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6.1 Origins of Religions

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6.1 Origins of Religions I RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD 0z 6.1 Origins of Religions • Geographers distinguish between ethnic and • The two types of religions have different origins ana universalizing religions. distributions. Geographers distinguish between two types of religions: • An ethnic religion appeals primarily to one group of people living in one place. Hinduism is the largest ethnic religion. • A universalizing religion attempts to be global, to appeal to all people, wherever they may live in the world. The three with the largest number of adherents are Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. HINDUISM , P,.. Universalizing religions have precise places of I origin, based on events in the life of a man. Ethnic religions have unknown or unclear origins, not tied to single historical individuals. The largest ethnic religion, Hinduism, did not originate with a specific founder. The word Hinduism originated in the sixth century B.C. .1.. to refer to people living in what is now India. ‘Whereas the origins of Christianity; Islam, and Buddhism are recorded in the relatively recent past, Hinduism existed prior to recorded history. The earliest surviving Hindu documents were written around 1500 B.C., although archaeological explorations have unearthed 6.1.2 CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE, JERUSALEM objects relating to the religion from 2500 B.C. Most Christians believe that the church was constructed on the site Aryan tribes from Central Asia invaded India of Christ’s crucifixion, burial, and Resurrection. about 1400 B.C. and brought with them Indo CHRISTIANITY 6.1.1 Mt. KAILAS European languages, as discussed in Chapter Hindus believe that this Christianity was founded upon the teachings mountain is the home 5. In addition to their language, the Aryans of Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem of Siva. Thousands of brought their religion. between Hindus make an annual 8 and 4 B.C. and died on a cross in Jerusalem pilgrimage to the base of about A.D. 30. Raised as a Jew, Jesus gathere a the mountain. small band of disciples and preached the coming ofthe Kingdom of God. He was referred to as Christ, from the Greek word for the Hebrew word messiah, which means “anointed. In the third year of his mission, he was betrayed to the authorities by one of his companions, Judas Iscariot. After sharing the Last Supper (the Jewish Passover seder with his disciples in Jerusalem, Jesus was arrested and put to death as an agitator. On the third day the his death, his tomb was found empty. Christians elieve that Jesus died to atone for human sins, that he was raised from the dead by God, and that his Resurrection from the dead provides people with hope for salvation. BUDDISM The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, 0 was born about 563 B.C. in Lumbini, in present- z day Nepal. The son of a lord, Gautama led a =e privileged life, with a beautiful wife, palaces, and 0 servants. IF.,.’ According to Buddhist legend, Gautama’s life changed after a series of four trips. He z0 encountered a decrepit old man on the first fri V.’ a disease-ridden man on the second trip, and a corpse on the third trip. After witnessing these .I scenes of pain and suffering, Gautama began to feel he could no longer enjoy his life of comfo and security. Then, on a fourth trip, Gautama saw a monk, who taught him about withdrawal from the world. Gautama lived in a forest for six LAM years, thinking and experimenting with forms The word Islam in Arabic means “submission 6.1.4 PROPHET’S of meditation, and emerged as the Buddha, the to the will of God:’ and it has a similar root to MOSQUE, MADINAH “awakened or enlightened one?’ The Tomb of Muhammad the Arabic word for peace. An adherent of the is in this mosque, in Islam’s religion of Islam is known as a Muslim, which in second holiest city. 6.1.3 HABODHI Arabic means “one who surrenders to God?’ TE PLE,BODH GAYA. INDIA The Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, was born The temple was built in Makkah about the year 570. At age 40, while where Buddha found perfect wisdom. engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. The Quran, the holiest book in Islam, is a record of God’s words, as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through Gabriel. a, Muhammad was a descendent of Ishmael, who was the son of Abraham and Hagar. Jews and Christians trace their history through Abraham’s wife Sarah and their son Isaac. Sarah prevailed . upon Abraham to banish Hagar and Ishmael, ho wandered through the Arabian desert, a eventually reaching Makkah , more commonly known to Westerners as Mecca. 6.1.5 WORLD RELIGIONS q Christianity, Islam (represented It by Sunni :‘ Muslim and Shiite Muslim), and Buddhism are the three universalizing religions with the largest number of adherents. Hinduism is the - :. 