Chapter 6

Religion

Stonehenge (England)

Key Issue #1

Where are Religions Distributed?

Distribution of Religions

Universalizing religions

Christianity

Islam

Buddhism

Ethnic religions

Hinduism

Other ethnic religions

Religions

Universalizing Religion – attempts to be global and to appeal

to all people

Ethnic Religion – appeals to primarily one group of people

living in one place

60% of world – universalizing religion

25% of world – ethnic religion

15% of world – no religion

World Distribution of Religions

Fig. 6-1: World religions by continent.

World Population by Religion

Fig. 6-1a: Over two thirds of the world’s population adhere to Christianity, Islam,

Hinduism, or Buddhism. Christianity is the single largest world religion.

Key Terms

Branch – is a large and fundamental division within a religion

Denomination – is a division of a branch that unites a number

of local congregations under a single administrative body.

Sect – relatively small group that is broken away from an

established denomination

Christianity

About 2 billion adherents/followers.

Any religion where Christ is the central deity.

Three major branches

Roman Catholic

Protestant

Eastern Orthodox

Christianity

Roman Catholic Church – original Christian church, led by

the Pope.

Protestants – a movement began by Martin Luther

Eastern Orthodox – a division of the Church during the

middle ages/renaissance. Mostly in Eastern Europe.

Christian Branches in Europe

Fig. 6-2: Protestant denominations, Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodoxy are dominant

in different regions of Europe – a result of many historic interactions.

Christian Branches in the U.S.

Fig. 6-3: Distribution of Christians in the U.S. Shaded areas are counties with more than 50% of

church membership concentrated in Roman Catholicism or one of the Protestant

denominations.

Religions of the United States

Islam

About 1.3 billion followers

Based on Judaism and Christianity. It follows the teachings of

Muhammad.

Two major branches of Islam

Sunni – 83%

Shiite – 16%

Islam is growing in the world, but mostly found in the

Middle East and Asia.

Five Pillars of Islam Faith

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

Five times daily, a Muslim prays, facing the city of Makkah (Mecca), as a direct link to God.

A Muslim give generously to charity, as an act of purification and growth.

A Muslim fasts during the month of Ramadan, as an act of Self Purification.

If physically and financially able, a Muslim makes a pilgrimage to Makkah.

Buddhism

365 million adherents, mostly in Southeast Asia and China

Like other religions, Buddhism also has different branches.

Unlike other Christianity and Islam, Buddhists can also

believe in other ethnic religions.

Buddhism - Four Noble Truths

All living things must endure suffering

Suffering which is caused by desire to live, leads to

reincarnation.

The goal of all existence is to escape suffering and

reincarnation and enter into Nirvana. Nirvana is reached

through mental and moral self purification.

Buddhism – Four Noble Truths

Nirvana is attained through an eightfold path

Rightness of belief

Speech

Resolve

Action

Livelihood

Effort

Thought

Meditation

Statue of

Buddha Hong

Kong, China

Other Universalizing Religions

Sikkhism – located in the Punjab region of India

Believe in one Perfect God

Man’s job is to attain perfection

Wear a Turban and never shave their beard.

Baha’i religion – founded recently in Africa.

Goal is to attain entrance to heaven by following the teaching

of Baha’u’llah.

Abolition of all disunity in religions and abolish of racial, class

and religious prejudices

Ethnic Religions

Hinduism

Confucianism

Daosim

Shintoism

Judaism

Ethnic African Religions

Hinduism

Largest ethnic religion.

Mainly in India

Caste system in Hinduism

More than one god as there is more than one station

Other Ethnic

Confucianism – based on teachings of Confucius, mostly in

China. Focuses on four major relationships.

Daosim – a rival of Confucius, also in China. Reaches its

goal by introspection.

Shintoism – Ethnic religion of Japan, emperor was seen to be

divine.

Judaism – first monotheistic religion. People mostly in Israel

and Eastern Europe. Father of Islam and Christianity.

Ethnic African Religions – mostly animism, declining

numbers.

Key Issue #2

Why do Religions have different distributions?

Variations in Distribution of

Religions (1) Origin of religions

Origin of universalizing religions

Origin of Hinduism

Diffusion of religions

Diffusion of universalizing religions

Lack of diffusion of ethnic religions

Origins of Universalizing Religions

Christianity

Islam

Buddhism

All three began after the start of recorded history.

All three follow the teachings/actions of a single man.

Origins of Christianity Founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ, who was born in

Bethlehem between 8 and 4 B.C.

