RELIGION

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RELIGION
"religion" from the Middle English "religioun
from the Old French "religion. May have derived
from the Latin word "religo meaning "good
faith," "ritual, or something similar.
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RELIGION

• Definitions
• Where/How are religions distributed?
• Ethic and Universal
• Discriptions
• Other differences between universal and ethnic
  religions
• Religious origins
• Diffusion of religions
• Why do religions have different distributions?
• Why are religions organized in distinctive
  patterns?
• Why do conflicts arise between religious groups?
• Examples

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Religion Defined

• "Human recognition of superhuman controlling
  power and especially of a personal God entitled
  to obedience" Oxford Dictionary (1990)
• "a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to
  with ardor and faith. Marriam-Webster Online
• "Religion is the individual and social experience
  of the sacred that is manifested in mythologies,
  ritual, ethos, and integrated into a collective
  or organization. Don Swenson
• a system of beliefs and practices that attempts
  to order life in terms of culturally perceived
  ultimate priorities. --Stoddard and Prorak
• "... a system of social coherence based on a
  common group of beliefs or attitudes concerning
  an object, person, unseen being, or system of
  thought considered to be supernatural, sacred,
  divine or highest truth, and the moral codes,
  practices, values, institutions, traditions, and
  rituals associated with such belief or system of
  thought. -Wikipedia

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• Barns Noble (Cambridge) Encyclopedia (1990)
  "...no single definition will suffice to
  encompass the varied sets of traditions,
  practices, and ideas which constitute different
  religions."
• "Religion is any specific system of belief about
  deity, often involving rituals, a code of ethics,
  a philosophy of life, and a worldview."

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Definitions

• Universalizing religion attempt to be global,
  appeal to all people
• Ethnic Religion appeals primarily to one group
  of people living in one place
• Monotheism
• Polytheism
• Animist

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large, fundamental division within a religion
division of a branch that unites a number of
local congregations in a single legal and
administrative body.
Sect small group that has broken away from an
established denomination
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Branches
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RELIGION

• Definitions
• Where/How are religions distributed?
• Ethic and Universal
• Descriptions
• Other differences between universal and ethnic
  religions
• Religious origins
• Diffusion of religions
• Why do religions have different distributions?
• Why are religions organized in distinctive
  patterns?
• Why do conflicts arise between religious groups?
• Examples

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How are religions distributed?

• Universalizing Religions 64
• Ethnic religion 24
• No religion 14

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Where are religions distributed?
3 main universalizing religions Christianity,
Islam, and Buddhism
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CHRISTIANITY

• More adherents than any other world religion 2
  Billion
• Three major branches Roman catholic,
  Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox
• 90 of people in Western Hemisphere are
  Christians

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Islam

• Islam in Arabic submission to the will of god
• Muslim in Arabic one who surrenders to god
• Predominant religion of Middle East, North Africa
  and Central Asia 1.3 billion people
• Half live in Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and
  India

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Five pillars of Islam

1. There is no God worthy of worship except for one
   God, the source of all creation, and Muhammad is
   the messenger of God.
2. Muslims pray five times a day facing the city of
   Makkah (Mecca)
3. A Muslim gives generously to charity as an act
   of purification an growth
4. A Muslim fasts during the month of Ramadan as an
   act of self-purification
5. If physically and financially able a Muslim
   makes a pilgrimage to Mecca

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200,000 US Muslims in 1990, 5 million today
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Buddhism

• Mainly found in China and Southeast Asia 400
  Million
• Foundations of Buddhism
• 1. All living things must endure suffering
• 2. suffering, which is caused by a desire to
  live, leads to reincarnation.
• 3. The goal of all existence is to escape from
  suffering and the endless cycle of reincarnation
  in Nirvana (a state of complete redemption) which
  is achieved through mental and moral purification
• 4. Nirvana is attained through the eightfold
  path, which includes rightness of belief,
  resolve, speech, action, livelihood, effort,
  thought, and meditation

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Ethnic Religions

• HINDUISM
• Largest ethnic religion, worlds third largest
  religion, 860 million adherents, 97 concentrated
  in India
• The individual decides the best way to worship
  God

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China

• Confucianism Confucius (Chinese philosopher and
  teacher taught the following of a series of
  ethical principals for the orderly conduct of
  daily life.
• Daoism (Taoism) emphasizes the mystical and
  magical aspects of life rather than the
  importance of public service emphasized by
  Confucius

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Shintoism

• Distinctive of Japan
• Considers forces of nature to be divine,
  especially the sun, moon, rivers, trees, rocks,
  mountains, and certain animals.

