Religion

RELIGION Ch. 6

Distribution of Religions Universalizing religions

Christianity Islam Buddhism

Ethnic religions Hinduism Other ethnic religions

World Population by Religion

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

Hinduism 3rd largest religion Has no founder – an evolved religion Both one & 33 million gods

Brahman = the universal soul/source of life 3 principal gods

Brahma – creator Vishnu – preserver Shiva - destroyer

Hinduism Common beliefs

Moksha Atman Karma Samsara

Sacred texts Vedas (4) Upanishads Bhagavad-Gita

Other Ethnic Religions Judaism

Roots traced back to Abraham Texts

Tanakh & the Talmud Main traditions

Conservative Orthodox Reform

Other Ethnic Religions Confucianism

Social ethics and moral teachings Daoism

Lao Tzu & the Tao Te Ching “the path or the way”

Shintoism Animism

Variations in Distribution of Religions Diffusion of religions

Diffusion of universalizing religions Lack of diffusion of ethnic religions

Holy places Holy places in universalizing religions Holy places in ethnic religions

Diffusion of Universalizing Religions

Fig. 6-4: Each of the three main universalizing religions diffused widely from its hearth.

Organization of Space

Places of worship Christian worship Places of worship in other religions

Sacred space Disposing of the dead Religious settlements

Administration of space Hierarchical religions Locally autonomous religions

Religious Conflicts Religion vs. government policies

Religion vs. social change Religion vs. Communism

Religion vs. religion Religious wars in the Middle East Religious wars in Ireland

Jerusalem

Fig. 6-14: The Old City of Jerusalem contains holy sites for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Boundary Changes in Palestine/Israel

Fig. 6-15: 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.

Protestants in Northern Ireland

Fig. 6-17: Percent Protestant population by district in Ireland, 1911. When Ireland became independent in 1937, 26 northern districts with large Protestant populations chose to remain part of the UK.