RELIGIOUS ORIGINS: A GEOGRAPHIC INTRODUCTION

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RELIGIOUS ORIGINS A GEOGRAPHIC INTRODUCTION
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• Since the beginning of time, spirituality and
  religion have been called on to fill in the gaps
  that science did not understand.
• (Maximillian Kohler in Angels and Demons, pg.
  25)

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Geography of Religion

• Language Religion cultural foundations
• Religion is a binding force
• Religions change continually
• The great religions span cultural linguistic
  barriers
• Over 6,000 religions!!
• Like languages, the map of religions changes

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Religions Role in Society

• Some countries, religion is the culture
• It manifests itself in many different ways
• Subordinate in most Western societies
• (might) Wield control in Africa and Asia
• Every religion has specific components
• World-scale faiths are vast complex
  organizations
• How can religion affect culture?
• One of the most complexand often
  controversialaspects of the human condition

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Religion Defined

• Universal human phenomena that asks three
  essential questions
• How did we get here?
• Why are we here?
• Where are we going?
• Two basic theories to answer those questions
• Evolution
• Creationism

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Evolution

• Charles Darwins (1809-82) idea, based on
  writings by Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)
• NOT, I repeat, NOT man came from monkeys
• Gross misrepresentation of Darwins concept
• Never even mentions evolution in his Origin of
  Species
• Universalinfinite
• Survival of the fittest
• The change in the gene pool of a population from
  generation to generation that may, in time,
  produce new species

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Evolutionists

• How did we get here?
• The Big Bang 5-8 billion years ago
• Evidence of humanoid creatures 3-5 mya
• 35-50,000 ya, first homo sapiens
• Why are we here?
• Self-create
• Anomie radical meaninglessness
• Where are we going?
• Nowhere, but change happens
• An uncomfortable feeling (for some)
• Freud we can remember yesterday we can
  anticipate tomorrow we know the end is coming
• Religion is man-made, and comes from this trauma

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Creationism

• LOTS older than evolution
• There is/was a creator(s)
• Use anthropomorphism
• Using human attributes to describe creator(s)
• How did we get here?
• Via a creator
• Who, where, how dependent on person and
  religion
• Why are we here?
• Depends on the religion
• Where are we going?
• Depends on the religion

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Theistic Religion
Belief in some supreme or ultimate reality, which
one can also speak of in personal terms.
Transcendent Outside ourselves (dos donts
from deity) Immanence Inside ourselves (turn
inward for dos and donts)

• Monotheism
• Belief in one deity
• Polytheism
• Belief in more than one deity
• Animism
• Belief that inanimate objects possess souls and
  should be revered
• Atheism
• Belief in no theistic deity

• Deism
• The deity (God) is within us he was there, but
  now humans can handle it
• Pantheism
• Belief that deity is the world everything
  within
• Agnostic
• Belief in anomie neither faith nor disbelief in
  deity

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Monotheistic Religions

• Judaism
• Founded by Isaac, son of Abraham Sara
• Moses talks with YHVH (tetragrammaton I am who
  I am)
• Describe YHVH (God) as Ruach, Hebrew for wind
• Sacred books include Tanakh (Old Testament-like),
  the Torah/Pentateuch, and Talmud
• No Holy Sacrament
• Zoroastrianism
• Founded by Zoroaster, first millennium CE
• Believed to be the predecessor of late Judaism,
  Christianity, and Islam
• Others believe Judaism was the first monotheistic
  religion

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Monotheistic Religions

• Christianity
• Founded by Christ (a Jew), traces roots back
  (through Judaism) to Isaac, son of Abraham
• 24 different sects of Jews at time of Jesus
• Becomes independent of Judaism in 56 CE
• Until 1000 CE, everyone could preach, ordain,
  baptize, etc., because there was no formal
  priesthood
• Sacred books include Old and New Testaments and
  Apocrypha
• OT compiled by various writers, in various
  countries over 1000 years NT by various
  writers, 60-95 CE
• Seven sacraments (from 12th century)
• Baptism, communion, confirmation, penance,
  extreme unction, ordination, matrimony

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Monotheistic Religions

• Christianity
• Constantine The Great makes it official in
  320 CE
• His dreamthere was this battle, see
• Found that there was no one Christianity
  practiced
• Conference of Nicea (379 CE)
• Decided many tenets of Christianity
• TransubstantiationJesus (or a person) is both
  divine human
• Books to be used names to be used
• Set stage for Catholicism

