1. Impacts of Religion on the Physical & Cultural Environment
Religious values are important in understanding how people identify and use and organize the physical environment
Intense identification with one religion can cause conflict between groups and this is shown throughout history

2. Places of Worship
The tallest and most elaborate structures worldwide are often religion structures
Major historic (sometimes current) religions can be identified based on buildings in a society

3. Places of Worship: Christian Churches
Christian churches of different branches vary in architectural style & building styles
Were traditionally built at the center of the community for weekly worship attendance
Seen as important places of worship
New England Religious settlement (pg.193)

4. Places of Worship: Muslim Mosques
Mosques are traditionally viewed as a place for community gathering (unlike Christianity where they are seen primarily as places to worship)
Mosques are found in larger cities, small city places of worship may be simple structures
All proper mosques have a minaret tower where people are summoned to worship
Mosques built around a central courtyard and face toward Mecca (Makkah)
This is the directions toward which Muslims pray

5. Places of Worship: Hindu Temples
Buildings are not particularly important in Asian religions
Worship generally occurs at home
Temples that are built are for a particular god (manifestation of Brahman)
Small, dimly-lit buildings
Not places of large gatherings
Sometimes contain a pool for religious bathing

6. Places of Worship: Buddhist Pagodas
Tall and elaborate buildings that contain artifacts that are believed to have been part of Buddha's possessions
Not a community gathering or worship place
Meditation occurs at home or in small buildings near the Pagodas

7. Disposing of the Dead
In Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faiths the dead are buried
impacts the environment by the designation of land for cemeteries which take up a lot of space
Hindus cremate the dead (Shiva) by burning them on the Ganges river
Impacts of environment by depleting the wood supply in India
In SE Asian religions dead may be left for the birds to strip away unclean parts of the body, or may be thrown to the sea to escape the deaths impact of the living in the community

8. Culture: Place Names & Hierarchical Religions
Toponyms (Religious names) given traditionally by immigrants in the new world (north & south America)
Particularly common in Quebec & SW United States (Pg. 194)
Mormon & Catholic faiths organized hierarchically
Landscape is organized into “wards” and “parishes”