1. Chapter 6: Religion (Part 1: Universalizing Religions)
The Cultural Landscape:
An Introduction to Human Geography

2. Terms branch: a large and fundamental division within a religion
denomination: is a division of a branch that unites a number of local congregations in a single legal and administrative body
sect: a relative small group that has broken away from an established branch/denomination
heretic: one who disagrees with church doctrine
sectarianism: conflict arising from perceived differences between subdivisions of a group
adherents: a believer or supporter

3. Both involve pilgrimages = religious journeys to sacred places
Universalizing vs.
Ethnic Religions
In general
Holy Places
Calendar
Cosmogony Beliefs about origin of the universe
Diffusion
Seeks to appeal to all
proselytic = to attempt to convert, recruit
tied to life of founder
Appeals to a single group living in one place
tied to phys. environment
Both involve pilgrimages = religious journeys to sacred places
Celebration of the founder’s life
God creates nature/physical environment
precise origins/hearth, tied to a specific founder
usually widespread
Celebration of the seasons
God = nature
incorporates events from phys. environment
unclear or unknown origins, not tied to a specific founder,
Ltd. diffusion, usually tied to geography of a location. Can diffuse thru relocation

4. Universalizing Ethnic
World Religions
Universalizing
Ethnic
Hinduism (3)
Confucianism
Daoism
Shinto
Judaism
Ethnic African religions
Animism
Major
Christianity (1)
Islam (2)
Buddhism
Minor
Sikhism
Bahá’í

5. Christianity largest world religion Three major branches
about 2 billion adherents
Many adherents in Europe, the Americas
Three major branches
Roman Catholicism (51% of all Christians)
Protestant Christianity (24%)
Denominations include Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Anglican, Presbyterian, Episcopal etc.
Eastern Orthodox (11%)
Other (14%)
Coptic (Egypt), Ethiopians, Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Jehovah’s Witnesses

9. Christianity largest world religion Three major branches
about 2 billion adherents
Many adherents in Europe, the Americas
Three major branches
Roman Catholicism (51% of all Christians)
Protestant Christianity (24%)
Denominations include Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Anglican, Presbyterian, Episcopal etc.
Eastern Orthodox (11%)
Other (14%)
Coptic (Egypt), Ethiopians, Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Jehovah’s Witnesses
Distribution of branches matches colonial patterns

10. World Distribution of Religions

11. “Revised” Christianity Map for North America

12. Distribution of Christians in the United States

14. American Religious Concentrations. Why?
Baptist → Southeastern U.S.
Largely indigenous religion = “American Calvinism”
At first, welcomed African-Americans who were rejected by mainline Protestantism
Later during Civil War Era
Appeals to southern whites as manifestation of regional pride (supports slavery, white supremacism, etc.)
Blacks leave to form breakaway churches but still self-identify as “baptist”
Therefore,
Strong regional clustering of black and white southerners
Lack of in-migration (due to little industrialization) maintains homogeneity of “baptists”

16. Distribution of Christians in the United States
Figure 6-2

17. American Religious Concentrations. Why?
Catholics
Northeast, Rust Belt
Germans (some Southern Catholic) & Irish Catholics (mid-1800s)
Pushed by industrialization, stage 2 → overpop., lack of econ. opp.
Potato famine, British abuse/eviction from land
Early 1900s immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe
Poles, Italians, other Catholics (+ Russian Jews)
Other cultural factors (see migration graphic organizer)
Why Northern cities = Industrial jobs
Southwestern US/US-Mexican border
Proximity to Latin American source area of origin since WWII
Latin America in stage 2
Farm laborers, illegal immigration
How does this reflect Gravity model and Ravenstein’s laws?

19. Distribution of Christians in the United States
Figure 6-2

20. American Religious Concentrations. Why?
Lutherans → Upper Midwest/Northern Great Plains
Northern Germans and Scandinavians bring Lutheranism
Cultural preadaptation attracted Northern Europeans to a climate and farmland similar to their homeland.
RRs and state govts. recruited farmers (mid-to-late 1800s)
Chain migration occurred as relatives continued to arrive.
Remained dominant because of a lack of in-migration
During the next great wave of European immigration (early 1900s), few new immigrants with different religions came to Northern Great Plains
lack of industrialization, urbanization and/or economic opportunity.
Physical environment is arid (lack of water) discouraged the in-migration of other religions (non-Lutherans)

22. Distribution of Christians in the United States
Figure 6-2

23. American Religious Concentrations. Why?
Mormons → Great Basin, Desert West, Utah
Internal migration for religious freedom, avoid persecution
Remained dominant because of a lack of in-migration
Not industrialized/urbanized
Inhospitable climate = very dry/arid desert.