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Judaism

• An ethnic religion based on the lands bordering
  the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
• Lands called Canan in the bible, Palestine by
  the Romans, and the State of Israel since 1948.
• First recorded religion to espouse monotheism
  (belief on one God)
• Jews consider themselves chosen people because
  God has chosen them to live according to certain
  ethical and moral principles (i.e. Ten
  Commandments)
• Christianity and Islam both find some roots in
  Judaism.

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African Ethnic religions

• Animism believe that inanimate objects (plants,
  stones, etc.) and natural events (thunderstorms,
  earthquakes, etc.) have discrete spirits and
  conscious life.
• 100 million Africans (12 of population)
• Few written records
• Rapidly declining as a result of the introduction
  of Christianity and Islam

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RELIGION

• Definitions
• Where/How are religions distributed?
• Ethic and Universal
• Descriptions
• Other differences between universal and ethnic
  religions
• Religious origins
• Diffusion of religions
• Why do religions have different distributions?
• Why are religions organized in distinctive
  patterns?
• Why do conflicts arise between religious groups?
• Examples

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Differences between universalizing and ethnic
religions

• Location of origin
• Universalizing religions precise places of
  origin based on events in the life of a man
• Ethnic religions unclear origins, not tied to
  any one individual
• Processes of diffusion
• Universalizing religions from specific hearths
• Ethnic religions tend to remain clustered in
  one region

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Differences between universalizing and ethnic
religions

• Holy places
• Ethnic religions derive from distinctive
  physical environment of the hearth (mountains,
  rivers, rocks, etc.)
• Universalizing religions places associated with
  the founders life

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Holy PlacesCorrespond to important events in the
life of universalizing religions leader
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Mecca the birthplace of Mohammad
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Sacred Landscapes of Hinduism

• Pilgrimages follow prescribed routes, and rituals
  are followed by millions.

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Differences between universalizing and ethnic
religions

• Holy dates
• Universalizing religion major events relate to
  the life of the founder rather than to the
  seasons
• Ethnic religions major events are clustered
  based around the specific physical environments

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RELIGION

• Definitions
• Where/How are religions distributed?
• Ethic and Universal
• Discriptions
• Other differences between universal and ethnic
  religions
• Religious origins
• Diffusion of religions
• Why do religions have different distributions?
• Why are religions organized in distinctive
  patterns?
• Why do conflicts arise between religious groups?
• Examples

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Hearths of Religion and Philosophy
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Origins Christianity

• Founded upon the teaching of Jesus, born in
  Bethlehem between 8 and 4 B.C. and died on a
  cross in Jerusalem about 30A.D.
• God conveys his grace through seven sacraments
  (Baptism, conformation, Penance, anointing the
  sick, matrimony, holy orders and the Eucharist
• Branches
• Protestants (16th century) Principles of the
  reformation movement- Martin Luthers Thesis
  (1517) Grace is achieved through faith rather
  than sacraments performed by the church
• Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox fifth
  century, the pope condemns the Patriarch of
  Constantinople
• Eastern Orthodox reject the sacraments added by
  Roman Catholics since the eighth century

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Origins Islam

• Muslims trace their story through Abrahams
  second wife Hagar and her son Ishmael (Whereas
  Christians and Jews trace theirs through Abrahams
  first wife, Sarah, and her son Isaac)
• All three consider Adam to be the first man and
  Abraham to be one of his descendants.
• Sarah convinced Abraham to banish Hagar and
  Ishmael who wandered the Arabian desert before
  ending up in Mecca.
• Centuries later Mohammed, one of Ishmaels
  descendants became the Prophet of Islam.
• Quran the written record of Gods words as
  revealed to Mohammed through the Angel Gabriel

