Chapter 7: Religion
Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Question of the Day
Identify the symbol for its religion.
2.
1.
4.
5.
3.
• 1. The moon and star is now a symbol of
Islam. Some Muslim countries have the moon on
their flag. This symbol was first used in Turkey.
• 2. This is the Hindu symbol. It is called Om or
Aum. This is the word for god.
• 3. One of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith
is the menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum
used in the Temple.
• 4. This is the Sikh symbol. It is called
the Khanda. It is a circle and two swords. The
circle means God is always there. The sword
means Sikhs believe in truth and must help
people in need.
• 5. This is a Buddhist symbol. The wheel shows
the cycle of birth, death and reincarnation.
Field Note:
Dying and Resurrection
Figure 7.1
Vyshniyvolochek, Russia. A
Russian Orthodox church lies in
ruins in this small village in 1964.
“When I made my first trip to the Soviet
Union in 1964, the world was divided
into West and East in the Cold War. I
was cataloging the unique cultural
landscape in my mind as my group drove
along a road from Leningrad to Moscow:
I was looking for evidence of communism
on the landscape. The rural areas were
filled with state and collective farms. To
me, the most interesting aspect of the
landscape was the multitude of churches
in ruins.”
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
• Explain Soviet relationship with religion
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Key Question 7.1
What is religion, and what role
does it play in culture?
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Field Note
“Each religion approaches the
disposition of the deceased in
different ways, and cultural
landscapes reflect religious
traditions. In largely Christian,
western regions, the deceased are
buried in large, sometimes
elaborate cemeteries.
The Hindu faith requires
cremation of the deceased.
Wherever large Hindu
communities exist outside of
India, you will see crematoriums,
the equivalent of a Hindu funeral
home.”
Figure 7.2
Mombasa, Kenya
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Religious Diffusion
• expansion diffusion
– contagious
– hierarchical
• relocation diffusion
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Cultural Landscape marked
by…
•
•
•
•
Houses of worship???
Presence or absence of ????
Modes of dress???
Personal habits???
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
What Is Religion, and
What Role Does It Play in Culture?
• According to Stoddard and Prorak, religion
is “A system of beliefs and practices that
attempts to order life in terms of culturally
perceived ultimate priorities should do or
should behave).
• A method of constructing coherence and
meaning in the world
• Religions set standards for how people
“should” behave.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Role of Religion
• How has religion played a role in the
development of human societies?
– Combating social ills, sustaining the poor,
promoting the arts, educating the deprived, and
advancing medical knowledge
– Blocked scientific study, encouraged the
oppression of dissidents, supported colonialism
and exploitation, and condemned women to an
inferior status in many societies
disposition of the deceased Each religion approaches the disposition of the deceased in
different ways, and cultural landscapes reflect the religious
traditions.
Christian,
western
regions bury
dead in
cemetaries.
Hindu faith
requires
cremation.
Hindu
crematorium
in
Mombasa,
Kenya
Religion’s
impact in
history and
culture is
evident in its
centrality in
many places
Churches often built in the
center of towns, reflecting their
importance.
Antwerp, Belgium
What Is Religion, and
What Role Does It Play in Culture?
Religions 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.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
secularism
• 2009 survey – Is religion important in your
life?
• More Developed Countries (MDCs)
– US – 57%
– France – 13%
– Sweden – 8%
– Czech Republic – 7%
• Less Developed Countries (LDCs)
– Senegal – 98%
– Bangladesh – 97%
– Brazil – 78%
• Europe or western society highly influenced
by Christianity
• Identify characteristics about yourself that
are influenced by religion
– poverty
– education
– medicine
– women
– oppression
Describe how religion and language affect
and change each other to shape cultures.
Consider what happens to a society’s
religion and language when a different
religion or language diffuses to the place.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Key Question 7.2
Where did the major religions of
the world originate, and how
do religions diffuse?
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Where Did the Major Religions of
the World Originate, and How Do
Religions Diffuse?