24. Origin of Christianity
Hearth
“Holy Land”, Israel/Palestine, Jerusalem
Founder: Jesus
Jewish sect
Diaspora spreads Jews
Roman Empire
Eventually transforms into separate religion
St. Paul → “Gentiles”
sect of Ethnic Judaism → Universalizing

25. Diffusion of Christianity
To Europe
Roman Empire
relocation
missionaries
contagious to “pagans”
Hierarchical
Conversion of those in authority
Global
Secondary hearths
Roman Catholicism = Rome/Vatican City
Orthodox = Constantinople/Istanbul
Protestantism = Germany
Relocation
Imperialism/migration
Diffusion of Christianity

26. Christian Holy Places Relate to life of Christ Jerusalem
Golgotha (Calvary)
Holy Sepulchre
Via Dolorosa
Gethsemane
Bethlehem (birth)
Nazareth (childhood)
Later sites associated with saints and “miracles”
Examples
Lourdes, France
Fatima, Portugal

27. Christian Churches more critical than in other religions
affects landscape
Tall, centrally located
Style reflects
cultural influences
Orthodox = pointed domes
Beliefs
Protestant = simple
Availability of building materials

29. Christianity Disposal of the Dead Calendar Burial
Church yard
Feet toward Jerusalem
Cemeteries reflect religion on the cultural landscape
Serve as green space in newly industrializing cities
Relate to life of Jesus
Easter
Christmas
Connected to Jewish/pagan seasonal holidays
Jesus was a Jew
Syncretic appeal to win pagan converts
Differences between branches
Catholic use “Gregorian”
Orthodox use “Julian”

31. Administration of space

32. Other effects on landscape
toponyms

33. Islam 2nd largest world religion Two significant branches
about 1.3 billion adherents
Fastest growing
Two significant branches
Sunnis (83%)
Widely dispersed across the Middle East, North Africa, South and Southeast Asia
Shias or Shiites (16%)
Primarily clustered in Iran and southern Iraq, Azerbaijan and others
Split based on who should succeed Muhammad
Later has ethnic dimensions
Core of Islamic belief = the five pillars
Islam

34. Good map for overall spread, read worksheet post on website to fully understand methods of diffusion and explain on guided reading

37. Origin and Diffusion of Islam
Muhammad
b. 570 AD in Mecca/Makkah
ministry 610 AD
hijra 622 AD
to Yathrib/Medina
632 AD Reconquered Mecca (dies shortly afterward)
Muhammad and early successors (caliphs) diffuse Islam through conquest
Later spread through trade and other cultural interactions (see reading posted on website)
Example: diffused to Indonesia in 1200s through trade
Physically separated from Islamic core area
Today has the world’s largest Muslim population (know this fact)

39. Muslim Holy Places life of Muhammad Kaaba in Mecca Medina
5th pillar = hajj
Pilgrimage to Mecca
What type of affects does the hajj have on the environment?
Medina
Muhammad’s tomb
Dome of the Rock
Muhammad’s night journey
on Temple Mount

40. Islam Calendar Places of Worship Mosque Community centers
Courtyard surrounded by buildings for different functions
Pulpit faces Mecca
Minarets
muezzin calls to prayer
Other distinctive traits
Calligraphy
arabesques
Strict lunar calendar
30 year cycle
19 years = 354 days
11 years = 355 days
Holidays shift annually

41. Buddhism About 400 million adherents Three branches
difficult to quantify due to syncretism
the combination of different beliefs
Three branches
Mahayana (56%) (China, Japan, Korea)
Theravada/Hinayana (38%) (Southeast Asia)
Tantrayana/Vajrayana (6%) (Tibet, Mongolia)
The Four Noble Truths
“karmic/dharmic” religion
Goal is “nirvana” = release from cycle of rebirth

43. Origin and Diffusion of Buddhism
Founder:
Siddhartha Gautama
NE India/Nepal
500s BCE
Becomes the Buddha
The “awakened one”
Emperor Asoka
converts to Buddhism
sends missionaries (mid 200s BCE)
Traveled along silk road to China
Becomes “Chinese”
Diffuses further (bodhisattvas)
Disappears from India
Absorbed by Hinduism (syncretism)

45. Holy Places of Buddhism
Buddha’s life
b. Lumbini
Bodh Gaya
reaches perfect wisdom
“nirvana”
Deer Park
1st sermon
d. Kusinagara
4 other miracle sites

46. Buddhist Places of Worship
pagodas and stupas
stupas
Mark location of relics collected by Buddha’s followers in South Asia
pagodas
Evolved from concept of stupa
Mostly found in China and Japan

47. Other Universalizing Religions
Sikhism
Bahá’í
Adherents
23 million
7 million
Origin
Lahore, Pakistan
Shiraz, Iran
Distribution/Diffusion
Clustered in the Punjab, India
Spread to every continent
Calendar
Holidays are births and deaths of the ten gurus (historical)
19 months of 19 days
Holy Places/
Houses of Worship
Golden Temple at Amritsar
On all continents to show universalizing nature. Open to adherents of all religions with scriptural recitals from various faiths
Main idea (incl. prophet/founder etc.)
Guru Nanak (ca AD)
Monotheistic, mixes Islamic egalitarianism with Hindu karmic traditions
The Bab (1844 AD)
Establish a universal faith
Gods of other faiths = different manifestations of one true God