Religion

Religion Religion, is a

personal or institutionalized system of worship and of faith in the sacred & divine

Globalization v. Local Diversity

People care deeply about their religion and draw from their religion their core values & beliefs

Some religions are actually designed to appeal to people throughout the world & others are limited to a certain area

Most religions require exclusive adherence

Universal vs. Ethnic

Universalizing • Appeal to people

everywhere

• Individual founder (prophet)

• Message diffused widely (missionaries)

• Followers distributed widely.

• Holidays based on events in founder’s life.

Ethnic• Has meaning in

particular place only.

• Unknown source.

• Content focused on place and landscape of origin.

• Followers highly clustered.

• Holidays based on local climate and agricultural practice.

Universalizing V. Ethnic Universalizing:

▪ Buddhism▪ Christian▪ Islam

Ethnic:▪ Judaism▪ Hindu▪ Shinto

Tribal:▪ Animism▪ Shamanism

World Patterns 1970 2002Christian 933 m 2.0 bIslam 503 m 1.3 bHindu 458 m 900 mBuddhism 180 m 360 mJudaism 14 m 14 m 14 m

Secular 850 m

Measure of affiliationMore than ½ world population adheres to universalizing religions

Principal World Religions

Universalizing Religion

CHRISTIANITY ISLAM

Christianity• 2 billion adherents

make it most practiced in the world.

• Originated in Bethlehem (8-4 BC) and Jerusalem (AD 30) with Jesus Christ.

• Spread by missionaries and the Roman Empire (Constantine A.D. 313).

Apostle’s CreedI believe in God, the Father Almighty,

    the Maker of heaven and earth,    and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,    born of the virgin Mary,    suffered under Pontius Pilate,    was crucified, dead, and buried;

He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead;He ascended into heaven,

    and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;    from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;    the holy catholic church;    the communion of saints;    the forgiveness of sins;    the resurrection of the body;    and the life everlasting.

Amen.

The “Three Jewels” of Buddhism

Buddha – the teacher

Dharma – the teachings

Sangha – the community

Who was the Buddha?

Born Siddhartha Gautama – of noble caste in India, 563 B.C.E.

Raised in great luxury to be a king Empathy for the suffering of others; at age 29

rejected the life of luxury to seek enlightenment and the solution to suffering

Followed a strict lifestyle for six years Rejected this extreme, sat in meditation,

achieved Nirvana – an awakening to the truth about life, becoming a Buddha, the “Awakened One”at the age of 35

Spent the remaining 45 years of his life teaching others how to achieve the peace of mind he had achieved

What did the Buddha teach?

The Four Noble Truths: To live is to suffer The cause of suffering is self-

centered desire & attachments The solution is to eliminate desire

and attachment, thus achieving Nirvana (“extinction”)

The way to Nirvana is through the “Eight-Fold Path”

What is the Eight-Fold Path?

Wisdom:•Right understanding

•Right motivation

Moral discipline:•Right speech

•Right action

•Right livelihood

Mental discipline:•Right effort

•Right mindfulness

•Right meditation

Schools of Buddhism - Mahayana

The “Great Vehicle” Developed first century C.E. Found in Northern Asia (China, Japan,

etc.) Devotional – seek guidance from

Bodhisattvas (“wise beings”) & heavenly Buddhas (kwan Yin, Amida, etc.)

Focus on compassion Goal is to become a bodhisattva and

assist others toward enlightenment (the “Bodhisattva Ideal”)

Buddhism in the WestOver the past two centuries, especially since the

later half of the 20th century, Buddhism has made inroads into the Western world through…

Immigration of Asian peoples who have brought their diverse forms of Buddhism to the West

Western followers who tend to adopt meditation practices and the philosophy rather than more devotional forms of Buddhism Many such western followers remain within their own

faith traditions, finding Buddhism to be a complement to rather than in conflict with other religions

The two groups remain independent of one another

Islam• 1 billion + adherents

• Originated in Saudi Arabia (Mecca and Medina) around AD 600.

• Spread originally by Muslim armies to N. Africa, and the Near East.

