Unit 5.1-5.2 Flashcards
What is the largest religion in the world by adherents?
Christianity (2.4 billion)
Spread through colonization and missionary work, with significant migration patterns.
How did Christianity spread from its origin?
Through relocation diffusion by missionaries and hierarchical diffusion during Roman times, later by contagious diffusion since 1500 C.E.
What percentage of Christians have migrated?
5%
Comprises only ⅓ of the population but ½ of the world’s international migrants.
What is the second largest religion in the world?
Islam (1.9 billion)
What are the two main branches of Islam?
Sunni and Shiite
Sunni makes up 88% of the Muslim population.
Which branch of Islam is the majority in Iran?
Shiite
How did Islam diffuse rapidly after Muhammad’s death?
From Saudi Arabia, Muslims controlled much of Southwest Asia and North Africa within 200 years.
What is the third largest religion in the world?
Hinduism (1.2 billion)
What type of religion is Hinduism classified as?
Ethnic religion
What is the fourth largest religion in the world?
Buddhism (507 million)
How did Buddhism spread?
Along trading routes from northeastern India, introduced by Chinese Buddhist missionaries.
What percentage of the world population do Folk Religions account for?
Approximately 6%
Define Universalizing Religions.
Religions that try consciously to spread their message and appeal to all people.
Define Ethnic Religions.
Religions that do not consciously try to spread their message, appealing primarily to one ethnic or cultural group.
What percentage of the world population is unaffiliated with a religion?
About 16%
If unaffiliated individuals were considered a religion, what would their rank be?
Third largest
What regions are predominantly Christian?
Western Hemisphere, Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa
What regions are majority Muslim?
Southwest Asia and North Africa
What is the primary reason for the diversity of faiths in the United States?
Multiple denominations of Christianity
What are the three major branches of Buddhism?
- Theravada
- Mahayana
- Vajrayana
Who is Abraham in the context of religious history?
A biblical figure promised by God to have many descendants and nations.
What are Abrahamic Religions?
Religions that are based on the Old and New Testaments.
What does syncretic religion refer to?
A combination of several traditions.
What is Animism?
Folk religions where elements of the natural world are animated or have conscious life.
What is significant about Jerusalem?
A holy city for Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
What are the Five Pillars of Islam?
- Shahadah
- Salat
- Zakat
- Sawm of Ramadan
- Hajj
What is religious fundamentalism?
A literal interpretation and strict adherence to the basic principles of a religion.
Who is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people?
Dalai Lama
