1. Why Do Religions Have Distinctive Distributions (Origin and Diffusion)
Chapter 6 Key Issue 2
Why Do Religions Have Distinctive Distributions
(Origin and Diffusion)

2. Big Question
Describe in detail when, where, and how the world’s four largest religions as well as Judaism originated.

3. Key Terms Torah Muhammad Abraham Quran Yahweh Mecca Covenant Medina
Jesus
Hijrah
Emperor Constantine
. Siddhartha Gautama
Seven Sacraments
Buddah
Great Schism
Four Noble Truths
Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Aryans
Reformation movement
Vedas
Martin Luther

4. Origin of Judaism
What we know about the origin of Judaism comes from the first five books of the old testament known as the Torah
In the Torah, God chose a shepherd from Ur named Abraham to be the father of the Hebrew people
The Hebrew people were monotheistic and worshipped a God named Yahweh

5. Origin of Judaism
Around 1900 B.C. God told Abraham that his people were the chosen people of God and he should move them to the land of Canaan
Abraham made a covenant, or pact, with God that the Hebrew people would obey Yahweh and in return, God would protect the Hebrew people

6. Origin of Judaism
In the 1800s B.C. the Jews moved to Egypt where they were enslaved by the Pharaohs for 430 years
In 1445 B.C. Moses led the Jews out of Egypt and made a second pact with God when he received the ten commandments (the basis for religious law in Judaism)

7. Origin of Christianity
The two largest religions in the world both began in Southwest Asia (the Middle East)
Christianity:
Founded on the teachings of a Jew named Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem in 4 B.C. and was crucified in Jerusalem in 30 A.D.
After Jesus was executed, he was resurrected and brought to heaven by God

8. Origin of Christianity
The followers of Christ, known as Christians, believed that Jesus died for their sins and was resurrected to give them hope for salvation
Christian missionaries carried the teachings of Jesus across the Roman empire through relocation diffusion

9. Origin of Christianity
Christians were persecuted for trying to convert the polytheistic Romans, but they still created their own church based out of Rome (Roman Catholic Church)
In 313 A.D. Roman Emperor Constantine legalized the religion in the empire, allowing it to spread freely
The religion became the official religion of the Roman Empire in the 5th century (hierarchical diffusion)

10. Origin of Christianity
The Roman Catholic Church became the main branch of Christianity with the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) as its leader
Catholics believe in the teachings of the bible with the church as the interpreter. They also believe in the infallibility of the Church, and the seven sacraments

11. Origin of Christianity
The Orthodox Church dates to the 5th century A.D. when the Pope of Rome and the eastern Patriarch of Constantinople began to dispute the Bible’s teachings. Eastern and Western Christians began to follow the teachings of their specific leader and the Great Schism (split) occurred in 1054
Eastern Orthodox Christianity is very similar to Catholicism. It also follows the seven sacraments but does not accept the doctrine of the Catholic church after the 8th century. It speaks Greek and Russian instead of Latin and allows priests to marry

12. Origin of Christianity
The Protestant branch of Christianity began with the Reformation movement in the s when Martin Luther posted 95 theses (or complaints) about the Church on the door of the church in Wittenberg Germany. People began breaking away from the control of the Catholic Church and began practicing Christianity their own way
Protestants reject the seven sacraments in favor of having faith to achieve Grace. Also believe salvation can be achieved by direct communication with God.

13. Origin of Islam
Like Christianity, Islam gets its roots in Southwest Asia
Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all trace their origins back to Abraham. Christians and Jews trace their story through Abraham’s first wife Sarah and her son Isaac and Islam traces its story through Abraham’s second wife Hager and her son Ishmael
Hager and Ishmael were brought to Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula and eventually, one of Ishmael’s descendants named Muhammad became the Prophet of Islam

14. Origin of Islam
In 610 A.D. Muhammad was meditating in a cave when the angel Gabriel visited him. Gabriel revealed God’s word to Muhammad who then wrote the words of God down in the Quran
Muhammad began to preach the word of God but feared persecution
In 622, Muhammad was commanded by God to flee Mecca which he and his followers did. They fled 200 miles north to Medina
This event is known as the Hijrah, or flight, and is considered the beginning of the Islamic faith

15. Origin of Islam
Muhammad later moved back to Mecca and converted the city to Islam
632 – Muhammad died with no sons and no successor
Muhammad's death and questions over his successor led to the splitting of Islam into two branches – Sunni and Shiite

16. Origin of Buddhism
Buddhism, like Islam and Christianity has a precise origin, based on the life of a man
In 563 B.C. Siddhartha Gautama was born in Lumbini (present day Nepal) to a privileged life
Prince Siddhartha was sheltered from life’s hardships so he decided to take a series of trips to experience the real world

17. Origin of Buddhism
On these trips he encountered the sick, the poor, and the suffering of others as well as a monk that taught him how to withdrawal from the world
After his trips, Siddhartha left his palace and lived in the forest for the next 6 years
During these years, Siddhartha meditated and searched for enlightenment… which he found

18. Origin of Buddhism
Once he reached this point, Siddhartha became the Buddha “the awakened or enlightened one”
Over the next 45 years, Buddha preached his views across India, trained monks, and established Buddhists orders
Buddhas principal teachings are known as the Four Noble Truths

19. Origin of Buddhism Three branches of Buddhism are:
Theravada – the oldest and original teaching of Buddha. Followers believe that Buddhism is a full-time job and one must give up worldly goods and become a monk
Mayahana – Split from Theravada around 100 B.C. and believe in including others in achieving enlightenment. Also emphasize a less- demanding approach to Buddhism
Vajrayana – Believe in the practice of rituals called tantras. Split from Buddhism in the 700s A.D.