Five Pillars of Faith

1.) There is no god worthy of worship except the one God, the source of all creation, and Muhammad is the messenger of God

2.) Prayer five times a day 3.) A Muslim gives generously to charity 4.) A Muslim fasts during the month of

Ramadan, as an act of self-purification 5.) If physically and financially able, a

Muslim makes a pilgrimage to Mecca

Ethnic Religion Appeals to people

primarily in one group

24 % of the world’s population Hinduism Judaism

Hinduism

• 900 million + adherents primarily in India & Nepal

• Hinduism is an ancient term for the complex and diverse set of religious beliefs practiced around the Indus River. (Pakistan)

Hinduism

Ancient practices Reincarnation Bathing in rivers

▪ Ganges Yoga

▪ philosophy advocating and prescribing a course of physical and mental disciplines

Karma▪ Action seen as brining

upon oneself inevitable results

Hinduism Monotheistic

One god is Brahman (universal soul) and other gods in the religion are expressions of Brahman▪ 68% Vaishanavism~Vishnu,

a loving god reincarnated as Krishna

▪ 27% adhere to Sivaism, dedicated to Siva, a protective & destructive god

▪ Shaktism, a form of worship dedicated to the female consorts

Hinduism Not centrally

organized Karma & Reincarnation

▪ All beings have living souls & are arranged in a hierarchy & the ideal is to escape reincarnation through union with Brahman

▪ If you mistreat an animal in this life, you may be that animal in a future▪ Vegetarianism

Hinduism

Diffusion: began in the western part of India& moved to Southeast Asia; however, Islam & Christianity took over Exception: Bali

Holy Places Tirtha, a pilgrimage to a physical feature or

shrine based on hierarchy ▪ Ganges in the Himalayas because Siva lives there &

it is made from Siva’s hair▪ Local mountain important to local population

Hinduism Hindu Temples

Religion practices take place at home

Temples are built to house shrines to particular gods

Size and frequency depend on local preferences & resources

Maintained by local individuals

Other Religions Sikhism is a

combination of Hinduism & Islam

Jainism teaches that violence of any is wrong

Religious Beliefs Traditional faiths are

Buddhism, Daoism, & Confucianism

Daoism Based on the

teachings of Laozi 604-531 B.C.

Path to true happiness is living in a harmonious relationship with the natural world. The “right way” or Dao

Religious Beliefs Confucianism, a

philosophy based on a collection of teachings of Confucius, called Analects.

Confucius (551-479 B.C.) believed that society functioned best if everyone respected the laws & behaved according to his or her position.

Honor ancestors

Confucius Everything has its beauty but not

everyone sees it. Forget injuries, never forget

kindnesses.I hear and I forget. I see and I

remember. I do and I understand.It does not matter how slowly you go

so long as you do not stop.Respect yourself and others will

respect you.

Disposing of the Dead

Judaism Substantial role in

Western culture Jesus was a Jew &

Muhammad traced his ancestry to Abraham

Canaan, Palestine, Jerusalem Abraham (patriarch

Judaism) traveled from Iraq along the Fertile Crescent to Canaan

Monotheism “Chosen People” lived

by the 10 Commandments

“The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Diffusion of Judaism Diaspora, the

scattering of the Jews to countries outside of Palestine by the Romans North Africa & Asia

▪ Adopted other cultural characteristics but retained their religion

▪ European Jews, forced to live in ghettos, a neighborhood set up by law to only inhabit Jews

▪ Holocaust 15% v. 90%

Autonomous Religions

Self-sufficient and interaction among communities is confined to little more than loose cooperation and shared ideas Hinduism Judaism Islam Protestant Denominations

▪ Baptist & the United Church of Christ▪ Presbyterian

▪ Presbytery & synod

Hierarchical Religions

Has a well defined geographic structure and organizes territory into local administrative units Roman Catholic

