Core values and beliefs come from religion Enmeshed with our cultural and social systems Tied to pop growth Politics Design and structure of cities Sacred space Marriage family education laws health code ID: 756874
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WORLD RELIGIONSSlide2
Culture
Religion = critical part of culture
Core values and beliefs come from religion
Enmeshed with our cultural and social systems
Tied to pop growth
Politics
Design and structure of cities
Sacred space
Marriage, family, education, laws, health codeSlide3
Commonalities among world
relig
:
Implied value system (right and wrong)
Notion of sacred texts and space
Idea about place of humans in universe
Most have creation story
Most believe in higher power/force
Most include teachings about many facets of life – law, politics, fitness, diet, cleanliness, etc.Slide4
Organizational Divisions
Branches:
fundamental division (Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox)
Denominations:
division of branch that unites a # of local congregations (Methodist, Presbyterian, S. Baptist)
Sects:
small group that has broken away from a denominationSlide5
Migration Diffusion
Migrants usually take their religion with them, but unlike language, they usually maintain it for several generations.
i.e. places of immigration are usually very religiously diverse (United States)Slide6
World ReligionsSlide7
World ReligionsSlide8
Largest World ReligionsSlide9
Largest Religious Groups in US
(US = 82% Christian)
1.) Protestant 53% (Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian)
2.) Catholic 23% (New England, Southwest)
3.) Mormon 2% (Utah, Idaho, Arizona, CO, Southern CA)
4.) Orthodox 1%Slide10
US Religious DistributionSlide11
CHRISTIANITY – universalizing, global religion
Christianity - @ 2 billion followers = world’s largest religion and most geographically dispersed
Doctrines:
Monotheistic
Origins in Judaism (Old Testament)
Christ = son of God, promised Messiah, Savior, way to salvation
Sacred Text: Bible (OT and NT)
Sacred Places: Israel, holy landsSlide12Slide13
Where Distributed?
Christianity = major religion in all of Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and countries w/ Christian majority exist in Africa and Asia
3 Major Branches:
Catholic
(50%), SW and E Europe, LA, parts of N. America)
Protestantism
(25%):N. Europe, Australia, NZ, N. America
Eastern Orthodox
(10%): 14 self governing churches in E. Europe (i.e. Russian Orthodox, etc.)Slide14
Diffusion of Christianity
Christianity is diffused by relocation, hierarchical, and contagious diffusion
Hearth = Palestine
1
st
diffusion by relocation:
after Christ’s death missionary apostles carried his etchings along Roman empire (i.e. Paul)
Spread within Roman empire by
contagious diffusion
– contact between Christians and PagansSlide15
Diffusion – contd.
Dominance was assured in Roman empire by
hierarchical diffusion
– Emperor Constantine converted
Migration, missionary activity, and British colonialism (1500-today) spread Christianity worldwide
Acculturation:
conversion and intermarriage of natives, Africans, etc.Slide16
Christian Calendar
EASTER – commemorates Christ’s resurrection and the pending resurrection of all men
CHRISTMAS – commemorates
the birth of Christ –
Virgin Mary, literal Son of GodSlide17
Organization of Space – Places of Worship
Church:
comes from Greek word meaning “Lord” or “Master”
“church” can refer to the building and the group of people
Traditionally churches placed in town center - largest, tallest, prettiest buildings.