• monotheistic religions: single god
• polytheistic religions: many gods
• animistic religions: inanimate objects
possess spirits
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
History
• Most religions were animistic or
polytheistic until about 3500 years ago
– Zoroastrianism – first monotheistic faith
– Judaism, Christianity, and Islam can be traced
to Zoroastrianism (some believe the Judaism
is the first monotheistic faith)
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
History
• By 500 BCE, 4 major religious hearths
existed
– Greek along Mediterranean
– Hinduism in South Asia
– Judaism in eastern Mediterranean
– Chinese philosophies – Huang He/Yellow
River valley (China)
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Hearths of Religion and Philosophy by 500 BCE
Where Did the Major Religions of
the World Originate, and How Do
Religions Diffuse?
major types of religion:
• universalizing religions:
• actively seek converts
• believe that they offer universal appropriateness
and appeal
• Christianity, Islam, Buddhism
• ethnic religions:
• adherents are born into the faith
• do not actively seek converts
• spatially located, Judaism the exception
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Are there any problems with the
previous map?
• South Asia?
• Sub-Saharan Africa?
– Cameroon
• France
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Where Did the Major Religions of
the World Originate, and How Do
Religions Diffuse?
From the Hearth of South Asia
Hinduism
• one of oldest religions; over 4000 years
• originated in the Indus River Valley
• Ganges (sacred river)
• ancient practices include ritual bathing
and reincarnation
• polytheistic
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Hinduism
• Common account holds that Hinduism originated
from practices of ancient cities of Mojenjo Daro
and Harappa (Indus River valley in Pakistan).
• ethnic religion do not actively seek converts
– spread around world by British colonialism but you only
see pockets of Hinduism rather than regions
• Hindus define their religion as monotheistic
– universal soul is Brahman (main god) and all other gods
are various expressions of Brahman
– most consider it polytheistic
Hindu Caste System
Top Caste
Pariah
Hindu Gods and Goddesses
Brahma
Shiva
(Creator)
(Destroyer)
Three
aspects
of the
divine
Vishnu
(Preserver)
Reincarnation – all beings have
souls and are arranged in a
hierarchy; goal is to move upward to
a point of union w. the universal soul
“Sacred Cow”
Devout
Hindus are
vegetarian.
Hindu Temple –
Angkor Wat, Cambodia. This temple suffers from neglect and destruction
now, as Buddhism has supplanted Hinduism in most of Cambodia.
From the Hearth of South Asia
• Buddhism –
splintered from Hinduism 2500 years ago (@500 BCE).
Originated in a region from Nepal south to the Ganges
River area.
* anyone can achieve salvation, reach enlightenment
founder: Siddartha (the Buddha)
sacred sites: stupas (contain sculptures of Buddha)
diffusion: most strongly into Tibet in the north and
into East Asia
**Enlightenment comes from self knowledge, elimination of
greed, craving, and desire, complete honesty, and never
hurting another person or animal.
Buddhism
• Estimated 347 million adherents to Buddhism
• Theraveda Buddhism  a monastic faith that holds
salvation is a personal matter, achieved through good and
religious activities, including periods of service as a monk
or nun
– Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos
• Mahayana Buddhism  holds that salvation can be aided
by appeals to superhuman, holy sources of merit; do not
serve as monks but practice meditation
– Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and China
• Lamaism (Tibet)  combines monastic Buddhism with
worship of local demons and deities.
Buddhism
•S. Gautama
– “Buddha”
•Enlightenment
– Four Noble
Truths
– Eightfold Path
Buddhism
•ETHICS
–Emphasis
of
Buddhism
is ethical
rather than
theological.
Four Noble Truths (64)
1. Life is Suffering
2. Cause of Suffering = Desire
for Pleasure and Material Gain
3. Renounce Desires if you want to stop
suffering.
4. Follow the Eightfold Path
a. Renounce Desires
b. Attain Nirvana
The Eightfold Path (64)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
RIGHT Views
RIGHT Intentions
RIGHT Speech
RIGHT Action
RIGHT Living
RIGHT Effort
RIGHT Mindfulness
RIGHT Concentration
Nirvana
The Spread of Buddhism
Field Note
Figure 7.9
Borobudur, Indonesia
“Built about 800 CE when
Buddhism was diffusing
throughout Southeast Asia,
Borobudur was abandoned and
neglected after the arrivals of
Islam and Christianity and lay
overgrown until uncovered and
restored under Dutch colonial
rule from 1907 to 1911. The
monument consists of a set of
intricately carved, walled
terraces; the upper terraces are
open. In the upper terraces
stand six dozen stupas, each
containing a sculpture of the
Buddha in meditation, visible
when you peer through the
openings.”
