KOVACS

Chapter 6 Religion

Religion is…

A symbol of group identity/cultureFormal or informal worship and the faith in

the sacred/divine

Set of beliefs and practices (social system) in which people seek mental and physical harmony with the powers of the universe in an attempt to influence nature, life and death [how humans occupy the Earth]

Religion is…

Not Geography at its root as we are not Theologians…

Origin, diffusion (extent/process by which), distribution (clue to practices/beliefs)

Migrants…take religion, learn new language, maintain religion

Religion is…

Weakens (exceptions) farther from origin/passage of time

Barriers stop/halt spreadwhat are possible barriers?

Universalizing Religions

Buddhism

Islam

Christianity

Statue of Buddha

Hong Kong, China

Dalai Lama

Spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism + head of the government in Tibet

Imperialism-Forced emigration by Chinese government

Post Dalai Lama…China improved standard of living through roads,

power plants, hospitals, schools, agriculture, promote emigration.

No new Monks trained…end of the line?Religion clashes with government policies of China

Where in the world…

Monk Throat Songs

Define

Universalizing ReligionEthnic Religion

Popularity Contest2 billion Christians1.5 billion Muslims900 million Hindu

376 million Buddhists

Become members by birth or adoption. Members for distinctive closed communities

Ethnic Religio

ns

Hinduism

Confucianism

Shintoism

Taoism

Define

•Branch- division w/in religion•Catholic, Protestant, E. Orthodox

•Denomination-division w/in branch unites local congregations under a single administrative body

•Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, etc.

•Sect- small group broken away from an established denomination •Roman Catholic sects•There are many groups outside the Roman Catholic Church which regard themselves as Catholic, such as the Community of the Lady of All Nations, the Palmarian Catholic Church, the Philippine Independent Church, the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church, the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, and others.

Shamanism

Religion that requires acceptance of a shaman or religious leader, healer and worker of magic who can intercede with and interpret the spirit world.

This is kind of like…?

World Distribution of Religions

Fig. 6-1: World religions by continent.

World Population by Religion

Fig. 6-1a: Over two thirds of the world’s population adhere to Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism. Christianity is the single largest world religion.

The breakdown of geography and religion

Christianity- N. Am, S. Am, Europe, Australia, Af., Asia Europe/Latin Am. Roman Catholic

Islam- (Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India), Africa, Central Asia, [Europe/N. Am 5% today- Nation of Islam, Detroit, MI]

Buddhism- E/SE Asia *Buddhist + ethnic religion Sikhism-India Bahai-Africa/Asia Hinduism-India, Bangladesh, Nepal Primal-indigenous religions- SE Asia/S Pacific Islands –God

dwells in all things-nature is spiritual African Traditional-Animism-12% African continent Spiritism- human personality continues after death and can

communicate with the living through mediums/psychic (Brazil) Judaism-USA/Israel

Vocab

MonotheismPolytheisticAtheisticAgnosticismAnimism

Single deityMany godsNo deityNothing can be

known about whether God exists

Exists in all objects

Quiz!

Religions imposed by…

ConquestAdoptionConversion

*preserved in the face of hostility or indifference

With a 10 foot pole and RESPECTFUL conversation…

Can religion and government be separate entities “separation of church and state” as known in the USA? Or is religion the backbone of democracy (and other forms of government), as the ideologies of elected officials represent your own beliefs. Use evidence to support your claim.

Root of Conflict…

Catholic v. Protestant IrelandHindus v Muslims IndiaCatholics v. E Orthodox v. Muslim (former

Yugoslavia)Jews v Muslims (Gaza/Jerusalem) [Christians]

Explain why Jerusalem is so hotly contested as a place for peace in from 1000 B.C. until 2011

Distribution of Protestants in Ireland, 1911

Fig 6-14: When Ireland became independent in 1937, 26 northern districts with large Protestant populations chose to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Catholic Protestors in Northern Ireland

Peace Players International

Website: http://www.peaceplayersintl.org/our-programs/northern-ireland

Video: http://www.peaceplayersintl.org/media/videos/ni

Jerusalem

Fig. 6-15: The Old City of Jerusalem contains holy sites for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Boundary Changes in Palestine/Israel

Fig. 6-16: The UN partition plan for Palestine in 1947 contrasted with the boundaries that were established after the 1948-49 War. Major changes later resulted from the 1967 War.

Israel, the West Bank and Gaza

Political and Physical maps

Fig. 6-17: The West Bank and Gaza have been under Israeli control since 1967, and numerous Israeli settlements have been established there. The area includes three physical regions: the coastal plain, the hills, and the Jordan River Valley.

Section of Israeli Security Barrier

Fig. 6-1.1: A typical section of the security barrier built by Israel in the West Bank.

Israel’s Barrier in the West Bank

Fig. 6-1.2: The planned route of Israel’s security barrier in the West Bank includes many of Israel’s settlements in the territory.

The Temple Mount, Jerusalem

Temple Mount contains sites holy to both Jews and Muslims, including the Western Wall of the Second Temple, al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Dome of the Rock.

Praying at the Western

Wall in Jerusalem

Potala Palace, Lhasa Tibet