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RELIGION - Intro
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Geo asks questions WHERE? and
WHY?....where are world’s religions
distributed? Why there? Why some
widely distributed and some locally?
Like Lang, relig results in tension in
scale betwn globalization and local
diversity
Global/universalizing V.
Local/ethnic religions
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Global/universalizing religions: proselyte,
seek converts, appeal to all (Christianity,
Islam, Buddhism)
• 60% of world’s people follow univ relig
• Local/Ethnic relig: not seeking converts,
designed to appeal to 1 group, usually in one
place (Judaism, Hinduism,, Confucianism)
• 25% follow ethnic relig
• 15% no relig
Universalizing V. Ethnic Relig
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Many relig require exclusive adherence, so
adopting a global relig can require turning
away from a local one
Traditional Local/ethnic relig:
• Shamanism: NA – local leader is priest,
counselor, physician, claims conduit to
supernatural world
• Animism: local tradition mostly in Africa and
Americas – world itself seen as infused with
spiritual and supernatural powers
Culture
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Relig = critical part of culture
• Core values and beliefs come from relig
• Enmeshed with our cultural and social
systems
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Tied to pop growth
Politics
Design and structure of cities
Sacred space
Marriage, family, education, laws, health
code
Commonalities among world relig:
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Implied value system (right and
wrong)
Notion of sacred (texts and space)
Idea @ place of humans in universe
Most have creation story
Most believe in higher power/force
Most include teachings @ many
facets of life – law, politics, fitness,
diet, cleanliness, etc.
Differences
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Universalizing v. ethnic
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Monotheistic v. Polytheistic
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Evangelical/proselytizing v. NOT
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Hierarchical v. Local Autonomy
• Ex: Catholic..ex. - Protestant congregations
Organizational Divisions
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Branches: fundamental division
(Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox)
Denominations: division of branch
that unites a # of local congregations
(Methodist, Presbyterian, S. Baptist)
Sects: small group that has broken
away from a denomination
Migration Diffusion
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Migrants usually take their religion
with them, but unlike language, they
usually maintain it for several
generations.
i.e. places of immigration are usually
very religiously diverse (United
States)
World Religions
World Religions
World’s Largest Religions
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1.) Christianity – most widely diffused (all
of America’s, Europe, parts of Africa,
Australia, New Zealand)
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2.) Islam – Middle East, N. Africa,
Indonesia
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3.) Hinduism (ethnic) - India
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4.) Buddhism (difficult to measure) – East
Asia
Largest World Religions
Largest Religious Groups in US
(US = 82% Christian)
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1.) Protestant 53% (Baptist, Methodist,
Lutheran, Presbyterian)
2.) Catholic 23% (New England,
Southwest)
3.) Mormon 2% (Utah, Idaho, Arizona,
CO, Southern CA)
4.) Orthodox 1%
US Religious Distr….scale?
CHRISTIANITY – universalizing,
global religion
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Christianity - @ 2 billion followers =
world’s largest relig and most
geographically dispersed
Doctrines:
• Monotheistic
• Origins in Judaism (Old Testament)
• Christ = son of God, promised Messiah, Savior,
way to salvation
• Sacred Text: Bible (OT and NT)
• Sacred Places: Israel, holy lands
Where Distributed?
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C = major relig in all of Americas, Europe,
Australia, New Zealand, and countries w/
Christian majority exist in Africa and Asia
3 Major Branches:
• Catholic (50%), SW and E Eur, LA, parts of N.
America)
• Protestantism (25%):N. Eur, Austr, NZ, N.
America
• Eastern Orthodox (10%): 14 self governing
churches in E. Eur (i.e. Russian Orthodox, etc.)
Pope Benedict
Martin Luther
Henry VIII
Origins of Christianity
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Jesus – virgin birth in Bethlehem, literal
son of God, raised as a Jew, called
disciples, organized church, referred to as
“the Christ, Messiah,” atonement,
resurrection
• Catholics = Pope = head of church
• E. Orthodox: split from Catholics in 1054 b/c
rivalry betwn Pope in Rome and Patriarch in
Constantinople
• Protestantism: split 1517 – Martin Luther later
Henry VIII
Diffusion of Christianity
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C diffused by relocation, hierarchical, and
contagious diff
Hearth = Palestine
1st diff by relocation: after Christ’s death
missionary apostles carried his etchings
along Roman empire (i.e. Paul)
Spread within Roman empire by
contagious diff – contact betwn Christians
and Pagans
Diffusion – contd.
