1. Religion: What Is It? ► All have some set of teaching that imply a value system, include some notion of the sacred, and include ideas about the place of human beings in the universe. ► For many, more than any other cultural trait, defines who they are and how they understand the world around them. ► Because it is tied to all aspects of human culture and social systems, geography of religion provides insight into population growth, international politics, and design and structure of cities.

2. Geographic Distribution of the World’s Major Religions ► Hindu is most dominant in the Indian subcontinent. ► Islam is dominant in the Middle East, Northern Africa, and parts of the South Pacific/Southeast Asia. ► Christianity is dominant in Australia, Europe, and North and South America. ► Traditional and Shamanist religions are found predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South America.

3. Universalizing vs. Local Religions ► Universalizing religions claim global applicability and actively seek new converts. ► Local religions are specific to an area; some are ethnic religions, such as Hinduism and Judaism, others are tribal and often polytheistic.

4. Monotheistic vs. Polytheistic Religions ► Monotheistic religions teach primacy of a single god; Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are monotheistic religions. ► Polytheistic religions teach numerous gods or spiritual powers; many Native American religions are polytheistic.

5. Global vs. Ethnic Religions ► Global religions have numerous members, are widespread, and their doctrines have global appeal. ► Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam are global religions. ► Ethnic religions appeal to small groups of people with a common heritage or to large groups of people living in a single region. ► Hinduism and Judaism are ethnic religions.

6. Shamanism and Animism ► Local religion types, associated with particular places. ► Tend to attract small, localized followings; often involve belief in supernatural powers that reside in particular people or natural phenomena. ► In Shamanism, a single person fulfills the roles of priest, counselor, and physician and claims a conduit to the supernatural world. ► Animism is most prevalent in Africa and the Americas; Animists see the world as being infused with spiritual and supernatural powers.

7. Christianity ► The world’s most widespread religion with about two billion believers. ► A monotheistic religion with its origins in Judaism. ► The three major categories include Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and Roman Catholic. ► Roman Catholicism is prominent in large parts of Central and South America, North America, and Western Europe. ► Protestantism includes distinct denominations and is especially prevalent in North America. ► Eastern Orthodox is dominant in Eastern Europe and Russia.

8. Christian Denominations in the United States ► Baptist denominations are predominant in the “bible Belt” region, which is essentially the southeastern states. ► The upper Midwest is predominantly Methodist. ► Spanish Catholicism is dominant in the southwestern states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas; it also had dominant pockets in Florida. ► Mormonism is dominant in Utah and parts of its surrounding states. ► Catholicism is dominant in the northeastern states. ► The West (including large parts of California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington) is largely categorized as being of mixed relgions.

9. Islam ► Claims about one billion members worldwide. ► Distribution is centered in the Middle East and North Africa, but is found throughout the world, including Europe, Southeast Asia, and the United States. ► A monotheistic religion, stemming from Judaism, which is based on belief that there is one god, Allah, and that Muhammad was Allah’s prophet. ► Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is the birthplace of Muhammad and the base for the nation of Islam.

10. Spread of Islam ► Islam began in Saudi Arabia near Mecca and Medina and diffused originally through expansion diffusion to surrounding areas, including other parts of the Middle East and Northern Africa. ► It then diffused by relocation diffusion to Indonesia and Malaysia.

11. Buddhism ► Has approximately three-hundred million adherents worldwide. ► Originated in the sixth century B.C. in northern India. ► Traces origins and many traditions from Hinduism. While still centered in East Asia, has gained and increasingly large following in Europe and North America since the 1950’s. ► A pattern attributable in part to emigration by Asian people to Western nations and in part to Buddhism’s teachings, which resonate with many westerners. ► Nearly half of Buddhists in the United States live in southern California.

12. Hinduism ► An ethnic religion tied to Indian culture. ► Oldest major religion, at approximately four thousand years. ► Not just a religion; also contains philosophical, social, economic, and artistic elements. ► The caste system is an important aspect, which gives every Indian a particular place in the social hierarchy from birth. ► Each caste defines individuals’ occupations, social connections, where they can live, clothes they wear, and food they eat.

13. Judaism ► First major monotheistic religion. ► Based on a sense of ethnic identity; adherents tend to form tight-knit communities wherever they live. ► In 1948, Jewish people established their own state in Israel, which, in addition to the United States, is where most Jews reside.

14. Fundamentalism vs. Extremism ► Fundamentalism is strict and literal adherence to a set of principles, beliefs, or teachings. ► Members of any religion can be fundamentalists. ► Fundamentalism differs from extremism, which is violent fundamentalism, and is becoming more prevalent across the globe.

15. Sacred Spaces ► Areas or places of religious or spiritual significance. ► Some are historical, such as the Dome of the rock and the Western Wall in Jerusalem. ► Some are current, including all the various places of worship such as cathedrals, mosques, temples, and tabernacles. ► Cemeteries are often included in this category as death and the afterlife are an integral part of many religions.

16. Interfaith Boundaries and Intrafaith Boundaries ► Interfaith boundaries refer to boundaries between the world’s major faiths, such as Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. ► Intrafaith boundaries refer to boundaries within a single major faith, such as the boundary lines that separate different denominations of Christianity.