Religion (Part 1: Universalizing & Ethnic Religions)

Terms branch: a large and fundamental division within a religion denomination: is a division of a branch that unites a number of local congregations in a single legal and administrative body sect: a relative small group that has broken away from an established branch/denomination heretic: one who disagrees with church doctrine sectarianism: conflict arising from perceived differences between subdivisions of a group adherents: a believer or supporter

In general Universalizing vs. Seeks to appeal to all proselytic = to attempt to convert, recruit Ethnic Religions Appeals to a single group living in one place Holy Places tied to life of founder tied to phys. environment Both involve pilgrimages = religious journeys to sacred places Calendar Cosmogony Beliefs about origin of the universe Diffusion Celebration of the founder s life God creates nature/physical environment precise origins/hearth, tied to a specific founder usually widespread Celebration of the seasons God = nature incorporates events from phys. environment unclear or unknown origins, not tied to a specific founder, Ltd. diffusion, usually tied to geography of a location. Can diffuse thru relocation

World Religions Universalizing Major Christianity (1) Islam (2) Buddhism Minor Sikhism Bahá í Ethnic Hinduism (3) Chinese folk religions Confucianism Daoism Shinto Judaism Ethnic African religions Animism

Christianity largest world religion about 2 billion adherents Many adherents in Europe, the Americas Three major branches Roman Catholicism (51% of all Christians) Protestant Christianity (24%) Denominations include Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Anglican, Presbyterian, Episcopal etc. Eastern Orthodox (11%) Other (14%) Coptic (Egypt), Ethiopians, Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Jehovah s Witnesses

World Distribution of Religions Figure 6-3

American Religious Concentrations. Why? Baptist Southeastern U.S. Largely indigenous religion = American Calvinism At first, welcomed African-Americans who were rejected by mainline Protestantism Later during Civil War Era Appeals to southern whites as manifestation of regional pride (supports slavery, white supremacism, etc.) Blacks leave to form breakaway churches but still self-identify as baptist Therefore, Strong regional clustering of black and white southerners Lack of in-migration (due to little industrialization) maintains homogeneity of baptists

American Religious Concentrations. Why? Catholics Northeast, Rust Belt Germans (some Southern Catholic) & Irish Catholics (mid-1800s) Pushed by industrialization, stage 2 overpop., lack of econ. opp. Potato famine, British abuse/eviction from land Early 1900s immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe Poles, Italians, other Catholics (+ Russian Jews) Pushed by industrialization, stage 2 overpop., lack of econ. opp. Other cultural factors (see migration notes) Why Northern cities = Industrial jobs Southwestern US/US-Mexican border Proximity to Latin American source area of origin since WWII Latin America in stage 2 Farm laborers, illegal immigration How does this reflect Gravity model and Ravenstein s laws?

American Religious Concentrations. Why? Lutherans Upper Midwest/Northern Great Plains Northern Germans and Scandinavians bring Lutheranism Cultural preadaptation attracted Northern Europeans to a climate and farmland similar to their homeland. RRs and state govts. recruited farmers (mid-to-late 1800s) Chain migration occurred as relatives continued to arrive. Remained dominant because of a lack of in-migration During the next great wave of European immigration (early 1900s), few new immigrants with different religions came to Northern Great Plains lack of industrialization, urbanization and/or economic opportunity. Physical environment is arid (lack of water) discouraged the in-migration of other religions (non-lutherans)

Distribution of Christians in the United States Figure 6-2

American Religious Concentrations. Why? Mormons Great Basin, Desert West, Utah Internal migration for religious freedom, avoid persecution Remained dominant because of a lack of in-migration Not industrialized/urbanized Inhospitable climate = very dry/arid desert.

Other Universalizing Religions Sikhism Bahá í Adherents 23 million 7 million Origin Lahore, Pakistan Shiraz, Iran Distribution /Diffusion Calendar Holy Places/ Houses of Worship Main idea (incl. prophet/fou nder etc.) Clustered in the Punjab, India Holidays are births and deaths of the ten gurus (historical) Golden Temple at Amritsar Guru Nanak (ca. 1500 AD) Monotheistic, mixes Islamic egalitarianism with Hindu karmic traditions Spread to every continent 19 months of 19 days On all continents to show universalizing nature. Open to adherents of all religions with scriptural recitals from various faiths The Bab (1844 AD) Establish a universal faith Gods of other faiths = different manifestations of one true God

Chinese Ethnic Religions Confucianism Kong Fuzi (551 479 BCE) Proper relationships/behavior bring stability answers to bigger questions? metaphysics borrows spirituality from Buddhism Neo-confucianism Daoism Laozi (604 531? BCE) Seek the way or dao