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Shintoism
Shintoism
• Japan
• focused on nature and
ancestor worship
• many Japanese
practice both
Shintoism and
Buddhism
Shinto Shrine
In Kyoto, Japan, this Shinto shrine is visible after walking through a torii –
a gateway usually formed by two wooden posts and topped by two
horizontal beams.
From the Hearth of Huang He
(Yellow) River Valley
• Taoism –
originated in China more than 2500 years ago (@500 BCE)
* oneness of humanity and nature
founder: Lao-Tsu
sacred text: “Book of the Way” (Tao Te Ching)
social manifestation: Feng Shui - the art and science
of organizing living spaces in order to channel life forces
that exist in nature in favorable ways.
diffusion: East Asia
Taoism
• Taoist virtues
– simplicity
– spontaneity
– tenderness
– tranquility
– competition, possession, and even pursuit of
knowledge are to be avoided.
• the best government is the least
government.
From the Hearth of Huang He
(Yellow) River Valley
• Confucianism – (blueprint for Chinese
civilization)
originated in China about 2500 years ago@500 BCE)
* real meaning of life lay in the present
* service to one’s fellow humans should supercede
service to spirits.
founder: Confucius (551 to 479 BCE)
sacred text: “Confucian Classics” (Analects)
* a collection of Confucius’ writings and sayings
diffusion: East Asia, Southeast Asia
Communist China’s effect on
religion
• Examples of opposition to government’s
anti-religion initiatives
burial mounds
cremation and columbaria
From the Hearth of the
Eastern Mediterranean
• Judaism –
originated in Southwest Asia about 4000 years ago.
* first major monotheistic religion, covenant between
God (one God) and Abraham (the chosen people)
sacred text: Torah
founder: Abraham
sacred sites: Jerusalem (Western Wall), land between
the Mediterranean and the Jordan River
social manifestation: Zionism
diffusion: into European cities during the diaspora,
into N. America during WWII, into Israel over
last 50 years
Judaism
• Jews have a turbulent history.
– Moses led from Egypt to Canaan, where a split
occurred, resulting in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
– Israel was wiped out immediately by conquering tribes
but Judah survived until the Babylonians and Assyrians
conquered them.
– Jews regrouped and took control of Jerusalem but were
subsequently conquered by the Romans in 70 CE.
– diaspora scattered Jews across the globe.
• Zionism (emerged as a response to persecution)
– Ideals are rooted in the belief that Jews should not be absorbed into
other societies and should have a homeland located in and around
Jerusalem
Judaism
• Reform- adjust practices to modern times
–
–
Reform Judaism is the most liberal expression of modern Judaism. In America, Reform Judaism
is organized under the Union for Reform Judaism (formerly known as the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations), whose mission is "to create and sustain vibrant Jewish congregations
wherever Reform Jews live."
Today, Reform Jews affirm the central tenets of Judaism - God, Torah, and Israel - while
acknowledging a great diversity in Reform Jewish beliefs and practices. Reform Jews are more
inclusive than other Jewish movements: women may be rabbis, cantors, and synagogue
presidents; interfaith families are accepted; and Reform Jews are "committed to the full
participation of gays and lesbians in synagogue life as well as society at large."
• Orthodox- return to traditional ways
–
–
Orthodox Jews believe the entire Torah - including "Written," the the Pentateuch, and "Oral," the
Talmud) was given to Moses by God at Sinai and remains authoritative for modern life in its
entirety. (religionfacts.com)
has held fast to such practices as daily worship, dietary laws (kashruth), traditional prayers and
ceremonies, regular and intensive study of the Torah, and separation of men and women in the
synagogue. It also enjoins strict observance of the sabbath and religious festivals and does not
permit instrumental music during communal services (religionfacts.com)
Judaism
• Conservative- in between Reform and
Orthodox
–
–
–
Conservative Judaism (known as Masorti Judaism outside the USA) is a moderate sect that
seeks to avoid the extremes of Orthodox and Reform Judaism. Conservative Jews wish to
conserve the traditional elements of Judaism while also allowing for reasonable modernization
and rabbinical development.
Conservative Jews observe the Sabbath and dietary laws, although some modifications have
been made to the latter. As in Reform Judaism, women may be rabbis
number of studies have shown that there is a large gap between what the Conservative
movement teaches and what most of its laypeople have incorporated into their daily lives.