16% 15% largest ethnic religion. ‘Vt—,. - Roman Catholic 8% zC,-) • Protestant J — 0 3 • Orthodox / Eastern Christian a -t 4% I • Other Christian Sunni Muslim 13 19% Shute Muslim • Buddhist 6% I • Hindu • Chinese traditional 2% Other traditional • Nonreligious 125 RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD 6.2 Geographic Branches of Religions The three largest universalizing religions have • Branches have distinctive regional distributions. different branches. Each of the three largest universalizing religions is subdivided into branches, denominations, and sects. 6.21 CHRISTIAN • A branch is a large and fundamental division within a religion. PLACES OF WORSHIP (Top) Eastern Orthodox • A denomination is a division of a branch that unites a number of local congregations church in Gifhorn, Germany. (Lower right) Roman in a single legal and administrative body. Catholic Cathedral in Pisa, gi7oü1Tthat1as broken away from an established denomination.. • A sect is a relative1 Italy. (Lower left) Protestant church in Edgartown, assachusetts. BRANCHES OF CHRISTIANITY hristianity has three major branches: r• Roman Catholicism. God conveys His grace directly to humanity through seven sacraments, including Baptisms Confirmation, Penance, Anointing the Sick Matrimony, Holy Orders, ánd.theEuchaiist : (the partaking of bread aridwinC that repeats the actions of Jesus at the Last Supper). The F Eucharist literally and miraculously becoñie body and blood of Jesus while keeping only appearances of bread and wine, anact knos I as transubstantiation. Eastern Orthodoxy. I A collection of 14 self-governing churches 1?:;.. derive from the faith and practices in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire. The split between the Roman and Eastern churches dates to the fifth century and became fin1 in .D. 1054. The Russian OrthodOx Church has more than 40 percent of all Eásterñ2Orthodox Christians, the Romanian Church 2Operent the Bulgarian, Greek, and SerbianO’rthodox churches approximately 10 percent each, and nine others have the remaining 10 percent. Protestantism L. The Protestant Reformation movement is regarded as beginning when Martin Luther posted 95 theses onthe door of the church at Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517. According to Luther, ndividuals had primary •1 responsibility forâchieving personal salvation through direct communication with God. Grace is achievedthiough faith rather than through sacraments performed by the Chur 126 BRANCHES OF BUDDHISM .‘ ,,_ . .The two largest branches OBUddh1Shi. 0 C.’ ‘;‘. aie Théravada and Mahayana. V Theravada, which means “the way - . .v of the elders,” emphasizes Buddh life of wisdom, self-help, and solit., introspection. V 2 Mahayana (“the bigger ferry” or m “I “raft”), which split from Therava4a 0 Buddhism about 2,000 years ago,.’;” emphasizes Buddha’s life of teachipg, Im USLIM PLACES OF WORSHIP C-, Sunni Mosque in Manama, Bahrain. (Below) Shiite Mosque in compassion, and helping.others. 0 Iraq, which was destroyed in 2006. 2 623 BUDDHIST 0 KS’ ,(Above)Theravada Buddhist at Tooth Temple in Kandy — Sn Lâñka.’(left) Máhayana Buddhist at Great Buddha statue in Kamakura, Japan. II CHES OF ISLAM is divided into two important branches: i from the Arabic word for orthodox) Shiite (from the Arabic word for sectarian, etimes written Shia in English). Differences veen the two main branches go back to the est days of Islam and reflect disagreement the line of succession in Islamic leadership er the Prophet Muhammad, who had no •.‘•,• I ving son nor a follower of comparable ership ability. ES IN HINDUISM in the north, Shakti and Vishnu in the east, duism does not have a central authority Vishnu in the west, Siva and some Vishnu in the south. However, hóly.,places for Siva and 624 HINDUISM - a single holy book, so each individual , dlsLpersed t BathinginGanges , ects suitable rituals. The average Hindu has Vishnu are thrug India egiance to a particular god or concept within broad range of possibilities: - The manifestation of God with the largest number of adherents—an estimated 68 percent—is Vishnu, a.’ Vaishnavism, which worships the god i,. eying god incarnated as Irishna. • Ah estimated 27 percent adhere to Sivaism, . dedicated to Siva, a protective and destructive god. - Shaktism isaformofworship dedicatedtotjie V female consorts of Vishnu andSiva. hi”India some geographic concentration àfo4., sipport for these deities exists: Siva and Sh’akti’ 127 RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD cm 0•z 6.3 Global Distribution • Christianity predominates in the Western sIam and Buddhism predominate in Asia. Hemisphere and Europe. ANGLO AMERICA 2% Other religions 19% Nonreligious 2% Sunni Muslim 2% Jewish ATLANT OCEA 29% Protwitant 39% Other Chriotian - ----t- UNIVERSALIZING RELIGIONS PACIFIC • Christianity. OCEAN With more than 2 billion adherents, Christianity is the predominant religion in North America, South America, Europe, and Universalizing Religions Australia. Within Europe, Roman Catholicism Christianity • Roman Catholic is the dominant Christian branch in the Protnstant southwest and east, Protestantism in the • Eastern Orthodox northwest, and Eastern Orthodoxy in the east Other and southeast.
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