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Dominance was assured in Roman
empire by hierarchical diff – Emperor
Constantine converted
Migration, missionary activity, and
British colonialism (1500-today)
spread C worldwide
Acculturation: conversion and
intermarriage of natives, Africans,
etc.
Christian Calendar
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EASTER – commemorates Christ’s
resurrection and the pending resurrection
of all men
CHRISTMAS – commemorates
the birth of Christ –
Virgin Mary, literal Son of God
Organization of Space – Places of
Worship
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Church: comes from Greek word meaning
“Lord” or “Master”
“church” can refer to the bldg and the
group of people
Traditionally churches placed in town
center - largest, tallest, prettiest bldg.
Church architecture varies from branch to
branch, denomination to denomination
(Protestant churches usually more simple)
Cemeteries – bury dead underground
ISLAM – universalizing relig
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@ 1 billion followers
#2 behind Christianity
Followers found worldwide, but esp
in:
• Middle East and N. Africa
• Indonesia (most populous Muslim
country)
• Pakistan
• Bangladesh
ISLAM - Doctrines
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Also has roots in Judaism (accepts
many OT stories and prophets)
Monotheistic – one God – Allah
Prophet Mohammad = last and
greatest prophet
Koran
5 Pillars – Faith, Prayer, Pilgrimage,
Alms, Fasting
ISLAM – Distribution
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Two Major branches
• Sunni = 83% of Muslims – in ME and N. Africa
• Shiites= 16% - in Iraq, Iran and Azerbaijan
(caliph must be descended from Muhammad’s
blood line)
• Muslim pop in Eur and N. America in recent
yrs. b/c of immigration
• Arabic = lingua franca of Muslim world (Koran
in Arabic)
ISLAM - Origins
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Abraham: Hagar and Ishmael – ancestors
Muhammad & Arabic line
Muhammad – born @ 570 AD in Mecca
(Saudi Arabia). Rec’d revelations from
God through Angel Gabriel (Koran).
Gained following in Medina, returned to
Mecca & est Islam. From there diffused to
rest of ME, N. Africa, E. Asia, etc.
Diffused by Muslim Empires – Ottoman,
Mogul, Persian
ISLAM – Holy Places
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Mecca: holiest city (hajj) contains al-Ka’ba –
thought to be built by Abraham and Ishmael and
contains black stone given to Abraham by Gabriel
as sign of the covenant (in Saudi Arabia –
pilgrimage)
ISLAM – holy places cont’d
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Medina: Muhammad’s tomb here (in Saudi Arabia)
Jerusalem: Muhammad ascended to heaven here (Dome of
the Rock – pictured below)
– i.e. conflict w/ Jews
Places of worship = mosques
call to prayer by the muzzan
from the minaret tower
mosque in Indonesia
BUDDHISM – universalizing relig
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B = 3rd largest univ relig w/ 300
million followers
Founded by
the Buddha –
Siddhartha Gautama
BUDDHISM - Doctrines
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4 Noble Truths: suffering, why it
exists, how to prevent it (change
desires)
8 Fold Path – way to achieve
“Nirvana” i.e. complete redemption
(right…understanding, intention,
speech, action, livelihood, effort,
mindfulness, concentration)
Reincarnation
BUDDHISM – where distributed
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3 main branches
• Mahayanists – 56% China, Japan, Korea
• Theravadists – 38% - Cambodia, Laos,
Thailand, Sri Lanka
• Tantrayanists – 6% - Tibet, Mongolia
Actual # of Bud difficult to know b/c
doesn’t require exclusive adherence.
Many Budd also follow a local/ethnic
relig
BUDDHISM- Origins
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Founder – Siddhartha Gautama –
born 1563 BC present day Nepal.