Raised as a Jew, Jesus gathered a small band of disciples in Jerusalem and preached about the coming Kingdom of God.

The Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) as well as the New Testament tell of his teachings.

Christ comes for the Greek word for the Hebrew word Messiah, which means anointed.

Jesus was arrested and put to death. His followers believe that he died to atone for their sins and that he rose from the dead after three days.

Origins of Islam

Traces its origin to the same text as Judaism and Christianity.

Jews and Christians trace their history to Abraham’s original

wife, Sarah and her son Isaac. Muslims trace their history to

Abraham’s second wife Hagar and her son Ishmael.

Muhammad is a descendant of Ishmael. He was born in

Makkah and first received the word of God in a meditation at

age 40. The Quran is a record of God’s words as given to

Muhammad by the angel Gabriel.

The difference in branches is a conflict over the line of

succession.

Origin of Buddhism

Siddhartha Guatama was born in 563 B.C. in present day

Nepal.

After seeing pain and suffering on three trips, he saw the help

of a monk on a fourth trip. The monk taught him to

withdraw to find peace.

Theravada is the oldest branch of Buddhism, “the way of the

elders”.

Mahayana split from Theravada, they are called the big raft.

Origins of other Universalizing Religions

Sikhism founder Guru Nanak traveled through South Asia

converting people.

The Guru Granth Sahih is the sacred text.

Baha’i was established in Iran. The Bab was executed by the

Shiite Muslims in 1850 with 20,000 followers. Baha’u’llah

was arrested and let go. He is seen as the prophet and

emigrated to Baghdad.

Origins of Hinduism – Ethnic Religion

Predates the other three religions.

No specific founding of it, as it relayed from the Aryan

invaders.

Mixture of the extinct Dravidian and druid religions.

Diffusion of Religions

The three universalizing religions also diffused from specific

hearths.

Ethnic religions typically remain clustered in one location.

All three hearths have to do with the lives of three key

individuals.

All three hearths are in Asia

Diffusion of Universalizing Religions

Fig. 6-4: Each of the three main universalizing religions diffused widely from its hearth.

Diffusion of Christianity

Two types of diffusion

Relocation

Expansion

Hierarchical

Contagious

Christianity used all the types, but used relocation diffusion

first.

Missionaries were the first individuals to spread the teachings

of Jesus through Roman lands.

Followers of polytheistic religions were called pagans.

Colonization spreads Christianity

As the world and countries developed in Europe, so did the

spread of Christianity.

Spanish exploration spread Christianity to the New World.

Diffusion of Christianity

Fig. 6-5: Christianity diffused from Palestine through the Roman Empire and continued diffusing

through Europe after the fall of Rome. It was later replaced by Islam in much of the

Mideast and North Africa.

Diffusion of Islam

Muhammad’s successors organized armies that spread control

of Muslim areas in Africa.

Also missionaries and Arab traders brought Islam to other

areas far from Sub Saharan Africa.

Diffusion of Islam

Fig. 6-6: Islam diffused rapidly and widely from its area of origin in Arabia. It eventually

stretched from southeast Asia to West Africa.

Diffusion of Buddhism

Asoka, an emperor was the person most responsible for the

spread of Buddhism.

He organized missionaries to neighboring empires to spread

the word.

Merchants introduced Buddhism through trade routes to

China.

Diffusion of Buddhism

Fig. 6-7: Buddhism diffused gradually from its origin in northeastern India to Sri Lanka,

southeast Asia, and eventually China and Japan.

Diffusion of Other Religions

Baha’i has spread in the last 2 centuries because of Abdu’l-

Baha

They have built temples each continent, not Antarctica.

Sikhism stayed primarily in Punjab.

When the British divided Pakistan and India, most Sikhs

moved to Hindu India than stay in Muslim Pakistan.

Lack of Diffusion of Ethnic Religions

Most Ethnic religions lack missionaries.

Most universalizing religions supplant the ethnic ones, or

there is an intermingling.

Shintoism & Buddhism in Japan

Fig. 6-8: Since Japanese can be both Shinto and Buddhist, there are many areas in Japan where

over two-thirds of the population are both Shinto and Buddhist.

Judaism, the Exception

Judaism is practiced in many countries, not just where it was

founded.

Jews left the area in about 70 AD, they were driven out by

the Romans.

Jews were often persecuted for their beliefs, forced to live in

ghettos in the middle ages.

Holocaust also led to mass persecution of the Jews.

Israel was created as a Jewish state after WWII.

