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Symbols of some religions Religion and GEOG 247  Religion: social system involving a set of beliefs and practices through which people seek harmony with the universe and attempt to in- fluence the forces of nature, life, and death through prayers, incantations, actions, and works of charity and sacrifice. Prof. Anthony Grande  Secularism: Indifference to or  Religions set standards for Hunter College‐CUNY how people should behave. ©AFG 2017 rejection of religion; worldly.  Religions prepare people for

Lecture design, content and the unknown, both in the pre- presentation ©AFG 1017 Individual images and illustrations sent and in the afterlife, including may be subject to prior copyright. rationalization of the unexplain- able. 2

Religion and Geography Religion and Geography

Geography of Religion: Religions are studied by geographers to: The spatial study of religions and religious  Ascertain their origin on earth (hearth) beliefs and practices including their:  Look for their interrelationships with the physical  distribution on the earth environment (ecology, space, )  source areas and paths of diffusion over time  Study their movement and distribution (diffusion)  affect on the landscape  Analyze their affect on the landscape (visual record,  associated images, sounds, rituals and food creation of place)  affect of interaction both within and outside the  Document the relationships between religions and religion’s sphere on people and areas who share and their adherents (interaction) do not share the same beliefs.

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Religion and Geography Religion and Geography

Geographers are not theologians. Using visual clues: Our focus is on those elements of religions that are geographically significant. . Religions and religious practices are mapped. . Sacred sites are identified and located. Geographers: . The religious organization of space is analyzed, . Recognize that religions are derived in part from people’s observation and interaction including the “non-use” of space or the “no evidence” with elements of the physical environment. on the landscape. . Note that religions and their adherents, in Example: Nomadic people do not build permanent turn, modify the landscape. religious structures so their practice of a religion . Identify the processes by which a religion and impact on the landscape is different from that diffuses. of sedentary people. . Are aware that the diffusion may be in conflict with the movement, distribution and existence of other religions.

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Religion, Geography and Culture Religion and Culture  Religion is an integral part of any culture group. . Religion overlap both ethnic and Cultural interaction language regions.  Joins adherents into a single moral community through a . People usually have deep feelings about religion: value system (unifier) that involves formal or informal Religious values are important in how people identify themselves and the ways they organize worship and faith in the sacred and divine the landscape . May intimately affect all facets of a culture, including The appeal of religions vary from geographically economy and politics. limited areas to worldwide. . May affect interaction between culture groups (divider). While migrants typically learn the language of the new location, they usually retain their religion and . Varies in its cultural role – dominating in some societies, recreate a landscape that may be similar to from unimportant in others or repressed in some. where they came. EXAMPLES? In spite of its deep roots, the essence of religion experiences stimulus diffusion and time-distance decay (details change over time; concepts remain). 7 8

Percent of World Population • 33% Adherents Worldwide • Islam 21% • Nonreligion (sectarian) 16% Classifying Religions • Hinduism 14% by Religious Group • Buddhism 6% • Taoic religions 6% Animism Orthodox • Animism/shamanism 6% . system based on • Sikhism 0.36% place with sacredness of . Strands within a major • Judaism 0.22% specific sites and religion that emphasize inanimate objects; purity of faith. considered the first religious system Fundamentalism Polytheism . Movement to return to the . Worship of many gods, founding principles of a usually earth-based gods. religion, which can include Monotheism literal interpretation of sacred . Worship of only one God; texts, or the attempt to follow a sky-centered god looking the ways of a religious founder down upon world’s people. as closely as possible.

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Classifying Religions World Distribution of Major Religions

Universalizing (proselytic) Tribal (traditional) religions religions . Ethnic nature oriented . Claim applicability to all religions (indigenous, com- persons and actively seek munity) specific to small, conversion of all preindustrial cultures . Have precise places of • Animism, Shamanism origin, based on historic events in the life of a man. Syncretic religions • Christianity, Islam, . Religions, or strands within Buddhism religions, that combine Ethnic religions elements of two or more . Ethnic centered; identified belief systems. with a particular ethnic group; . Assimilation/acculturation clustered distribution; does promote this not seek converts . Sikhism, Rastaferi, . Have unknown or unclear Santeria, Voodoo, Wicca origins, not tied to single historical individuals. Secularism • Judaism, Hinduism, Shinto . Indifference to or rejection of religion and religious belief

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Religious Regions of the US Religious Adherence

This generalized map in the US by County of the religious regions of the United States shows concentrations of the major religions. Adapted with permission from: W. Zelinsky, The Cultural Geography of the United States, rev. ed., Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1992, p. 96.

New England: Catholic South: Baptist Upper Midwest: Luther- an Southwest: Spanish Catholic West, Midlands: no dominant denomination

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Secularism in Europe Hearth and Diffusion

Indifference to or Religious hearth rejection of organized A focused geographic area where important spiritual religious affiliations innovations are born and from which they spread. and ideas • Varies greatly from Religious diffusion country to country and The spread of spiritual innovations (religion) from the within countries. hearth to other areas (near and far) by spread from the • Antireligious ideologies core (expansion diffusion/contagious diffusion) or by the can contribute to the decline of organized migration of adherents to distant lands (relocation religions. diffusion). • Church membership figures do not accurate- ly reflect active participation.

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Origin and Diffusion of the Diffusion of Five Major World Religions Universalizing Religions 1. Semitic religious hearth Judaism, Christianity, Islam 2. Indus-Ganges hearth Hinduism, Buddhism 3. East Asian religious hearth Confucianism, Taoism

Islam Buddhism 3

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Ethnic Religions Mingling of Ethnic and Universalizing Religions  Most ethnic religions have limited, if any, diffusion. Universalizing religions may supplant ethnic religions or Principles are usually based mingle with them (assimilation/ on characteristics of a acculturation). particular (local) area. Equatorial Guinea, a former Spanish colony, is mostly Roman – These religions lack Catholic, whereas Namibia, a former German colony, is heavily missionaries. Lutheran. – Diffusion and growth of This relationship can also be scene universalizing religions, in former French and British esp. Christianity and Islam, colonies and is similar to language and legal systems in use. typically comes at the Elsewhere, traditional African expense of ethnic religions. religious ideas and practices have been merged with Christianity.

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Religious Ecology Religious Ecology

 Special relationship with nature: Certain physical features become Ganges River Belief that the earth and its elements were sacred places in world religions: created especially for the use of its people. • Rivers: as the Ganges R., River Jordan Appeasing the forces of nature: • Mountains: as Mt. Fuji, Denali, numerous volcanoes – Religion as adaptive strategy to prevent natural hazards and survive the elements • Trees: various “Trees of Life” as the baobab in South Africa >> – The wrath of god comes in the form of severe natural events • Forests: Sacred forests of India Religious rituals and holidays are observed • Rock formations: as Shiprock (NM), Uluru (Australia) (scheduled) when they coincide with astronomical (celestral) events: • Lunar cycles Mt. Fuji Shiprock • Equinoxes and solstices • Appearance of constellations

21 22 http://sacrednaturalsites.org/sites/map/

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