Religion
AP Human Geography
Religion Regions
Religion Terms
• Religion: a cultural system of beliefs,
traditions and practices often centered around
the worship of a deity or deities (god/gods)
• Universalizing Religions: Religions that seek to
convert nonbelievers to their ranks
(Christianity/Islam)
• Ethnic Religions: religions that are associated
with a particular ethnic group (Hinduism,
Judaism)
• Monotheism: Belief in on Supreme Being
• Polytheism: belief in multiple gods
• Syncretic religions: the process of combining
multiple beliefs and practices into one system
• Traditional Religions: a subset of ethnic
religions. These faiths are practiced by small
groups of people who largely live in isolated or
developing areas of the world (tribal groups in
Africa, Native American tribal groups)
• Animism: the belief that souls and gods
inhabit all or most objects, especially natural
objects such as trees, stones and bodies of
water
Major Religions: Commonalities
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Religions have a tendency to splinter
Have a founder or key figure
Have scriptures
Have rituals
Have structures for prayer or religious
rituals
• Teach a form of the Golden Rule
• Preach Peace
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Religions Grid Jigsaw Activity
• Students will each be assigned to read one section from the Chapter on
Religions
– 8C: Hinduism
– 8D: Buddhism
– 8E Judaism
– 8F: Christianity
– 8H: Islam
• As you read, you must complete 2 tasks:
– 1. Define any terms that you find that appear on Notecard list. Create
notecards or write in your notebook and prepare to share with group.
– As you read, fill in any parts of graphic organizer. Be prepared to share
with group.
JUDAISM
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Judaism
14 million adherents
Monotheistic (claims to the oldest one)
Based on covenant with Abraham
Scriptures: Torah – 5 books of the “Law”
– Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
• Sects
– Orthodox, Conservative, Reform
• Israel – More Jews in New York City than in
Israel
– Homeland for Jewish people
– Created 1948
– Conflict between Israel and Palestine
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CHRISTIANITY
Christianity
• Emerged from Judaism – Jesus was a Jew!
• Official religion of Roman Empire – 312 CE
– Facilitated geographical spread
– Model for its bureaucratic structure
• Significant growth in Africa, Asia and Latin America
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Christian Fundamentals
• Areas of almost complete agreement
– Sacraments of Baptism & Matrimony
– Monotheism involving one God in a trinity of persons
(referred to as a mystery)
– Blessing and sharing bread and wine at least in
memory of Jesus sacrifice
– Jesus was/is 100% God and 100% human
– Salvation comes from belief in and acceptance of Jesus
as one’s savior
– There will be a second coming at the end of time
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Christian Denominations: Sects
• Eastern Orthodox
– Greek, Serbian, Russian, Armenian, etc.
• Roman Catholic – Latin Rite & Greek Rite
– Largest single denomination in the USA
• Protestant – hundreds of denominations
– Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, etc.
• Peripheral – significant differences from the
mainstream Christian denominations
– Mormon, Jehovah Witnesses, etc.
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ISLAM
Islam
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Muhammad, prophet
Allah (word for God)
Monotheistic
Major Sects: Sunni – 85% and Shiite –
15%
• Koran (or Qu’ran), the holy book, is
sufficient to direct all aspects of life, seen
as direct word of god, as told to
Muhammad.
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Five Pillars
• Five Pillars of Islam
– Belief in one God
– Five daily prayers facing Mecca
– Generous alms (help to poor)
– Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan
– Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj)
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HINDUISM
Hinduism
– Most ancient religious tradition in Asia (world?)
– Vedas – Hindu sacred texts
– May be viewed as monotheistic
– Castes
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Brahman, priestly
Kshatriya, warrior/ruler
Vaisya, tradesman and farmer
Sudra, servant and laborer
– Untouchables (5th caste)
– Central belief is in reincarnation
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Characteristics of Hinduism
• No clergy or religious requirements –
• No real splintering or sects
– Can be practices in many ways & at many levels so
there was no need to “split off.”