Variations in Distribution of

Religions (2)

Holy places

Holy places in universalizing religions

Holy places in ethnic religions

The calendar

The calendar in ethnic religions

The calendar in universalizing religions

Holy Places

Any place that is considered sacred to a religious group.

Universalizing religions make holy places something that has

to do with the life of the messiah/prophet.

Pilgrimages are religious trips to these holy places.

Buddhism and Islam place the most importance on visiting

holy places and make shrines.

Holy Places in Buddhism

There are 8 holy places in Buddhism.

All are important locations to events in the Buddha’s life.

Holy Sites in Buddhism

Fig. 6-9: Most holy sites in Buddhism are locations of important events in Buddha’s life and

are clustered in northeastern India and southern Nepal.

Buddhist

Temple

Bodh Gaya,

India

Holy Places in Islam

Places associated with the life of Mohammad.

The holiest city is Makkah.

The second most holy city is Madinah (Medina).

Mohammad’s tomb is located in this city.

Mecca, Islam’s

Holiest City

Fig. 6-10: Makkah (Mecca) is the holiest city

in Islam and the site of pilgrimage

for millions of Muslims each year.

There are numerous holy sites in

the city.

Makkah during the Haj Pilgrimage

The Ka’ba stands at the center of the Great Mosque (al-Haran al Sharif) in Makkah.

Holy Places in Sikhism

The most holy place in Sikhism is Darbar Sahib. It is also

known as the Golden Temple.

Sikhs have used the temple as place to launch attacks against

India.

The Indian army attacked the temple killing 1,000 Sikhs.

In retaliation, the Sikhs killed the prime minister of India,

Indira Gandhi.

The Golden Temple in Amritsar

The Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib) in Amritsar, India is the holiest structure for Sikhism.

Holy Places in Hinduism

As an ethnic religion, the holiest places in Hinduism are tied

to physical geography, such as rivers and coastlines.

Places are holy by tradition, not doctrine. Mt. Kailas is holy

because Siva lived there, but other mountains can be Holy if

Siva visited them.

People also go to bath in the Ganges River, as it is supposed

to be made from the hair of Siva.

Hindu Holy

Places

Fig. 6-11: Hierarchy of Hindu holy places: Some

sites are holy to Hindus throughout

India; others have a regional or

sectarian importance, or are

important only locally.

Ritual Bathing in the Ganges River

Hindu pilgrims achieve purification by bathing in the Ganges.

Pilgrimages

The act of a pilgrimage used to be a huge sacrifice.

However, now that transportation and technology have made

them easier, they have become more common.

Cosmogony Cosmogony is the religious belief for the origin of the

universe.

Chinese religions believe that the universe is made up of two sources, yin and yang. Chaos is a result of an imbalance of the two.

Christianity, Judaism and Islam believe that God created the universe. Because of this many religions believe that natural forces are an extension of God’s will or anger.

Ethnic religions do not try to attempt to understand creation as many believe that God is to powerful and mystic to be understood.

The Calendar

Ethnic Religions use agriculture significance more than

events in the life of the founders like universalizing religions.

The Jewish calendar focuses on agricultural practices of Israel

for holy events. Israel uses a lunar calendar.

Solstice is another holy day. Winter solstice, shortest day and

longest night, Summer solstice longest day and shortest

night.

Capitol Building of the US has a solstice significance.

Islamic and Baha’i Calendars

Muslims use a lunar calendar so the holy seasons change

compared to the solar calendar.

Muslims have times in 30 year cycles, they have 19 years with

354 days and 11 years with 355 days.

Baha’i also use a calendar established by the Bab.

The year is divided into 19 months of 19 days each. (361

days). They add four intercalary days every year to balance

out,5 days in leap years.

Christian, Buddhist and Sikh Holidays

Christian Holidays are around the life of Jesus. Christmas

and Easter commemorate birth and death.

There is a seasonal symbolism to the holiday, but it varies by

country.

Buddhist celebrate the birth, death and enlightenment of the

Buddha. Japan celebrates them on different days than most

Buddhists.

Sikhs celebrate the birth and deaths of the 10 gurus. They

also celebrate the establishment of the Guru Granth Sahib

texts as holy texts.

Key Issue #3

Why do Religions organize in Space in Distinctive Patterns?

Organization of Space

Places of worship

Christian worship

Places of worship in other religions

Sacred space

Disposing of the dead

Religious settlements

Religious place names

Administration of space

Hierarchical religions

Locally autonomous religions

Places of Worship – Christian Churches

The word Church comes from the Greek word for lord or

master and also means a gathering of believers.

