Transcript belief
RELIGION Camila Restrepo and Sam Osorio What is religion? • A belief system and a set of practices that recognizes the existence of a higher power • Helps people make sense of what their place is in the world • Most complex and controversial aspects of human condition • Core component of culture • Root of conflict Different types • Universalizing (Proselytic) – Seeks new members and tries to convert many • Ethnic – Identifies with a specific ethnic or tribal groups, doesn’t seek converts and has no missionaries – One place or one ethnicity • Syncretism – A combination of two or more belief systems (hybrid) – Common in areas of colonization where Christianity blended with indigenous beliefs • Orthodox – Emphasizes purity of the faith – Each religion has an Orthodox branch • Polytheistic – Belief in more than one god or goddess • Monotheistic – Belief in one god or goddess • Animistic – Belief that inanimate objects (mountains, boulders, rivers, trees) have spirits Religion Families • African • Abrahamic – Christianity – Islam – Judaism • Indian – Hindu – Buddhism – Sikhism Must know! – Primal indigenous – African traditional – African Diasporic • Far East – Taoism – Confucianism – Shinto What is fundamentalism? • Intolerance of other religions – Movements in Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam – Wants to return to founding principles, or the literal interpretations of the text – Leads to violence! – Connected to Orthodox branches Universalizing Religions • • • • • Christianity Islam Buddhism Sikhism Baha'i People that practice a religion are known as adherents not followers Christianity Founder Jesus of Nazareth, 30 CE Origin Palestine (Jerusalem) now Israel Doctrine 10 Commandments Diffusion 1. Relocation 2. Contagious 3. Hierarchical Branches 1. Roman Catholic 2. Protestant 3. Eastern Orthodox Holy Book Bible Holy Places Churches, Jerusalem Landscape Impact 1. Churches 2. Cemeteries 3. Administration 1. 2. 3. Paul, Mary, disciples, early missionaries Spread to a couple of people From the Roman Empire to the people Christianity (con’t) • Branches – 1. Roman Catholic • SW/East Europe, NE/SW North America and all of South America • Sacraments: Eucharist…body and blood of Christ (go through pope) – 2. Protestant • NW Europe, highly clustered in North America • Individuals can directly communicate with God (Martin Luther, Reformation) •Landscape Impact –Churches •RC: more elaborate and cathedrals •Protestant: plain •Orthodox: cathedrals with domes, Byzantine style –Cemeteries •Bury the dead •Not everyone is buried the same way, hierarchy –Administration •RC: hierarchical – 3. Eastern Orthodox • SE Europe, Middle East • Ruled by Patriarchs from each region • Split from RC teachings Pope Archbishops Bishops Priests Islam Founder Muhammad, 622 CE Origin Arabian Peninsula, Mid-East, now Saudi Arabia Doctrine 5 Pillars of Islam 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Allah one true God Pray 5x a day facing Mecca Charity work Fast (Ramadan) Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca Diffusion 1. Contagious 2. Relocation Branches 1. Sunni 2. Shiite Holy Book Quran Holy Places 1. Mecca 2. Medina 3. Jerusalem Landscape Impact 1. 2. 3. 4. Mosques Administration Calendar Art World’s fastest growing religion 1. Military conquest 2. Missionaries Islam (con’t) • Branches • Landscape Impact • 1. Sunni • Mosques • “people following the • Minaret tower: call to example of Muhammad” • Succession: from the prayer community • Cemeteries: bury the dead • 2. Shiite • Administration • “sectarian” • Succession: from the family • Local autonomy, no formal line of Muhammad hierarchies • Holy Places • 1. Mecca: birthplace of • Calendar Muhammad • Holy month of Ramadan • 2. Medina: Muhammad’s tomb • Art • 3. Jerusalem: Muhammad’s ascension to heaven • Calligraphy Buddhism Founder Siddhartha Gautama, 563 BCE Origin India/Nepal Doctrine Four Noble Truths Eight fold path Diffusion No rapid diffusion Brought to China by trade routes Branches 1. Mahayana 2. Theravada 3. Tibetan Holy Book None Holy Places Shrines • 8 sacred sites Landscape Impact 1. Pagodas: relic of Buddha 2. Calendar • Holidays of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death 1. Mahayana 56%, less demanding, more encompassing 2. Theravada 38%, oldest branch, full time occupation as monks 3. Tibetan 6% Other Universalizing Religions • Baha’i – Grew out of Babi faith – Founder: Siyyd ‘Ali Muhammad – Doctrine: Believe that one of Bab’s disciples was a prophet of God – Function: overcome disunity in religions and establish a universal faith – Temple on every continent – Calendar 19 months with 19 days, 4 “extra” – Diffusion: Adherents persecuted and exiled to Iraq • Sikhism − Founded in late 15th century − Follows teachings of Guru Nanak − Monotheistic − Blend of Hinduism and Islam practices and beliefs − Diffused outward from Pakistan − High concentration in Punjab region of India − Holy site: Golden Temple − Holy book: Guru Granth Sahid Ethnic Religions • • • • Hinduism Judaism East Asian: Taoism, Confucianism, Shintoism Shamanism Hinduism • • • • • Largest ethnic religion Localized in India and Nepal Polytheistic No single founder Different paths to reach God: – – – – Path of knowledge Path of renunciation Path of devotion Path of action • • • • Law of karma Dharma: duty in life Reincarnation Supreme being who has unlimited forms − Brahman • Vedas, only written source • No central authority or holy book, for understanding religious no specific founder, no agreement life in ancient India on origins • See the divine in everything and tolerant of other religions • You are responsible for your own actions and you alone suffer the consequences Hinduism (con’t) • Holy places organized into a hierarchy • Geography of India: rivers, mountains • Temples: home to one or more gods, not for congregational worship • Pool for ritual baths • Worship called Puja • Arranged marriage • Body cremated (reincarnation) • Four castes 1. 