• Each individual is seeking to comprehend the
ultimate reality while living out his/her dharma
(duty) with the goal of union with Brahman once
the cycle of reincarnation is ended.
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BUDDHISM
Buddhism
• Siddhartha Gautama/Buddha – Enlightened One
• Four Noble Truths
– Life involves suffering
– Cause of suffering is desire
– Elimination of desire ends suffering
– Right thinking and behavior eliminate desire
• Diffused from India
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Buddhism
• Nirvana
– Buddhism is a way of living that achieves
release from reincarnation and suffering
• God is not knowable, so is, therefore, not a
major concern in Buddhism
• Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) rejected the
caste system
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Buddhism
• Scriptures: Vinaya (discipline) – expanded later
• Branches:
– Theravada (south) – monk seeks own deliverance
– Mahayana (north) – role ritual
– Tibetan Lamaism – example of syncretism
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Branches of Buddhism
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Confucianism
• Confucianism: A Chinese folk religion or
philosophy that began about 2,500 years ago
and that emphasizes proper social
relationships and individual morality.
• Confucius lived from 551-479 BC in China
• Importance of loyalty to one’s parents, family
and government
• Supports an orderly state (strong government)
Taoism
• Taoism: An ancient Chinese philosophy or
religion focused on individual morality, selfrestraint, and humility
• Much more mystical compared to
Confucianism
• Focuses more on the individual
Sikhism
• Sikhism: Monotheistic religion founded in
South Asia in the late 15th Century as a
reaction to perceived problems with the
teachings of Islam and Hinduism
– Offshoot of Hinduism
– Centered around the Punjab area
– Guru Nanak (founder)
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Baha’i
• Baha’i: A universalizing religion founded in the
19th Century in present day Iran and Iraq. It is
practiced today in nearly every country.
• Main message is that all peoples are the same
regardless of background or religion
• Seeks to unite all people of the world
Shintoism
• Shintoism: The traditional animistic religion of
Japan
• Believers acknowledge that gods are present
in natural objects
• People pray and honor the gods to ensure that
good fortune falls on them.
Jainism
• Jainism: developed about the same time as
Buddhism as a reaction to Hinduism (6th
Century BC)
• Jains believe that the only way to escape the cycle of
rebirth is to cease all activity that might accumulate
bad karma
• Thus, monastic living is the only true way to
salvation: monks and nuns renounce all possessions,
wandering by foot for much of their lives, begging for
food and trying not to harm any living thing.
African Tribal Religions
• African Tribal Religion: A catch all term that
refers to many individual religions in Africa
that have some things in common.
• Most are forms of animism
• Focus is on maintaining order in society and
life, not on eternal salvation
• Failure to respect the gods might bring a bad
harvest or infertility
Religion & Politics
• Freedom of religion
– Historically the exception rather than the “rule.”
• Theocracy
– Church rules directly – government based on
“scriptures.”
• Separation of church and state
– Islamic fundamentalists oppose it – favor theocracy
– Instituted by United States Constitution to preserve
religious freedom.
• Terrorism – unacceptable resort of those who feel
marginalized – usually more about power than it
is about religion (emotional excuse for violence)
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Social Impact of Religion
• Gender roles
– Women’s rights, duties, obligations, opportunities, etc.
– Patriarchal or matriarchal societies
• Diet and food preparation restrictions
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Kosher – rule related to how acceptable food is prepared
Pork – forbidden to Jews & Muslims
Beef – unacceptable to Hindus – many are vegetarians
Alcohol – forbidden to Muslims
• Ethics and morals
– Guidelines for the “good” life
• Schools and social and medical institutions
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Religion and Environment
• Burial practices
• Origin of the world
– All have some creation story which usually indicates
the place of humans in that creation
• Relationship with nature
– Exploitive approach – Christianity in practice rather
in teaching
– Adaptive approach – Animism and most “Eastern”
religions
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