Church architecture varies from branch to branch, denomination to denomination (Protestant churches usually more simple)
Cemeteries – bury dead undergroundSlide18
ISLAM – universalizing
relig
about 1 billion followers
#2 behind Christianity
Followers found worldwide, but especially in:
Middle East and N. Africa
Indonesia (most populous Muslim country)
Pakistan
BangladeshSlide19
ISLAM - Doctrines
Also has roots in Judaism (accepts many OT stories and prophets)
Monotheistic – one God – Allah
Prophet Mohammad = last and greatest prophet
Koran
5 Pillars – Faith, Prayer, Pilgrimage, Alms, FastingSlide20Slide21
ISLAM – Distribution
Two Major branches
Sunni
= 83% of Muslims – in ME and N. Africa
Shiites
= 16% - in Iraq, Iran and Azerbaijan (caliph must be descended from Muhammad’s blood line)
Muslim population in Europe and N. America has increased in recent yrs. because of immigration
Arabic = lingua franca of Muslim world (Koran is in Arabic)Slide22
ISLAM – Holy Places
Mecca:
holiest city (hajj) contains
al-
Ka’ba
– thought to be built by Abraham and Ishmael and contains black stone given to Abraham by Gabriel as sign of the covenant (in Saudi Arabia – pilgrimage)Slide23
ISLAM – holy places cont’d
Medina:
Muhammad’s tomb here (in Saudi Arabia)
Jerusalem:
Muhammad ascended to heaven here (Dome of the Rock – pictured below)
– i.e. conflict w/ Jews
Places of worship =
mosques
call to prayer by the
muzzan
from the
minaret
tower
mosque in IndonesiaSlide24
BUDDHISM – universalizing religion
Buddhism = 3
rd
largest universalizing religion w/ 300 million followers
Founded by
the Buddha –
Siddhartha GautamaSlide25
BUDDHISM - Doctrines
4 Noble Truths:
suffering, why it exists, how to prevent it (change desires)
8 Fold Path
– way to achieve “Nirvana” i.e. complete redemption (right…understanding, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration)
ReincarnationSlide26
BUDDHISM – where distributed
3 main branches
Mahayanists
– 56% China, Japan, Korea
Theravadists
– 38% - Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka
Tantrayanists
– 6% - Tibet, Mongolia
Actual # of Buddhists difficult to know because it doesn’t require exclusive adherence. Many Buddhists also follow a local/ethnic religionSlide27
BUDDHISM - Diffusion
Began in NE India – spread east by traveling monks to Asia
1
st
Century – AD Merchants brought Buddhism to China – truly became a Chinese religion
From China
diffused to
Korea and JapanSlide28
BUDDHISM – holy places
Important places are associated w/ life of Buddha in Nepal and NE India
Pagoda:
contains relics believed to be from Buddha. Pagodas not used for congregational worship
Temples and monasteries
used for individual
prayer and meditationSlide29
SIKHISM – universalizing
relig
about 24 million followers almost all in
Punjab
region of India
1
st
guru (religious teacher) in late 1400s in present day Pakistan
God is perfect – people become like him by continual improvement – take responsibility for actions, surrender to God
Men – wear turbans, don’t cut hair
Holy Place =
Golden Temple
- PunjabSlide30
Sikhism
Sikh Golden Temple
in Punjab region –
N. IndiaSlide31
JUDAISM – Ethnic
relig
about 6 million in US, 4 million in Israel, 2 million in former USSR, 2 million elsewhere. In U.S. Jews heavily concentrated in large cities (NYC)
Jews geographically scattered from historical captivities and conqueringSlide32
Distribution/Diffusion
Jews dispersed by Romans about 70 AD-
Diaspora
– scattered throughout Europe
A people without a nation for
hundreds of years. Some in Europe assimilated. Others persecuted
Russia and Romania –
pogroms
in late 1800s and early 1900s
Nazis – Holocaust – 1930s-1940sSlide33
ZIONISM – the return
Zionism – call for Jews to return to their promised land
Always existed, but not a major movement until the Holocaust
Holocaust survivors return to land of Palestine – have historical and spiritual claim on land (but Palestinians there for 2,000 yrs)
Israel recognized as a nation by UN in 1948 backed by US and GB….conflict ever sinceSlide34
Jewish Calendar
Rosh Hashanah – New Year
Yom Kippur – Day of Autumn
Hanukkah – Festival of Lights
Passover – commemorates Israeli liberation from slavery in Egypt – destroying angel passed over Israeli’s first
borns
. God led Moses with many miracles to deliver his people to their landSlide35
Jewish Holy Places
Synagogues
Land of Palestine – ZION
Wailing Wall
– remnant of original Jewish temple destroyed by Romans (Muslim Dome of Rock is located just in front…significance of shared sacred space has fueled conflictSlide36
HINDUISM – ethnic
relig
Hinduism = largest ethnic religion - about 820 million
In general the 3
rd
largest religion worldwide behind Christianity and IslamSlide37
HINDUISM
Where distributed – INDIA and Nepal
Origins – no specific founder. The term “
Hindusim
” originally referred to people living in India.
