Chapter 6- religion

1. 
   
2. Mormonism--- utah
   
3. Roman catholicism-
   
4. Eastern orthodox Christianity- Russia and some of ex- soviet union countries and Ethiopia and parts of Egypt
   
5. Eastern and northern Buddhism located? North--Tibet and parts of china (mahayahna) south---china japan (tantryana)
   
6. Southern Buddhism(Theravada)- southern asia
   
7. Hinduism? India and other countries in south asia
   
8. Judaism? Major pockets--- Israel, Egypt, turkey, and major cities in Europe and north America
   
9. Sunni muslim--- north Africa, some parts of subsaharn Africa, Arabian peninsula
   
10. Shiite muslim--- iran, yemen, Iraq 50/50
    
11. Chinese religions--- confuscianism, Taoism, Buddhism.
    
12. Japanese religion--- Shinto and Buddhism
    

 

Case Study

Dalai lama, government, as well as religious leader, is to Buddhism as pope is to roman Catholicism

    "oceanic teacher"

    Tibetan Buddhism- called tatryana

    Lhasa is the capital of Tibet in the himalya mountains

    In 1950 communist china took over Tibet and renamed it Xizang

    Dalai lama was exiled to indiabut has lived in US for a few years

    China has atheistic communist china

Two types of religion

Universalizing- one that attempts to be global to appeal to all people wherever they may live not just to one culture or location (global religion)

Ethnic religion- appeal to one group of people living in one place

62%--- universal

34%--- ethnic

14%--- no religion

3 main universalizing religions

**Divided into braches (a large fundamental division within a religion), denominations (the division of a branch that unites a number of local congregations in a single legal and administrative body), and sects (a small group that is broken away from an established denomination**

Christianity

• 52% roman catholic
  
• 21% protestant
  
• 10% eastern orthodox
  
  • 14 self-governing churches…
    
    • Russian orthodox- 40%
      
    • Romanian orthodox- 20%
      
    • Bulgarian orthodox- 10%
      
    • Greek orthodox-10%
      
    • Serbian orthodox- 10%
      
    • Albanian , Cyprus, Georgia, polish, and Sinai orthodox- 2%
      
    • Constntinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem orthodox- 3% (the oldest)
      
• 17% other
  
  • Coptic church- Egypt
    
  • Ethiopian church (Abyssinian church)
    
  • Armenian church- Armenia, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, and turkey
    
  • Maronite church- Lebanon
    
  • Syrian- orthodox church- south india
    

    Islam

    Buddhism

Confuscianism

    Confucius (551-479 B.C.)

• Philosopher and teacher from the province of Lu, China
  
• Emphasized the ancient Chinese tradition of Li or "propriety" or "correct behavior"
  
• An ethnic Chinese religion focused on traditional values
  
• Some people say that its not a religion at all but rather a set of ethical principals for orderly conduct
  
• Has been added to other religions such as Buddhism and Taoism
  

More religion terms

    Monotheism- belief in one god

    Polytheism- belief in many gods

    Animism-generic term for African ethnic religions

• Decrease in animism because of rise of Christianity and islam
  

Territorial confilicts and religion

    End of cold war

    Local conflicts- religion

    Religious fundamentalism- literal interpretation and a strict and intense adherence to the basic

    principles of a religion

religious fundamentalism has caused a lot of tension between Religion and government policies

 

 

EP1- religion vs. social change

    MDCs economic development is seen as compatable with religious values

    LDCs incompatible especially where Christianity is not dominant

• For example the Taliban (meaning religious student)in Afghanistan. Before they took over, Taliban ran religious schools and taught illiterate people their interpretation. After Taliban gained control of government, their views were pushed onto the whole country. They banned western and nonislamic leisure ativities – no tv. They pissed people off when they destroyed 2^nd century Buddhist statues with dynamite.
  
• Hinduism and social equality in india. The caste system is intertwined in Hinduism. Four basic castes: Brahman (priests), kshatriyas (warriors), vaisyas (merchants), shudras (farmers and artisans), untouchables, now referred to as dalits, are outside of the caste system. British administrators and Christian missionaries challenged the caste system. Even ghadi, from the Brahman caste, spoke out against the caste system. Today, in india's laws, untouchability is outlawed.
  

 

 

EP2 religion vs. communism

Organized religion was challenged by communism, the three most affected religions in this clash were eastern orthodox, islam, and Buddhism

• The eastern orthodox church and Islam clashed with communism in soviet union
  
• Bolshevik revolution, when communists took over in Russia. Lenin enforced strict Marxism and renamed Russia the USSRs. Lenin reduced the role of religion in soviet society.
  
• After the fall of the Soviet Union there was a religious revival. The attendance increased in the Russian Orthodox Church and in some of the new countries formed from the new Soviet Union, there was a revival of Islam. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
  

Buddhism in Southeast Asia

• During the Vietnam War nobody took sides with the Buddhist.
  
• The Buddhist lived in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia
  
• The communist government trying to take over these countries destroyed Shrines
  
• Some Buddhist priest resorted in self mutilation (setting themselves on fire) as a protest.
  
• Even today it is still discouraged although its more relaxed.
  
• Angkor wat- Buddhist complex in Cambodia that has been allowed to go into decay.
  

Religion v. Religion EP3 NOT

1. Middle East- Palestine
   

• In the area of the world called Palestine there has been a long standing conflict between Jews, Christians, and Muslims
  
• All three religions have claims on the city of Jerusalem (seen as their holy city)
  
• These claims are ancient.
  
• The crusade (1099-1244 A.D.) is when the European Christians tried to win back the holy land.
  
• There were 6 Crusades
  
• The Ottoman Empire was predominantly Muslim and controlled Palestine from (1516-1917)
  
• After World War I Britain received Palestine as a mandate.
  
• In 1948, many Jews moved to Palestine to create the modern day country of Israel. Since modern Jewish dominated Israel was created there has been 4 wars between the Muslim Arab countries.
  
• This is not just a religious conflict. There are competing Ethhnonational claims to territory
  

1. Christians and Muslims in Lebanon
   

• Lebanon has always had a mix of religions. For example the Maronite Christians, Sunni and Shiite Muslims, and Druze (mix of Christianity and Islam), also strong Greek Orthodox Church in Lebanon.
  
• Beirut, Lebanon was one time the financial and recreational center of the Middle East.
  
• Since the 1970's Lebanon has been torn between by strife between these religious groups.
  
• The U.S. even sent troops to Lebanon to bring peace and it was in 1983 when a suicide bombing occurred killing 241 Marines.
  
• Today the country of Syria controls much of Lebanon.
  

1. Ireland
   

• After Ireland was given independence in 1937, 6 of its northern counties chose to remain in the U.K…….Known as Northern Ireland.
  
• Northern Ireland is predominantly protestant. Ireland is predominantly Roman Catholic.
  
• There has been a terrorist organization called the Irish Republican Army (IRA)
  

End EP3 NOT

            

                Case study Revisited

• 14^th Dalai Lama
  
• About ¼ of males in Tibet were monks but were told to practice polygamy (to maintain population)
  
• Communist suppressed Buddhism while creating a higher standard of living in Tibet
  
• Dalai Lama was officially exiled to India
  

      -travels the world talking about freedom of religion
  

      -which earned him a Nobel Peace prize
  

  • There is concern about whether priests are being trained
    
  • There was a "Free Tibet" movement in early 90's