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Monotheistic Religions

• Catholicism
• Catholicfrom Gr. Universal
• Bishop of Rome (Pope) head of catholic church
• Founded Church of Holy Sepulcher (Vatican
  Jerusalem)
• Traced foundation to St. Peter (Peter Gr. for
  rock)
• Vatican (largest church in world 1520-1620 to
  build) built, literally, on Peter

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Monotheistic Religions

• Catholicism
• No edifice could be higher than a church
• Began the Crusades 350 years of conversion
• Founded the Inquisition a church court judged
  who practiced correctly
• By 1517, Catholic Church owns 2/3 of ALL property
  in Europe
• Martin Luther (Germany, in 1517) started the
  Protestant movement
• Same canon as Catholicism
• Two-Three sacraments baptism, communion, penance
  (sometimes)

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Monotheistic Religions

• Islam (submission)
• Founded by Muhammad, traces roots back to
  Ishmael, son of Abraham and Hagar (black?)
• I am only a preacher of Gods words, the bringer
  of Gods message to mankind--Muhhamad
• Hijrah Muhammads flight from Mecca beginning
  of Muslim (one who submits) calendar
• Sacred book is Koran (recitation)
• Given to Muhammad by Angel Gabriel
• Also use Hadith to interpret Koran
• Sharia (Islamic Law) stresses absolute racial
  equality
• al Illah the god (little g) Allah THE God
  (big g)
• After Muhammads death, splits into two sects
• Sunni devout follower successive leader
• Shiite blood relative successive leader

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Monotheistic Religions

• Islams Tenets
• Five Pillars of Islam
• Shahadar repetition of basic creed
• There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his
  prophet
• Zakat almsgiving done during Ramadan
• Salat prayer minimum of five times daily
• Saum fasting during the 9th month (Ramadan)
• Haaj pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime if
  able

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Polytheistic Religions

• Hinduism
• Brahmanoneness or soul reality
• Atmahsoul true self
• Guruspiritual leader
• Omsound of the universe encompasses whole
  world, past, present, and future
• Shantipeace (said with palms together, finger
  pointing up)
• Sacred writings include (2000 BCE 500 CE)
• Vedas Upanishads Bhagavat Gita (Song of
  Godlongest poem in the world)

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Polytheistic Religions

• Hinduism
• Oldest religion in the world
• Illusory religion (no relics/artifacts)
• Art and icons are permitted, unlike I, J, C, no
  graven images
• Life one of many journeys
• Samsara re-birth the souls cycle birth
  re-birth
• Reincarnation (many) vs. resurrection (once)
• Moksha release liberation from Samsara
• Dharma duty brought on by past Karma
• Karma action cause effect path not
  pre-determined
• Miracles
• Ongoing everyone experiences
• Caste vs. Class System (movement)
• Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaysias, Shurdas,
  Harijan/Dalit

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Polytheistic Religions

• Buddhism
• Founded by Prince Siddharta Gautama
• Spread slowly until King Asoka (273-232 BCE)
• Fazed out in India, mostly in Japan and E. Asia
• Step away from all desire to find peace and
  enlightenment
• Buddha is a title
• Sanskrit enlightened one or one who is awake

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Polytheistic Religions

• The 8-fold Path
• Right view
• Right intention
• Right speech
• Right conduct
• Right livelihood
• Right effort
• Right mindfulness
• Right contemplation
• Method of training ? to awake-ness

• Buddhism
• Follows theFour Noble Truths
• Life is suffering
• Suffering is caused by selfish cravings and greed
• Remove the cause of the suffering (materialism)
• Follow the Noble Eightfold Path

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Polytheistic Religions

• Chinese Religions
• Confucianism
• Brotherly love harmony with man
• Taoism (Daoism)Lao Tzu
• Harmony with nature
• Opposites in everything balance necessary
• Feng Shui
• Spatial arrangement to promote harmony with
  environment

Yin Yang
Moon Sun
Night Day
Dark Light
Cool Warm
Feminine Masculine
Earth Heaven
Even Odd
Rest Active
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Another Religion

• Sikhism
• Developed amidst Muslim-Hindu influences
• Founded by Guru Nanak (1469)
• Monotheistic
• Sacred text is Teachings of the Ten Gurus
• An end to reincarnation by disciplined and
  balanced spirituality
• Salvation is not a heaven, but a union and
  absorption into God, Nam Japna

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Distribution of Major Religions
A generalization...
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Sources and Distribution

• Universalizing religions
• Ethnic religions
• Sometimes called cultural religions
• Most recent data on religious affiliation
• Information must be used cautiously
• Data are not always reliable
• Should be viewed as a rough estimate

