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The Great Mosque, Mali
The Geography of
Religion
• Origins and Distributions of the Major
The Wailing Wall, Jerusalem
Religions
• Key Terms
• Religious Ecology
Hindu Statue (Ganesh)
• Secularism, Fundamentalism, and Conflict
Buddhist Monks
The Geography of Religion
* Ethnic Religions versus Universalizing Religions (proselytic)
* Polytheism versus Monotheism
The Roots of Religion
Animism (Shamanism) the “original”
form of religion - the belief that all
objects, animals, and beings are
“animated” or possess a spirit and a
conscious life. Also called shamanism
because of the prominence of a Shaman.
• Such beliefs are common among hunter-
gatherers.
• 10% of Africans follow such traditional
ethnic religions.
• These beliefs are losing ground to
Christianity and Islam throughout Africa.
Nigerian Shaman
Native American Animism
Humankind has not woven the web of life. We
are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to
the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound
together. All things connect.
~ Chief Seattle
Bear Dance
How do Universalizing and
Ethnic Religions Differ?
Universalizing
Ethnic
•Appeal to people everywhere •Has meaning in particular place
only.
•Individual founder (prophet)
•Unknown source.
•Message diffused widely
•Content focused on place and
(missionaries)
landscape of origin.
•Followers distributed widely.
•Followers highly clustered.
•Holidays based on events in
•Holidays based on local climate
founder’s life.
and agricultural practice.
Monotheism
•
•
•
•
One, central God (upper-case “G”)
Creator
Being with personality and a “plan”
Makes the rules… and the punishments
Judaism, the First Big
Monotheistic Religion
•
•
•
•
14 million adherents
Strong Ethnic association
Monotheistic
Pentateuch
– First five books of the Old
Testament
• Sects
– Orthodox, Conservative,
Reform
• Israel
– Homeland for Jewish people
– Created 1948
– Conflict between Israel and
Palestine
Origin of Judaism
• About 1900 bc (4000 yrs ago) Abraham (a.k.a
“Israel”) a tribal leader in the near east gave up
idol worship in favor of 1 God (Jews believe he
was visited by God’s messenger angel).
• The religion became more organized under
Moses:
– Saved the Israelites/Hebrews from slavery
– 10 Commandments (“God’s Word”)
– “Promised Land” (Israel… after Abraham) Jews
believe that “the land of Canaan” i.e. “Israel” was
given to them by God
Israel’s Destruction and Recreation
• 70 A.D. the Romans destroyed the temple in
Jerusalem, and the Jews scattered in the diaspora.
(the Romans where jerks like that)
• The Jews, despite being kicked out and pushed into
Europe retained their ethnic heritage even though it
often meant ruining their chances of ever fitting in
with the other cultures of Europe.
• The end of WWI created an opportunity for the Jews
to return to the area around Jerusalem… even though
other people had been living there for 2,000 YEARS.
• The New Jewish nation of Israel was established in
1948. This gives rise to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
still in progress. (Many Arab states still do not
recognize Israel’s right to exist claiming that the land
was stolen from them.
• 2 billion adherents
make it most practiced
in the world.
Christianity: Judaism
version 2.0
•Originated in
Bethlehem (8-4 BC) and
Jerusalem (AD 30) with
Jesus.
• Spread by missionaries
and the Roman Empire
(Constantine A.D. 313).
• It is the most
practiced religion in
Africa today.
Origin of Christianity
• In Judaism, there is a prophecy that there
will be a “savior” sent by God.
• Christians believe that Jesus was that savior
• The Old Testament of the Christian Bible IS
(for the most part) the Jewish Torah
• The New Testament details the life and
teaching of Jesus
• Without Judaism there is no Christianity (in
terms of ideology, tradition, and practice)
• Jews are still waiting for the “savior”
The 3 Branches of Christianity
• Christianity grew up in the midst of the Roman
Empire as a cult religion… Emperor Constantine
converted 312ad making it the Roman state
Religion. He made a new capital:
Constantinople… Eastern Orthodox
• The Empire’s Decline leads to founding and rise
of the Papacy in Rome… Roman Catholicism
• 1517… Martin Luther’s “95 Thesis” begins the
Protestant Reformation… Protestantism
Diffusion of Christianity
Christianity in the U.S.
• 1 billion +
adherents
Islam:
Like Judaism and Christianity… but not
• Originated in Saudi
Arabia (Mecca and
Medina) around AD
600.
• Diffused originally
by Muslim armies to
N. Africa, and the
Near East.
• Sunni (83%) throughout the
Muslim world.
• Shiite - Iran (40%),
Pakistan (15%), Iraq
(10%)
Fastest Growing
World Religion
Islam 101
Prophet: Muhammad
Holy Text: Koran
Five Pillars of Islam
Reading the Koran,
Brunei
•There is one God and Muhammad is
his messenger. (declaration of faith)
•Prayer five times daily, facing Mecca.
