RELIGION - Intro 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

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 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 Relig = critical part of culture

• Core values and beliefs come from relig• Enmeshed with our cultural and social

systems Tied to pop growth Politics Design and structure of cities Sacred space Marriage, family, education, laws, health

code

Commonalities among world relig:

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 Universalizing v. ethnic

Monotheistic v. Polytheistic

Evangelical/proselytizing v. NOT

Hierarchical v. Local Autonomy• Ex: Catholic..ex. - Protestant congregations

Organizational Divisions 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 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 1.) Christianity – most widely diffused (all

of America’s, Europe, parts of Africa, Australia, New Zealand)

2.) Islam – Middle East, N. Africa, Indonesia 3.) Hinduism (ethnic) - India 4.) Buddhism (difficult to measure) – East

Asia

Largest World Religions

Largest Religious Groups in US(US = 82% Christian)

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

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? 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 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 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. 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 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

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 @ 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 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 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 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 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 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

B = 3rd largest univ relig w/ 300 million followers

Founded by the Buddha – Siddhartha Gautama

BUDDHISM - Doctrines 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 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 Founder – Siddhartha Gautama –

born 1563 BC present day Nepal.• Son of a lord• Led privileged life• 4 trips changed his life

Decrepit old man Disease ridden man Corpse…pain, suffering, felt guilty @ own

life Monk – taught him @ withdrawal from world

Buddha 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 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 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 @ 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 Sikh Golden Temple

in Punjab region –

N. India

JUDAISM – Ethnic relig @ 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 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 Jews dispersed by Romans @ 70 AD-

Diaspora – 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 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 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 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 Hind = largest ethnic religion - @ 820

million

In general the 3rd largest relig worldwide behind Christianity and Islam

HINDUISM - Doctrines 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 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 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 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) 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 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 @ 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 Sacred Space: geographic

intersection between the divine and the mortal

Religious toponyms……examples?

Concepts of Sacred Space 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 Religious Settlements – entire

settlement around relig purposes• i.e. utopian communities• Often theocracies – church and political

leaders = the same• Examples…..

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 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

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 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 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 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.