Chapter 7
Religion
Stonehenge
(England)
I. Where are Religions Distributed?
A. Universalizing religions
1.
2.
3.
4.
Intro
Christianity
Islam
Buddhism
B. Ethnic religions
1. Hinduism
2. Other ethnic religions
World Distribution of Religions
Fig. 6-1: World religions by continent.
World Population by Religion
Fig. 6-1a: Over two thirds of the world’s population adhere to Christianity, Islam, Hinduism,
or Buddhism. Christianity is the single largest world religion.
Christian Branches in Europe
Fig. 6-2: Protestant denominations, Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodoxy are dominant in
different regions of Europe – a result of many historic interactions.
Christian Branches in the U.S.
Fig. 6-3: Distribution of Christians in the U.S. Shaded areas are counties with more than 50% of
church membership concentrated in Roman Catholicism or one of the Protestant
denominations.
Religions of the United States
Statue of
Buddha
Hong Kong,
China
II. Why do Religions have different
Distributions?
A. Origin of religions
1. Origin of universalizing religions
a. Christianity
b. Islam
c. Buddhism
d. Other Universalizing Religions
2. Origin of Hinduism
B. Diffusion of religions
1. Diffusion of universalizing religions
a. Christianity
b. Islam
c. Buddhism
d. Other
2. Lack of diffusion of ethnic religions
a. Mingling of ethnic and universalizing
religions
b. Judaism an exception
Diffusion of Universalizing Religions
Fig. 6-4: Each of the three main universalizing religions diffused widely from its hearth.
Diffusion of Christianity
Fig. 6-5: 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
Fig. 6-6: Islam diffused rapidly and widely from its area of origin in Arabia. It eventually
stretched from southeast Asia to West Africa.
Diffusion of Buddhism
Fig. 6-7: Buddhism diffused gradually from its origin in northeastern India to Sri Lanka,
southeast Asia, and eventually China and Japan.
Shintoism & Buddhism in Japan
Fig. 6-8: 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.
C. Holy places
1. Holy places in universalizing religions
a. Buddhist Shrines
b. Holy Places in Islam
c. Holy places in Sikhism
2. Holy places in ethnic religions
a. Holy places in Hinduism
b. Cosmogony in Ethnic Religions
D. The calendar
1. The calendar in ethnic religions
a. The Jewish Calendar
b. The Solstice
2. The calendar in universalizing religions
a. Islamic and bahai Calendars
b. Christian, Buddhist, and Sikh Holidays
Holy Sites in Buddhism
Fig. 6-9: Most holy sites in Buddhism are locations of important events in Buddha’s life and are
clustered in northeastern India and southern Nepal.
Buddhist
Temple
Bodh Gaya,
India
Mecca, Islam’s
Holiest City
Fig. 6-10: Makkah (Mecca) is the holiest city
in Islam and the site of pilgrimage
for millions of Muslims each year.
There are numerous holy sites in
the city.
Makkah during the Haj Pilgrimage
The Ka’ba stands at the center of the Great Mosque (al-Haran al Sharif) in Makkah.
Hindu Holy
Places
Fig. 6-11: 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.
Ritual Bathing in the Ganges River
Hindu pilgrims achieve purification by bathing in the Ganges.
The Golden Temple in Amritsar
The Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib) in Amritsar, India is the holiest structure for Sikhism.
Baha’i Temple in Uganda
Cremation near Taj Mahal
III. Why Do Religions Organize Space in
Distinctive Patterns?
A. Places of worship
1. Christian worship
2. Places of worship in other religions
a. Muslim Mosques
b. Hindu Temples
c. Buddhist and Shintoist Pagodas
d. Bahai Houses of Worship
B. Sacred space
1. Disposing of the dead
a. Burial
b. Other Methods of Disposing of Bodies
2. Religious settlements
3. Religious place names
C. Administration of space
1. Hierarchical religions
a. Latter-Day Saints
b. Roman Catholic Hierarchy
2. Locally autonomous religions
a. Local Autonomy in Islam
b. Protestant Denominations
c. Ethnic Religions
Place Names in Québec
Fig. 6-12: Place names in Québec show the impact of religion on the landscape. Many cities and
towns are named after saints.
Roman Catholic Hierarchy in U.S.
Fig. 6-13: The Catholic church divides the U.S. into provinces headed by archbishops. Provinces
are divided into dioceses, headed by bishops.
IV. Why Do Territorial Conflicts Arise
Among Religious Groups?
A. Religion vs. government policies
1. Religion vs. social change
a. Taliban versus Western Values
b. Hinduism versus Social Equality
2. Religion vs. Communism
a. Eastern Orthodox & Islam versus the Soviet Union
b. Buddhism versus Southeast Asian Countries
B. Religion vs. religion
1. Religious wars in Ireland
2. Religious wars in the Middle East
a. Crusades
b. Palestine/Israel
Distribution of
Protestants in
Ireland, 1911
Fig 6-14: When Ireland became independent
in 1937, 26 northern districts with
large Protestant populations chose
to remain part of the United
Kingdom.
Catholic Protestors in Northern Ireland
Jerusalem
Fig. 6-15: The Old City of Jerusalem contains holy sites for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Boundary Changes in Palestine/Israel
Fig. 6-16: 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.
Israel, the West Bank and Gaza
Political and Physical maps
Fig. 6-17: The West Bank and Gaza have been under Israeli control since 1967, and numerous
Israeli settlements have been established there. The area includes three physical regions:
the coastal plain, the hills, and the Jordan River Valley.
Section of Israeli Security Barrier
Fig. 6-1.1: A typical section of the security barrier built by Israel in the West Bank.
Israel’s Barrier in
the West Bank
Fig. 6-1.2: The planned route of Israel’s security
barrier in the West Bank includes many
of Israel’s settlements in the territory.
The Temple Mount, Jerusalem
Temple Mount contains sites holy to both Jews and Muslims, including the Western Wall of
the Second Temple, al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Dome of the Rock.
Praying at the
Western
Wall in
Jerusalem
Potala Palace, Lhasa Tibet