How are religions spread across Europe?
Lesson objectives
In this lesson you will explore:
 If the maps that show us the religious distribution across
Europe are true or not!
 What it means to be religious
Introduction:
In the past there have been many battles and war in Europe
between different countries. Often these wars are fought on
religious grounds: ie, one religious group fighting another.
However, sometimes religious differences are used as an excuse. In
this lesson we will explore if we can believe the maps that show us
religious diversity across Europe.
Task One
Look at Map 1. This map shows the predominant religions in
Europe. It does not intend to show the variety of religions (for
example, most countries will have lots of different religions) but
which one is the most popular or dominant in that country.
Your first task is to write a description of what you can see in this
map.
These words will help you:
north
south
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east
west
borders
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Predominant religions in Europe and neighboring regions:
Roman Catholic Christianity
Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Protestant Christianity
Sunni Islam
Shia Islam
Buddhism
Judaism
Check with your teacher if you are unsure of what the differences between
these religions are.
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Task Two
Read the following passage. The passage describes how religions have spread
across Europe.
1. Using the same colours as in the key above, underline the parts of the
passage that refer to each religion.
2. Using the same colours, draw your own map on the blank map below of
how maps have spread across Europe.
Religion in Europe
The largest religion in Europe for at least 1500 years has been Christianity. A
number of countries in southeastern Europe have Muslim majorities. Smaller
religions include Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Hinduism which are found in
their largest groups in Britain and France.
Little is known about the prehistoric religion of Neolithic Europe. Bronze and
Iron Age religion in Europe was predominantly polytheistic which means they
believed in more than one god. The Roman Empire officially adopted
Christianity in AD 380. During the Early Middle Ages, most of Europe
underwent Christianization. In the 8th century, Islam started to grow in Europe
as it spread from the east into Southern Europe. This led the Crusades, which
although unsuccessful, were an important step in the emergence of a religious
identity of Europe. At all times, there were still many incidences of traditional or
folk religions which existed alongside the official religions.
The Great Schism of the 11th and Reformation of the 16th century divided
"Christendom" into different hostile groups. During this time Christianity started
to split up into different groups: those that were largely protestant, or catholic or
orthodox. In the 18th Century there was also a growth in Western Europe of
those that did not believe in religion at all (atheism) or who were not sure
(agnosticism) . In the 19th Century a growth in interest in the Orient contributed
to a growth in Buddhism, and the 20th century new religious movements grew
such as New Age religions which separated spirituality from traditional religions.
The vast majority of religious Europeans are Christians, divided into a large
number of denominations. Roman Catholicism is the largest denomination with
adherents mostly existing in Latin Europe (which includes France, Italy, Spain,
Southern Belgium
and Portugal), Ireland, Lithuania,Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia,
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and the Czech Republic, but also the southern parts of Germanic Europe (which
includes Austria,Luxembourg, Northern Belgium, Southern and Western
Germany, and Liechtenstein). Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy are
organized into many churches.
Islam came to parts of European islands and coasts on the Mediterranean
during the 7th century. During the Ottoman expansion Islam spread into
the Balkans and southeastern Europe. Muslim have also been historically
present in Russia. In recent years, Muslims have migrated to Europe as
residents and temporary workers.
The Jews were dispersed within the Roman Empire from the 2nd century. At
one time Judaism was practiced widely throughout the European continent.
Since the Middle Ages, Jews frequently faced discrimination and prejudice and
the population of Jews in Europe was widely disrupted during the Holocaust
which not only dessimated the Jewish population, but also caused widespread
migration of Jews across Europe. France is the home of largest Jewish
community in Europe with 1% of the total population. Other European countries
with notable Jewish populations include Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia
and Italy.
There are of course, a number of other religions evident in Europe including:
Buddhism (thinly spread throughout Europe and growing rapidly in recent
years), Hinduism mainly among Indian immigrants in the United Kingdom.
Sikhism, again, predominantly in the United Kingdom and Italy. And a number
of smaller religions that have travelled along with the influx of migrants from
other parts of the world. There is also an increasing number of people who
describe themselves as atheist or agnostic.
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Task Three
You should now have an idea of how religion has spread across Europe. However,
these accounts have come from historians and statistics and show general trends.
In the European Values Survey, people across Europe were asked if they believe in
God. The results are in the map below. The darker the colour the higher the
average of people who answered Yes to this question.
Examine the pattern on this map and answer the questions that follow:
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1. Which countries are the most religious?
2. What is the dominant religion in these countries?
3. Which countries are the least religious?
4. What is the dominant religion in these countries?
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5. From the work you have done today, is there a connection with how
religious people are and the dominant religion?
6. Does the answer to the above question surprise you? Why?
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Evaluation Questions (for Pupils):
This activity has been exploring the distribution of religions across Europe.
What have you understood that you did not already know?
What did you like about this work? Please explain why.
What did you dislike about this activity? Please explain why.
Do you have any further comments?
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Teacher’s notes
Aims:
This assignment aims to explore the spatial distribution of religions across Europe. Using the
geographical concept of space, students will explore how religions have spread across Europe
and also if this correlates to how religious people say they are.
The outcomes of the assignment:
Students will explore the pattern of how religious groups are spread across Europe, and the
historical reasons that underpin this pattern. They will then compare this with how religious
people say they are.
Age of Students:
The level of reading required for this assignment makes it suitable for older students (15-16
years). The activities could be used with younger students but the text may need to be adapted.
How many lessons:
This assignment is designed to be completed in one hour lesson. For a shorter lesson, Task 2,
question 2 can be omitted. For an even shorter lesson, Task 2 can be omitted (but students will
not learn about the historical development of religions).
Notes for the teacher:
This assignment focusses on the spatial distribution of religions across Europe. It will be useful in
a sequence of lessons about culture in Europe, or looking at European diversity. The lesson goes
beyond a description of how religions vary across Europe, but also asking students to question
these official statistics. The lesson uses the geographical concept of space and spatial
distribution.
The lesson contains all four sections of the curriculum framework. Students begin by identfiying
patterns, which they then deepen their understanding by exploring the histroical development of
Europe. They then relate this to different attitudes and valules and finally, compare this to their
own.
Although all the activities are text-based, the teacher may also wish to pause after each Task and
discuss the results as a class. This will depend on time availability.
Task Two is the most adaptable in the lesson. If time is short, students can omit the second
question. For an even shorter lesson, the whole of Task two can be omitted. This will mean that
students will not deepen understanding, but they will still develop their understanding of spatial
distribution.
Answering Model:
Task One:Students should note that there is strong pattern of difference in the North, Central,
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East and South of Europe all dominanted by different religions.
Task Two: Students should note that the first three paragraphs are about Christianity, the next
about Islam, and then Jews followed by the other, smaller religions. The map activity should show
how religious development has tended to come from the East, with the exception of recent
religions which have come from wider migration from outside Europe.
Task Three: Students should find that the most religious countries are Turkey, Northern Africa,
Ireland, Poland and Romania. The least religious are Sweden, Denmark and Czech Republic.
These countries do not relate to particular religions, thereby showing the which religion you are
does not indicate if you are more likely to believe in God.
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