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World Religions

World Religions. Human Geography Lesson 4. Geography of Religion. Religion is a key culture trait that binds many societies together and gives meaning to people’s lives. Geographers are interested in religion for many reasons:

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World Religions

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  1. World Religions Human Geography Lesson 4

  2. Geography of Religion • Religion is a key culture trait that binds many societies together and gives meaning to people’s lives. • Geographers are interested in religion for many reasons: • Religions differ from place to place and produce culture traits that can be mapped. • Religions can greatly affect the cultural landscape: religious buildings and sacred sites are usually clearly marked locations where specific behaviors are required. • Religious differences are a key component to many conflicts around the world. • Religion is an important part of many people’s identity and connection to a certain place.

  3. Main Types of Religions • Ethnic religions focus on one ethnic group and generally have not spread into other cultures. • Old beliefs, legends, and customs of different ethnic groups shape these religions. • People of these religions do not seek to convert other people to their beliefs. • They practice their religion as part of their ethnic heritage. • Hinduism, Confucianism and Taoism in China, Shintoism in Japan, and Judaism in Israel are examples.

  4. In animist religions, people believe in the presence of the spirits and forces of nature. • Polytheism, the belief in many gods, is an essential part of most of these religions. • Animist religions are also often considered ethnic religions because particular peoples practice them. • They are common in traditional societies and likely were practiced long before more modern types of religions became common.

  5. Universalizing religions seek followers all over the world. • They hope to appeal to people of many different cultures. More than half of the world’s people follow these religions. • Christianity and Islam are examples. Each is based on monotheism, the belief in one god, they both have missionaries, who help to spread the religion. New converts are accepted through symbolic rituals and initiations. • The ultimate goal of universalizing religions is to spread their beliefs to the entire world.

  6. Religion and Daily Life • Religion provides a rhythm to daily life and shapes distinctive cultural patterns. • For example, in Islamic countries people pray several times a day, facing toward Mecca, the spiritual center of Islam. Houses of worship are called mosques. Many people in Islamic countries also make a special religious journey to Mecca called a hajj. Islam requires its followers to make this journey at least once in their lifetime.

  7. Religion on the Decline • A growing number of people in the world are secular, or non-religious. • Europe has experienced declines in the number of people actively participating in religious activities, such as attending church each week. • There are many possible reasons for this decline in religion: the development of modern technologies and science. Both have caused some people to question the beliefs of traditional religions.

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