Animistic Religions African ethnic religions 100 million/12% of Africans animism things in nature have living spirits/consciousness competition with universalizing religions Leads to decline (50%) in animism Africa now: 46% Christian/40% Muslim Shinto Japanese animism As state religion previously elevated emperor as divine (renounced after WWII) Mixed with Buddhism

African animism Shintoism

Origin of Christianity Hearth Holy Land, Israel/Palestine, Jerusalem Founder: Jesus Jewish sect Diaspora spreads Jews Roman Empire Eventually transforms into separate religion St. Paul Gentiles sect of Ethnic Judaism Universalizing

Diffusion of Christianity To Europe Roman Empire relocation missionaries contagious to pagans Hierarchical Conversion of those in authority Global Secondary hearths Roman Catholicism = Rome/Vatican City Orthodox = Constantinople/Istanbul Protestantism = Germany Relocation Imperialism/migration

Relate to life of Christ Jerusalem Golgotha (Calvary) Holy Sepulchre Via Dolorosa Gethsemane Bethlehem (birth) Nazareth (childhood) Later sites associated with saints and miracles Examples Lourdes, France Fatima, Portugal Christian Holy Places

Christian Churches more critical than in other religions affects landscape Tall, centrally located Style reflects cultural influences Orthodox = pointed domes Beliefs Protestant = simple Availability of building materials

Other effects on landscape toponyms

2 nd largest world religion about 1.3 billion adherents Fastest growing Islam Two significant branches Sunnis (83%) Widely dispersed across the Middle East, North Africa, South and Southeast Asia Shias or Shiites (16%) Primarily clustered in Iran and southern Iraq, Azerbaijan and others Split based on who should succeed Muhammad Later has ethnic dimensions Core of Islamic belief = the five pillars

Origin and Diffusion of Islam Muhammad b. 570 AD in Mecca/Makkah ministry 610 AD hijra 622 AD to Yathrib/Medina 632 AD Reconquered Mecca (dies shortly afterward) Muhammad and early successors (caliphs) diffuse Islam through conquest Later spread through trade and other cultural interactions (see reading posted on website) Example: diffused to Indonesia in 1200s through trade Physically separated from Islamic core area Today has the world s largest Muslim population (know this fact)

Muslim Holy Places life of Muhammad Kaaba in Mecca 5 th pillar = hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca What type of affects does the hajj have on the environment? Medina Muhammad s tomb Dome of the Rock Muhammad s night journey on Temple Mount

Islam Calendar Strict lunar calendar 30 year cycle 19 years = 354 days 11 years = 355 days Holidays shift annually Places of Worship Mosque Community centers Courtyard surrounded by buildings for different functions Pulpit faces Mecca Minarets Tower in which muezzin calls to prayer Other distinctive traits Calligraphy arabesques

Holy Places of Buddhism Buddha s life b. Lumbini Bodh Gaya reaches perfect wisdom nirvana Deer Park 1 st sermon d. Kusinagara 4 other miracle sites

Buddhist Places of Worship pagodas and stupas stupas Mark location of relics collected by Buddha s followers in South Asia pagodas Evolved from concept of stupa Mostly found in China and Japan

Hinduism 3 rd largest religion in the world 900 million adherents 97% of Hindus are found in India rest in Nepal Many paths to spirituality Individual decides best way to worship Vaishnavism (Vishnu) 70% Incarnations (Krishna, Buddha, Jesus?, etc.) Sivaism (Siva) 26% Protector and destroyer of ignorance Shaktism (female consorts of Vishnu/Siva)

Hinduism Origin Basic ideas brought by Aryans (Indo-Europeans) No clear founder, archaeological evidence dating from 2500 B.C. Earliest use of term Hinduism = sixth century B.C. Intermingled with Dravidians Karmic religion Dharma = set of rules for caste Caste = social class Social mobility is limited, Why? discuss Holy places Riverbanks, coastlines, mountains Ganges River is the most sacred, Varanasi = pilgrimage site Effects on landscape Less physical presence of temples Overcrowding/pollution due to pilgrimages Hindus cremate dead = preserves land, no cemeteries BUT Cremation strains wood supply

Judaism 14-15 million 1/3 USA, 1/3 Israel, 1/3 elsewhere 15% in Europe (90% before WWII) Origin and diffusion Abraham s migration/covenant Promised land monotheism 10 lost tribes (Assyrians)/2 tribes remain (Babylon) Tribe of Judah = Jewish Diaspora (after 70 AD by Romans) makes Jews an exception that ethnic religions are clustered re-clustering due to est. of Israel Zionism = movement for a Jewish homeland began late 1800s, reaction to persecution