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RELIGION - Intro

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.

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RELIGION - Intro

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  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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.

  6. Differences • Universalizing v. ethnic • Monotheistic v. Polytheistic • Evangelical/proselytizing v. NOT • Hierarchical v. Local Autonomy • Ex: Catholic..ex. - Protestant congregations

  7. 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

  8. 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)

  9. World Religions

  10. World Religions

  11. 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

  12. Largest World Religions

  13. 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%

  14. US Religious Distr….scale?

  15. 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

  16. 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.)

  17. Pope Benedict Martin Luther Henry VIII

  18. 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

  19. 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

  20. 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.

  21. 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

  22. 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

  23. 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

  24. 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

  25. 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)

  26. 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

  27. 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)

  28. 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

  29. BUDDHISM – universalizing relig • B = 3rd largest univ relig w/ 300 million followers • Founded by the Buddha – Siddhartha Gautama

  30. 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

  31. 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

  32. 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

  33. 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

  34. 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

  35. 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

  36. 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

  37. Sikhism • Sikh Golden Temple in Punjab region – N. India

  38. 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

  39. 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)

  40. Distribution/Diffusion • Jews dispersed by Romans @ 70 AD- Diaspora – scattered throughout Eur • A people w/out a nation forhundreds of years. Some in Eur assimilated. Others persecuted • Russia and Romania – pogroms in late 1800s and early 1900s • Nazis – Holocaust – 1930s-1940s

  41. 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

  42. 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

  43. 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

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