Key Issue 2:Key Issue 2:Why Do Religions Have Why Do Religions Have Different Distributions?Different Distributions?

Origin of Universalizing Origin of Universalizing ReligionsReligions

Each can be traced to a man who lived since the start of recorded history◦Buddhism

- Christianity

- Islam

Origin of ChristianityOrigin of Christianity

Jesus

The four Gospels of the Christian Bible◦Matthew◦Mark◦Luke ◦John

Roman CatholicsRoman Catholics

Accept the teachings of the Bible as well as the authority of the Church hierarchy (the Pope)

7 sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Anointing the Sick, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and the Eucharist)

transubstantiation

Eastern OrthodoxyEastern Orthodoxy

Split from the Roman Catholic ChurchPatriarch of ConstantinopleAccept the 7 Sacraments, but reject

doctrines added by the Roman Catholics after the 8th Century

St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow

Capernaum

ProtestantismProtestantism

The ReformationMartin Luther’s 95 ThesesIndividuals directly communicate with

God…don’t have to go through a priest/Pope

Origin of IslamOrigin of Islam

Origin: similar narrative to Judaism and Christianity; Adam – Abraham

Hagar and Ishmael◦Second wife and son◦Banished◦Makkah/Mecca

MuhammadMuhammad

Born about A.D. 570The visionsArabic and the QuranThe HijraSunni and Shiite

Muslims

Origin of BuddhismOrigin of Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama◦Born a prince in 563 B.C. in present day Nepal◦The Buddha,

“the Enlightened One”◦Spread the message in India

Origin of HinduismOrigin of Hinduism

No specific founderExisted prior to recorded historyInvasion of the Aryan tribes from Central

Asia into India (1400 B.C.)◦Religion mixed with the Dravidians (who

already lived there)◦This became Hinduism

Diffusion of Religions

Diffusion of ChristianityDiffusion of Christianity

Christianity diffused through all forms of diffusion:

1. Relocation Diffusion2. Contagious Diffusion3. Hierarchical in the 4th Century4. Since the year 1500, missionary activity by

Europeans extended Christianity to other regions of the world

         

Diffusion of IslamDiffusion of Islam

Hierarchical diffusion: Muslim armiesRelocation: missionaries to sub-Saharan

Africa and Southeast Asia

Lack of Diffusion of Ethnic Lack of Diffusion of Ethnic ReligionsReligions

Most have limited diffusionThey lack missionaries to go out and try to

convertMingling of Ethnic and Universalizing

Religions:◦Africa: in some places Christianity is mixed

with the traditional religion◦Japan: Buddhism is mixed with Shintoism

Judaism: An ExceptionJudaism: An Exception

Judaism is practiced in many countriesDiasporaGhettosFollowing the Holocaust

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Holy PlacesHoly Places

Ethnic Religion’s holy places derive from the distinctive physical environment of their hearths

Universalizing Religions endow with holiness cities and places associated with their founders’ lives.

Buddhist ShrinesBuddhist Shrines

Eight locations of important events in Buddha’s life◦Example: Bodh Gaya, where he reached

enlightenment

Holy Places in IslamHoly Places in Islam

Holiest places: cities associated with Muhammad

1. Makkah: - the Ka’ba- The Hajj

2. Medina

Holy Places in SikhismHoly Places in Sikhism

The Darbar Sahib, or Golden Temple

Holy Places in HinduismHoly Places in Hinduism

Closely tied to the physical geography in India

Natural features rank as holy: river banks or coastlines

A tirthaThe Ganges

Cosmogony in Ethnic ReligionsCosmogony in Ethnic Religions

Cosmogony: a set of religious beliefs concerning the origin of the universe

Yin (earth, darkness, female, etc.)Yang (heaven, light, male, etc.)

The Calendar in Ethnic The Calendar in Ethnic ReligionsReligions

A prominent feature is the celebration of the seasons

The Jewish Calendar ◦agricultural◦Lunar calendar

The Solstice ◦Pagan religions◦Stonehenge

The Calendar in Universalizing The Calendar in Universalizing ReligionsReligions

Holidays: commemorate events in the founder’s life

Climate and agricultural cycle are not central to the liturgy and rituals

So………

Why do different religions have different distributions?