CH 7: Religion Flashcards
Religion
“a system of beliefs and practices that attempts to order life in terms of culturally perceived ultimate priorities” (Stoddard & Prorak)
- explain/justify how someone “should” behave
- integral force in shaping societies, beliefs, and behaviors
- create harmony/division
Cultural Landscape + Religion
- churches, synagogues, temples, etc.
- alters or statures throughout neighborhoods
- stores with kosher or halal options
- the absence of alcohol stores
Religious Practices
- important events
- ex) birth/death, marriage, adulthood - regular intervals
- ex) certain times of day, holidays, meals
Secularism
indifference to or rejection of formal religion
- most secular: Europe
- least secular: Africa
wealthy = usually more secular
Religious Categories
Monotheistic: worship a single deity
Polytheistic: worship more than one deity
Animistic: centered on the belief that inanimate (nature) objects should be revered
Zoroastrianism
- about 3500 years ago
- Southwest Asia
- some think the monotheism of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam traced here
- others think Judaism was first
Religious Hearths
- 500 BCE: 4 major religious hearths developed
1. Greek philosophy: north shores of Med. Sea
2. Hinduism: South Asia, Indus river valley
3. Judaism: eastern Med.
4. Chinese philosophy: Huang He Valley
Universalizing Religions
- actively seek converts because they view themselves as offering universal belief systems
-ex) Christianity, Islam, Buddhism - explains their widespread distribution
- few in number + recent
Ethnic Religions
- most religions don’t actively seek converts
- followers are born into the faith from a given group
- spatially clustered, as with Africa + South America (250 mil)
- exception: Judaism, scattered due to migration (14.5 mil)
Hinduism Origins
- 3rd largest religion
- ethnic religion now, used to universalize
- one of the oldest, dating back 4000 years
- roots in the Indus River Valley, today Pakistan
- no single founder, theology, or origin story
- northwest Aryans invaded, gave name Hinduism
- flooding caused Hindu migration to the Ganges river (sacred)
Hindusim Practice
pt. 1
- has many gods but Hindus see it as monotheistic
- supreme god represented by many gods
- seen differently by region - different regions tied to diff. gods
- hold festivals for respective god
- no prophet/single scripture book
- Vedas, four original texts w/ additions later for “Book of Knowledge”
Hinduism Practice
pt. 2
Karma: idea that collective impact of actions shapes what happens
- all beings have souls arranged in a hierarchy and escape from the eternal reincarnation cycle through union w/ Brahman (universal soul)
- soul goes up or down depending on life’s actions
- India’s caste system, locks people in social castes
Buddhism
pt. 1
- 2500 years ago, Buddhism split from Hinduism
- Prince Siddhartha Gautama: Buddha, enlightened one, founder
- denied caste system, salvation could be attained by anyone
- spread slowly at first, but was helped when emperors/important figures converted and carried out teachings
Buddhism
pt. 2
- currently thrives in Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Nepal, Tibet, Korea, and Japan
- 500 mil ish followers
- many different branches
- diffuse all over world, not always peacefully
Shintoism
Buddism mixed with local religion in Japan became a new syncretic religion
- nature and ancestor worship
- nineteenth century, Japan emperor made it state religion
- after WWII, separated Shintoism from state
- 100 mil. worshipers,
- many practice Buddhism and Shintoism
Chinese Schools of Philosophy:
Taoism
- traced to Lao-Tsu
- published Tao te ching - focused on proper form of political rule/oneness human to nature
- Feng Shui, art of organizing spaces to channel in good ways
- less government = better
Chinese Schools of Philosophy:
Confucianism
- Confucius, 551-479 BCE
- philosophy of life
- diffused throughout East & Southeast Asia
- temples, writings
- state ethic
Judaism
- grew out of ancient Hebrews in Southwest Asia, 4000 years ago
- teachings of Abraham
- daily prayer, Sabbath, dietary practice
- Moses led Jews from Egypt to Canaan, formed Jerusalem
- Romans destroyed city 70 CE
- distributed all over world
- Zionism: desire for a homeland in the Holy land
Christianity
pt. 1
- Jesus, son of God, was founder,
- put on Earth to teach to live according to God’s plan - took root in many cities, Rome, Byzantium
- largest religion, 2.3 bil, 40% of world largest religions
- Roman Catholic Church, 1 bil+ adherents, largest branch
- some people challenged teachings -> protestant denominations (3rd largest branch)
- ex) Lutheran, England, Methodist
Christianity
pt. 2
- diffused through contagious, hierarchical, stimulus, and relocation
- Paul Tarsus through travels
- mixed w/ local religions, readopted sacred places as Christian
- Spain Catholics invaded Middle and south America,
- Protestant refugees went to N America
- 33000 denominations, hundreds proselytize
Islam
- youngest of major religions
- single founder Muhammad, born in Mecca 571 CE
- he spoke verses of Quran
- observe five pillars, creed, prayer, Ramadan, alms, pilgrimage
-Sunni branch: larger with subgroups, concentrated in Iran - 1.8 bil+ followers, fastest growing
Indigenous Religions
- large areas in Africa
- local in scope
- treat nature as divine
-passed down - no common belief system
Shamanist Religions
- community places trust in shaman, leader, teacher, healer, visionary
- small and isolated
- traditional
Sacred Sites
- places people infuse with religious meaning reverence/fear
- pilgrimages to site
Faith Boundaries
Interfaith:
boundaries between world’s major faith
- countries with interfaith boundaries experience divisive cultural forces
ex) African countries w/ Muslim/Christianity boundary
Intrafaith:
boundaries within a single major faith
ex) Catholic/Protestant
