Geography of Religion Religion binds people together gives

Geography of Religion • Religion: binds people together, gives rhythm to daily life • • #1 reason for conflict in the world today Affects cultural landscape – buildings, morals, actions Connects people to a certain place Shapes distinctive cultural patterns

Religious Conflict • Examples: • • Muslims and Hindus in India Muslims and Christians in Africa Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland Pagans and Christians in Ancient Rome Natives and Christians in the Americas The Crusades World War II

Types of Religion • 1. Ethnic Religion: focus on one group and it does not spread • Old beliefs, legends, customs of different groups shape religions • Generally do not seek converters • 2. Animist Religion: belief in spiritual forces of nature • Polytheistic – belief in many gods • Traditional societies • 3. Universalizing Religions: seek followers world-wide • Monotheism – belief in one God (Judaism, Christianity, Muslim) • Missionaries used to spread religion

Major World Religions • • • Judaism Christianity Islam Buddhism Hinduism

World Distribution of Religions Figure 6 -3

Religion by country

Judaism • Oldest monotheistic religion • Born in the Middle East (Iraq & Israel) • First Near Eastern religion to have one God that focuses on his relationship with earth, not with other gods

Abraham • • Father of Judaism (and thus Christianity and Islam) Original monotheist Lived around 2000 BCE Life story: Genesis 11 - 25 Born in Ur (present day Iraq) Leads his people to Canaan (present day Israel) Married to Sarah, barren • Ishmael (son of Hagar) – father to Arabs • Isaac (son of Sarah) – father to Hebrews

The Exodus: 1250 BCE • Hebrews had migrated to Egypt due to drought • Moses • Prophet of God • leads Hebrews out of Egypt (the Exodus), back to Canaan (40 yrs) • On journey, Moses receives Ten Commandments from God on Mt. Sinai • writes first five books of the Old Testament (aka the Torah)

Kingdom of Israel • Hebrews fight off warring Arab tribes inhabiting Canaan • 1020 BCE: Hebrew tribes come together to form Kingdom of Israel • Saul: first king • David: second king (Golden Age) • Solomon: third (and final) king • Built great temple (Solomon’s Temple); under Dome of the Rock (not excavated) • Conquered by Assyrian Empire after Solomon’s death, then by the Babylonian Empire • Jews are displaced until 1948

Zionism • Supports Jewish nationalism • Home state of Israel • Jewish culture & traditions • Founded by Theodor Herzi (1887)

Palestinians (Arabs) and Israelites (Jews) have been fighting over this land ever since. In 1947 (post-Holocaust), United Nations proposed a compromise. Palestinians would not agree to the compromise, so they got nothing.

Israel • 1967: Six Day War with Egypt (Israel gained Sinai Peninsula from Egypt) • 1982: gave Sinai back to Egypt • Since: struggles with Palestinians over land rights

Jewish Terms • Rabbi: priest; religious leader • Synagogue: place of worship • Covenant: promise

Jewish Literature • Torah: • Sacred book • Aka Hebrew Bible (first five books of the Old Testament) • Written by Moses • Mishnah: • 200 BC • Contains six orders (includes prayers, spiritual rites, laws)

The Menorah • The Menorah is a seven branched candelabrum and is the oldest symbol of the Jewish people • represents the burning bush as seen by Moses on Mount Sinai • The end of each branch is a lamp lit by olive oil

The Star of David • the standard symbol in synagogues • symbol of Jewish Community and is named after King David of ancient Israel • Jews started to use the symbol in the Middle Ages.

The Mezuzah • a scroll which Jewish people keep inside a case (pic above) and fix to the right side of their door frames • hang the Mezuzah from their door as a constant reminder of God’s presence. • If moving, must remove the Mezuzah from the door and take it. Leaving it behind is considered disrespectful to God.

Rite of Passage • Move from being a child to being an adult. • Judaism says a boy is a "bar mitzvah" when he turns 13 and a girl becomes "bat mitzvah" when she turns 12. • The child is now responsible for what they do. If they do anything wrong, it is their fault and not their parents’.