Diffusion – very little; not seeking converts
Holy Places – tied to India
Ganges River
– purifies
Temples – shrines home to various GodsSlide38
Other Ethnic Religions
Most people in China and Japan practice ethnic religions that co-exist with Buddhism. Very different from Western concept of exclusive religious adherence….i.e. many Chinese are both Buddhist and ConfucianSlide39
Confucianism
Confucius
– 551-479 BC– Chinese philosopher and teacher
Emphasized ancient Chinese tradition of “
li
” – correct behavior…how to treat others, stresses responsibility, respect, public service
Ethnic religion because strongly rooted in traditional Chinese valuesSlide40
DAOISM (Taoism)
Created by
Lao-
Zi
604-531 BC – a contemporary of Confucius
Writings emphasized the mystical and magical to explain events
Stresses introspection – seek
dao
– the way or the path
Today in China and TaiwanSlide41
SHINTOISM
Ethnic religion of Japan
Focus on forces of nature – sun, moon, rivers, etc.
Later regarded emperors as divine (turned into a political cult i.e. WWII)
Still in Japan today – references ancestors, pilgrimages to shrines believed to house deitiesSlide42
Ethnic African Religions
about 10% of African’s follow animism – inanimate objects (trees, stones, river) have spirit/conscious life
No holy books, passed down by oral tradition
Practitioners of animism have decreased as Christianity and Islam have spread (Africa = about 50 % Christian, 40% MuslimSlide43
Concepts of Sacred Space
Sacred Space:
geographic intersection between the divine and the mortalSlide44
Concepts of Sacred Space
Landscape of the dead
Christians, Muslims, Jews bury dead in cemetery (dates back to ancient Roman catacombs)
Hindus – cremation – wash body in Ganges River and burn on funeral pyre
Ancient Zoroastrians – expose dead to scavenging birds and animals to strip body of unclean portions. Don’t want body to contaminate sacred elements of earth, fire, waterSlide45
Sacred Space
Religious Settlements – entire settlement around religious purposes
i.e. utopian communities
Often
theocracies
– church and political leaders = the same
Examples…..
Puritans
– Massachusetts,
city on a hill, 1600s
Moravians – 1700s – Bethlehem, PA and Salem, NC
Mormons 1800s – Nauvoo, Ill, SLC, UTSlide46
RELIGIOUS CONFLICT
Recent resurgence of
fundamentalism
(literal interpretation and intense adherence to principles of religion)….often causes divide within the religion and problems with others
- Taliban – Afghanistan
- Hindus – caste system
- Christian fundamentalism – Eric Rudolph
- 911 suicide bombersSlide47
Religion and Communism
Communism countered religion – Marx says religion is “opium” of the people and threat to the state
USSR – 1918 – Communist Revolution – government nationalizes all church property; religion dwindles
No religious freedom – if you go, go to Orthodox services controlled by government
Fall of Communism in the late 80s early 90s – resurgence of religion in E. EuropeSlide48
Relig
V.
Relig
– interfaith boundaries….Palestine
Palestine..Jews,, Christians, and Muslims have fought for over 2,000 yrs for small piece of land
Jews and Palestinians claim historical and spiritual tie to land (Abraham)
Great Britain opened door for Jewish return (Balfour Declaration)
1948 Israel recognized by UN – no nation of Palestine…refugeesSlide49
Palestine – cont’d
3 subsequent wars….’56, ’67, ’73…each time Israel wins and expands into more land
Israel would not exist without U.S. backing…..big reason why U.S. hated by Middle East
Israel = tiny nation surrounded on all sides by countries that want to destroy it
City of Jerusalem = especially problematic because it contains religious sites for Jews, Christians, and MuslimsSlide50
Religion V. Religion - IRELAND
Ireland = 92% Catholic
N. Ireland = (northern portion of island…part of UK) 58% Prot, 42%
Cath
Ireland got independence in 1937 and created republic of Ireland in 1949. But 6 N. counties voted to stay with the UK
Catholics in N. Ireland = victims of discrimination in jobs and educationSlide51
Religion V. Religion - IRELAND
Continuous cycle of demonstrations and protests
IRA
–
Irish Republican Army
– Catholics in Ireland and N. Ireland – militant organization dedicated to Irish unity – use terrorism, bombings, etc.
about 3,000 dead over the years in N. Ireland
Majority willing to live peacefully – militants disrupt peace for all – fuel fires, polarize sides, etc.