•The giving of alms(charity) to the
poor.
•Fasting during Ramadan for
purification and submission.
•If body and income allow, a Muslim
must make a pilgrimage (hajj) to
Mecca in his lifetime.
Islamic Calender
•Begins in AD 622 when
Muhammad was
commanded to Mecca
from Medina (Hijra).
•Lunar calendar makes
Ramadan move through
the seasons (30 year
cycle - 19 years with 354
days and 11 with 355).
Prophet: Muhammad
Holy Text: Koran
Islam
Diffusion of Islam
Islam is considered the fastest growing religion in America. Only a small
part of this growth is from black Muslims and the Nation of Islam.
Polytheism
• Multiple gods (lower-case “g”)
• Gods are usually representative of some
aspect or personality trait of some
universal “spirit” or “force”.
• The idea of god, soul, spirit, sin, etc…
are not nearly as “set in stone” or so
“black and white” as it is in the
monotheistic religions.
Hinduism: Oldest
World Religion
Ganges River, Varanasi, India
Hinduism
• 900 million + adherents,
primarily in India (4th largest)
• Hinduism is an ancient term
for the complex and diverse
set of religious beliefs
practiced around the Ganges
River.
•Hinduism is an ETHNIC
religion
•There is no central authority
•There are no “branches”,
more of a collection of styles,
and there are MANY!
Hinduism
• The four sacred texts are ancient
hymns called the Vedas, but few
Hindus historically could read.
There is no ONE spiritual text.
• Coastlines and river banks most
sacred sites.
• Many, many festivals, often
surrounding harvest or spring or
the birth of gods.
• Brahman is the divine
creator/force but is manifested in
literally hundreds of gods, of
which Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu
are most dominant/fundamental.
Brahman
In the Hindu religion, Brahman is the
eternal, unchanging, infinite, immanent, and
transcendent reality which is the Divine
Ground of all matter, energy, time, space,
and being. (Think of “THE FORCE”
described in Star Wars)
The first principle of Indian thought, therefore, is that the ultimate reality is
beyond description. It is something that can be experienced only by bringing
the mind to a stop; and once experienced, it cannot be described to anyone in
terms of the forms of this world.
- Joseph Campbell
Another important concept is that Hinduism believes in the omnipresence of
the Supreme God in every individual. There is no "fall." Man is not cut off
from the divine. He requires only to bring the spontaneous activity of his
mind to a state of stillness and he will experience that divine principle within
him.
- Joseph Campbell
The Trinity of Brahman
Brahma (The Creator)
- depicted with four faces
each continually reciting one
of the Vedas. The force of
creation and birth.
Shiva (The Destroyer)
- Shakti or power; the
dissolving force in life;
centrifugal force; entropy.
Vishnu (The Preserver)
- peace; balance; Sustainer
of life.
Hindu Beliefs and Practice
Atman- the “essential self” (think “soul”)
Moksha- salvation/ release from rebirth/reincarnation
Reincarnation – the soul is immortal but the body endlessly
cycles to higher or lower levels of existence.
Karma- BOTH the good and bad deeds committed in one’s life
Dharma- one’s spiritual duty to follow their destiny
Ahimsa- spiritual concept of nonviolence (karma!)
Yoga – the practices or tools used to break from habits of past
lives. Includes various meditations and physical practices.
The Hindu Caste System
• The Hindu religious beliefs have such a
bearing on how the follower views their
“station” in this world that a unique social
structure has developed called the “caste
system.”
• Belief in reincarnation and karma led
Hindus to assert that there were “levels” of
“purity” for every living person.
• Centuries ago segments of Hindu society
took on their own particular “level” in the
hierarchy of this religion-based social
structure. It works like this:
The Caste System cont.
The
Untouchables Seen
as unfit/ unclean
non-participants
in the society
• 300 million + adherents
primarily in China and S.E.
Asia
• Originated near modern
Nepal around 530 BC by
prince Siddhartha
Guatama.
• Spread originally in India
and Sri Lanka by
Magadhan Empire (250
BC).
• Indian traders brought it
to China in 1st century AD.
• By 6th century it had lost
its hold on India, but was
now in Korea and Japan.
Buddhism:
(Universalizing Religion)
Four Noble Truths:
1. All living beings must endure
suffering.
2. Suffering, which is caused by
desires (for life), leads to
reincarnation.
3. The goal of existence is an escape
from suffering and the endless cycle of
reincarnation by means of Nirvana.
4. Nirvana is achieved by the Eightfold
Path, which includes rightness of
understanding, mindfulness, speech,
action, livelihood, effort, thought, and
concentration.
Karma - your past bad or good
actions determine your progress
toward Nirvana through
reincarnation. You are your own
God.
Buddhism
Theravada - the older, more
severe form which requires
the renouncing of all worldly
goods and desires.
Mahayana - focuses on
Buddha’s teachings and
compassion.