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Estimated Adherents to Major World Religions, by Geographic Realm (in millions, 2005) Estimated Adherents to Major World Religions, by Geographic Realm (in millions, 2005) Estimated Adherents to Major World Religions, by Geographic Realm (in millions, 2005) Estimated Adherents to Major World Religions, by Geographic Realm (in millions, 2005) Estimated Adherents to Major World Religions, by Geographic Realm (in millions, 2005) Estimated Adherents to Major World Religions, by Geographic Realm (in millions, 2005) Estimated Adherents to Major World Religions, by Geographic Realm (in millions, 2005) Estimated Adherents to Major World Religions, by Geographic Realm (in millions, 2005) Estimated Adherents to Major World Religions, by Geographic Realm (in millions, 2005) Estimated Adherents to Major World Religions, by Geographic Realm (in millions, 2005) Estimated Adherents to Major World Religions, by Geographic Realm (in millions, 2005) Estimated Adherents to Major World Religions, by Geographic Realm (in millions, 2005) Estimated Adherents to Major World Religions, by Geographic Realm (in millions, 2005)
  Americas Americas Americas       Asia Asia Asia      
Religion N. Mid. S. Europe Sub-Saharan Africa N. Africa SW Asia S. SE E. Russia Pacific Total
Christianity 210 145 309 320 240 5 25 91 50 111 15 1524
Roman Catholic 74 130 264 162 99 0.4 5 70 13 5 7 829
Protestant 130 15 45 100 113 4 20 21 37 9 8 503
Orthodox 6 0.1 0.2 59 29 0.4 na na na 97 0.5 192
Islam 4 1 1 15 187 403 330 183 30 3 0.2 1157
Sunni 4 1 1 13 179 261 323 180 30 3 0.2 996
Shiite 0.1 na na 2 8 141 7 3 na na na 163
Hinduism 1 0.3 0.4 1 2 2 744 6 0.3 na 0.4 757
Buddhism 2 0.1 0.4 0.3 na 0.1 23 169 152 1 na 347
Chinese Religions 0.1 na 0.1 0.1 na na 0.3 9 253 na na 262
Sikhism 0.4 na na 0.2 na na 21 na na na na 22
Judaism 6 0.2 1 2 0.1 5 na na na 3 0.1 17
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Sources and Distribution

• Christianitya divided religion
• Roman Catholicism
• Protestant and Eastern Orthodox churches
• Islamalso divided
• Fastest growing of the world's major religions
• Main division Sunni Shiite
• Hinduism
• Great diversity of forms and practices
• Is an ethnic religion concentrated in a single
  geographic realm
• Probably the worlds oldest organized religion
• Buddhism
• Now a minority faith in its source-country
• Remains strong in Southeast Asia
• Shintoism
• Japanese ethnic religion closely related to
  Buddhism

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Sources and Distribution

• The Chinese Religions
• Confucianism was mainly a philosophy of life
• Taoism human happiness proper relationship
  with nature
• Judaismalso split (like Islam Christianity)
• Outside of Israel is scattered across much of the
  world
• Three main branchesOrthodox, Conservative, and
  Reform
• Shamanism and Traditional Religions
• Community faith
• Small and comparatively isolated
• Traditional religion

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Minority Religions

• Abound within major religious realms
• Most produced by migration and conversion
• Sikhism
• Long-time fusion
• Traces of Hinduism and Islam
• Nation of Islamfounded in the United States
• About 6 million adherents
• Product of migration from Islamic parts of the
  world over time
• A minority religion in the US and among its
  African-American population

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Syncretic religions

• An intermixing of Christian and traditional
  cultural elements
• Northern Europe
• Christianity mixing with traditional Norse
  elements
• Catholicism Celtic pagans
• Gave way eventually to mainstream form of
  Christianity

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The Rise of Secularism

• Many people are religion-less
• Figures show active AND non-active members
• Modest role in US society (mostly)
• Antireligious efforts of China former Soviet
  Union
• Can be traced back over the centuries
• Middle Ages...
• Protestant challenge
• State and Church
• Separation of church and state
• Freedom to choose

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The Rise of Secularism (cont.)

• Weakening of traditions
• Observance of the Sabbath
• Western Europe shows decline in religion as a
  cultural force
• The Muslim world shows a strengthening
• Oil revenues
• Revolutionary fervor
• Conservative rural societies

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Physical Origination

• All major contemporary religions originated in a
  small areas of the world
• Area stretched from eastern shores of the
  Mediterranean Sea to southwestern flanks of the
  Himalayas
• Source areas coincide quite strongly with the
  culture hearths

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Questions and Thoughts

• Judaism is experiencing a population decrease.
  Why?
• About half of the worlds population practices a
  polytheistic religion