Conservative Judaism holds that halakha (Jewish law) is normative, i.e. that it is something that
Jewish people must strive to actually live by in their daily lives. This would include the laws of
Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath); the laws of kashrut (keeping kosher); the practice of thrice daily
prayer; observance of the Jewish holidays and life-cycle events. In practice, the majority of
people who have come to join Conservative synagogues only follow all these laws rarely
•
Sources- religionfacts.com
Judaism
• Hasidic Jews– Hasidic (or Chasidic) Judaism arose in 12th-century
Germany as a movement emphasizing asceticism and
mystical experience born out of love and humility
before God.
– Hasidic Jews center on a leader called a rebbe or
tzaddik, who may or may not be a rabbi. The rebbe is
considered especially enlightened and close to God and
is looked to for guidance in all aspects of life, from
Torah interpretation to choosing a spouse to buying a
home. A rebbe's advice is considered absolutely
authoritative.
Western Wall, Jerusalem
Jewish neighborhoods in European Cities
the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague, the Czech Republic
From the Hearth of the
Eastern Mediterranean
• Christianity –
originated in Southwest Asia about 2000 years ago.
* monotheistic religion, follow teachings of Jesus to
achieve eternal life
sacred text: Bible
founder: Jesus (son of God)
sacred sites: Bethlehem, Jerusalem
split in the church:
* split into Eastern Orthodox and Roman
Catholic churches in 1054
* Protestant sect split off in 1400s and 1500s
diffusion: into Western Europe, and then world wide
during colonialism and after.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Roman Catholic Church
• Claims the most adherents of all the
Christian faiths
• Teaches the infallibility of the pope in
interpreting Jesus’ teachings and in
navigating the modern world
• Catholic church peaked in the Middle Ages
when the Church controlled sources of
knowledge and worked in conjunction with
the monarchs
First Split in Christianity, 1054 CE
Western Roman empire = Roman Catholicism
Eastern Roman empire = Eastern Orthodox
Second split in 1517 w. Martin
Luther
• and those that protested some practices of
the Catholic church = Protestants
• Protestants splintered into many groups:
Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Church
of Christ, etc.
Switzerland
concentrations of Catholics and Protestants
by canton and commune
The Orthodox World
Dominate Religion
Red
More than 10% Orange
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Eastern-orthodoxy-world-by-country.png
Roman Catholic Distribution
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Catholic_population.png/800px-Catholic_population.png
The Christian World
http://www.christianaggression.org/img/feature_stats.jpg
From the Hearth of the
Eastern Mediterranean
• Islam –
originated on Arabian peninsula about 1500 years ago.
* monotheistic religion, revelations Muhammad
received from Allah, Five Pillars.
sacred text: Qu’ran
founder: Muhammad
sacred sites: Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem
split in the church:
* shortly after Muhammad’s death, split into
Sunni Muslims (great majority)
Shi’ite Muslims (concentrated in Iran)
diffusion: across Arabian peninsula, across North
Africa, into Spain and also east into Southeast Asia
Five Pillars of Islam
• Profession of Faith
– There is but one god Allah and Mohammed is
his prophet.
• Prayer
• Fasting during Ramadan
• Almsgiving/Charity
• Hajj- pilgrimage to Mecca
Split in Islam
• Two main branches:
– Sunni (great majority)
• believed rightful heir to Mohammed’s caliphate (area of
influence) was an unrelated candidate
• believe in the effectiveness of family and community in
solving life’s problems
– Shi’ite (concentrated in Iran)
• believed rightful heir was Ali, Mohammed’s son in law
• 16th century- Iranian (Persian) ruling dynasty made Shi’ite
Islam the only legitimate faith of that empire
• Imam is the sole source of true knowledge (Imams are Shi’ite
Muslim leaders whose appointments are regarded as
sanctioned by Allah. (believed to be w/o sin and infallible)
The Diffusion of Islam
minaret
(for call to prayer)
stands on the Sabah
State Mosque
in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Diffusion of
Islam into
Europe
large mosque in
Paris, France
The Islamic World
http://www.britkid.org/images/world_maps/islam.gif
Islam – dar al Islam (world of
Islam)
• ; Dar al Garb;
Dar al Kufr
dar al Islam
Where Did the Major Religions of
the World Originate, and How Do
Religions Diffuse?
