Theocracy

Theocracy

• When the church is actively involved in governing

For some reason…

• People are willing to accept different cultures, but are less willing to tolerate or accommodate differences in religious matters.

Secularism

• An indifference or rejection of religion/religious beliefs

• Seen in MODERN societies more so in MDC (industrialized nations) and communist regimes (present or past)

How does this tie to previous conversation…?

Sacred Places

• Bermuda Triangle• Stonehenge

Stonehenge(England)

Holy Sites in Buddhism

Fig. 6-9: Most holy sites in Buddhism are locations of important events in Buddha’s life and are clustered in northeastern India and southern Nepal.

Buddhist Temple

Bodh Gaya, India

Mecca, Islam’s Holiest City

Fig. 6-10: Makkah (Mecca) is the holiest city in Islam and the site of pilgrimage for millions of Muslims each year. There are numerous holy sites in the city.

Makkah during the Haj Pilgrimage

The Ka’ba stands at the center of the Great Mosque (al-Haran al Sharif) in Makkah.

Hindu Holy Places

Fig. 6-11: Hierarchy of Hindu holy places: Some sites are holy to Hindus throughout India; others have a regional or sectarian importance, or are important only locally.

Ritual Bathing in the Ganges River

Hindu pilgrims achieve purification by bathing in the Ganges.

The Golden Temple in Amritsar

The Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib) in Amritsar, India is the holiest structure for Sikhism.

Baha’i Temple in Uganda

• Cemeteries- Christians, Jews, Muslims– Egyptian pyramids/Taj Mahal

• Cremation- Hindus/Buddhists/ Kovacs

Death by Religion! No pun intended…

Cremation near Taj Mahal

RECAP!

Variations in Distribution of Religions (1)

• Origin of religions– Origin of universalizing religions– Origin of Hinduism

• Diffusion of religions– Diffusion of universalizing religions– Lack of diffusion of ethnic religions

• Ethnic religions diffuse if migration is for economic reasons and their not forced to adopt universalizing religions

Diffusion of Religions• Universalizing- specific hearths• Ethnic religions- clusters

• Relocation-migration – Palestine-Missionaries-sea routes, military, communication

networks• Expansion- “snowballing” [hierarchical- key leaders, or

contagious- wide spread]– Daily interactions between believers in town and non believers

in countryside. Conversion of indigenous peoples and intermarriage.

Diffusion of Universalizing Religions

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

Diffusion of Christianity

Fig. 6-5: Christianity diffused from Palestine through the Roman Empire and continued diffusing through Europe after the fall of Rome. It was later replaced by Islam in much of the Mideast and North Africa.

Diffusion of Islam

Fig. 6-6: Islam diffused rapidly and widely from its area of origin in Arabia. It eventually stretched from southeast Asia to West Africa.

Diffusion of Buddhism

Fig. 6-7: Buddhism diffused gradually from its origin in northeastern India to Sri Lanka, southeast Asia, and eventually China and Japan.

Shintoism & Buddhism in Japan

Fig. 6-8: Since Japanese can be both Shinto and Buddhist, there are many areas in Japan where over two-thirds of the population are both Shinto and Buddhist.

Variations in Distribution of Religions (2)

• Holy places– Holy places in universalizing religions– Holy places in ethnic religions

• The calendar– The calendar in ethnic religions– The calendar in universalizing religions

Organization of Space• Places of worship

– Christian worship– Places of worship in other religions

• Sacred space– Disposing of the dead– Religious settlements– Religious place names

• Administration of space– Hierarchical religions (IMPERIALISM)– Locally autonomous religions

Place Names in Québec

Fig. 6-12: Place names in Québec show the impact of religion on the landscape. Many cities and towns are named after saints.

Roman Catholic Hierarchy in U.S.

Fig. 6-13: The Catholic church divides the U.S. into provinces headed by archbishops. Provinces are divided into dioceses, headed by bishops.