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