Ethnic Religions

Why Do Religions Have Different

Distributions?

• Limited diffusion of ethnic religions

– more tied to physical environment

– universalizing religions usually compete with or

intrude on ethnic religions

• Examples of syncretism:

– Christianity with African ethnic religions

– Buddhism with Confucianism in China

– Buddhism with Shinto in Japan

– Ethnic religions can diffuse with migration

• Hinduism in Guyana due to Indian diaspora

Hinduism • 3rd largest religion in the world

– 900 million adherents

– 97% of Hindus are found in India

• rest in Nepal

• Many paths to spirituality

– Individual decides best way to worship

– Vaishnavism (Vishnu) 70%

• Incarnations (Krishna, Buddha, Jesus?, etc.)

– Sivaism (Siva) 26%

• Protector and destroyer of ignorance

– Shaktism (female consorts of Vishnu/Siva)

Hinduism • Origin

– Basic ideas brought by Aryans (Indo-Europeans)

– Intermingled with Dravidians

– No clear founder, archaeological evidence dating from 2500 B.C.

– ‘Karmic” religion (cause and effect) – Dharma = set of rules for caste

– Caste = social class

– Social mobility is limited, Why? discuss

• Holy places – Riverbanks, coastlines, mountains

– Temples often located on riverbanks/water

– Ganges River is the most sacred, Varanasi = pilgrimage site

• Effects on landscape – Overcrowding/pollution due to pilgrimages

– Hindus cremate dead = preserves land, no cemeteries BUT

» Cremation strains wood supply

Judaism • 14 - 15 million

– 1/3 USA, 1/3 Israel, 1/3 elsewhere

– 15% in Europe (90% before WWII)

• Origin and diffusion

– Abraham’s migration/covenant – Promised land ↔ monotheism

– 10 lost tribes (Assyrians)/2 tribes remain (Babylon) – Tribe of Judah = “Jewish”

– Diaspora (after 70 AD by Romans) – makes Jews an exception that ethnic religions are clustered

– “re-clustering” due to est. of Israel

• Zionism = movement for a Jewish homeland

– began late 1800s, reaction to persecution

The Jewish calendar • Rosh Hashanah

– New Year

• Yom Kippur

– Day of Atonement

• Passover

• Sukkot

• Feast of Weeks

• Autumn holidays express

worry over winter rains

• Spring harvest and

sacrifices commemorated

in Exodus

• Islam’s 3rd most holy site

– Dome of the Rock

• Western “Wailing” Wall

– Solomon built 1st temple

• Destroyed by Neo-Babylonians

• Rebuilt after Babylonian Captivity

– Remnant of 2nd Temple

• Destroyed by Romans 70 AD

Jewish Symbols

Chinese Ethnic

Religions

• Confucianism – Kong Fuzi (551 – 479 BCE)

• Proper relationships/behavior bring

stability

• answers to bigger questions come

later – metaphysics

– borrows spirituality from

Buddhism/Daoism

– Neo-Confucianism

• Daoism – Laozi (604 – 531? BCE)

• Seek the way or “dao” – Harmony with nature (feng shui)

– Yin and yang (the natural and spiritual

world consists of opposite forces: the

ugly and beautiful, the dark and the

light, masculine and feminine)

Animistic Religions • African ethnic religions

– 100 million/12% of Africans

– animism • things in nature have living spirits/consciousness

• celebration of the natural

– competition with universalizing religions • Leads to decline (50%) in animism

• Africa now: 46% Christian/40% Muslim

Animistic Religions • Shinto

– Japanese animism

• As state religion it previously elevated emperor as divine

(renounced after WWII)

• Temples marked by distinctive Japanese gate (torii)

– separates sacred space from the profane

Animistic Religions • Shinto

– Japanese animism

• As state religion it previously elevated emperor as divine

(renounced after WWII)

• Temples marked by distinctive Japanese gate (torii)

– separates sacred space from the profane

– Mixed with Buddhism (syncretism)

• Other

Where do we see an animistic religious

symbol on Lane Tech’s campus?