Geography of Religion
Do Now
• On a piece of Notebook Paper (NBP,) to be turned in, Please
write a paragraph response to the following question.
– Should students learn about religion? Why or why not?
– You must give three reasons why you agree or disagree.
– Use ONLY Complete Sentences
Introduction to Religion
• Religion is a belief system and
a set of practices that
recognizes the existence of a
power higher than humans.
Powerful influence on
daily life.
Classifying Religions
• Proselytic religions actively seek
new members and aim to convert
all humankind.
• Ethnic religions are identified
with a particular ethnic or tribal
group and do not seek converts.
Classifying Religions
• Monotheistic religions
believe in only one god and
may expressly forbid the
worship of other gods or
spirits.
• Polytheistic religions
believe there are many gods.
Classifying Religions
• Syncretic religions combine elements of multiple belief systems.
• Orthodox religions emphasize purity of faith and are not open to
blending with other religious ideas.
• Fundamentalism is a movement to return to the founding
principles of a religion.
Judaism, Christianity, & Islam
• All developed among the Semiticspeaking people of the deserts of the
Middle East.
o
o
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Judaism: 4,000 years ago
Christianity: 2,000 years ago
Islam: 1,300 years ago
• Share a common hearth in
southwestern Asia.
Judaism
• First monotheistic religion.
o
Belief in ONE god.
• Spread widely and rapidly.
• Numerically small.
o
Does NOT seek converts.
• Holy book is called the Torah.
• Widely dispersed throughout the world.
• Approximately 13 million adherents.
Judaism
• Three major branches:
• ORTHODOX: Traditionalists who observe most ceremonial laws
and dietary restrictions.
• CONSERVATIVE: Do not hold the importance of a Jewish political
state, but emphasize the historical and religious aspects of Judaism.
• REFORM: Liberal wing; culture and race oriented with little
consensus on doctrinal or religious belief.
• Origin and Diffusion
o
o
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Ethnic Religion (origins of Christianity)
Diaspora: In 70 A.D., Romans forced Jews to disperse throughout the world.
Ghetto: During the Middle Ages, a neighborhood in a city set up by law to be
inhabited only by Jews.
Judaism
Judaism
• Basic Precepts
Belief in One God
Torah - original 5 chapters of
Bible
o Prophecy of Moses
o Coming of the Messiah still to
come
o Atonement accomplished by
sacrifices, penitence & good
deeds
o
o
• Created 1948 from a British
mandate from Palestine.
• Some people do not
recognize its existence.
• Long history of conflict with
Arabs, particularly
Palestinians.
• Capital is Jerusalem,
considered to be a holy
place for Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.
Jewish homeland
• Monotheistic.
• Evolved from Judaism.
• Moved east and south of its
hearth area.
• Routinely spread through force.
• European contact with the “New
World” brought Christianity.
• World’s largest religion.
• Segmented into three separate
churches:
o
o
o
Catholics
Protestants
Eastern Christians
Christianity
• Catholicism - largest
branch
o
Headed by the Pope
 direct link to God
o
Ceremonial - 7 sacraments
 baptism, marriage,
Eucharist, etc.
o
Very traditional
Christianity
• Protestantism - (1517)
Reformation era
o
Christianity
No Pope needed
 individual has direct link to God
o
Grace through faith rather than
sacraments
 forgiveness for sins through indiv.
prayers
o
Spread though N. Europe and
England
 arose same time as 1466
Gutenberg Bible and the printing
press
Martin Luther
• Eastern Orthodoxy - 5th
Century split
o
Rivalry between Pope and
Patriarch of Constantinople
(Istanbul)
 Rome remained center for
Roman Catholicism
o
Rejected Roman
Catholicism doctrine
 by 1054 officially split
o
National Churches
 Russian, Greek, Serbian
Orthodox, etc.
Christianity
• Spread in a manner similar to
Christianity.
o
Proselytic faith.
• Adherents are known as Muslims.
• Worship one god, called Allah.
• Founded by the prophet
Muhammad.
• Holy book is the Qur’an (or Koran).
o
Basis for sharia, or holy law.
• Divided into two major groups:
o
Shiite & Sunni
• Fastest growing world religion
Islam
Islam
• Basic Precepts
Submission to the will of God
(Allah)
o Lineage - Adam, Noah, Abraham,
Moses, Jesus, & Mohammed
(different lineage)
o Holy Book - Koran - built on Old
Testament
o Five (5) pillars of faith
o
• 5 Pillars of Faith
o
Creed:
o
“There is no God but
Allah”
Prayer 5 times a day
facing Mecca
o Giving to the poor
o Month of
Rammadan
o Pilgrimage to Mecca
o
Hinduism
• First religion to emerge (about
4,000 years ago).
• 800 million adherents.
• Closely tied to Indian culture.
• One supreme god: Brahman.
• Many manifestations are
worshipped.
• Highly tolerant of other religions.
• Belief in reincarnation.
• Forms of worship vary regionally.
Buddhism
•
•
•
•
•
Appeared around 500 B.C.
Proselytic.
Evolved from Hinduism as a reform religion.
Most widespread religion in Asia.
Contains several regional forms:
o
o
Tibetan Buddhism
Japanese Buddhism
Buddhism
• Four noble truths:
• Life is full of suffering.
• Desire is the cause of this suffering.
• Cessation of suffering comes with the
quelling of desire.
• Proper conduct and meditation permits
the individual to overcome desire.
• Enlightenment is known as nirvana.
• Individuals who achieve nirvana are
known as Buddhas.
Comparing Key Points:
Focus on Judaism, Christianity, & Islam
• ASSIGNMENTS:
o 1. Comparison of Monotheistic Religions (Grid)
o 2. Venn Diagram
 Must list at least 3 characteristics in each section.
Cultural Interaction
Religion & the Economy
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•
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Religion can guide commerce
Determine what crops are grown
Foods and beverages consumed
Types of employment
Religious Pilgrimage
• Pilgrimages are journeys to sacred places.
• Particularly important to follows of Islam, Hinduism,
Shintoism, and Roman Catholocism.
Review Quiz Questions
Your group must create 10 questions from the religion unit. Your
questions should:
• Vary in difficulty. You should have at least a few “easy” questions and a few
“hard” questions.
• Vary in type. You should ask a combination of multiple choice, true/false, and
short answer questions.
• Vary in content. You should cover all of the lectures and assigned readings
equally.
Type your questions and save them to the flash drive. Put a * next to
the correct answer for each question. Label with all group members’
names.
Check - Up
• Write the following answers on the same page as your Do Now.
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1. Define religion.
2. Identify one proselytic religion.
3. What is the most widely practiced religion in the world?
4. How does religion relate to the study of human geography?