Geography of Religion. Religion in All Cultures Key culture trait Binds many societies together...
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Transcript of Geography of Religion. Religion in All Cultures Key culture trait Binds many societies together...
Religion in All Cultures
Key culture trait
Binds many societies together
Gives meaning to people’s lives
Religion and Geography
Religions differ from place to place
Religions produce cultural traits that can be mapped
Religions can greatly affect the cultural landscape; EX: religious buildings and sacred locations marked where certain types of behavior are required
Religion and Geography
Religion is an important part of many people’s identity and connection to a certain place
Religion can have more indirect effects on the landscapeEx: Christian tradition of burying the
dead requires use of some land for cemeteries.
Religion and Geography
Religious differences are a key component of many conflicts around the worldEx: Conflicts between Hindus and
Muslims in India; Catholics and Protestant in North Ireland
Ex: Conflicts between Jews and Muslims in Palestine
Religion
Provides a rhythm to daily lifeShapes distinctive cultural patternsRemains important around the world, though it
has declined in some areas (many people have become secular: non-religious) (Europe); many have become secular as the development of modern technologies and science have caused some to question the beliefs of traditional religion.
Religions are either
Monotheistic: believe in worship of one supreme god or deity
Polytheistic: believe in worship of many gods or deitiesMono: means one/Poly: means many
Theism: means belief in the existence of god
Three Main Types of Religion
1. Ethnic Religions- focus on one ethnic group and generally have not spread into other cultures; shaped by old beliefs, legends, and customs; followers tend not to seek to convert people to their beliefs; practice their religion as part of their ethnic heritage (Hinduism, Confucianism)
Three Main Types of Religion
2. Animist Religions- people believe in the presence of the spirits and forces of nature; polytheism- belief in many gods; essential part of most of these religions; often considered ethnic religions because particular peoples practice them; common in many traditional societies and likely were practiced before more modern types of religions became common
Three Main Types of Religion
3. Universalizing Religions- seek followers all over the world; hope to appeal to people of many different cultures; more than half the world’s people follow these religions (Christianity and Islam- are both universalizing); may have missionaries- people who help spread the religion; ultimate goal is to spread their beliefs to the entire world; most rapidly growing religions
How do Universalizing and Ethnic Religions Differ?
Universalizing Appeal to people
everywhereIndividual founder
(prophet)Message diffused
widely (missionaries)
Followers distributed widely.
Holidays based on events in founder’s life.
EthnicHas meaning in
particular place only.Unknown source.Content focused on
place and landscape of origin.
Followers highly clustered.
Holidays based on local climate and agricultural practice.
Religion vs. Belief System
A religion is based on one’s worship of a particular god or set of gods.
A belief system is a set of ideas that one accepts and lives by but is not based on worship of a god or a set of gods.
World ReligionsWorld Religions
HinduismSacred Text: The Vedas, Bhagavad
GitaSacred Sites: the Ganges River, the
city of VaranasSacred Creature: the CowSpecial Days: Festival of Holi (Spring),
Diwali (Festival of Lights- Autumn)
World Belief SystemWorld Belief System
BuddhismSacred Text: the pali CanonSacred Site: BodhgayaSacred Objects: Statues of the Buddha
Special Days: Buddha Day (Full Moon of May)
World ReligionsWorld Religions
JudaismSacred Text: the TorahSacred Site: JerusalemSacred Symbol: Star of DavidSpecial Days: Passover (Spring),
Rosh Ha-Shanah, Yom Kippur (Late Autumn or Winter, Hannakuh (December)
World ReligionsWorld Religions
Christianity Sacred Text: the Bible Sacred Sites: Bethlehem, Jerusalem Sacred Symbol: the cross Special Days: Christmas (December 25th, or January
6th), Easter (Spring)
World Belief SystemWorld Belief System
ConfucianismSacred Text: The AnalectsSacred Symbol: Yin-yangSacred Site: Confucian TempleSpecial Day: Teacher’s Day
(August/September)
World ReligionsWorld Religions
IslamSacred Text: The Qur’anSacred Objects: The Qur’an/Prayer
RugsSacred Sites: Mecca, Medina,
JerusalemSpecial Days: Fast of Ramadan (Entire
1st month of the Islamic Year), Eid Al-Fitr (end of Ramadan), Eid Al-Adha (at the end of the hajj