Indigenous and Shamanist
• Indigenous
– Local in scope
– Reverence for nature
– Passed down through tribes
• Shamanism
– community beliefs
– follow the practices and teachings of the
shaman
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Field Note:
Figure 7.18
Uluru, Australia
“Arriving at the foot of erosion-carved
Uluru just before sunrise it is no
surprise that this giant monolith,
towering over the Australian desert, is a
sacred place to local Aboriginal peoples.
Throughout the day, the changing sun
angle alters its colors until, toward
sunset, it turns a fiery red that yields to
a bright orange. At night it looms
against the moonlit, starry sky, silent
sentinel of the gods. Just two years
before this, my first visit in 1987, the
Australian government had returned
‘Ayers Rock’ (named by European
settlers after a South Australian political
leader) to Aboriginal ownership, and
reclaimed its original name, Uluru.
Visitors continued to be allowed to climb
the 1100 feet (335m) to the top, from
where the view over the desert is
awesome.”
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Where Did the Major Religions of
the World Originate, and How Do
Religions Diffuse?
The Rise of Secularism
• indifference to or rejection of organized
religious affiliations and idea
• varies greatly from country to country
and within countries.
• antireligious ideologies can contribute to
the decline of organized religions.
• church membership figures do not
accurately reflect active participation.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Migration plays a large role in the diffusion
of religions, both universalizing and ethnic.
As Europe becomes more secular, migrants
from outside of Europe continue to settle in
the region. Imagine Europe 30 years from
now. Predict where in Europe secularism
will be the most prominent and where
religious adherence will strengthen.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Key Question7.3
How is religion seen in the
cultural landscape?
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
How Is Religion Seen in the
Cultural Landscape?
Sacred sites
• Places or spaces people infuse with religious
meaning
• Pilgrimage: Adherents voluntarily travel to a
religious site to pay respects or participate
in a ritual at the site
Sacred Sites of Jerusalem
• Sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims
• Wailing Wall, Temple Mount, Dome of the
Rock
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Guest
Field Note
Ardmore, Ireland
“At St. Declan’s Holy Well in Ireland, I found a barbed wire fence substituting for
the more traditional thorn tree as a place to hang scraps of clothing as offerings.
This tradition, which died out long ago in most parts of Continental Europe, was
one of many aspects of Irish pilgrimage that led me to speculate on ‘Galway-to-theGanges’ survival of very old religious customs on the extreme margins of an
ancient Indo-European culture realm. My subsequent fieldwork focused on
contemporary European pilgrimage, but my curiosity about the geographical
extent of certain ancient pilgrimage themes lingered. While traveling in Asia, I
found many similarities among sacred sites across religions. Each religion has
formation stories, explanations of how particular sites, whether Buddhist
monasteries or Irish wells, were recognized as sacred. Many of these stories have
similar elements. And, in 1998, I traveled across Russia from the remote
Kamchatka Peninsula to St. Petersburg. Imagine my surprise to find the tradition
of hanging rag offerings on trees alive and well all the way across the Russian Far
East and Siberia, at least as far as Olkon Island in Lake Baikal.”
Credit: Mary Lee Nolan, Oregon State University
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Figure 7.21
Jerusalem, Israel. The Church of
the Holy Sepulchre is sacred to
Christians who believe it is the site
where Jesus Christ rose from the
dead. Inside the church, a Christian
worshipper lights a candle at Jesus
Christ’s tomb. © Reuters/Corbis
Images.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sacred Sites of Jerusalem
Jerusalem is sacred to three major religions:
Judaism, Islam, Christianity
Judaism (Western Wall)
Islam (Dome of the Rock)
How Is Religion Seen in the
Cultural Landscape?
Landscapes of Hinduism and Buddhism
• Hinduism
• temples, shrines
• holy animals, ritual bathing
• Buddhism
• the Bodhi (enlightenment) tree
• stupus: bell shaped structures that
protect burial mounds
• pagoda
cremation in both Hinduism in Buddhism
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sacred Landscapes of Hinduism
Hinduism – pilgrimages follow prescribed routes, and
rituals are followed by millions.
Varanasi, India
on the
Ganges River
where Hindus
perform
morning rituals.
Sacred Landscapes of Buddhism
Swedogon Pagodo in
Yangon, Myanmar
Eight hairs of the
Buddha are
preserved under the
dome (chedi)
How Is Religion Seen in the
Cultural Landscape?
