Transcript Slide 1

RELIGION
More than any other culture
trait, religion defines who we
are.
It h helps us attempt to
understand a people (why they
do the things they do.)
All religions share certain implied value systems.
Why are we here, what happens after we die,
politics, sexual relations, mores, eating habits,
etc..
Humanism emphasized the ability of human being to guide their
own lives.
Monotheism: belief in one god or supreme being.
Christianity, Judaism, Islam
Polytheism: Hindu, traditional religions
Universalizing religions: Seek to convert others to their
religion. Are found throughout the world.
Christianity, Islam, Buddhism are the best examples.
Ethnic religions: relatively concentrated spatial
distribution. Do not actively seek converts. Hinduism and
Judaism the best examples.
Secular – someone who separates religion from all other
aspects of society.
Branches of Christianity:
Catholic
Protestant
Protestants are broken down
into denominations.
Orthodox
Baptist, Methodist,
Episcopal, etc..
Islam is broken down into:
About 95% Sunni
15% Shia (Shiite)
Only Shia majority countries are Iran and
Iraq
Sects:
Small groups not affiliated with more mainstream
denominations.
Fundamentalism: often considered extremist groups within a
religion. Al Qaeda and the Wahabi sect is an extremist group
within Islam
Religious Hearths
Christianity: Middle East (Southwest Asia). Particularly in Israel.
Around 2,000 years old. Holy text the Old and New Testament.
World’s largest religion.
Place of worship a church.
Judaism: Israel, Middle East. Oldest monotheistic religion.
Holy text: Torah
Islam: Middle East Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Holy City Mecca
600 AD -- Based on the teachings of Muhammad
Second largest religion, though the fastest growing.
Place of worship a mosque.
Countries with the largest Muslim
population?
Indonesia and India.
Hinduism: hearth is India, founder is unknown.
Roughly one billion adherents, 800 million in India.
There is a Hindu presence throughout the islands
of Southeast Asia. Diffused with traders.
Buddhism: hearth is India. Largest population in China, although
there are large Buddhist populations
all through East and Southeast Asia.
Many Eastern religions combine more than one belief system
(Buddhist and Shinto, Dao.
This is called syncretism.
Other Eastern Religions
India: Baha’i, Sikhism
China: Taoism, Confucianism
Japan: Shinto
Animism: Worshipping nature - African traditional religions
or the Native Americans worship of the spirits.
A theocracy is a state that is ruled
by religious leaders.
Sharia law: Based on the
Quran and the teaching of
Muhammad.
Cornerstone of Islam: Five Pillars of Islam.
One of which is the Hajj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca.
Holiest site in Judaism is the Wailing or Western Wall.
It is all that remains of the Second
Temple that was destroyed by the
Romans around 70 AD
The Old City of Jerusalem is
small, about the size of
Cole’s Crossing.
It is a holy city for all
three Abrahamic
religions.
It is also the site of the Dome
of the Rock (Islam) and
several Christian churches
built on sites based on
events involving Jesus.
Jerusalem,
Israel
Mecca, Saudi
Arabia
Hinduism and Buddhism prescribe to the belief in reincarnation.
Although not required as in Christianity,
both build temples to worship in.
The holy river of
Hinduism is:
Holy cities of Varanasi
and Benares.
Ganges
Religious landscapes