AP HUG Chapter 7

Religions are constantly…

changing because of diffusion

Religions and languages often..

diffuse together

religion

a system of beliefs & practices that attempts to order life in terms of culturally perceived ultimate priorities

Cultural landscapes are marked by…

religions

secularism

refers to the indifference to or rejection of formal religion

Organized religion is a powerful force in shaping what?

human societies, beliefs, & behaviors

How do religions create harmony?

• combating social ills

• helping the poor

• promoting the arts

• educating the disadvantaged

• advancing medical knowledge

How do religions create division?

• block scientific study

• encourage oppression

• supported colonialism

• condemned women to inferior roles

monotheistic religions

worship a single deity

polytheistic religions

worship more than one deity

animistic religions

centered belief that inanimate objects posse spirit & should be revered

What two religions have the greatest number of followers?

Islam and Christianity

universalizing religions

actively seek converts because they view themselves as offering belief systems that are universal

Ethnic religions

• followers are born into faith

• not actively seeking for converts

• spatially clustered

Hinduism

• Ganges River is sacred

• defies monotheistic vs. polytheistic & ethnic vs. universalizing

• root is karma

• reincarnation is hierarchical

• diffused from pakistan to southeast asia

karma

the idea that the collective impact of physical & mental action shapes what happens

caste system

locks people into particular social classes & imposes many restrictions

Buddhism

• splintered from Hinduism

• hearth is Northern India

• the founder is Prince Siddhartha Gautama

• spread slowly then spread rapidly

• many branches

Shintoism

• mix of Buddhism & local religion in Japan

• worship nature and ancestors

What are the two major schools of Chinese philosophy?

1. Taoism

2. Confucianism

Taoism

• Lao-Tsu published a book focused on the proper form of political rule and humanity & nature

• gave way to Feng Shui

• virtues are simplicity, spontaneity, tenderness, & tranquility

Feng Shui

the art & science of organizing settlements, buildings, or living spaces to channel the natural life forces into favorable ways

Confucianism

• mainly a philosophy of life

• founder is Confucius

• believe that human virtues & abilities should determine a person’s position & responsibilities in a society

Judaism

• grew out of the belief system of ancient Hebrews in South Asia

• founder is Abraham

• teaches rituals

• instructs followers to love their neighbor, pursue, justice, & to give to charity

diaspora

the spatial dispersion of any ethnic group

Zionism

the desire for a homeland for the Jewish people in the holy land

Christianity

• off-shoot of Judaism

• founder is Jesus

• spreads by contagious, hierarchical, stimulus, & relocation diffusion

What are the three main branches of Christianity?

1. Eastern Orthodox Church

2. Russian Orthodox Church

3. Roman Catholic Church

Islam

• founder is Muhammad

• call God Allah

• diffused by missionaries, traders, & crusades

What are the five pillars of Islam?

1. repeated expressions of the basic creed

2. frequent prayer

3. a month of daytime fasting

4. alms giving

5. if possible a pilgrimage to Mecca

indigenous religions

are local in scope, typically treat nature as having divine properties & are passed down through family units and groups

shamanism

a faith in which a community places great trust in a shaman

shaman

a religious leader, teacher, healer, &

A world map of religion can be misleading because….

many people may not believe in the majority religion

pilgrimage

when adherents voluntarily travel to a sacred site to pay respects or participates in a ritual

sacred sites

places or spaces that people infuse religious meaning

What are the most common physical landscape sacred sites?

buttes, mountain peaks, and rivers

Who is Jerusalem sacred to?

Jews, Christians, & Muslims

Why is Jerusalem sacred to Jews?

the western wall where Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac (the wall used to be a part of temples) prayer for others & remember their suffering

Why is Jerusalem sacred to Christian?

Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac & Jesus was crucified there

Why is Jerusalem sacred to Muslims?

believe where Muhamad visited heaven on his night journey

interfaith boundaries

the boundaries between the world’s major faiths

intrafaith boundaries

the boundaries within a single major faith

When the UN wanted to give the Jewish people a home in their Holy Land, what happened?

Arabs fought back but Israel won

When Israel fought and won against the Arabs, what happened?

Palestine lost their land, farms, and villages

North and South Nigeria dispute over….

grazing vs. farming, access to health care, education, GDP, and diversity

The British colonized Ireland and did what?

persecuted Christians

Religion can provoke conflict when it is tied to what?

a socially contentious migration stream

religious fundamentalism

the demand for strict adherence to certain theological doctrines

The drive for religious fundamentalism comes from….

a sense of powerlessness

religious extremism

is fundamentalism carried to an extreme