2. 3. 4. Brahmans: priests Kshatriyas: warriors Vaisyas: merchants Shudras: agricultural peasants • Untouchables: outcasts • Gandhi pointed out problems with system • Govt legally abolished the untouchable caste Judaism • Believed to be the first monotheistic religion • Founder - Abraham • “parent” of Christianity and related to Islam • One powerful God • “chosen people”: God selected them to live according to his ethical and moral principles • 10 commandments • Rewarded for faith and punished for sins • Holy book: the Torah • Synagogue: house of worship, have an ark housing the Torah • 6-pointed star symbol • Most sacred site is the Wailing Wall • All that is left of temples • Gather to remember destruction and offer prayers Judaism (con’t) • Major holidays based on • Branches events in agricultural − Orthodox: original teachings calendar − Reform: adjust religion to • To conduct full service: 10 more modern times adult males must be − Conservative: most recent and present most moderate • Most Jews don’t live in • Subgroups (b/c of Diaspora) Israel, most migrated to Europe − Ashkenazim: lived in Germany and France before • Jews were persecuted by Eastern Europe other nationalities − Mizrachim: never left North • Largest pop of Jews live in Africa or Middle East the U.S. (northeast) − Sephardim: Spain or Portugal East Asian • Taosim – Laozi: people should live in harmony with nature and all aspects of their lives – Ying and yang, feng shui • Confucianism – Confucius: system of morals and a way of life for Chinese – Focuses more on worldly life rather than ideas of heaven and hell • Shintoism − Forces of nature are considered divine − From 1800s to post WW2, religion of Japan − Blends principles of Buddhism with local Japanese religion Shamanism • Follows a shaman: religious leader, healer, or truth knower • Strongest in Africa • Animism: belief that objects (trees, mountains, rivers) have divine sprits in them Religious Issues • Secularism vs Theocracy – Secular: move away from religion, indifferent to religion or reject it all together, Western democracies have secular principles – Theocracy: govt run by a religion, holy law is supreme, today: Iran Interfaith vs. Intrafaith boundaries • Interfaith – Divide space between two or more religions – Struggle over the same area – Ex: Nigeria, Islam is dominant in the north and Christianity in the south, lead to tensions for govt control • Intrafaith − Divide space within one religion, often among denominations − Ex: Iraq, Sunni and Shiite Islam, fight for control of politics Religion vs… Government conflict Groups oppose govt if policies conflict religious values or promote social change Social changes Taliban vs. Western values (Afghanistan ’96) Taliban= fundamentalist Muslims Banned western “leisure” activities, TV and internet Believed they had been called by Allah to rid Afghanistan of sin and violence Communism Buddhism vs. SE Asian countries Buddhist hurt by Vietnam war, immolated themselves to protest policies of the South Vietnamese govt Current Communist govt have discouraged religion and allowed monuments to decay Religion vs. Religion • Rise of fundamentalism – Literal interpretation and strict and intense adherence to basic principles – Convinced that its religious opinion/view is THE right way – Condone violence against those that believe otherwise • Northern Ireland − Became independent − North Ireland part of the UK − Catholics have been victimized − Joined the IRA: militant org dedicated to achieving Irish national unity in any way necessary Conflict in Middle East • Jews, Christians, and Muslims have fought for 2,000 years for control of Jerusalem and its surrounding region • WHY? – Jews: “promised land”, once forced to leave – Christians: “Holy Land”, major events in Christ’s life – Muslims: most widely practiced religion in the region, Jerusalem is where Muhammad ascended to heaven Israel and Palestine Issues • • • • • • • • Ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians that began in the early 20th century Ottoman Empire controlled Palestine for 4 centuries (1516-1917) After WW1, United Nations voted to partition Palestine and Britain took over, divided into two states: one Jewish, one Muslim When the British withdrew in 1948, war was declared on Israel In 1949, an armistice was signed that divided control of Jerusalem In 1956, 1967,1973: three more wars Israel returned Sinai to Egypt and Egypt “recognized” Israel’s right to exist • Palestinian POV: • Israel’s prime opponent • 5 groups consider themselves Palestinians • Palestinian Liberation Org: terrorist group that fights for Palestinians, • Have been divided by a struggle for power; Fatah party and Hamas party Israeli POV: • Considers self a very small country with a Jewish majority surrounded by a region of hostile Muslim Arabs • Israelis still divided BINGO! • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Universalizing Ethnic Abrahamic Fundamentalism The Bible Roman Catholic Pope Hajj Fasting (Ramadan) Sunni Shiite The Quran Minaret tower Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama Baha’i The Golden Temple Hinduism Judaism Law of karma Untouchables Wailing Wall Ying and yang Animism Secular Interfaith Intrafaith Jerusalem Adherents Westboro Baptist Church Contagious diffusion Succession of Muhammad Four noble truths Syncretism Nigeria Iran Diaspora