AIM: to what extent do Belief Systems have an impact on

the world?

Or alternatively: is it possible to die because of looking at too

many maps?

What are Belief Systems?

• What is a Belief System, a Religion, and an Organized religion?

Belief System

Belief System

Religion

The Venn diagram is part of the clue.

Belief System

ReligionOrganized Religion

(Some of Planet Earth’s) Belief Systems

• Animism

• Judaism• Christianity• Islam• Hinduism• Buddhism• Taoism• Confucianism

• Zoroastrianism• Jainism• Sikhism• Shinto• Deism• Atheism• Agnosticism

Who believes in them?• What percentage of the world is Christian?

• What percentage of the world is Muslim?

• What percentage of the world is Jewish?

• What percentage of the world is Hindu?

• What percentage of the world is Buddhist?

• What percentage of the world is Atheist?Basic question regarding

belief systems that should have been covered in AP

World History

Questions• Where do most Muslims live?

• What is the most populous Islamic country?

• Where is the Islamic hearth located?

• What is the most populous Christian country?

• What continents are the most Christian, in terms of total percentage of the population?

• What continent is the least Christian?

Hearth?

• Where is the Christian hearth located?

• Where is the Catholic hearth located?

• What is the difference between a Catholic and a Christian?

• Where is the Jewish hearth located?

• How about Hinduism?

• Sikhism?

• Taoism?

• Where is the Buddhist hearth?

Questions

What is a(n)

hearth?

• What religions are most popular amongst Sub-Saharan Africans?

• Where is the animist hearth located?

• BTW…

• Christianity : Judaism as Buddhism : ?

• Constantine : Christianity as ? : Buddhism

Questions

AIM: to what extent do Belief Systems have an impact on

the world?

Or alternatively: is it possible to die because of looking at too

many maps?

Animism• Not necessarily anything to do with

animals; rather refers to a life force, spirit within various objects e.g.: the land, a tree etc.; think animation – animism.

• Not an organized religion but rather the human attempt to make sense of the universe… possibly a primordial connection with the “spirit world.”

• Location: Most animists live in Sub-Saharan Africa but also in very rural South America and Asia. Used to be wide spread throughout the world.

• Tenets: Varies but in Southern Africa:• Single God / supreme being. • Belief in “Spirit World”: spirits coexist with

the living and can be contacted. Some spirits evil, some good, some powerful etc.

• Ancestral veneration: deep respect for one’s ancestors; may pray to them for help etc.

• Thus use of a shaman / witchdoctor etc.

What is the one part of the world were a large population of animists reside?

Judaism Christianity Islam

Location Middle East, Israel, USA, former USSR

Jerusalem

Middle East, Europe, N America, S America, rest of world

Jerusalem

Middle East, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Iran, Turkey, Egypt

Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem

Impact

Tenets

Judaism Christianity Islam

Location

Impact Dietary & Clothing laws based on religious interpretation E.g.: Kosher

Christian Calendar (s)

Laws based on Christian interpretation

Dietary & Clothing laws based on religious interpretation E.g.: Halal

Art & architecture etc.

Tenets

Judaism Christianity Islam

Location

Impact

Tenets Monotheism

G – d

→Moses

Torah + Talmud

Monotheism

God,

Jesus

Bible = Torah (Old Testament) & New Testament

Monotheism

Allah

Mohammed

Koran + Hadith

Judaism Christianity Islam

Location

Impact

Tenets Ten Commandments

Golden Rule Five Pillars:

1) Shadah

2) Salat

3) Zakat

4) Ramadan

5) Haj

Jihad

Judaism Christianity Islam

Location

Impact

Some of the

various sects / divisions etc.

Hasidim

Orthodox

Conservative

Reformed

Reconstructionist

Several thousand.

RCC

Orthodox

> 2000 Protestant sects

Mormons

Jehovah’s Witnesses

Israelites

Etc.

Sunnis

Shi’itesSuffis

Wahhabis

Kahrijites

Ismaelis

Zaidis

Fatimids

Nizari (Assassins)

Alawis

Druze

Bahai

Etc.

The point behind this is to show that there only a few sects of Judaism, numerous sects of

Islam, especially Shia Islam, and thousands of Christian sects!

