1. Chap 6 Why and Where are Religions Distributed?
Envs 204 Religion
Chap 6
Why and Where are Religions Distributed?

2. Watch the BBC Syria Video
Make a list of the religious groups mentioned and their historical relationships

3. A. Broad definition of religion -- the acceptance of and reverence for order in our existence; where acceptance is based on faith.
Why study Religion? -- Understanding the background and history of a group's religion is important in interpreting today's political events
- US was caught by surprise in Iran by Shia fundamentalism, will the same thing eventually happen in Iraq???

4. B. Tools for understanding the spread of religion
Diffusion & Acculturation -- review the types as described and illustrated in the notes for the language and other chapters
Can imply either voluntary acceptance of a new religion or forced compliance, a continuum is indicated below:
Continuum
Religion Spread through:
Free Acceptance Domination

5. Domination Government decree – all are now members of…
Migration that overwhelms earlier inhabitants
Military conquest

6. Map of the Spread of Islam - From the 'Rightly Guided' Caliphs, and the Umayyad & Abbasid Expansion, to the Empires of the Safavids, the Mughuls and the Ottomans

7. Free Acceptance
Missionary work
Social climbing
Personal choice

8. 3. Point of origin (hearth area)
Historical religions can determine a point and time of origin: Christianity -- ancient Palestine

9. Buddhism Lumbini Nepal

10. Islam Mecca

11. Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) – up-state NY – Manchester NY 1820

12. 4. Paths of spread and expansion
a. Although varies by group and time, tends to be along lines of communication, trade, or political/social expansion

13. Christianity and Roman Roads

14. Islam Following Trade Routes

15. 5. Limits/No Limits to expansion
a. UNIVERSALIZING RELIGION -- one that attempts to appeal to all people, not only those at one location
the religion itself sees no bounds to its eventual expansion over the entire landscape
b. ETHNIC RELIGION -- spatially (socially or ethnically) concentrated;
principles likely to be based on physical characteristics of a particular location

16. Universalizing religions owe their existence in part to expansion,
Ethnic religions to separateness spatially or socially
(however even ethnic religions can expand outside of their initial physical regions) – relocation diffusion

17. Spread & Change of Ethnic Religion
Hinduism exists in places like Fiji and Guyana because immigration during the colonial period
Both the Hari Krishnas and the Rajneeshis (off shoots of Hinduism) have had extensive missionary networks in the United States -- these became universalizing

18. Ethnic Religions in US Anabaptists – Amish Judiahism
Black Muslims (as sometimes practiced)

19. 6. How to Classify parts within a religious movement
Be sure you understand Branches, Denominations and Sects and be able to recognize the major Christian ones in the United States

20. Example Islam
Origin & Diffusion -- again primarily a universalizing religion, has two major branches -- Sunni and Shiites
Based on Abraham's "second wife" Hagar and son Ishmael (as opposed to Sarah and Isaac)
2. Brought into being by Mohammed -- begins with series of historical religious & political events including the military conquest of Mecca and the "cleansing" of the grave of Hagar and Ishmael (the Ka'ba)

21. 3. Spread by conversion and military conquest throughout North Africa and West and Central and Southeast Asia (see map)
a. Twice enters Europe:
Arabs invade and control large portions of Spain between the 7th and 15th centuries
Turks invade the Balkans around the 15th century, Albania

22. 4. Spread by trade and commerce routes -- missionaries bring it to Indonesia (the largest Muslim nation) and Malaysia (50% Muslim) and also to the Sub-Saharan parts of Africa

23. 5. Modern expansion -- continues to expand into Africa through missionary work, and has become important in the US especially through the Black Muslims move into mainstream Islam and recent immigration.

24. 6. Church and State relationships -- only major religion that has combined the two roles.
7. Review the factors leading to the split of Islam into Sunni and Shiite branches.
Note that the Shiites are primarily concentrated in and around Iran. Might there be non-religious reasons why this split occurred? Go back and consider the language families of the groups involved. What might this indicate

25. Current Day
Africa is currently a highly competitive area between Islam and Christianity
. Review the factors leading to the split of Islam into Sunni and Shiite branches

26. Muslim majority in Europe in 20 years??? (in Arabic)
What is Islam – overview

27. 1. Hearth area -- Jerusalem and Ancient Palestine
C. Christianity -- Origin & Diffusion -- primarily a universalizing religion although some denominations and sects (especially the Amish) act more like Ethnic religions
1. Hearth area -- Jerusalem and Ancient Palestine
 2. Initial Diffusion -- primarily along trade and communication routes of the Roman Empire (see maps in chapter), later diffusion followed colonial expansion

28. a. This included international trade routes with the Apostle Matthew establishing a church in Goa, India

29. Roman Roads, Empire, and Church

30. 3. Initial expansion was generally voluntary, however later expansion especially during the early age of Discovery/Imperialism also involved a degree of coercion

31.  4. Spend some time noting the minor branches of Christianity; the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Buchrus Buchrus Ghali, is a Coptic Christian, thus where is he from?

32. Closing Comment
Read through all sections of the chapter. These should be self explanatory, we won't take much time to discuss them in class, but if you have questions raise them in class or during my office hours. Many of these section helps in explaining part of current events in the world, so be sure to read them.