Chapter 7: Religions

1. Chapter 7: Religions Nicole and Aisha

2. Distribution of the world�s religions The geographic distribution of the world�s religions today.

3. Important Notes For many people, religion defines who they are and how they understand the world around them. Religion occupies a central space in the field of cultural geography because religion is tied to all aspects of human culture and social systems. Religions share some set of teachings that imply a value system. All religions include some notion of the sacred, whether the sacred be a single divine being, a set of texts, or some powerful symbol. All religions include the place of human beings in the universe. Many religions also have a creation story to explain the origins of humans and the physical universe.

4. Important Notes Universalizing religions � religions that seek to unite Local religions � religions that are more spiritually bound to particular regions Evangelical religions � like Christianity, they expand their membership by using missionaries to recruit new followers actively Monotheistic � religions that teach the primacy of a single god Polytheistic � religion teaching that there are numerous gods or spiritual powers Global religions � members of the religions are numerous and widespread such as Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism Ethnic religions � tend to appeal to smaller groups of people with a common heritage or to large groups of people living in a single religion

5. Important Notes Shamanism � the term for a local religion in which a single person takes on the roles of a priest, counselor, and physician and claims a conduit to the supernatural world Animism � another class of local religious traditions, mostly from Africa and the Americas, in which the world is seen as being infused with spiritual and even supernatural powers Christianity � the world�s most widespread religion with about 2 billion believers; monotheistic religion wit its origins in Judaism Protestantism includes a large group of distinct denominations, some of which differ considerably from Catholicism in their beliefs and practices

6. Important Notes Islam � monotheistic with about 1 billion members worldwide; its distribution is centered in North Africa and the Middle East, but are found throughout the world such as Europe, South East Asia, and the U.S. The five pillars consist of: repeated recital of the basic creed; prayers five times daily, facing Mecca; the observance of Ramadan, which is a month of daytime fasting; almsgiving, and if possible, a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca Buddhism � third great world religion; more than 300 million adherents worldwide; originated in the 6th century B.C. in northern India; still centered in its ancient East Asian hearth Hinduism � religion closely tied to Indian culture; important aspect of the culture is the caste system, which gives every Indian a particular place in the social hierarchy from birth Judaism � was the first major monotheistic religion; based on a sense of ethnic identity, and its adherents tend to form tight-knit communities wherever they live

7. Test Tips from the AP Reviewer The 2002 APHG exam included a free-response question that asked students to consider how religion shapes cultural landscapes, in terms of sacred sites, place names, burial practices, and architecture. The study of religion has again, in recent years, emerged as a topic of vigorous research among cultural geographers. You should be prepared to answer an essay question on the geography of religion, related to either American Christianity or the global geography of Islam.

8. Sample Multiple-Choice Questions 1. All evangelical religions are also Local religions. Universal religions. Animist religions. Ethnic religions. Polytheistic religions.

9. Sample Multiple-Choice Questions 1. All evangelical religions are also Local religions. Universal religions. Animist religions. Ethnic religions. Polytheistic religions.

10. Sample Multiple-Choice Questions 2. Local Native American and African religions that teach a belief in a natural world full of spiritual beings and supernatural powers are often referred to as Animist. Shamanistic. Missionary. Denominational. Local religions.

11. Sample Multiple-Choice Questions 2. Local Native American and African religions that teach a belief in a natural world full of spiritual beings and supernatural powers are often referred to as Animist. Shamanistic. Missionary. Denominational. Local religions.

12. Sample Multiple-Choice Questions 3. The world�s most widespread religion is Islam. Animism. Christianity. Hinduism. Buddhism.

13. Sample Multiple-Choice Questions 3. The world�s most widespread religion is Islam. Animism. Christianity. Hinduism. Buddhism.

14. Sample Multiple-Choice Questions 4. The hearth and spiritual center of Islam is at Baghdad. Cairo. Jakarta. Mecca. Jerusalem.

15. Sample Multiple-Choice Questions 4. The hearth and spiritual center of Islam is at Baghdad. Cairo. Jakarta. Mecca. Jerusalem.

16. Sample Multiple-Choice Questions 5. __________ is an excellent example of a non-evangelical, universalizing religion. Christianity Buddhism Protestantism Polytheism Hinduism

17. Sample Multiple-Choice Questions 5. __________ is an excellent example of a non-evangelical, universalizing religion. Christianity Buddhism Protestantism Polytheism Hinduism

18. Sample Multiple-Choice Questions 6. In ______ religions, community, common history, and social relations are inextricably intertwined with spiritual beliefs. Monotheistic Local Evangelical Ethnic Universal