Religion

Human Geography 10e

Human Geography 12e

Religion• Belief systems

– Common beliefs, understandings, expectations, and objects held in the high regard

– Unite different culture groups and set them off from other, different groups of people

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Human Geography 12e

Classification of Religion

• Classification of Religion– Monotheism and Polytheism

• Classification based on religion’s distribution and patterns and processes of diffusion:– Universalizing Religions– Ethnic Religions– Tribal or Traditional Religions

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Figure 5.19

Table 5.2

Human Geography 12e

The World Pattern

• More than half of the world’s population adheres to one of the major universalizing religions: Christianity and Islam are most widespread; Buddhism is largely an Asian religion

• Hinduism is essentially confined to the Indian subcontinent, showing the spatial restriction characteristic of most ethnic and traditional religions

• Judaism is an ethnic religion because of its identification with a particular people

• Extensive areas of the world are peopled by those who practice tribal or traditional religions

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Human Geography 12e

The Principal Religions

• Judaism• Christianity

– Regions and landscapes of Christianity

• Islam• Hinduism• Buddhism• East Asian Ethnic Religions

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Figure 5.20

Human Geography 12e

Judaism• Ethnic religion• Middle East origins• Diaspora• Two separate branches

of Judaism developed in Europe during the Middle Ages:– Sephardim (Iberian

Peninsula)– Ashkenazim (Eastern

Europe)

• Orthodox -Adhere to a stricter set of

beliefs and practices

• Zionism-The belief in the need to

create an autonomous Jewish state in Palestine

• The Holocaust-Resulted in the murder of

perhaps one-third of the world's Jewish population

-Fell most heavily upon the Ashkenazim

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Figure 5.21

Human Geography 12e

Christianity• Universalizing• Middle East origins• Diffusion

– Expansion– Hierarchical

• From provincial capitals to smaller settlements

– Contagious– Relocation

Figure 5.23

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Human Geography 12e

Christianity• European Imperialism• Schism

– Divided Medieval Christendom into Eastern (Greek) and Western (Roman) branches

• Protestant Reformation• Landscapes of Christianity

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Figure 5.22

Figure 5.24

Figure 5.25

Human Geography 12e

Patterns and Flows

• Diffusion

Insert figure 5.20

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Human Geography 12e

Islam• Universalizing• Middle East origin• Holy book: Koran• Sunni & Shi’ite Sects• Followers are expected to

observe the five pillars: (1) repeated saying of the basic creed; (2) prayers five times daily at appointed times; (3) a month of daytime fasting during Ramadan; (4) almsgiving; and, (5) if possible, a pilgrimage to Mecca.

• Two of the five pillars of Islam are explicitly geographical:• prayers are done facing Mecca • and the pilgrimage to the

sacred city of Mecca is among the world's greatest gatherings

(Figure 5.26)

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Islam• The second-largest world religion

(about 1.3 billion adherents)– Significant clusters in the Middle East,

North Africa, and South Asia• Islam = submission to the will of God• Core of Islamic belief = the Five Pillars• Two significant branches

– Sunnis (83 percent)– Shias or Shiites (16 percent)

• Other branches– Nation of Islam (Black Muslims)– Kharijites – Sufis– Druzes

Figure 5.27

Human Geography 12e

Hinduism

• World’s oldest major religion• Ethnic religion• South Asia origins• Caste structure of society• Reincarnation• Karma• Numerous reform movements have derived

from Hinduism over the centuries, some of which have endured to the present day as major religions on a regional or world scale

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Hinduism

• The third-largest religion in the world (900 million adherents)

• 97 percent of Hindus are found in India• Many paths to spirituality• Many paths to worship God (Brahma)

– Vishnu (Krishna)– Siva– Shakti

• Numerous reform movements have derived from Hinduism over the centuries, some of which have endured to the present day as major religions on a regional or world scale

Human Geography 12e

Hinduism

• Reform Movements:– Jainism, begun in the 6th century B.C. as a revolt against

the authority of the early Hindu doctrines, rejects caste distinctions and modifies concepts of karma and transmigration of souls

– Combining elements of Hinduism and Islam, Sikhism developed in the Punjab area of northwestern India in the late 15th century A.D. Sikhism is an ethnic religion with an estimated 23 million adherents. The great majority of Sikhs live in India, mostly in the Punjab

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Human Geography 12e

Buddhism• Universalizing• South Asia Origins• Siddhartha Gautama, the

Buddha• Sects

– Theravada– Mahayana– Vajrayana

• Diffusion• Sacred places for

Buddhists – largely associated with

key events in the life of the Buddha--many of which are in areas that are no longer predominantly Buddhist

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Buddhism• About 400 million adherents (more

difficult to quantify than Christianity or Islam)– Significant clusters in China, Southeast Asia

• Founded by Prince Sidhartha Gautama “Buddha”

• The Four Noble Truths• Three branches

– Mahayana (China, Japan, Korea)– Theravada (Southeast Asia)– Vajrayana (Tibet, Mongolia)

Origin of religions• Universalizing: precise origins, tied to

a specific founder– Christianity

• Founder: Jesus (8 B.C. – 30 A.D.)

– Islam• Prophet of Islam: Muhammad (570-632 A.D.)

– Buddhism • Founder: Siddhartha Gautama (born 563 B.C.)

– Sikhism• Guru Nanak (1469-1538 A.D.)

– Baha’i Faith• Siyyid Ali Muhammed “the Bab” (1844 A.D.)

Origin of religions• Ethnic: unclear or unknown origins,

not tied to a specific founder– Hinduism

• No clear founder• Earliest use of “Hinduism” = sixth century

B.C.• Archaeological evidence dating from 2500

B.C.

– Judaism• Moses• Abraham – “Father/patriarch of Judaism

– arrived Canaan 4,000 years ago

• Judah – one of Jacob’s sons– Jacob = “Israel”

Holy places• In universalizing religions

– Buddhist shrines• Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kusinagara

– Holy places in Islam = associated with the life of Muhammad • Makkah, Madinah, Jerusalem

– Holy places in Christianity • Jerusalem

– Holy places in Sikhism• Amritsar

• In ethnic religions– Holy places in Hinduism = closely tied to the

physical geography of India• Varanasi

– Judaism – Jerusalem

East Asian Ethnic Religions

• Confucianism (China) • Daoism (China)• Shinto (Japan)

Figure 5.31

Belief in God in Europe

Belief among Europeans

Belief in Evolution