Chapter 6 Religion

World Distribution of Religions Fig. 6-1: World religions by continent.

World Population by Religion Fig. 6-1a: Over two thirds of the world’s population adhere to Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism. Christianity is the single largest world religion.

Christian Branches in Europe Fig. 6-2: Protestant denominations, Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodoxy are dominant in different regions of Europe – a result of many historic interactions.

Christian Branches in the U.S. Fig. 6-3: Distribution of Christians in the U.S. Shaded areas are counties with more than 50% of church membership concentrated in Roman Catholicism or one of the Protestant denominations.

Variations in Distribution of Religions (1) Origin of religions Origin of universalizing religions Origin of Hinduism Diffusion of religions Diffusion of universalizing religions Lack of diffusion of ethnic religions

Diffusion of Universalizing Religions Fig. 6-4: Each of the three main universalizing religions diffused widely from its hearth.

Diffusion of Christianity Fig. 6-5: Christianity diffused from Palestine through the Roman Empire and continued diffusing through Europe after the fall of Rome. It was later replaced by Islam in much of the Mideast and North Africa.

Diffusion of Islam Fig. 6-6: Islam diffused rapidly and widely from its area of origin in Arabia. It eventually stretched from southeast Asia to West Africa.

Diffusion of Buddhism Fig. 6-7: Buddhism diffused gradually from its origin in northeastern India to Sri Lanka, southeast Asia, and eventually China and Japan.

Shintoism & Buddhism in Japan Fig. 6-8: Since Japanese can be both Shinto and Buddhist, there are many areas in Japan where over two-thirds of the population are both Shinto and Buddhist.

Holy Sites in Buddhism Fig. 6-9: Most holy sites in Buddhism are locations of important events in Buddha’s life and are clustered in northeastern India and southern Nepal.

Buddhist Temple Bodh Gaya, India

Makkah during the Haj Pilgrimage The Ka’ba stands at the center of the Great Mosque (al-Haran al Sharif) in Makkah.

Hindu Holy Places Fig. 6-11: Hierarchy of Hindu holy places: Some sites are holy to Hindus throughout India; others have a regional or sectarian importance, or are important only locally.

Ritual Bathing in the Ganges River Hindu pilgrims achieve purification by bathing in the Ganges.

The Golden Temple in Amritsar The Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib) in Amritsar, India is the holiest structure for Sikhism.

Baha’i Temple in Uganda

Organization of Space Places of worship Sacred space Christian worship Places of worship in other religions Sacred space Disposing of the dead Religious settlements Religious place names Administration of space Hierarchical religions Locally autonomous religions

Place Names in Québec Fig. 6-12: Place names in Québec show the impact of religion on the landscape. Many cities and towns are named after saints.

Religious Conflicts Religion vs. government policies Religion vs. social change Religion vs. Communism Religion vs. religion Religious wars in Ireland Religious wars in the Middle East

Distribution of Protestants in Ireland, 1911 Fig 6-14: When Ireland became independent in 1937, 26 northern districts with large Protestant populations chose to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Catholic Protestors in Northern Ireland

Jerusalem Fig. 6-15: The Old City of Jerusalem contains holy sites for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Boundary Changes in Palestine/Israel Fig. 6-16: The UN partition plan for Palestine in 1947 contrasted with the boundaries that were established after the 1948-49 War. Major changes later resulted from the 1967 War.

Section of Israeli Security Barrier Fig. 6-1.1: A typical section of the security barrier built by Israel in the West Bank.

The Temple Mount, Jerusalem Temple Mount contains sites holy to both Jews and Muslims, including the Western Wall of the Second Temple, al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Dome of the Rock.