WEEK 2

Interconnectedness of
Geography,
Culture, and Religion

INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD OF RELIGION AND BELIEFS SYSTEM

 Geography is the basis of understanding history. History is
about the origin of life; how every group of people live and
develop their unique way of life. Culture simply means, any way
of life as shown by many attributes that you will find basically
from this module which will lead you to better understanding
why you believe in something greater than the universe. This
belief defines the religion that manifests through your character.
 Pilgrimage to a holy site is a core
principle of almost all faiths. The Kaaba,
meaning cube in Arabic, is a square
building, elegantly draped in a silk and
cotton veil. Located in Mecca, Saudi
Arabia, it is the holiest shrine in Islam.
Tradition holds that it was originally a
simple unroofed rectangular structure.
The Quraysh tribe, who ruled Mecca,
rebuilt the pre-Islamic Kaaba in c. 608
C.E. with alternating courses of masonry
and wood. A door was raised above
ground level to protect the shrine from
intruders and flood waters.

The numerous changes to the Kaaba and

its associated mosque serve as good
reminder of how often buildings, even
sacred ones, were renovated and
remodeled either due to damage or to the
KAABA IN MECCA changing needs of the community.
 Totem poles are unique to the
north west coast of BC and
lower Alaska. They were
carved from western red
cedar and each carving tells
of a real or mythical event.
They were not idols nor were
the worshipped. Each
carving on each pole has a
meaning. The eagle
represents the kingdom of the
air. The whale the lordship of
the sea. The wolf, the genius
of the land, and the frog, the
TOTEM POLES IN transitional link between land
BRITISH COLOMBIA and sea.
 The Golden Temple Amritsar
India (Sri Harimandir Sahib
Amritsar) is not only a central
religious place of the Sikhs, but
also a symbol of human
brotherhood and equality.
Everybody, irrespective of cast,
creed or race can seek spiritual
solace and religious fulfilment
without any hindrance. It also
represents the distinct identity,
glory and heritage of the Sikhs.
The Gurudwara teaches the
lesson of egalitarianism and
humility. The four entrances of
this holy shrine from all four
directions, signify that people
GOLDEN TEMPLE IN belonging to every walk of life
INDIA are equally welcome.
 Prehistoric stone circle monument,
cemetery, and archaeological site
hough there is no definite evidence as
to the intended purpose of Stonehenge,
it was presumably a religious site and
an expression of the power and wealth
of the chieftains, aristocrats, and
priests who had it built—many of
whom were buried in the numerous
barrows close by. It was aligned on the
Sun and possibly used for observing
the Sun and Moon and working out the
farming calendar. Or perhaps the site
was dedicated to the world of the
ancestors, separated from the world of
the living, or was a healing centre.
Whether it was used by the Druids
(Celtic priests) is doubtful, but present-
STONEHENGE CIRCLE day Druids gather there every year to
IN SOUTH ENGLAND hail the midsummer sunrise.
 The Ganges (Ganga) River runs through
northern India and is sacred to those who
follow Hinduism. More than four hundred
million people in India live in the area
that feeds the river, known as the Ganges
River Basin.
The Ganges River is most sacred in the
Hindu tradition. It is understood as the
personification of the Goddess Ganga.
Hindu belief holds that bathing in the
river on certain occasions causes the
forgiveness of transgressions and helps
attain salvation. Many people believe that
this will come from bathing in Ganga at
any time. Hindus also believe life is
incomplete without bathing in the Ganga
at least once in their lifetime.People carry
sacred water from the Ganges that is
sealed in copper pots after making the
MOST SACRED RIVER pilgrimage to Kashi. It is believed that
drinking water from the Ganga with one's
IN INDIA last breath will take the soul to heaven.
Does Geography influence religion?

All religion and culture are

based on Geography.
Examples on how religion and culture are based on Geography.
1. Cremation of corpse is done where wood is abundant. But in
deserts where wood is not present, the corpse is buried.
2. When you complete your fasting, if you are in deserts, you will
get only dates and so desert people complete their fasting with
dates whereas in regions like India where milk of fruit juice is used
to complete fasting.
3. In hot countries people wear light clothes or with bare chest as
part of their culture and in cold countries people even wear shoes
and slippers into their place of worship due to the impact of cold.
Geography is everything about people (and their lands) and nature – religion is
part of human environment. It is human environment and natural
environment. Human environment is made of regions, countries etc., Humans
spread their ideas, concepts, and religions where they can reach.

