Analyze the interconnectedness of Geography, Culture and

Religion
 Interconnectedness of Religion
and Geography
• Geography is the fertile ground for religion to flourish. Geography is the study
of earth and its people. Its features are things like continents, seas, rivers and
mountains. The relationship between religion and geography can be termed
as Religious Geography by which geographical ideas are influenced by religion
such as early map-making, and biblical geography that developed in the 16th
century to identify places from the Bible. Spreading the faith has been shaped
by geographical context. For example, for the Jews the land of Canaan, is the
land promised to them by their God Yahweh through Abraham. In the book
of Genesis God said to Abraham, “Go from your land, from your birthplace,
and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1).
This passage is central to their belief. They have to defend the land at all cost
because it was given to them by Yahweh, their God.
Western religions like Judaism,
Christianity and Islam. Those that
remained in Asia are called the –
Eastern Religions which are
Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism,
Shintoism to name a few.
 Western (Occidental) Eastern (Oriental)
Religion and Philosophy Religion is philosophy and
are different disciplines philosophy is religion
Mindset is linear which Mindset is circular. The
means there is a beginning end conjoins the
and end. beginning in a cyclic
Speculate and theorize, no manner
application to life is Acceptance of the validity
necessary of intuition and mysticism
 THE 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.

The importance of Abraham in these three religions lies in the fact that
the patriarch appears as an elemental (primary) figure for monotheistic
belief system and a paragon (exemplar) for extreme devotion
ANALYSIS: THE GENEALOGY OF
ABRAHAM
 A.COMMONALITIES IN
ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS
1.They all worship one supreme being.
•Ancient Hebrews – Elohim, Adonai or Yahweh
•Present day Judaism – “Lord” or “God”
•Muslims – Allah
2.Prophets and apostles play major roles
•Judaism has 48 prophets and 7 prophetesses
•Early prophets include Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron and Joshua
•Christianity has 12 apostles, some of whom wrote parts of the New
Testament
•Islam believes that Muhammad is the final prophet or the “Seal of the
Prophets”.

*** Then and now, the followers of the three Abrahamic religions are
presented with a choice between good and evil
3.Prior to the establishment as organized religions, the role of divine
revelation or intervention is associated among their progenitors
(ancestors).
•God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac at Mount Moriah
•God presented the 10 Commandments to Moses at Mount Sinai
•God sacrificed His son Jesus Christ through crucifixion as the plan to
salvation
•God commanded Muhammad to establish a new religion at a cave in
Mount Hira.
 THE INDIAN MOSAIC
•India is one of the oldest surviving civilizations, with its history dating
back to at least 6500 BCE. The many conquerors that came to India
were gradually absorbed into the native Indian religions.
•The Harappan civilization, Aryan influence, local dynasties, and the
Muslim conquest all had their fair share in building the intricate Indian
mosaic. As a result, variety and complexity characterize Indian culture.
•Four great religions originated in India – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism,
and
Sikhism – and a myriad of minor cults and local sects.
 HINDUISM
•It perfectly reflects Indian heterogeneity with its eclectic (diversified and
assorted) ways of religious expressions that are quite confusing to outsiders.
•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.
•It was during the Vedic Period that Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma became
systematized as a religion that preached order and purpose to the cosmos
and human life.
•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.
 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.

•The Mahayana sect of Buddhism differs from Theravada school because of its
rich array of buddhas and bodhisattvas who have attained spiritual
enlightenment. These beings are already eligible to enter nirvana but choose
to delay this glorious path to guide others to the path of salvation.
 CONFUCIANISM
•Even during the olden days, the Chinese had already endeavored to establish and
attain good governance. China adopted Confucius’s ideals and ethics as the nation
developed meritocracy (power goes to those with superior intellects) as a basis for
government officials.
•Confucius is regarded as China’s greatest philosopher and teacher who lived at the
same time as Siddharta Gautama in India.
•Confucian ideals aspire to harmonize human relations and serve as guide to social
behavior. An ideal human society it the utmost concern for the Confucian followers.
•Confucius dwell upon the theme of the Dao as being the truth or way things out
to be done concordant with specific view to life, politics and customs.
•Confucian Dao concerns human affairs.
 DAOISM
•Mysteries abound the birth and life of Laozi (Lao-tzu) who may have written Dao
De Jing (Tao Te Ching or The Book of the Way and its Power.
•Believed to be a contemporary (modern version) of Confucius, he once worked
as a record keeper at the time of Zhou Dynasty but soon left the service due to his
frustration with corruption.
•Around 142 CE, Daoism began as an organized religion with the establishment of
the Way of the Celestial Masters sect by Zhang Daoling during the Han Dynasty.
•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.
•Dao in Daoism means road, path or way in which one does something.
•Daoist Dao means the way the universe works.
 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.
•Conscious effort is done to revere the beauty of Japan’s lands, especially
mountains.
•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.
•The term came from the Chinese words ‘shen’ and ‘tao’ roughly translated as the
‘way of the gods’
•Of primal importance were the kami that were often defined as the gods but
could also refer to deities of heaven and earth, or even spirits in human beings,
animals, trees, seas and mountains.
 How Does Geography Influence
Religion
 Civilization typically develop in and around river systems where easy
access to water andirrigation system become possible, which allows
them to grow crops and move from the huntergatherer lifestyle to
farmers. As a result, the famous River Ganges, Indus Valley, the Nile
andAmazon Rivers became places where different types of people have
developed over time.Mountains symbolize the way people in those
days perceived reality. The physical geography ofthe land determine
how and when people would live in certain places due to accessibility,
resources, and climate, it would seem reasonable to c
 Relationship between Religion
and Culture
 Some cultures identified themselves by theirreligion.
 All common events in cultures like home, farming, relationships, marriage,
birth and death are
influenced by their religious beliefs.
 Central to the very purpose of religion is the attainment of goal in life.
 Religion often gives codes of behavior forsociety and culture, such as the Ten
Commandments.
 All religions have values. Values are guides to behavior such as do good; avoid
wrong doings.
 All religions have the Five Basic Human Values such as: truth, right, love, peace
and non_x0002_violence.
B.GEOGRAPHY OF FAITH
 1.THE WESTERN FRONTIER

