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Religion
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Objectives for the Chapter

Identify the similarities and differences between
universalizing and ethnic religions.

Identify the hearths, diffusion patterns, and significance of
holy places for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and
Judaism.

Analyze the basis of territorial conflicts between religions,
religions and political systems, and religions and social
change.
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Universalizing Religions
Three Main Universalizing Religions and Two Smaller:
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Bahá’í
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Buddhism (7.1%)
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Christianity (31.5%)
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Islam (23.2%)
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Sikhism
Diffusion of Religion Map
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Universalizing Religions
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Buddhism – Mostly in China and
SE Asia.
Siddharta Gautama became Buddha through
enlightenment.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/666
Four Noble Truths
1. Life brings suffering.
2. Desire causes suffering.
3. This suffering can be overcome and nirvana achieved.
4. Nirvana is attained through an Eightfold Path, which includes
rightness of belief, resolve, speech, action, livelihood, effort,
thought, and meditation.

Largest branches:
 Mahayana – China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam
 Theravada – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand

Worship at home or in temple
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Universalizing Religions
Christianity (33.3%) – 2.3 billion
adherents

Roman Catholic largest branch,
dominant Southwest and east in
Europe, dominant in Latin
America
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Protestant – dominated by
Baptists in Southeast US
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Orthodox – 15 churches in East
Europe and the Middle East.

Smaller branches - Coptic
Church, Ethiopian Church,
Armenian Church, Maronites,
and Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints.
http://www.vaticanbank.com/
•Forgiveness of sins – belief in Jesus
(Messiah) and his resurrection
•One God; three elements
•Holy Trinity – Father, Son, & Holy
Spirit
•Holy Book – Bible
•Church
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Distribution of Christians in US
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Islam
 Half live in four countries outside
Middle East: Indonesia, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, & India.
 Fastest growing religion
Five Pillars of Practice include profession of faith,
prayer, charity, fasting during Ramadan, and
completion of the hajj—pilgrimage to Mecca
•
Two denominations split after
Muhammad’s death:
•
•
Sunni (80%) –
• Geographically widespread
• Recognized someone outside
Muhammad’s family as successor
Shia (15%) –
• Clustered in Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan,
Bahrain and Pakistan
• Successor should be from
Muhammad’s family or chosen by
Muhammad
http://sacredsites.com/middle_east/saudi_arabia/mecca.html
Great Mosque in Mecca, Saudi
Arabia
Holy Book – Qur’an
Muhammad – final prophet of
God
Mosque
Universalizing
Religions
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The Golden
Temple,
Amritsar,
Punjab
http://sacred
sites.com/asi
a/india/amrit
sar.html
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Guru Nanak
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/si
khism/people/nanak.shtml#h2
Sikhism – Clustered in Punjab region of India. 23 million
adherents
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Only God is perfect, but we can strive for growth through taking
responsibility and by devoting self to one God.
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Founded by the Guru Nanak in 15th century CE.

Place of worship is known as a Gurdwara, and the scripture is
the Guru Granth Sahib.
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To live good life, keep God in heart and mind always, live and
work honestly and hard, treat others equally, be generous to
those in need, and serve others.
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Ethnic Religions
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Hinduism
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Confucianism
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Daoism (Taoism)
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Shintoism
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Judaism (a unique case)
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Ethnic African Religions
Ethnic
Religions
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Hardwar (Haridwar)
http://sacredsites.com/asia/india/hardwar.html
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Gangotri
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/india/gangotri.htm
Hinduism (900 million) –
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97% concentrated in India, and rest in Nepal.
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Individuals choose best way to worship God.
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Path of knowledge, renunciation, devotion, and action.
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Existence is a cycle – reincarnation—strive for release from the
cycle.
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People start from different backgrounds, so what works for one
may not for another.
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No central book or authority.
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Different gods may be worshipped – Vishnu and Siva for
example—Brahman is the supreme spiritual source.
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Ethnic Religions
Judaism
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44% in US & 41% in Israel
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Diaspora - any group that has been
dispersed outside its traditional
homeland, especially involuntarily
(Dictionary.com)
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Roots of Christianity and Islam found
in Judaism
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Based in Israel, known as Canaan and
Palestine, with the arrival of Abraham.
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First recorded religion to support
monotheism.

