worship are
generally very elaborate, representing the
power and wealth of the Church.
They are divided between
CHURCHES and
CATHEDRALS.
Cathedrals are the central
building of a DIOCESE
and are administered by a
BISHOP.
Usually because they largely rely on the
goodwill of their congregation, the design of
most protestant churches reflects the economic
status/size of the community they serve.
Muslim Mosques
Space for community assembly,
not specifically viewed as a
sanctified place - congregants are
sacred, not the building.
All prayer is in Islam is undertaken
while facing Mecca (salat); small
rugs in mosques are laid out in
order to facilitate this.
Distinctive feature is a minaret, a
tower where a man known as a
muezzin summons people to worship.
The two largest mosques in
the world are in Mecca and
Medina, respectively
Wealthy benefactors in
the Middle East have
been building massive
new mosques to prove
meet their Zakat
requirements and to
prove their religiosity.
SHEIKH ZAYED MOSQUE - DUBAI
Buddhist Pagodas
• Contain relics believed to
be a portion of Buddha’s
body or clothing.
• Not just one building;
usually includes tall, manytiered towers AND
surrounding gardens.
Not designed for
congregational worship;
prayer is an individual act
in Buddhism.
The central building of the SIKH faith is
the GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR.
The Sikh holy book – the Guru
Granth Sahib- is held inside the
Golden Temple.
Sikh temples show influence from
both Hindu and Muslim places of
worship.
Sacred
PLACES in
Universalizing
Religions
• Cities and places
associated with
the founder’s life
are endowed
with holiness.
• Some universalizing
faiths often call upon
adherents to complete
PILGRIMAGES, or trips
to sacred destinations.
• This is important in both
Islam and Buddhism.
Buddhist pilgrimage is focused
on tracing the path of the Buddha;
it involves visiting eight holy sites
in India and Nepal.
Islamic pilgrimage, called
the Hajj, is a requirement
for all able Muslims to
complete in their lifetime.
Sacred
SPACES in
ETHNIC
RELIGIONS
Ethnic religions are closely
tied to the physical geography
of their hearth, often focused
on RESOURCES like water
and the harvest.
These forces are often
associated with gods or
spirits.
Hinduism is closely tied to
physical geography of India; the
holiest places are riverbanks and
coastlines.
Hindus believe that they
achieve purification by bathing
in holy water, like the Ganges.
Ethnic Religion
 Holidays closely aligned with natural
events and physical geography of the
homeland.
 Celebration of seasons and harvests
Universalizing Religion
 Major holidays relate to events in the
life of the founder.
Solstice
LONGEST (Summer) & SHORTEST
(winter) days of the year. Special
significance in some ethnic religions.
Stonehenge is a prominent
remnant of a pagan structure
dedicated to the Solstice.

Disposing of the Dead
 Burial
 Christians, Muslims, and Jews
typically bury the deceased in
designated areas called cemeteries.
 Each has their own rites for preparing a
body for burial.
RELIGIOUS TOPONYMS
Roman Catholics
frequently give
religious place names to
settlements; visible in
the U.S. Southwest and
Quebec
Hierarchical Religions
 Organize territory into administrative
units; the faiths are rigidly ordered.
 Leaders are accountable to someone
higher-up in the chain of command.
 Roman Catholic Church is the best
example, but some PROTESTANT
denominations are hierarchical, like
Episcopalians and Methodists.
CATHOLIC HEIRARCHY OF POWER
(bottom to top)
PRIEST
Presides over CONGREGATION
>
BISHOP
Presides over DIOCESE
>
ARCHBISHOP
Presides over ARCHDIOCESE
>
POPE (from ‘Pontiff,’ or BRIDGE)
Locally Autonomous Religions
• No religious hierarchy
• No formal territorial
organization
• Many local forms
HINDUISM, JUDAISM and
most PROTESTANT
denominations