Diffusion of Buddhism
Other Religions
• Eastern Religions
– Confucianism (China)
– Taoism (China)
– Shinto (Japan)
14th Century Chinese painting depicting Laotze and Confucius protecting Sakayumi, the
future Buddha.
Confucianism and Daoism/Taoism
• Neither involves the concept of the
“supernatual,” so they’re usually viewed as
“philosophies” not religions
• Confucianism provides a code of moral conduct
based on humaneness and family loyalty
• Daoism holds that human happiness lies in
maintaining proper harmony with nature. (Feng
Shui)
• Both are still VERY influential in China today
and has diffused to Korea, Japan, and East,
S.E. Asia.
Shintoism
• Shintoism is a native ethnic religion of Japan
that focuses particularly on nature and
reverence of ancestors.
• Became the official state religion in late 19th
century to promote nationalist policies.
• Still has prominent place in Japanese
religious geography, but is no longer the
state religion.
• Prayers offered to ancestors, and shrines
mark reverence for house dieties.
Sikhism
• About 21 million Sikhs live in the Punjab
region of India, with abouth 3 million more
that live outside the area. Shikhism combines
beliefs from Hinduism and Islam. Sikhs stress
continual improvement and movement
toward perfection by taking individual
responsibility for their actions, a universal
message that appeals to many… Shikhism
therefore qualifies as a universalizing religion.
Baha’i
• Baha’i is a relatively new faith, founded
in Iran in 1844 by Siyyid ‘Ali
Muhammad, known as the Bab (Persian
for “gateway”). Most followers live in
Iran, where they are viewed by some
Shiite Muslims as heretics to the faith,
since they believe that Husayn ‘Ali Nuri
was the prophet and messenger of God,
not Muhammad, the founder of the
Islamic faith
Syncretism - the mixing of two
Key Terms
or more religions that creates
unique rituals, artwork, and
beliefs.
Examples include syncretism of
Christianity and indigenous beliefs
in the Americas, Africa, and Asia.
Voodoo Dolls, Haiti
• Caribbean Voodoo (Haiti,
Louisiana)
• Christianity in Indigenous Latin
American
Shrine, Bangalore, India
Syncretism - the mixing of two
or more religions that creates
unique rituals, artwork, and
beliefs.
Key Terms
Secularization - a process that Fundamentalism - a process
is leading to increasingly large
groups of people who claim no
allegiance to any church.
Some of these people are
atheists. Others simply do not
practice. Still others call
themselves spiritual, but not
religious.
•Common in Europe and the
cities of the U.S.
•Common in former Soviet Union
and China.
that is leading to increasingly
large groups of people who
claim there is only one way to
interpret worship.
Fundamentalists generally
envision a return to a more
perfect religion and ethics they
imagine existed in the past.
•Common in the U.S. and in
some Islamic nations.
Religion & Politics
• Freedom of religion; Separation of church
and state
– Long, but messy and contested, history of
separation of church and state in Christian
West. Immigration today is challenging Western
notions about secular society.
– Many Islamic nations today are officially Islamic,
though secular and are essentially modified
theocracies. In secular Islamic countries such as
Turkey, fundamentalist parties seek to win
elections.
• Theocracy
– Church rules directly; today in Iran and Saudi
Arabia, for example.
Social Impact of Religion
• Gender
roles
– Women’s
rights
• Diet
– Vegetarian
s
– Pork, beef
– Alcohol
• Ethics and
morals
• Schools
and
institutions
World Distribution of Hogs
Economic Impact
• Banking and lending
- Biblical prohibtion against usuary (lending at interest). Still
followed in Muslim world (only fees are charged).
• Protestantism and capitalism
– Max Weber and the Protestant Ethic; argues that
individualism of Protestantism leads to acquisitiveness.
• Catholic Church and capitalism
– Pope John Paul II praised free markets but with the
caution that they cannot meet all needs and salaries must
be “just.”
• Confucianism versus individualism
- Confucius elevated the status of noble bureaucrats and
commitment to societal good. This allows Asian nations to
attract top talent to government jobs. Also, diligence with
regard to savings and spending may be a consequence of
Confucian ideas.
Religion and Environment
• Burial practices
– Judeo-Christians bury.
– Hindus and Buddhists
cremate.
• Relationship with
nature
– Sacred Spaces
– Sacred architecture
– Role of religion in
domination of
earth?
Religious Conflict
The Big Question: Can secular society exist alongside
traditional and fundamentalist religious sects and
states?
• We are quick to notice fundamentalism abroad (i.e. Salman
Rushdie’s death sentence by Shia clerics) and not so quick to
recognize it at home (abortion clinic bombings; Southern
Baptist Convention’s calls for women to submit to their
husbands’ authority).
• American evangelical Christianity and Islamic fundamentalism
are the two most influential fundamentalist movements in the
world.
• Fewer and fewer states are governed by an official church.