• Son of a lord
• Led privileged life
• 4 trips changed his life
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Decrepit old man
Disease ridden man
Corpse…pain, suffering, felt guilty @ own
life
Monk – taught him @ withdrawal from world
Buddha
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At 29 yrs – fled palace, lived in forest 6
yrs meditating. Emerged as “The Buddha”
– the enlightened one. Spent 45 years
preaching views in modern day India
2 main branches
• Theravada – oldest, believe Budd is full time
occupation, become monk
• Mahayana – split off 2,000 yrs ago, less
demanding, emphasize Buddha’s self help and
introspection
BUDDHISM - Diffusion
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Began in NE India – spread east by
traveling monks to Asia
1st C – AD Merchants brought Budd to
China – truly became a Chinese religion
From China
diffused to
Korea and Japan
BUDDHISM – holy places
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Important places are assoc w/ life of Buddha in
Nepal and NE India
Pagoda: contains relics believed to be from
Buddha. Pagodas not used for congregational
worship
Temples and monasteries
used for individual
prayer and meditation
SIKHISM – universalizing relig
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@ 24 million followers almost all in
Punjab region of India
1st guru (relig teacher) in late 1400s
in present day Pakistan
God is perfect – people become like
him by continual improvement – take
resp for actions, surrender to God
Men – wear turbans, don’t cut hair
Holy Place = Golden Temple - Punjab
Sikhism
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Sikh Golden Temple
in Punjab region –
N. India
JUDAISM – Ethnic relig
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@ 6 million in US, 4 mill in Israel,
2mill in former USSR, 2 mill
elsewhere. In U.S. Jews heavily
concentrated in large cities (NYC)
Jews geographically scattered from
historical captivities and conquering
Jewish Doctrine
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1st monotheistic relig – 1 God and
Jews are his covenant people
(through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, 12
tribes)
God gave land of Canaan to Abraham
and his seed – divided among tribes
Ten Commandments
Torah – Old Testament (do NOT
accept NT or Jesus as the Christ)
Distribution/Diffusion
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Jews dispersed by Romans @ 70 ADDiaspora – scattered throughout Eur
A people w/out a nation for hundreds
of years. Some in Eur assimilated.
Others persecuted
• Russia and Romania – pogroms in late
1800s and early 1900s
• Nazis – Holocaust – 1930s-1940s
ZIONISM – the return
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Zionism – call for Jews to return to their
promised land
Always existed, but not a major
movement until the Holocaust
Holocaust survivors return to land of
Palestine – have historical and spiritual
claim on land (but Palestinians there for
2,000 yrs)
Israel recog as a nation by UN in 1948
backed by US and GB….conflict ever since
Jewish Calendar
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Rosh Hashanah – New Year
Yom Kippur – Day of Autumn
Hanukkah – Festival of Lights
Passover – commemorates Israeli
liberation from slavery in Egypt –
destroying angel passed over
Israeli’s first borns. God led Moses
with many miracles to deliver his
people to their land
Jewish Holy Places
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Synagogues
Land of Palestine – ZION
Wailing Wall – remnant of original
Jewish temple destroyed by Romans
(Muslim Dome of Rock is located just
in front…significance of shared
sacred space has fueled conflict
HINDUISM – ethnic relig
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Hind = largest ethnic religion - @
820 million
In general the 3rd largest relig
worldwide behind Christianity and
Islam
HINDUISM - Doctrines
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No single authority
Vedas - collection of sacred writings
Up to individual to decide best way
to worship God
Caste System – reincarnation – you
move up by good karma
Ahisma – do not eat any living being
- vegetarian
HINDUISM
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Where distributed – INDIA and Nepal
Origins – no specific founder. The term
“Hindusim” originally referred to people
living in India.
