Religion

How is religion understood geographically?

Religion• What is religion?• What are some of the contexts in which

religion manifests itself?• How do we view religion as

geographers (elements that are spatially important)?–Where are religions located – hearth,

distribution, and diffusion?• http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/history-of-religion

.html

–What are practices that lead to distribution?

Religion• How do we view religion as geographers

(elements that are spatially important)?• Religious tension in scale: Globalization and local

diversity• People care deeply• Derive core values and beliefs• Some religions appeal globally and others locally• How people identify themselves and organize the

landscape

Universalizing and Ethnic

Universalizing• Attempt to appeal to people

throughout the world• Individual historical founder• Message diffused widely

• Followers widely distributed• Attempt to convert

• Holidays based on founder’s life events

Ethnic• Appeals to people in a

particular place• exact origin unknown• Content highly

concentrated in place of origin

• Followers highly clustered• Born in faith and converts

not sought• Holidays based on local

climate and agri. calendars

Religion–Monotheistic – belief that there is only one

God – Polytheistic – belief in a collection of gods– Animist – objects and events in the

environment are “animated”• No separation between physical and

spiritual worlds– Indigenous – local and passed on by family

and tribe (no shared tenet among groups)– Shamanist – community faith: follow

shamans

Religion

– Branch – large and fundamental division within a religion

– Denomination – division of branch, unites local congregations in admin. Body

– Sect – small group broken away from denomination

Buddhist Holy Places:Lumbini, Nepal – Birthplace of Buddha

Dodh Gaya, India – Buddha reaches Enlightenment

Bodh (Bo) Tree

Mahayanists Japan

Theravadists Cambodia

Leshan Giant Buddha - China

Islamic Holy Places: MeccaAl Harim Al Sharif Mosque- The Ka’ba

Islamic Holy Places: Medina’s mosques

Hindu Holy Places

Mt. Kailas, Source of Ganges

(home of Shiva)

Ganges River bathing

Hierarchy…

National

Regional/Sectarian

Local

Holy Places in Conflict: JerusalemChristian Quarter

Church of the Holy Sepulchre – significance Jesus (mosque next door)

Holy Places in Conflict: JerusalemArmenian Quarter

David’s Tower of the Citadel

Jaffa Gate and Citadel (built by Romans 2000 years ago)

Holy Places in Conflict: JerusalemMuslim (Arab) Quarter

Temple Mountain – Dome of the Rock – built on 2nd temple and where Muhammad ascends to heaven , Al Aqsa Mosque

Holy Places in Conflict: Jerusalem

Jewish Quarter

Western Wall (only remaining section of the Second Temple)

Places of Worship

Religious elements on the landscape

Vatican Basilicas

Basilicas

St Mary’s – Krakow, Poland

Church of St. Patrick – Dungannah, Ireland

Basilica of St. Francis Xavier – Dryersville, Iowa

Eastern Orthodox - Russian

St. Basil’s Cathedral - Moscow

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral - Howell (Lakewood), NJ

Eastern Orthodox - Greek

Athens, Greece

Dayton, OH

Coptic Cathedrals –Egypt

Ethiopian Christian Church

Trinity Cathedral – Addis Ababa

Armenian Christian Church

Maronite Christian Church - Lebanon

Buddhist Temples

Temple of Emerald Buddha - Thailand

Tibet

Buddhist Temples

China

Japan

Buddhist Temples

Korea Nepal

Buddhist Temples

Burma

Laos

Buddhist Temples

Angkor Wat Temple, the world's largest

religious monument - Cambodia

Ho Chi Minh City

Buddhist Temples

Los Angeles

Buddhist Pagodas

Hindu Temples

Hindu Temples

Chicago

Pittsburgh

Muslim Mosques

Zahir Mosque,

Malaysia

Faisal MosqueIslamabad, Pakistan

Sultan Ahmet MosqueIstanbul

Hagia Sophia

Islamic Holy Places: MeccaAl Harim Al Sharif Mosque- The Ka’ba

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psy9gk5v6Pg&feature=related (Anthony Bourdain Indonesia – call to prayer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF47Ec5wBK4&feature=related (journalist in city)