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Origins Islam

• Two main Branches Shiite and Sunni
• Reflect disagreement over the line of succession
  in Islamic leadership. (Mohammed had no surviving
  son and no follower capable of leading)
• The Sunni branch believes that the first four
  caliphs--Mohammed's successors--rightfully took
  his place as the leaders of Muslims. They
  recognize the heirs of the four caliphs as
  legitimate religious leaders.
• Shiites, in contrast, believe that only the
  heirs of the fourth caliph, Ali, are the
  legitimate successors of Mohammed.

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Origins Buddhism

• 563 B.C. founder Siddhartha Guatama born in
  Nepal
• Guatamas four trips 1rst encounters an old
  man, second encounters a diseased man, third
  encounters a corpse, fourth met a monk and
  learned about withdrawing from the world
• He then lived in the forest for six years
  experimenting with meditation
• Emerged as Buddha the enlightened one
  preaching his views across India

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Origins Hinduism

• Existed prior to written records
• Did not originate with a specific founder
• Originated with the intermingling of Dravidians
  living in India and Aryan invaders 2500 B.C.

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RELIGION

• Definitions
• Where/How are religions distributed?
• Ethic and Universal
• Descriptions
• Other differences between universal and ethnic
  religions
• Religious origins
• Diffusion of religions
• Why do religions have different distributions?
• Why are religions organized in distinctive
  patterns?
• Why do conflicts arise between religious groups?
• Examples

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DiffusionUniversalizing based on the lives of 3
key people, their word is diffused
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Diffusion of Christianity

• Forms of diffusion relocation and expansion
  (hierarchical and contagious)
• Missionaries carried Jesus' word along protected
  Roman trade routes.
• Dominance was assured by the order of the empire
  and later through colonialism

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Diffusion of Islam

• After Mohammads death Muslim armies spread the
  word through conquest

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Diffusion of Buddhism

• Splintered from Hinduism 2500 years ago. Gradual
  diffusion through Magadhan empire and Buddhist
  merchants

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Diffusion of ethnic religions

• Generally ethnic religions have little or no
  diffusion because they are locally oriented and
  lack missionaries
• Thus diffusion of universalizing religions
  usually comes at the expense of ethnic religions.
• Ethnic religions diffuse when their adherents are
  forced to migrate for economic or cultural
  reasons (and they are not forced to adopt the
  locally dominant religion)

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Diffusion of Judaism

• Originated in Southwest Asia about 4000 years
  ago.
• first major monotheistic religion covenant
  between
• God (one God) and Abraham (the chosen people)
• sacred text Torah
• founder Abraham
• sacred sites Jerusalem (Western Wall), land
  between
• the Mediterranean and the Jordan River
• social manifestation Zionism
• diffusion into European cities during the
  diaspora,
• into N. America during WWII, into Israel
  overlast 50 years

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Western Wall, Jerusalem
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• Jewish Diaspora (A.D.) Romans forced Jews to
  disperse from Eastern Mediterranean home
  throughout the world, after an attempted Jewish
  rebellion

(A.D.)
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Map of Jewish emigration from Eastern Europe, 1880-1928
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Diffusion of Hinduism

• Originated in Indus River Valley over 4000 years
  ago.
• Diffusion through South Asia and into Southeast
  Asia
• ritual bathing, karma, reincarnation
• sacred text Vedas
• sacred sites Ganges River
• social manifestation caste system

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RELIGION

• Definitions
• Where/How are religions distributed?
• Ethic and Universal
• Descriptions
• Other differences between universal and ethnic
  religions
• Religious origins
• Diffusion of religions
• Why do religions have different distributions?
• Why are religions organized in distinctive
  patterns?
• Why do conflicts arise between religious groups?
• Examples

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Why are religions organized in distinctive
patterns?