20. Origin of Hinduism Ethnic religion of India with unknown origins
Believed to have originated in the Indus River Valley sometime between 2500 B.C. and 1500 B.C.
Best guess is that a group called the Aryans invaded India in B.C. and mixed religious beliefs with the people already living in India

21. Origin of Hinduism
What was created was Hinduism and its practices were recorded called Vedas
Key Hindu texts were written around 2,000 years ago and the oldest surviving temples date back to 200 A.D.

22. Big Questions & Key Terms
Describe in detail when, where, and how the world’s four largest religions as well as Judaism originated.
Torah
Muhammad
Abraham
Quran
Yahweh
Mecca
Covenant
Medina
Jesus
Hijrah
Emperor Constantine
. Siddhartha Gautama
Seven Sacraments
Buddah
Great Schism
Four Noble Truths
Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Aryans
Reformation movement
Vedas
Martin Luther

23. Why Do Religions Have Distinctive Distributions (Origin and Diffusion)
Chapter 6 Key Issue 2
Why Do Religions Have Distinctive Distributions
(Origin and Diffusion)

24. Big Question
Describe the historical diffusion patterns of the universalizing religions of Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism.
Describe the recent migration patterns of Christians, Muslims, and Jews and describe whether these migration patterns match the distribution patterns of those faiths.

25. Key Terms Relocation diffusion Hierarchical diffusion
Contagious diffusion
Ashoka
Israel

26. Historical Diffusion of Religions
The universalizing religions (Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism) have diffused from specific hearths to regions around the world
Most ethnic religions have typically remained clustered

27. Historical Diffusion of Religions
Diffusion of Christianity
From its hearth in Southwest Asia, Christianity diffused rapidly after the death of Jesus by all three methods of diffusion
First using relocation diffusion when missionaries used sea routes and Roman highways to carry the teachings of Jesus throughout the empire

28. Historical Diffusion of Religions
Next, Christianity spread throughout Europe by means of hierarchical diffusion when emperors, kings, and religious leaders made it the official religion of their lands
Since 1500, the religion has diffused by contagious diffusion by Christians resettling in places such as the Americas, Africa, and Asia and converting the natives

29. Historical Diffusion of Religions
Diffusion of Islam
Within a century of Muhammad’s death, his successors had spread Islam across huge areas of land from India to Persia to North Africa and even into to Europe (Spain)
This contagious diffusion through conquest was very rapid and very successful
Like Christians, Muslims also spread their faith through trade…into Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa

30. Historical Diffusion of Religions
Diffusion of Buddhism
Buddhism spread slowly from its hearth in South Asia
It spread most rapidly under Ashoka, the Emperor of the Magadha empire.
Around 250 B.C. Asoka became a Buddhist and diffused the religion through hierarchical diffusion
The religion continued to spread over the centuries through contagious diffusion into places such as Sri Lanka, Kashmir, Burma, China, Korea, and Japan
Some relocation diffusion has occurred to Europe and the Americas

31. Recent Migration of Christians
When people migrate, they bring their religion with them
The percent of international migrants does not match the overall share of adherents to various religions (ex. Christians = 1/3 of people on Earth but ½ of all migrants)
Muslims and Jews are also more likely to migrate whereas Buddhists, Hindus, folk religionists, and unaffiliated people are less likely to migrate

32. Recent Migration of Christians
The destinations of migrants also do not match the distributions of those migrants
North America has 12% of world’s Christians but receives 34% of migrants of that faith…Europe = 26% of world’s Christians and receives 38% of migrants
Latin America and Africa (which have the most Christians) receive few migrants

33. Migration of Muslims and Jews
The international migration patterns of Muslims and Jews do not match the distributions of those faiths
Southwest Asia and North Africa are home to only 20% of Muslims but receives the highest number of migrants (34%)…even more odd is Europe with only 3% of Muslims but attracting 34% of international migrants
South and Southeast Asia have 45% of all Muslims but only attract 9% of migrants

34. Migration of Muslims and Jews
Jews have been migrating for thousands of years but since the creation of Israel in 1948, 73% of Jewish international migrants go there
Because of the creation of the Jewish state of Israel, the distribution of Jews in Europe has gone from 90% a century ago to 15% today

35. Big Questions & Key Terms
Describe the historical diffusion patterns of the universalizing religions of Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism.
Describe the recent migration patterns of Christians, Muslims, and Jews and describe whether these migration patterns match the distribution patterns of those faiths.
Relocation diffusion
Hierarchical diffusion
Contagious diffusion
Ashoka
Israel