In Christianity, the church plays a more important role

because it symbolizes religious principles. Churches are

collections of wealth.

Originally church buildings were modeled after Roman

Basilicas.

The many denominations of the church also contribute to no

single style dominating Christian churches.

Places of Worship – Other Religions

Muslim mosques are places for community gathering, so are not seen as holy as Christian churches. The courtyard has a pulpit that faces Makkah.

Hindu temples are built as shrines for particular gods, because the Hindu people do not place importance in collective worship.

Buddhist and Shinto pagodas house relics of Buddha. Prayer and meditation are ore likely to be held in adjacent structures.

Baha’i houses of worship are built all over the world. They often include readings of different sciptures.

Baha’i Temple in Uganda

Sacred Space

Disposing of the Dead

Religious Settlements

Religious Place Names

Disposing the Dead

Christians, Muslims and Jews typically bury their dead in

cemeteries. The placement of the body is also of significant

religious importance. Muslim countries also use cemeteries

as green space.

Hindu people typically do not bury their dead, but cremate.

Zoroastrians expose their dead to be cleaned by nature.

Some Buddhists do the same with cremation reserved for the

highest priests.

In some cultures, bodies are disposed at sea.

Cremation near Taj Mahal

Religious Settlements

Most settlements are built for economic reasons.

Utopian settlements were often built for a specific religious

way of life.

Several Utopian settlements were built in the US.

Bethlehem, PA

Salt Lake City, UT

Most Utopian settlements disappeared from existence for

various reasons.

Early colonization in the US had religious motivation and

influence.

Religious Place Names

Religious settlers often named new areas with religious

names to help spread the culture.

It is often a clear divide in Christianity between Roman

Catholics and Protestants.

Place Names in Québec

Fig. 6-12: Place names in Québec show the impact of religion on the landscape. Many cities and

towns are named after saints.

Administration of Space

Hierarchical Religions

Locally Autonomous Religions

Hierarchical Religions Roman Catholic Hierarchy

Pope

Archbishops head a province and report to the pope. A province is a group of several diocese.

Bishops preside over the diocese (there are several thousands). This is the basic unit of the Roman Catholic Church. They oversee Parishes.

Priest s run their parish, typically an area serviced by a church.

Latter Day Saints divide their organizations into wards with about 750 people. Wards are combines into Stakes with about 5,000. The Board and the President of the church redraw the wards and stakes as the church grows.

Roman Catholic Hierarchy in U.S.

Fig. 6-13: The Catholic church divides the U.S. into provinces headed by archbishops. Provinces

are divided into dioceses, headed by bishops.

Locally Autonomous Religions

Islam provides local authority to their clerics. The closest

authority if secular governments.

Protestant denominations vary in structure from very

autonomous to highly authoritative. The level is decided by

the congregation.

Judaism requires there to be 10 adult males to conduct a

service.

Hinduism lacks structure as most worship is done alone and

in your homes.

Key Issue #4

Why do Territorial Conflicts Arise Among Religious Groups?

Religious Conflicts

Religion vs. government policies

Religion vs. social change

Religion vs. Communism

Religion vs. religion

Religious wars in Ireland

Religious wars in the Middle East

Local Conflicts

Since the 20th Century was dominated by global conflict, the

new century looks to be one of local conflict.

A major cause is the rise of religious fundamentalism.

Religion vs. Social Change

As countries become more developed and the introduction of

many cultures, this can be a huge threat to traditional

cultures.

All major religions have had some sort of conflict.

Taliban versus Western Values When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, thy were a

welcome relief from the corrupt warlords.

They instituted strict Islamic law throughout the country.

Men were beaten for shaving their beards or stoned for adultery.

Homosexuals were buried alive, prostitutes were hung in public, thieves had their hands cut off and women who painted their nails had their fingers cut off.

Western activities were banned. This includes: music, flying kites, surfing the web and watching TV.

Buddhist statues as old as the 2nd century were also destroyed.

Hinduism versus Social Equality The most vulnerable part of the Hindu religion is the caste

system.

The caste system had five levels

Brahmans – priests and top administrators

Kshatriyas – warriors

Vaisays – merchants

Shudras – agricultural workers

“Untouchables”

The British and Christian missionaries tried to change the caste system.

The Indian Government outlawed the untouchable class and gave all Indians the same rights.

Religion vs. Communism

The rise of communism in Eastern Europe and Asia.

The religions most affected were Eastern Orthodox, Islam

and Buddhism.