Landscapes of Christianity
• Medieval Europe
• Cathedral, church, or
monastery
• Burial more commonly
practiced
Figure 7.25
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.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sacred Landscapes of Christianity
Protestant Churches
This church in Singapore
is a Church of England
church in city surrounded
by Buddhists, Hindus,
and Muslims
How Is Religion Seen in the
Cultural Landscape?
Landscapes of Christianity
Religious Landscapes in the United States
Zelinsky: Map identifying religious regions of
the United States
New England: Catholic
South: Baptist
Upper Midwest: Lutheran
Southwest: Spanish Catholic
West, Midlands: no dominant denomination
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Figure 7.28
Major Religious
Regions of the United
States.
A generalized map of
the religious regions of
the United States shows
concentrations of the
major religions.
Adapted with permission
from: W. Zelinsky, The
Cultural Geography of
the United States, rev.
ed., Englewood Cliffs,
NJ: Prentice Hall, 1992,
p. 96.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Protestant and Catholic Landscapes
in the United States
Scandinavian
Lutheran
Church
(on left)
St. Mary’s
Catholic
Church
(on right)
How Is Religion Seen in the
Cultural Landscape?
Landscapes of Islam
• Alhambra Palace in Granada
• Great Mosque of Cordoba, Spain
• Prohibition against depicting the human
form
• Led to calligraphy and geometric design
use
• Hajj
• Pilgrimage to Mecca
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sacred Landscapes of Islam
Muslim mosques
Dome of this
mosque in Isfahan,
Iran demonstrates
the importance of
geometric art
evident in Muslim
architecture.
Figure 7.33
Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims circle the holy Kaaba in the Grand Mosque in
Mecca during the hajj. © Amel Emric/AP/Wide World Photos.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Choose a pilgrimage site, such as Mecca,
Vatican City, or the Western Wall, and
describe how the act of pilgrimage (in some
cases by millions) alters this place’s cultural
landscape and environment.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Key Question 7.4
What role does religion play in
political conflicts?
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
What Role Does Religion Play in
Political Conflicts?
Conflicts along Religious Borders
• 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
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Interfaith Boundary in Africa
Figure 7.36
The West Bank. Adapted with
permission from: C. B. Williams and
C. T. Elsworth, The NewYork Times,
November 17, 1995, p. A6. © The
New York Times.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Landscapes of Settlements
Israelis have had a policy of building settlements
for Jews in the Occupied Territories
Landscape of the Gaza Strip, 2005
In 2005, the Israeli government pulled out of the Gaza Strip,
burning down Jewish settlements and handing control over to
Palestinians.
The West Bank
with the proposed
security wall, parts
of which the Israeli
government has
already built.
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
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Figure 7.39
Religious Affiliation in Northern Ireland. Areas of Catholic and Protestant
majorities are scattered throughout Northern Ireland. Adapted with permission
from: D. G. Pringle,One Island, Two Nations? Letchworth: ResearchStudies
Press/Wiley, 1985, p. 21.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Former Yugoslavia
genocide
ethnic cleansing
What Role Does Religion Play in
Political Conflicts?
Religious Fundamentalism and
Extremism
• 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
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Islamic extremists and jihad
an Islamic holy war against the West
Government Impact on Religion
The Soviet Union:
-
had an official
policy of atheism
discouraged
religious practice
-
-
seized church bells,
demolished
churches, etc.
tolerated Islamic
practice among old
but not young
drew boundaries for
political control that
separated ethnic
groups in small
areas
-
Christian Armenia &
Shi’ite Muslim
Azerbaijan
Armenia and Azerbaijan
Soviet Union’s divide-and-diminish plan
What Role Does Religion Play in
Political Conflicts?
religious fundamentalism and
extremism
Christianity
• traditionalist Catholic Movement
• Protestant fundamentalism
Judaism
• Orthodox conservatives
• extremist groups Kach and Kahane Chai
Islam
• jihad: Taliban in Afghanistan
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Boal’s studies in Northern Ireland
demonstrate that solving a religious conflict
is typically not about theology; it is about
identity. You are assigned the potentially
Nobel Prize–winning task of “solving” the
conflict either in Northern Ireland or in
Israel and Palestine. Using Boal’s example,
determine how you can alter activity spaces
and change identities to create the
conditions for long-lasting peace in this
conflict zone.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.