1. The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography
Chapter 6: Religion
The Cultural Landscape:
An Introduction to Human Geography

2. Religion A set of beliefs existence of a higher power, spirits or god
an explanation of the origins and purpose of humans and their role on earth
Which involves rituals, festivals, rites of passage and space (religious landscapes)

3. The Geography of Religion
Ethnic Religions Polytheism Universalizing Religions(proselytic) Monotheism

4. The Roots of Religion
Animism (Shamanism) - the belief that all objects, animals, and beings are “animated” or possess a spirit and a conscious life. Also called shamanism because of the prominence of a Shaman.
Such beliefs are common among hunter-gatherers.
10% of Africans follow such traditional ethnic religions.
These beliefs are losing ground to Christianity and Islam throughout Africa.
Nigerian Shaman

5. Key Terms Monotheism: existence of only one god.
Polytheism: existence of many gods.
Cosmogony: A set of religious beliefs concerning the origin of the universe.

6. Religious Divisions
Branch: A large and fundamental division within a religion.
Denomination: A division within a branch of a religion.
Sect: A relatively small denominational group that has broken away from an established church.

7. How do Universalizing and Ethnic Religions Differ?
Appeal to people everywhere
Individual founder (prophet)
Message diffused widely (missionaries)
Followers distributed widely.
Holidays based on events in founder’s life.
Ethnic
Has meaning in particular place only.
Content focused on place and landscape of origin.
Followers highly clustered.
Holidays based on local climate and agricultural practice.
Judaism excepted

8. World Distribution of Religions
Figure 6-3

9. Distribution of Christians in the United States
Figure 6-2

10. Ethnic Religions
Buddhism
Hinduism
Figure 6-5
Figure 6-4

11. Religions of the United States

12. Key Issue 2

13. Why Do Religions Have Different Distributions?
Origin of religions
Universalizing: precise origins, tied to a specific founder
Christianity
Founder: Jesus
Location: Palestine
Islam
Prophet of Islam: Muhammad
Location: Saudi Arabia
Buddhism
Founder: Siddhartha Gautama
Locatio: Nepal/India

14. Why Do Religions Have Different Distributions?
Origin of religions
Ethnic: unclear or unknown origins, not tied to a specific founder
Hinduism
No clear founder
Earliest use of Hinduism = sixth century B.C.
Archaeological evidence dating from 2500 B.C.

15. Diffusion of Universalizing Religions
Christianity
Diffuses through relocation and expansion diffusion
Hierarchical and contagious [expansion]
Initial diffusion is relocation diffusion through missionaries
Sea trade, Roman Roads
Paul of Tarsus responsible for a lot of this
Widespread, major diffusion through contagious diffusion
People come into direct contact with the believers/disciples

16. Diffusion of Universalizing Religions
Christianity
After Rome recognizes Christianity as the official religion, Hierarchical diffusion takes over
Roman Emperor converts and demands everyone else convert
Relocation diffusion through missionaries and Colonialism [remember chapter 8?] spread Christianity world-wide after the 1500’s
Where migrants originate from [their home country] greatly determines the modern-day version of Christianity that is found around the World
US Cities: Catholicism [Ireland, E. Europe]
Latin America: Spain/Portuguese colonization

17. Distribution of Christians in the USA
South –
Mainly Baptist
North, West
Mainly Catholic
Midwestern/central USA
Methodist, Lutheran
Utah, Idaho, parts Arizona
Mormon/Latter Day Saints

20. Diffusion of Universalizing Religions
Islam
Spread from Arabia (Saudi Arabia) to Asia, Africa, Europe
Spread through conquest [relocation] to most of Middle East/Africa
Missionaries and trade to Asia [relocation/contagious]
Direct contact with believers [contagious]

22. Diffusion of Universalizing Religions
Buddhism
Does not diffuse rapidly
Main method of diffusion through the Magadhan Empire [270’s – 230’s BCE]
Hierarchical diffusion through conversion of emperor
Relocation/contagious diffusion through missionaries
Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet all experienced
Trade with China, Korea, Japan spreads further

24. Diffusion of Universalizing Religions
Figure 6-6

25. Critical Thinking
What do all three universalizing religions have in common regarding expansion
What is unique about Buddhist expansion compared to Islam? Christianity?
What is similar about Buddhist and Christian expansion?
Do all three have hierarchical expansion? Contagious?