•West Asia is the home of three great

religions (J, C, I).
•Religions have increasingly become involved
in domestic politics of West Asia, resulting in
prolonged conflicts among countries that
have claimed thousands of lives.
 SACRED MOUNTAINS IN THE
JUDEO-CHRISTIAN TRADITION
Holy Location Significance
Mountains
Mount Ararat Eastern part of Turkey Traditional landing place of Noah’s Ark as
narrated in the book of Genesis
Mount Sinai Sinai Peninsula in The peak where Moses received the 10
Egypt Commandments
Mount Zion/ Jerusalem Known as the city of David and Temple
Mount Moriah Mount

Mount Tabor Israel Site of transfiguration of Jesus Christ

•One of the most sacred sites in the world revered by JCI. Three structures are
found in the present site: Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock, and the Dome of
the Chain. The Jewish people consider the Temple Mount as their holiest shrine.
Mount Moriah is also believed to be the site of sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham.

•Vast expanse of deserts and bodies of water also played important roles in biblical
history.

•Presently, followers of Abrahamic religions place high regard on the city of

Jerusalem in Israel because of the numerous sites that are central to their belief
system.
•There are more than a thousand synagogues, more than a hundred
churches and more than 70 mosques.

•Jerusalem has been sacred for the Jews for almost three thousand years
now with the city being the site of the First Temple (King Solomon’s
Temple) and the Second Temple.

•The Western Wall (Wailing Wall or Kortel), one of the four remaining walls
that surrounded Temple Mount, is the second holiest shrine for the Jews.
•Jerusalem has been sacred for the Christians for almost two thousand years
now. Important sites include Mount Zion and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,
which is the site of the Golgotha (or the place of crucifixion) and the empty
tomb of Jesus Christ.
•Lastly, Jerusalem has been sacred for the Muslims for almost 1400 years now.
For the Sunni Muslims, it is their third holiest city.
•Located at the Temple Mount, the Islamic Dome of the Rock is the most
recognizable structure in Jerusalem. It is believed that the rock is the spot from
which Muhammad ascended to heaven. Likewise, the First and Second Temples
are believed to lie beneath or near the shrine.
•Another Islamic structure is the Al-Aqsa Mosque associated with the night
journey undertaken by Muhammad.
 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.
•More than 4000 years ago, a civilization emerged along the Indus
River that developed a unique culture long before the dawn of the
Christian era.
•Invasions from people originating in Macedonia and Central Asia have
added diversity to India’s population and complexity to its culture.
3.THE EASTERN END
 C.CULTURAL MILIEU

•World religions can be regarded along the

lines of their exclusivity or non- exclusivity.
•Exclusive religions are oftentimes
monotheistic with Judaism, Christianity and
Islam. Meanwhile, non-exclusive religions are
Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism
and Shintoism.
 THE CONCEPT OF DHARMA
•The concept of dharma is integral in religions that emerged in India,
including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.
•In Hinduism, dharma could mean duty, righteousness and ethics. In all
humanity, this is common and evident in virtues such as peacefulness,
empathy and kindness.
•For Buddhism, it means cosmic law and order, or the teachings of
Buddha and the truth of the way things are.
•For the Theravada sect, dharma is sometimes used to indicate all the
factors of existence.
•Dharmic religions do not compel their adherents to profess their
devotion to be a believer or a practitioner. Meditational and yoga
rituals lead to right behavior and ultimate understanding of the
universe.
•While the Hindus and Buddhists share similarities in their ideas
concerning enlightenment and liberation, they differ in:
•Hindus believe in trimurti or the three forms of god
•Buddhists do not believe in the existence of any god therefore
intermediaries for humans and gods are not necessary along with the
many rituals that go with venerating them.
 ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY: DRAW
IT!
RUBRIC
•Draw a map of the world and CRITERIA DESCRIPTION POINTSPOINTS
OBTAINED
show how religion spread around Content Important concepts were highlighted
and explained
7

the world. Organization The concept was clearly and

creatively conveyed
7

Presentation The idea was clearly presented 6

•Take note of the key cities or Total: 20

countries where each religion

originated.
•Use one color per religion.
 CRITICAL THINKING
1.How important is the role of 4.What are the major points of
Abraham in the development of difference between dharmic
monotheistic religions? religions and Abrahamic religions?
2.In what ways are Confucianism 5.Why are natural forces and
and Taoism more of a social environment integral in the Shinto
philosophy rather than organized religion?
religions?
3.How did geography affect
religious events and development
in West Asia, in the Indian
subcontinent, and in China?