1

There are various theories regarding the origins of Indo-European / Aryan people.

What founder of Judaism

(first prophet) was actually Sumerian?

What Sumerian legends may he

have introduced to Judaism?

Why did people tend to stay away from the Arabian Peninsula?

Persian Empire

What was their religion and did they come into contact

with Jewish people?

2 Z

Roman Empire at its greatest expanse.

What “Jewish” part of the world did they

rule?

3

Diaspora

BTW, there has been one

other “Jewish” country.

BTW

1492: more happened than just sailing the ocean blue. What?

4

AIM: to what extent do Belief Systems have an impact on

the world?

Or alternatively: is it possible to die because of looking at too

many maps?

List as many religious conflicts as you can think

of.

• Label those conflicts on the blank world map provided.

5

After the WWI what happens to Arab lands?

1917 Balfour

Declaration

Complete mess!

Security Fence and Wall

Final Solution

Uganda

Madagascar

6

Uganda

ChristianityWhat Empire had an

impact on the spread of Christianity?

Spread of Christianity

Hearth?

What role did the Roman Empire play in the spread and growth of Christianity?

Remember this map!

What is this place?

2011CE

TWE has it changed? How? Why?

Who helped create France with their failed invasion?

Everybody wants to be Roman. Why

is that ironic?

Neither Holy nor

Roman or an Empire!

Hapsburg Roman

wanabees.

Crusades Where did they originate?

Why did the Pope pick

them?

Europe circa 1000CE

Where did they take place?

Europe circa 1580CE

30 Years War

2011CE

TWE has it changed? How? Why?

Byzantine Empire aka the Eastern Roman

Empire

The early spread of Islam

The early spread of Islam

Hinduism

Founder• Who is the founder of Hinduism?

• There is none.• The origin of Hinduism lies in the

original Vedas (epic poems, Hindu scriptures, spiritual laws and truths) brought to South Asia by the Aryans.

• When?

Basic Beliefs• Dharma: duties and obligations in life

determined by one’s birth.

• Reincarnation: rebirth

• Karma: actions leading to future consequences

• Samsara: cycle of birth, death and rebirth

• Moksha: escape from Samsara

• Nirvana

Think of life and time as a circle.

Birth / Death

Reincarnation

Moksha

Samsara

Nirvana

Impact on Society

At least twice born

(reincarnated) castes.

Buddhism• Founder: Siddhartha Gautama, or Buddha, which

means "enlightened one."

• Four Noble TruthsSiddhartha's  philosophy of the nature of human suffering and its relation to desire is articulated by these four statements:

• Life is full of pain and suffering. • Human desire causes this suffering. • By putting an end to desire, humans can end suffering. • Humans can end desire by following the Eightfold

Path.

Taoism• Originated in China• Philosophy founded by Lao Tze / Tsu around

500BCE

Tenets• The Chinese term Tao can be translated

into English, meaning "the way."

• Taoism is a philosophy that teaches one to attempt to live in harmony with nature; the universe; “Get the balance right” and “May the force be with you.”

• Ancestral veneration important

• Belief in a spirit worldSound

familiar?

Yin Yan

• Yan

• Light

• Male

• Heavenly

• Active

• Yin

• Dark

• Female

• Earthly

• Passive

Confucianism• Founder: Kong Fu Zi

(Confucius). His teachings were later refined and spread by Mencius.Developed in China around 500 BCE during a period of constant war and anarchy; thus the desire for order.

Legalism

• Legalists believed that humans were basically evil and selfish. The best form of government, that is, the government that best contributed to the welfare of the people, would be one that strictly held humankind's base instincts in check. This government would be ruled by strict and harsh laws; punishment would be severe and swift. This belief in rule by law is why this school is called "Legalist."

•Generally considered to be an offshoot of Confucianism.

- Richard Hooker, Washington State University

Thinking of Thomas Hobbes again?

The Mandate of Heaven

• The Zhou / Chou Dynasty developed a new political system of authority during the period 1050 – 256BCE which they called “t’ien-ming,” the Mandate of Heaven.

Where?

Fin

Have Belief Systems ever played a role in political conflicts?

Have Belief Systems ever played a role in political conflicts?

FIN