26. Why Do Religions Have Different Distributions?
Limited diffusion of ethnic religions
Various reasons exist for ethnic religion not diffusing:
They often compete with larger universalizing religions
They usually do not have missionaries
They are usually fixed to a geographic area
The religion is tied to that area only
The goal of ethnic religions is not conversion, opposite of universal religions

27. Why Do Religions Have Different Distributions?
The combining of religion:
Christianity with African ethnic religions
Created distinct versions of Christianity
Buddhism with Confucianism in China
Buddhism with Shinto in Japan
Shintoism took on many of the ‘gods’ of buddhism
Ethnic religions can diffuse with migration
Only applies to voluntary migration, not forced
Only applies when migrating to an area with freedom to practice religion

28. The Jewish Exception
Judaism is practiced almost everywhere due to the diaspora of Jews since the 70’s CE
Creation of Israel in 1948 [nation-state] have the jews been back in their original hearth
Most Jews lived in Eastern Europe and Southern Europe
Jews have often been persecuted throughout history [through association with crucifixion]
Were forced to live in ghettos, or area where Jews only were to live by law.
Many Jews killed during 30’s-40’s during holocaust
Most Jews live in USA or Israel

29. Holy Places
Universal and Ethnic religions are different on what is considered holy:
Ethnic is less widespread, many holy places are a part of the physical environment [mt. Sinai in Judaism]
Universal religions usually make/call holy places associated with the life of the founder, [Jerusalem with Christians and Muslims]
Holy places not related to environment
People often make religious journeys, pilgrimages, to these places

30. Holy Places Holy places In universalizing religions
Buddhist shrines
Where sermons preached, reached wisdom, attained nirvana
Holy places in Islam = associated with the life of Muhammad
Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem [in order]
Christianity
In ethnic religions
Holy places in Hinduism = closely tied to the physical geography of India

31. Cosmogony of Religion The Abrahamic religions:
Jewish and Christian both believe the same thing
Six days, 7th day of rest, all origins of Universe created
Debate on whether it is literal or figurative, given the large amount of evidence against six literal days
Christians believe we are to “finish” creation by living our life off the Earth.

32. Cosmogony of Religion Islam Differences
Six days /= six literal days, but “periods” of time
7th day Allah does not “rest” because he is not able to be tired, but merely overseas
Creation is not over, but always ongoing
Islam does not discount evolution, because it believes Allah is behind everything, so what/how it happens is irrelevant because HE did it/is doing it
Muslims believe humans represent God on Earth

33. Cosmogony of Religion
All believe that using the earth’s resources is part of being religious
This is because the “creation” is a gift from God/Allah/YAWH

34. Cosmogony of Religion Confucianism, Daoism Other Ethnic religions:
Two forces, yin and yang, makeup the world
Yin is typically passive, evil, women, death
Yang is light, heaven, good
Yin/Yang try to balance each other
Disorder and chaos are because of unbalancing
Other Ethnic religions:
Most believe we are not to totally transform the world to our needs; we should attempt harmony
Only a few people have the ability/right to harness the power of the Earth [resources]

35. Diffusion of Universalizing Religions
Figure 6-17

36. Why Do Religions Have Different Distributions?
The calendar
In ethnic religions = celebration of the seasons
The Jewish calendar
The solstice
In universalizing religions = celebration of the founder’s life

37. Why Do Religions Organize Space in Distinctive Ways?
Places of worship
Many types: Christian churches, Muslim mosques, Hindu temples, Buddhist and Shinto pagodas, Bahá’í houses of worship
Figure 6-19

38. Why Do Religions Organize Space in Distinctive Ways?
Sacred space
Disposing of the dead
Burial
Other ways of disposing of the dead
Religious settlements
Religious place names

39. Religious Toponyms
Figure 6-21

40. Why Do Religions Organize Space in Distinctive Ways?
Administration of space
Hierarchical religions
Latter-day Saints
Roman Catholics
Locally autonomous religions
Islam
Protestant denominations

41. Roman Catholic Hierarchy in the United States
Figure 6-22

42. Why Do Territorial Conflicts Arise?
Religions versus government policies
Religion versus social change
Taliban and Western values
Hinduism and social inequality
Caste system
Religion versus communism
Eastern Orthodoxy and Islam in the Soviet Union
Buddhism in Southeast Asia

43. Why Do Territorial Conflicts Arise?
Religion versus religion
Fundamentalism
Religious wars in Ireland
Religious wars in the Middle East
Crusades (Christians in Muslim lands)
Jews and Muslims in Palestine

44. Distribution of Protestants in Ireland
Figure 6-23

45. Two Perspectives on Palestine/Israel
Figure 6-26

46. Israel’s “Separation Fence”
Figure 6-27

47. The End.
Up next: Ethnicity