Eastern Orthodox Christianity and

Islam versus the Soviet Union

In 1721 Czar Peter the Great made the Russian Orthodox Church a part of the government.

In 1917, after the Bolshevik Revolution, the Communist government pursued antireligious programs. In 1918, the government ends the church-state relationship.

All church buildings were overtaken by the government and could only be used with government permission.

The fall of the Soviet Union led to the rise of Christianity in Eastern Europe and Islam in Asia. Central Asian countries are having a hard time dealing with how to separate church and state.

Buddhism vs. Southeast Asian

Countries

The Vietnam war destroyed many Buddhist temples. Both

the US, French and Communist N. Vietnamese did damage to

many relics.

In Cambodia, the government allows vandalism to temples.

It also does nothing to restore ancient temples.

In China, the communists discourage the practice of religion.

Religion vs. Religion

Christianity vs. Judaism vs. Islam in the Middle East

Crusades between Muslims and Christians

Jews vs. Muslims in Palestine

Catholics vs. Protestants in Ireland

Crusades

In the 7th Century, Muslims (Arabs) conquered most of the

Middle East, including Jerusalem and Palestine.

Arabs conquered most of Northern Africa, moved north into

Spain and as far north as France. They were eventually

stopped by the Franks. Christianity remained the main

religion of Europe.

To recapture the land lost, several military campaigns were

launched. They recaptured Jerusalem in 1099, lost in 1187,

won it back in 1229 and lost it again in 1244.

Jews vs. Muslims in Palestine Land controlled my Muslim Ottoman Empire until 1917.

After WWI, Britain controlled most of the land.

After WWII in 1945, the United Nations voted divide Palestine: one Jewish State and one Muslim state with Jerusalem to be an international city open to all and run by the UN.

In 1948, when Britain withdrew, Jews declared an independent state of Israel. The next day, Israel’s neighbors declared war.

Israel won more wars in 1956, 1967 and 1973. In 1967, that war led to Israel gaining land from its neighbors.

Jerusalem

Fig. 6-15: The Old City of Jerusalem contains holy sites for Judaism, Christianity, and

Islam.

Boundary Changes in Palestine/Israel

Fig. 6-16: The UN partition plan for Palestine in 1947 contrasted with the boundaries that

were established after the 1948-49 War. Major changes later resulted from the

1967 War.

Israel, the West Bank and Gaza - Political and Physical maps

Fig. 6-17: The West Bank and Gaza have been under Israeli control since 1967, and numerous Israeli settlements have been

established there. The area includes three physical regions: the coastal plain, the hills, and the Jordan River

Valley.

Palestinian Perspective Palestinians see themselves as the original ruler of Israel and

Jerusalem.

Israel allowed 100 settlements to be built on the West Bank, displacing Palestinians who were already living there.

Palestinians see this as a hostile act.

The fight against Israel is organized by Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).

Israel allows a limited government known as the Palestinian Authority, but Palestinians want autonomy.

Some Palestinians was to return to the split country, others want all of Israel.

Jewish Perspective

Israel sees itself as a small country of 8,000 sq. miles

surrounded by 10 million sq. miles of Muslim countries.

Three largest cities are relatively close or on international

borders, making them susceptible to attack.

Geography makes protection for Israel difficult.

Like Palestinians, some Israelis would share the land and

some want total control of the country.

Section of Israeli Security Barrier

Fig. 6-1.1: A typical section of the security barrier built by Israel in the West Bank.

Israel’s Barrier in

the West Bank

Fig. 6-1.2: The planned route of Israel’s

security barrier in the West

Bank includes many of

Israel’s settlements in the

territory.

The Temple Mount, Jerusalem

Temple Mount contains sites holy to both Jews and Muslims, including the Western Wall of

the Second Temple, al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Dome of the Rock.

Praying at

the Western

Wall in

Jerusalem

Potala Palace, Lhasa Tibet

Religious War in Ireland

Ireland is 92 percent Roman Catholic.

The Northern Part of Ireland is part of the UK and is 58%

Protestant and 42% Catholic.

Ireland was a British Colony until 1937.

The northern counties voted to stay part of the UK.

Several of the Irish want to unify the entire island by any

means necessary.

These extremist are known as the Irish Republican

Army(IRA) and the Ulster Defense Force (UDF).

Most people want peace, but as long as there are extremist…

Distribution of

Protestants in

Ireland, 1911

Fig 6-14: When Ireland became independent

in 1937, 26 northern districts

with large Protestant populations

chose to remain part of the

United Kingdom.

Catholic Protestors in Northern

Ireland