Passover • From the time of Mosaic law the People of God have observed fixed feasts, beginning with Passover. • This feast takes place in early spring for the Jews. • The feast known as Pesach reminds all Jews of their escape from Egypt over 3000 years ago. • God told Moses to have all Jews in Egypt paint lamb’s blood over their doorways and they would not be harmed by the last plague

Rosh Hashanah • Jewish New Year (start of Hebrew calendar) • Anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve • Two days of celebration, 163 days after the first day of Passover (usually early September)

Yom Kippur • • Day of Atonement 24 hours of fasting and prayer Most important Jewish holiday “tenth day of the seventh month” (Leviticus)

Hanukah • festival celebrating the time when the Jews won a battle against the Greeks to practice their religion freely • an oil lamp was lit in the temple. There was only enough oil to burn for one day - but miraculously it burned for eight days. • This is why the Hanukkah festival lasts for eight days and why light is the main item in the celebration.

Shabbat • Meal every Friday • Time for rest • starts on Friday, just before sunset and finishes on Saturday after sunset. (lasts for 24 hours). • Before the meal candles are lit. • meal begins with a blessing said over wiine and two loaves of bread. (special egg bread called Challah bread)

Jewish Holy Places • Temple Mount (holy for all Abrahamic religions): disputed history • Western (wailing) Wall • Western portion of Temple Mount • Site for pilgrimage

Judaism Today • • • 14 million adherents (2012) 0. 2% of the world’s population 42% live in Israel 42% live in US & Canada Remainder spread throughout the world

CHRISTIANITY

Beginnings • Terminology: Christos = Greek meaning “the anointed one” • Abraham: Founder of Christianity (same beginnings as Judaism) • Support Hebrew scriptures of Moses (Creation, Exodus, plight of Hebrews back to Canaan, 10 Commandments, etc. ) • Jesus: son of God, fully divine and fully human • Jesus is not just a prophet, but the Messiah, sent by God to save man from sins

Jesus of Nazareth • Born around the 1 st century, AD (had to be before 4 AD, King Herod’s death) • The Gospels (“Good News”) are stories of Jesus’ life and teachings • Jewish teacher and rabbi • Crucified in Jerusalem on the orders of Roman prefect, Pontius Pilate

Jesus of Nazareth • Christian teachings record • Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary • Performed miracles • Founded the Christian Church • Died as a sacrifice to achieve atonement • Rose from the dead • Ascended into heaven from which he will one day return

Other Views • Judaism rejects the belief that Jesus was the awaited Messiah, arguing that he did not fulfill the Messianic prophecies in the Tanakh. • In Islam, Jesus is considered one of God's important prophets and the Messiah. Jesus is a bringer of scripture and the child of a virgin birth, but neither divine nor the victim of crucifixion.

Bible • Scared text • Includes 66 books divided into Old (pre-Jesus; Hebrew Bible + historical literature) and New (Jesus’ life and death, historical literature) Testaments

Christian Beliefs • Most Christians believe that human beings experience divine judgment and are rewarded either with eternal life or eternal damnation. • Common rituals: baptism, communion, weddings

Christian Holidays • Christmas: birth of Jesus • Lent: 40 day period of fasting and repentance in preparation for Easter • Ash Wednesday: First day of Lent • Palm Sunday: sixth Sunday of Lent & the last Sunday before Easter; represents celebration of Jesus arriving in Jerusalem • Good Friday: death of Jesus • Easter: Resurrection of Jesus

Spread of Christianity • Armenia: first country to adopt Christianity (301 AD) • Christians persecuted for their beliefs until Emperor Constantine converted, making it the official religion of the Roman Empire (extended through rest of Europe) • Central to daily life throughout Europe in Middle Ages • Spread widely during Renaissance, Age of Discovery, and later imperialism of 19 th and 20 th centuries

Divisions • Roman Catholic Church • Eastern Orthodox (separated from Catholics in the Great Schism of the 11 th century) • Protestantism (separated from Catholics in the Protestant Reformation; started in Germany in 1517)

Christianity Today • World’s largest religion • 2. 2 billion adherents • Over 41, 000 denominations

Christian Majority Countries

Distribution of Christians in the United States Figure 6 -2