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Geography of Religion
Sacred Spaces, Contested Places
Religion
• A system of beliefs and practices– Often involving idea of divinity
• Deity– Divine entity
• E.g., God, Allah, Zeus
• Sacred– Infused with religious meaning
Types of Religion
• Monotheistic– Single supreme deity
• Polytheistic– Multiple deities
• Animistic– Spirits in natural world
Atheists/Agnostics Worldwide
In 2012 19.6% of Americans identify as having no religion.
Types of Religion• Ethnic religion
– Focused on a particular group or people
• Universalizing– Open to all
• Proselytizing– Actively seek converts (sometimes through
force)
Religion
• What are the differences between universal, ethnic and proselytizing religions?
• What are the world’s major religions and where are their hearths?
Issues in Geography• Diffusion
– How religions spread• Missionaries• Warfare• Relocation• Cultural exchange
• Pilgrimage– Movement/migration for religious purposes
Issues in Geography
• Sacred sites– Places, objects infused with religious meaning– Often subject of conflict
• Landscapes– Religious features are often distinctive
components of cultural landscape
What and where are the following religious sites?
Christ Redeemer, Brazil
Hagia Sofia, Istanbul
LDS Temple, Salt Lake City
Pyramids at Giza
Jerusalem