Judah, for which Judaism is named is
one of twelve original tribes
descended from Jacob.
The Western Wall
http://mosaic.lk.net/g-wall.html
•Holy book – Torah
•Represents covenant between God
and Abraham
•Jewish populations are the chosen
people
•Synagogue
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Jewish Diaspora
Cengage Learning
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Origins, Diffusion, and Holy Places
We need five groups to study one religion each:
Universalizing: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam
Ethnic: Judaism and Hinduism
In your group, identify:
1.
The origin of the religion
2.
The historical pattern of diffusion (where did it spread)
3.
The explanation for this pattern of diffusion
4.
The sacred places in the religion, if applicable
Each group will need a spokesperson to present their findings
to the class.
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
Similarities & Differences – Ethnic
and Universalizing Religions
Origins –
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Diffusion –
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Universalizing: precise origins, based on life events of a man, hearths in
South/Southwest Asia
Ethnic: unknown origins, not tied to single individuals
Universalizing: followers spread word (relocation – missionaries; influence by
leader – hierarchical; contact btn believers/nonbelievers—contagious)
Ethnic: Limited diffusion, lack of missionaries, impacted by expansion of other
religions – most likely contagious and relocation
Holy places –
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Universalizing: associated with the founder’s life
Ethnic: often associated with the environment
For Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists pilgrimage is significant
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Holy Places - Pilgrimage
Pilgrim’s Progress – Link to National Geographic interactive site
on holy places for different religions.
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Religious Conflict
Pressure to change
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Modernism
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Supports scientific thought
and knowledge
Fundamentalism – literal
interpretation and strict
adherence to principles of a
religion
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A way of maintaining a
clear cultural identity
-
Not necessarily violent
Roots in Enlightenment
Secularization
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Push away from influence of
religion

Religious law and social
space
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Religious Conflicts
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Religion vs. Social Change
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Taliban and Western Values – 1996 - Afghanistan imposed
strict laws based on their interpretation of the Koran
 Islamic Traditionalism – movement that favors premodern
Islam and resists Westernization
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Hinduism and Social Equality - caste system (distinct
hereditary social order) social rights limited for lower
castes
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Religious Conflicts
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Religion vs. Political System
 Soviet government made the first state effort to
eliminate religion (brief respite during WWII and
Stalin’s rule).

China is an atheist state but has grown more accepting
of religions. But, they only recognize five religions,
and citizens must register the religion they practice.
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Religious Conflicts
Religion vs. Religion: tend to see conflicts over:
1.
Boundaries and territory –
Ex. Northern Ireland (Protestants vs. Roman Catholics)
Ex. West Bank Boundary in Israel
2.
Important religious sites – Sacred space – space that has special
religious significance
Ex. Middle East (Jews, Christians, and Muslims) – Jerusalem, Western
Wall
From Economist.com
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Controlling the Holy Land
– What to Focus On
Important years:
1.
1.
Under the Ottoman Empire until its dismantlement at the end of
WWI.
2.
Given to Britain to control from 1922 -1948 by the League of
Nations.
3.
1948 – Israel becomes a state, British troops leave,
4.
1948-1949 - war with neighbors—West Bank and Gaza Strip
become geographic units – armistice line Jordan controls West
Bank and East Jerusalem
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Controlling the Holy Land –
Important Dates
4. 1967 (Six Day War) – Israel attacks Egypt, Syria, and Jordan join in
– gains Sinai peninsula, Gaza Strip from Egypt, Golan Heights
from Syria, and West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan
5.
1979- Peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, Egypt gets Sinai
peninsula back in exchange for recognizing Israel.
6. 2012 – Palestine gains non-member observer state status with the
UN. Gains access to membership in different international
organizations.
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British Mandate
Transjordan had limited
autonomy in 1923
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Controlling the Holy Land
– What to Focus On
1.
Jews, Muslims and Christians have fought for 2,000 years to control
the same strip of land. It is a place of religious significance for all
three religions.
2.
Key Issues Explained
3.
Contested areas:
West Bank – barrier between Israel and West Bank goes into West Bank
1.
1.
Mapping an Occupation
2.
Gaza Strip– Troops and settlers withdrew in 2005, but after Hamas gained
control of the area Israel tightened blockades.
3.
Golan Heights – Israel maintains control of this strategic piece of land
4.
Jerusalem – sacred in all three religions; Western Wall is under the Al Aqsa
Mosque.
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West Bank
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West Bank
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Jerusalem before and after 1967
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Review

Understand the basic description of the various religions we discussed
in class. Which ones are ethnic religions? Universalizing? What’s the
difference?

What patterns do you notice in the origin, diffusion, and holy places for
Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, if any?
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What three types of conflicts can potentially occur based on religion?
What are examples of each kind? (Just focus on the Israel / Palestine case
since we didn’t get to discuss the others fully)
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Spend time understanding the complexities of conflict in the Holy Land.
Why is there a conflict? What are the claims different groups make?
What are key dates? How can we apply geography to understanding the
conflict?
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Other terms: caste system, diaspora, Islamic traditonalism,
fundamentalism, pilgrimage, sacred space, secularization, syncretic
religion, civil religion