• Sacred Structures act as anchors for religions
• Christianity churches (a sanctified place of
  worship) dominate the landscape, centrally
  located, often the largest and most visible
  building in town
• Islam Mosques- not sanctified places, rather a
  place of community assembly.

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Religious Administration

• Universalizing religions are usually
  administratively connected while ethnic religions
  are not
• Hierarchal religion well defined structure and
  administrative units

Roman Catholic Church
Rome
Heads a geographic province
Heads a Diocese smaller geographical unit
Heads a Parish (One church)
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Religious administration

• Islam locally autonomous, no religious
  hierarchy or religious territories.
• Communication through migration and pilgrimages
• Islamic doctrine has explicit demands which
  fosters identity among members
• Judaism and Hinduism also have no centralized
  structure of religious control

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RELIGION

• Definitions
• Where/How are religions distributed?
• Ethic and Universal
• Descriptions
• Other differences between universal and ethnic
  religions
• Religious origins
• Diffusion of religions
• Why do religions have different distributions?
• Why are religions organized in distinctive
  patterns?
• Why do conflicts arise between religious groups?
• Examples

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Why do conflicts arise between religious groups?

• Territory!
• Governmental policies
• Fundamentalism literal interpretation and a
  strict adherence to basic principles of a
  religion (important way that groups maintain
  their cultural identity)
• Religious extremism fundamentalism carried to
  the point of violence. (found in Christianity,
  Judaism, and Islam)

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Religion versus Government

• Taliban versus Western Values
• Hinduism and the Caste system
• Communism versus religion

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Religion Versus Relgion

• Conflicts are most likely to occur along the
  boundary of two religions
• Northern Ireland
• Middle East

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Religious conflict in the Middle East

• Fight between Jews, Muslims, and Christians over
  small piece of land on the Eastern Mediterranean
• Jews claim the territory as their promised land
• Christians major events in Jesus life were
  concentrated there
• Muslims Where Mohammad ascended to heaven

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Sacred Sites of Jerusalem

• Judaism (Western Wall)
• Christianity (Church of the Holy Sepulchre)
• Islam (Dome of the Rock)

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Jerusalem
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Crusades

• 7th century A.D. Muslims (now called Arabs
  because of their home on the Arabian peninsula)
  captured the middle east and converted people to
  Islam

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Crusades

• Christian Crusades a series of military
  campaigns over 150 years to recapture the Holy
  Land (won Jerusalem in 1099, lost it in 1187,
  regained it in 1229, lost it in 1244)

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Palestine, Israel, other, ???
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Jews versus Muslims

• Israel and Palestine
• Controlled by Muslim Ottoman Empire between 1516
  and 1917
• Great Britain takes over control after WWI
• After escalating violence Great Britain wants to
  withdraw (post WWI)
• UN votes to partition Palestine into two states
  One Muslim one Jewish
• Jerusalem international city open to all run by
  UN
• Jews and Muslims go to war after great Britain
  withdraws

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• 1949 Armistice divided control of Jerusalem
• Muslim country Jordan took Eastern half, Jews
  took the West
• Continuing wars in 1956, 1967 and 1973 all won by
  Israel
• 1967 Six-Day war Israel captured territory from
  Jordan Syria and Egypt
• These territories remain under dispute today!
  (except the Sinai peninsula)

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PALESTINIANS

• Who are Palestinians?
• Residents of West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza
  Strip captured by Israel during 1967 war
• Muslim citizens of Israel
• People who fled after the 1948-49 war or the
  1967 war
• Post 1973 war Palestinians were recognized as
  rulers of Gaza Strip and West bank by Jordan and
  Egypt thus become the principle combatant with
  Jews
• Palestinian fight organized under Yassir Arafat
  and the Palestinian Liberation Front (PLO) and

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Jewish Geography
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Current Events

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The Horn of Africa
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Northern Ireland
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Islamic Extremists and Jihadan Islamic holy war
against the West
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