Transcript Religion: Key Issue 3

Why do Religions Organize
Space in Distinctive Patterns?
Places of Worship

 Sacred Space – the intersection between the divine
and mortal
 Some places of worship are “sacred”
 Others are not
Christian Churches

 The church building plays a more critical role in
Christianity than any other religion
 Attendance at a collective worship is considered very
important
 In some communities, the church was the largest and
tallest building (not in modern large cities)
Church Architecture

 Basilica
 Gothic period (12th – 14th
centuries)
 Contemporary Design
Muslim Mosque

 Space for community
assembly
 Central courtyard
 Pulpit faces Makkah
 Minaret
 muezzin
Al-Farooq Masjid, Atlanta
Hindu Temple

 Shrines for particular gods
rather than congregational
worship
 Religious activities take
place within the homes
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan
Mandir Atlanta
Buddhist and Shintoist
Pagodas

 Elaborate
 Tall, many-sided towers
 Contain relics
 Not designed for
congregational worship
Giac Lam Pagoda, Sai Gon
Baha’I Houses of
Worship

 First built in 1908
 Locations are not selected
based upon proximity to
Baha’is, but scattered to
emphasize it as a
universalizing religion
Chicago
Disposing of the Dead

 Burial – Christians, Muslims, and Jews usually bury
their dead in a cemetery
 China
 Cremation
 Zorastrians
 Burial at Sea
Religious Settlements

 Utopian Settlement – an ideal community built
around a religious way of life
 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
 Salt Lake City, Utah
Religious Place Names

 Roman Catholics
 Quebec
 Boundaries
Administration of Space

 Hierarchical Religions: have a well developed
geographic structure and organizes territory into
local units
 Example: Roman Catholic Church

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Pope
Archbishops
Bishops
Priest
Administration of Space
cont…

 Latter-Day Saints – also have a strong organization
of space
 Wards
 Stake (about 5000 people)
Locally Autonomous Religions

 Self-sufficient
 Examples:
 Islam
 Protestant
Denominations

So…………..
Why do humans organize space in distinctive
patterns???