Church Later Day Saints

Roman Catholic Church

Hierarchy Density of Parishes

Western & Southern Europe Concentrated Latin America Dispersed

U.S. Southwest & Large Urban Areas Low density of parishes & dioceses compared

to the population ▪ New local administration needed and resources are

scare▪ Population is dwindling in inner cities & rural areas

▪ Maintaining services is expensive

Latter Day Saints

Mormons exercise strong organization of landscape

Utah Wards -750 people Stakes- 5,000 people Board& President are

constantly changing borders

Cosmogony in Ethnic Religions

Relationship with humans & nature Cosmogony, a set of religious beliefs

concerning the origin of the universe Ethnic Religions

Events in the physical environment Confucianism & Daoism

▪ Yin Force is associated with earth, darkness, female, cold, depth, passivity, & death

▪ Yang Force, heaven, light, male, heat, height, activity, and light

Cosmogony in Ethnic Religions

Yin & Yang forces interact with each other to achieve balance & harmony, but they are in constant state of change.

Principle of yin & yang applies to the creation & transformation of all natural features.

Cosmogony in Universalizing Religions

Christianity & Islam, God created the universe A religious person

can serve God by cultivating the land & making productive use of the natural features

God is more powerful than the laws of nature

Cosmogony in Universalizing Religions

Christians Believe the Earth was given by God to humanity to

finish the task of creation.▪ Support large scale development▪ Natural disasters preventable ▪ Punishment from God

Islam Representatives of God Reflecting the attributes of God in their deeds

▪ Growing Food or Improving the Land God alone is responsible for the Earth’s creation

The Calendar Ethnic Religions

Ethnic religions are clustered because their holidays celebrate the physical environment

Celebration of seasons▪ Pray for favorable

conditions or give thanks for past conditions

Jewish Calendar Holidays based on

events of the agricultural calendar in Israel

Autumn(time of hope and worry ) Crops are planted Rosh Hashanah

(New Year) Yom Kippur (Day of

Atonement)

Jewish Holidays Sukkot, celebrates the final gathering of fruits

▪ Shelter that occupied the Jews as they were wondering in the wilderness

Passover, farmers offer God the 1st fruits of Spring

▪ Liberation of Jews from Egypt

Shavuot(Feast of Weeks), comes at the end of grain harvest

▪ Date Moses received the Ten Commandments

Jewish Calendar

Israel utilizes the Lunar Calendar Moon has a mystical

quality because it varies

“New Moon” marks a new month

Lunar month is 29 days/350 in a year

Adds an extra month 7/19 years

The Solstice

Either of two times of the year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator. The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere occurs about June 21, when the sun is in the zenith at the tropic of Cancer; the winter solstice occurs about December 21, when the sun is over the tropic of Capricorn. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year and the winter solstice is the shortest

“Us vs. Them” Fundamentalism - a process that is leading

to increasingly large groups of people who claim there is only one way to interpret worship.

Religion Vs. Social Change

Taliban V. Western Values Gained power in

Afghanistan in 1996 “Religious Students” Imposed strict laws based

on their interpretation of the Koran (Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice)

U.S overthrew the Taliban in 2001

Religion Vs. Social Change

Hinduism Vs. Social Equality Rigid Caste System “Untouchables lack many

rights, including access to healthcare & face economic hardship

Indian government legally abolished the Untouchable Caste

Quotas to encourage government participation

Brahmins – Priests, Teachers, Judges; usually don’t own land therefore need other castes to work the land and provide for them

Kshatriyas – Warriors and Rulers (landowners)

Vaisyas – Skilled Traders, Merchants, Farmers

Sudras – Unskilled Workers—Laborers and Craft workersBelow these four castes are people who

belong to no caste

Untouchables – Outcastes, Children of God

Concept of pollution…the most pure at the top (Brahmins) and the most polluted at the bottom (Untouchables)

Religious Wars in Ireland

Religious Wars in Ireland

Republic of Ireland 92% Roman Catholic Northern Ireland (UK) 58% Protestant,

42% Roman Catholic 1801, became part of the United

Kingdom 1840s, mass migration due to

environmental and economic problems, bloody confrontations

Republic created in 1949 (North stayed with the UK)

Catholics discriminated IRA

Who Cares & So What?

Can secular society exist alongside traditional and fundamentalist religious sects and states?

Should fundamentalist groups and their actions be considered a human rights violation or a complex cultural tradition that Westerners simply don't understand?