RELIGION:THE GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECIVE

Hinduism

Chronologically, the oldest of the major religions Arose in Indus Valley, ~4,000 years ago No evolving bureaucratic structures Reincarnation Doctrines allied with India's caste system Modernization and Gandhi helped relax the

caste system

Hinduism Diffusion

Arose in what is now Pakistan No modern expansion diffusion Area overtaken by Buddhism and Islam Bali outpost has become a syncretic faith Relocation diffusion not the foci

Cultural landscape Hinduism is a way of life Building a temple gives good Karma… Shrine location important Visual AND emotional

Buddhism

Resurgence in India Buddha (Prince Siddhartha) spoke out against

caste system Diffusion

Grew slowly after Buddha’s death Fragmented today, but experiencing a revival Principals keep diffusing, notably in the Western

world Cultural landscape

The Bodhi tree Pagodas

Chinese religions

Taoism Confucianism Diffusion

Confucianism diffused early into the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and Southeast Asia

Taoism = more local Chinese communist authorities leveled burial

mounds because they took up too much ground suitable for farming

Cultural landscape Confucianism and Taoism help expand impact

of Buddhist cultural influences

Judaism

The oldest major religion to emerge west of the Indus Valley

Diffusion Diaspora Sephardim The idea of a homeland developed into the ideology of

Zionism Israel created in 1948 by UN

Cultural landscape Synagogues, but no single architectural style Star of David appears on most Jewish graves The “Wailing Wall”

Christianity Jewish search for deliverance from Romans &

appearance of Jesus Paul’s role Eastern Roman Empire (Constantinople)

Eastern (Orthodox) Church still one of three major branches

The papacy, second branch Protestant movement

Diffusion A combination of expansion and relocation diffusion

during European colonialism Most widespread of the global religions Aggressive and persistent proselytism

Christianity

Cultural landscape Medieval Europe Imprint of death on the landscape

Uses more land for cemeteries than any other faith

Medieval Churches

(Protestant & Catholic!)

SurroundingVillage

Hallstatt, Austria

Plaza

BaroqueCathedral

Siena, Italy

St. Patrick’s Cathedral,

NYC

Cemeteries

Cemeteries

Too Many

Bodies~ 7 feet!

Christianity

Religions and culture regions in the United States The Mormon culture region Christian culture regions better known

Islam

The youngest of the major faiths Religious and social disarray in Arab world Unifying religious faith and set of values Mecca became the spiritual center Believed strongly in education Still the heart of Arab culture Islamization

Islam by 900 CE

Islam

Regions and sects Division conflict

Sunnis: family and community to solve problems Shiites: Imam is “solver”

Imams—Shiite Muslims leaders whose appointments are regarded as sanctioned by Allah

Diffusion Trading expansions led to conflicts with Christianity

The Crusades Continues to attract converts Experiencing resurgence; expansion will continue Classic example of hierarchical diffusion

Islam

Cultural landscape Mosques dominate the urban landscapes Muslim architects very skilled Exquisite and distinct architecture

A symbol for faith and community Islam religion and culture are one

The Alhambraan example of Muslim Architecture

The Dome of the Rock, Jerusaleman example of Muslim tile glazing

RELIGION, CULTURE, AND CONFLICT

Language and religion The most powerful cultural forces Religious beliefs and histories often divide

peoples with similar backgrounds Boundaries

Interfaith Boundaries

Nigeria Multilingual;

population ~110 million

North = Muslim; South = Christianity (and local religions)

Secession from south

Nigeria = fourth largest oil producer

Interfaith Boundaries

Sudan Muslim north and Christian south Sharia law The war has devastated the south; still raging

Interfaith Boundaries

Ethiopia is more complicated than that of Nigeria or Sudan

Interfaith Boundaries

South Asia Part of Britain’s colonial empire In 1947 a political boundary was establish between

Islamic Pakistan and multicultural India India proclaimed itself a secular federation and sporadic

religious conflict followed for 30 years 1980s, India

The Sikhs Holy shrine battleground Fundamentalism

The rise of fundamentalism is affecting virtually all religions today

Interfaith Boundaries

The former Soviet Union What did it used to be like? Discouraged religious practice Created a Christian-Muslim boundary Collapse of USSR = independence; but not always

good Kazakhstan poses the most serious potential spatial

problem

Interfaith Boundaries

(Former) Yugoslavia

Interfaith Boundaries

Other interfaith boundaries Bangladesh Sri Lanka Southeast and Southwest Asia,

Catholics and a minority of Muslim Israel

Intrafaith boundaries

Europe A number of

countries have intrafaith boundaries

Most have religious or ethnic conflicts

Northern Ireland

Religious Fundamentalism

A worldwide drive by millions back to the “basics” (in whose eyes?) of religious faith Often born out of frustration “Tunnel Vision”

9/11 led to many American’s equating terrorism with Islam

Globalization and religions Fundamentalism creates mistrust

Religious Fundamentalism

Christian fundamentalism The Catholic church Christian fundamentalism most pronounced in Protestantism

Islamic fundamentalism Laws not equally applied Inconsistency breeds dissidence From Shah to Ayatollah 1970s and 1980s most significant Afghanistan under the Taliban

Jihad and Wahhabi Extreme Islamic fundamentalists who resort to violence

are relatively small in number

Religious Fundamentalism

Fundamentalism can unify AND divide US fundamentalist “preachers” Algerian conflicts Fundamentalism adds fuel to the fire of

interfaith and intrafaith boundaries Religious feelings can quickly be translated

into hostility and conflict

Resource

Video: Davis-EndangeredCultures A .zip file from the http://www.ted.org site!

Discussion Questions

Why do some religions diffuse while others remain (mostly) place-bound?

What lies at the heart of religious conflicts?

How can religious fundamentalism be a driving force for changing religions?

Does religious fundamentalism affect State policies?