1. Chapter 6
Religion

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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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

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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. Buddhist Temple Bodh Gaya, India

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

15. 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.

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

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

18. Baha’i Temple in Uganda

19. 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

20. 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.

21. 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

22. 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.

23. Catholic Protestors in Northern Ireland

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

25. 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 War. Major changes later resulted from the 1967 War.

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

27. 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.