There may be some extra words in the presentation: Do NOT write them down. Religion

There may be some extra words in the presentation: Do NOT write them down.

Religion

Religion is “A system of beliefs and practices that attempts to order life in terms of culturally perceived ultimate priorities.”

What Is Religion?

1. Religions set standards for how people “should” behave.2. Religion manifests itself in many ways: Worship Prayer Rituals

• Take place through regular intervals• Birth, marriage, and death• Attainment of adulthood

Secularism is the indifference to or rejection of religion.

What Role Does It Play in Culture?

Monotheistic religions: single god

Polytheistic religions: many gods

Animistic religions: inanimate objects

possess spirits

Types of Religions

Universalizing religions:• Actively seek converts • Believe they offer universal appeal• Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism

Ethnic religions:• Appeals to one group of people living in

one place; born into the faith• Do not actively seek converts• Hinduism, Judaism, Animism, Shamanism

Sometimes, univ. and ethnic religions mix e.g. in Africa, Louisiana, Haiti.

Types of Religions

World Distribution of Religions

World religions by continent. 60% of world population – universalizing region; 25% - ethnic religion; 15% - no religion.

World Population by Religion

Over two-thirds of the world’s population belong to Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism. Christianity is the single largest world religion.

Christian Branches in Europe

Protestant denominations, Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodoxy are dominant in different

regions of Europe—a result of many historic interactions.

Hinduism• One of oldest religions; over 4000 years; no specific

leader •Originated in the Indus River Valley•Ganges (sacred river) •Ancient practices include ritual bathing and reincarnation•Polytheistic

•Caste System →

Origin Religions

From the Hearth of South Asia

Hindu Temple

Buddhism Splintered from Hinduism 2500 years ago Siddhartha Gautama (born about 563 B.C.)Four Noble Truths + Noble Eightfold PathApproximately 347 million adherents

SikhismoOriginated in Punjab, India around 1669oBased on the teachings of Guru NanakoMonotheisticShintoismJapanFocused on nature and ancestor worship

From the Hearth of South Asia

Origin Religions

Taoism Lao-Tsu –founder (600 BCE)Tao-te-ching – “Book of the Way” Feng Shui – living in harmony with nature

Confucianism Confucius 551 to 479 BCEConfucian Classics – blueprint for Chinese civilization

Origin of Religions

From the Hearth of the Huang He River Valley

Judaism • Teachings of Abraham & Moses• Holy scroll is the Torah

Origin of Religions

From the Hearth of the Eastern Mediterranean

Christianity • Teachings of Jesus (born about 4 B.C.)• Sacred book is the Bible• Split from Judaism • Church split led to Eastern Orthodox and Roman

Catholic Church • Protestant reformation challenged fundamental Roman

Catholic teachings

Origin of Religions

From the Hearth of the Eastern Mediterranean

Islam Founder/Prophet Muhammad (born 570 A.D.)

Sacred text is the Qu’ran (Koran)Five Pillars of Islam Shia and Sunni

Origin of Religions

From the Hearth of the Eastern Mediterranean

Diffusion of Religions

• Overall:

– Increase of diffusion– missionary work

– Lack of diffusion – lack of appeal to outsiders

(tied to cultures)

Diffusion of Universalizing Religions

Each of the three main universalizing religions diffused widely from its hearth.

Diffusion of Christianity European Colonialism in the sixteenth century 33,000 denominations

Diffusion of Religions

From the Hearth of the Eastern Mediterranean

Diffusion of Christianity

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 • Kings used armies to spread faith across Arabian

Peninsula.• Islam later spread by trade. • 1.57 billion followers worldwide; is fastest-

growing religion.

Diffusion of Religions

From the Hearth of the Eastern Mediterranean

Diffusion of Islam

Islam diffused rapidly and widely from its area of origin in Arabia. It eventually stretched

from southeast Asia to West Africa.

Diffusion of Judaism

•Diaspora—scattering of people•Zionism—form of nationalism that supports a separate Jewish state

From the Hearth of the Eastern Mediterranean

Diffusion of Religions

Diffusion of Buddhism

Buddhism diffused gradually from its origin in northeastern India to Sri Lanka, southeast Asia, and eventually China and Japan.

Shintoism and Buddhism in Japan

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.

Sacred sitesPlaces people infuse with religious meaningPilgrimage: Voluntarily travel to a religious site to pay respects or participate in a ritual at the site Sacred Sites of JerusalemSacred to Jews, Christians, and MuslimsWailing Wall, Temple Mount, Dome of the Rock, Church of the Holy Sepulchre

How Is Religion Seen in the Cultural Landscape?

Hinduism• Temples, shrines• Holy animals, ritual bathing

Buddhism • Stupus: bell shaped structures that protect

burial mounds • Pagoda: tiered tower

How Is Religion Seen in the Cultural Landscape?

Hindu Holy Places

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.

Also includes the Ganges River.

Holy Sites in Buddhism

Most holy sites in Buddhism are locations of important events in Buddha’s life and are clustered in northeastern India and southern Nepal.

Medieval Europe• Cathedral, church, or

monastery

Bordeaux, France. Built beginning in 1472, St. Michael’s Tower rises over Bordeaux, France, marking the importance of the Catholic Church in Bordeaux’s history and culture. © H. J. de Blij.

Landscapes of Christianity

How Is Religion Seen in the Cultural Landscape?

Place Names in Québec

Place names in Québec show the impact of religion on the landscape. Many cities and towns are named after saints.

Prohibition against depicting the human form• Led to calligraphy and geometric design

Hajj• Pilgrimage to Mecca

Landscapes of Islam

How Is Religion Seen in the Cultural Landscape?

Mecca, Islam’s Holiest City

Makkah (Mecca) is the holiest city in Islam and is the site of pilgrimage for millions of Muslims each year. There are numerous holy sites in the city.

Interfaith boundaries: boundaries between the world’s major faiths • Ex.: Christian-Muslim boundaries in Africa

Intrafaith boundaries: boundaries within a single major faith • Ex.: Christian Protestants and Catholics, Muslim

Sunni and Shi’ite

What Role Does Religion Play in Political Conflicts?

Israel and Palestine• WWII, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, West Bank, Hamas

Nigeria• Muslim North/Christian South

The Former Yugoslavia• Balkan Peninsula separates the Roman Catholic

Chruch and the Eastern Orthodox Church

Northern Ireland • Catholics and Protestants in the North

What Role Does Religion Play in Political Conflicts?

Example of Religious Conflict: Jerusalem

The Old City of Jerusalem contains holy sites for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Boundary Changes in Palestine/Israel

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.

The West Bank: Political and Physical Geography

Political control of the West Bank has been split between Palestinians and Israelis (though under overall Israeli control). The West Bank includes many of the higher altitude areas of the region.

Conflict: Protestants in Northern Ireland

Percent Protestant population by district in Ireland, 1911. When Ireland became independent in 1937, 26 northern districts (or local states) with large Protestant populations chose to

remain part of the United Kingdom.

Religious fundamentalism• Beliefs are nonnegotiable and uncompromising Religious extremism

Fundamentalism carried to the point of violence

Fundamentalists can be extremists but this does not mean that all fundamentalists (of any faith) are extremists

Reasons for Political Conflicts