Diffusion – very little; not seeking
converts
Holy Places – tied to India
• Ganges River – purifies
• Temples – shrines home to various Gods
Other Ethnic Religions
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Most people in China and Japan
practice ethnic relig that co-exist w/
Buddhism. Very different from W.
concept of exclusive relig
adherence….i.e. many Chinese are
both Buddhist and Confucian
Confucianism
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Confucius – 551-479 BC– Chinese
philosopher and teacher
Emphasized ancient Chinese tradition
of “li” – correct behavior…how to
treat others, stresses responsibility,
respect, public service
Ethnic relig b/c strongly rooted in
traditional Chinese values
DAOISM (Taoism)
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Created by Lao-Zi 604-531 BC – a
contemporary of Confucius
Writings emphasized the mystical
and magical to explain events
Stresses introspection – seek dao –
the way or the path
Today in China and Taiwan
SHINTOISM
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Ethnic relig of Japan
Focus on forces of nature – sun,
moon, rivers, etc.
Later regarded emperors as divine
(turned into a political cult i.e. WWII)
Still in Japan today – references
ancestors, pilgrimages to shrines
belvd to house deities
Ethnic African Religions
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@ 10% of African’s follow animism –
inanimate objects (trees, stones,
river) have spirit/conscious life
No holy books, passed down by oral
tradition
Practitioners of animism have
decreased as Christianity and Islam
have spread (Af = @ 50 % Christian,
40% Muslim
Concepts of Sacred Space
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Sacred Space: geographic
intersection between the divine and
the mortal
Religious toponyms……examples?
Concepts of Sacred Space
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Landscape of the dead
• Christians, Muslims, Jews bury dead in
cemetery (dates back to ancient Roman
catacombs)
• Hindus – cremation – wash body in Ganges
River and burn on funeral pyre
• Ancient Zoroastrians – expose dead to
scavenging birds and animals to strip body of
unclean portions. Don’t want body to
contaminate sacred elements of earth, fire,
water
Sacred Space
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Religious Settlements – entire
settlement around relig purposes
• i.e. utopian communities
• Often theocracies – church and political
leaders = the same
• Examples…..
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Puritans – Mass, city on a hill, 1600s
Moravians – 1700s – Bethlehem, PA and
Salem, NC
Mormons 1800s – Nauvoo, Ill, SLC, UT
RELIGIOUS CONFLICT
Recent resurgence of fundamentalism
(literal interpretation and intense
adherence to principles of
relig)….often causes divide within the
relig and problems w/ others
- Taliban – Afghanistan
- Hindus – caste system
- Christian fund – Eric Rudolph
- 911 suicide bombers
Religion and Communism
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Comm countered relig – Marx says relig is
“opium” of the people and threat to the
state
USSR – 1918 – Comm Rev – govnt
nationalizes all church property; relig
dwindles
No relig freedom – if you go, go to
Orthodox services controlled by govn
Fall of Comm late 80s early 90s –
resurgence of relig in E. Eur
Relig V. Relig – interfaith
boundaries….Palestine
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Palestine..Jews,, Christians, and
Muslims have fought for over 2,000
yrs for small piece of land
Jews and Palestinians claim historical
and spiritual tie to land (Abraham)
GB opened door for Jewish return
(Balfour Declaration)
1948 Israel recognized by UN – no
nation of Palestine…refugees
Palestine – cont’d
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3 subsequent ward….’56, ’67, ’73…each
time Israel wins and expands into more
land
Israel would not exist w/out U.S.
backing…..big reason why U.S. hated by
Middle East
Israel = tiny nation surrounded on all
sides by countries that want to destroy it
City of Jerusalem = esp problematic b/c
contains relig sites for Jews, Christians,
and Muslims
Religion V. Religion - IRELAND
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Ireland = 92% Catholic
N. Ireland = (northern portion of
island…part of UK) 58% Prot, 42% Cath
Ireland got independence in 1937 and
created republic of Ireland in 1949. But 6
N. counties voted to stay w/ UK
Cath in N. Ireland = victims of
discrimination in jobs and education
Religion V. Religion - IRELAND
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Continuous cycle of demonstrations and
protests
IRA – Irish Republican Army – Catholics in
Ireland and N. Ireland – militant org
dedicated to Irish unity – use terrorism,
bombings, etc.
@ 3,000 dead over yrs in N. Ireland
Majority willing to live peacefully –
militants disrupt peace for all – fuel fires,
polarize sides, etc.