Like living organisms, religions are born in history and they gradually develop
into living traditions and affect lives of their followers. Belief systems originate
in certain localities within the context of culture and even geography.
A. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
• Prehistoric humans, such as the Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons, have
practiced a set of belief systems like in burying their dead, painting on the
walls of caves and carving images from stones.
• The existence of humankind for so long a time has resulted in the formation
of religion and belief systems. It is certain that many religions may have been
unrecorded in the past. Others may have gradually died down like
Zoroastrianism that once flourished in South Asia but is now only confined in
Iran, India, and Central Asia
PATRIARCH ABRAHAM
• Played a major role in the establishment of the three monotheistic
religions: namely, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which account for more
than half of the world’s total population. As such, these organized religions are
collectively known as ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS.
Four (4) great religions originated in India:

1. Hinduism
It has no specific founder, no one sacred book, and with
innumerable gods and goddesses that any Hindu can venerate. As
such, Hinduism can be considered as museum of religions. During
this period, universal order became equated with a stable society
as evidenced by the establishment of a centralized government
and the integration of collective traditions into Indian lives.
Four (4) great religions originated in India:

2. Buddhism
It centers its attention on the figure of the Buddha, who
was not a god but a human being who came to discover
how to terminate sufferings in order to escape the painful
and continuous cycle of rebirth. Buddhist followers revere
Buddha in the same way that the members of other world
religions worship their gods.
Four (4) great religions originated in India:

3. Confucianism
Confucian ideals aspire to harmonize human relations and
serve as guide to social behavior. Providing a backdrop for
traditional Chinese values, Chinese dynasties used
Confucian morals and political ideals that became
influential among the Chinese people.
Four (4) great religions originated in India:

4. Daoism
Dao in Daoism means road, path or way in which one does
something. Daoist Dao means the way the universe works.
The writings of Daoism centers on the concept of Dao, as a
way or path signifying appropriateness of one’s behavior to
lead other people.
Four (4) great religions originated in India:

5. Shintoism
• It is a loosely organized local belief in Japan, somewhat an
ardent (dedicated) religious form of Japanese patriotism. Its
mythology highlights the superiority of Japan over other
lands. Japanese people believed that their emperors literally
descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu.
The term ‘Shinto’ was coined around the 16th century CE to
distinguish native belief system from the imported religions
of China and Korea, including Buddhism, Daoism and
Confucianism. It came from the Chinese words ‘shen’ and
‘tao’ roughly translated as the ‘way of the gods’.
B. GEOGRAPHY OF FAITH

Laws and social norms vary by region and

localities. The study about geography of religion
may reveal some fascinating truths why a certain
country is predominated by one particular religion
or why a specific region became homeland of
great religions
1. Western Frontier
Comprising the area bordered
on the west by the fertile coasts
of the Mediterranean Sea and
on the east by the arid deserts of
Arabia, the history of these
religions is closely linked with
this region.
Vast expanse of deserts and bodies of
water also played important roles in biblical
history.
2. The Indian Subcontinent
·The subcontinent of South Asia covers an area more than
one and a half million square miles stretching from the
Hindu Kush and Baluchi Hills on the west and the Great
Himalayan Mountain range on the north, to the Burmese
mountain on the east and the Indian Ocean on the south
·Because sweltering heat is one major feature of India’s
ecological setting, it is no wonder that Hindus revere the
sun (Surya) and fire (Agni).
·Water also plays a major role as evidenced by Hindus
venerating a god of water and celestial oceans (Varuna).
The Buddha also met his first disciples at this place which
is now commemorated by the Chaukhandi Stupa
monument
3. The Eastern End
·At the eastern end of the great Asian
continent, one finds the cultural and
political dominance of China. The location
of China proper in the valleys of two great
bodies of water, the Huang He and
Yangtze, is quite favorable because of the
support these streams provide to the
Chinese people that made historic China
the center of culture.
Activity 2: (Performance Task)

Direction: Analyze the interconnectedness of geography,

culture, and religions by creating a map showing the 5-
world religion based on geography and culture. You may
access the link, http://allfreeprintable.com/world-blank-
map for a printable blank world map or use the template
provided. Use one color per religion. Provide a map legend.
Take note of the cities or countries where each religion
originated.
Below the map, write a paragraph explaining the
interconnectedness of geography, culture, and religions
"HOPE IS A THING WITH FEATHERS"