Geographical and Cultural Foundation of Religion

GEOGRAPHICAL
AND CULTURAL
FOUNDATION
OF RELIGION
OBJECTIVE:
• Cite regions or places where

specific religions evolved
• Analyze the culture of the religion
that gave rise to specific religions
• Explain how geography influences
religion and how religion affects
culture
GEOGRAPHY OF
RELIGION
• Principle of environmental
determinism- human activities are
controlled and determined by the
environment
• Synergistic principle- an active
interplay between environment and
culture that helps explain the origin
and initial development of religions
TRIADIC METHOD
• Process of how religion creates it own culture

and influence or imposes its cultural practices.
Absorption Transformation Rejection

Buddhism Islam
Emphasizes the love for Absorbs some pre-
nature cultural attributes of
Absorbs the cultural their civilizations. E.g:
practices of Hinduism Language and filial values
Transform them into Transform chivalric
something new and attitudes of tribalism
distinctively Buddhist into universal Muslim
Reject some things of character
less importance Reject worshiping idols
Christianity
Absorbed the power of
Aramaic and Hebraic
languages
Transform mosaic law
Reject practices of
worshiping idols
People where practicing animism ( worship
of nature and its vital elements
When Philippines became an official Spanish
colony, Christianity absorbed some things
of animistic nature
Transformed-offering food to the spirits to
offering food to God
Rejected many animistic practices; and
claimed this practices as demonic.
GEOGRAPHY OF RELIGION
GEOGRAPHY OF RELIGION
• Geography helps us relate religion as a human activity,

and is influenced by the existence of a being/s of
transcendent nature.
• Human beings have conceived the idea that there must
be a being/s capable of creating the most complex
creation. Man cannot create himself
• Human beings are continuously looking for meaning and
purpose of life.
AL-MUQADDASI (946 C.E)
• Noted, observed and described

places with vivid description of
various land formations, structural
makeup of cities and towns they
made business with
• Geographical inquiry centered on
identifying and locating places found in
the biblical test.
BIBLICAL OR
SPIRITUAL • Natural theology-requires
GEOGRAPHY understanding of geographical
phenomena to provide strong support
to theological views and arguments
about God.
DIFFUSION
AND
DISPERSION
OF RELIGION
Religions’ own system reflect the spirit of
their cradle lands
Representations of gods, ideas of heaven,
objects of worship and even styles of
temples vary according to physical
surroundings.
CRADLE LANDS OF RELIGION
Indus-Ganges hearths-
birthplace of religions that began
in India such as Hinduism,
Buddhism, and Jainism
Semitic hearths- birthplace of
the three major western religions:
Judaism, Christianity, Islam
 Religious hearths were found in the locations of the major ancient civilizations
 Universal religions (Islam, Christianity)
have an edge compared to indigenous
religious (Hinduism)
 They try to assimilate within their
religious systems the cultures of the local
inhabitants
 Universal religions- called missionary
religions since they spread and got to the
other regions of the world to spread their
belief system.
CHIEF PRINCIPLE OF SPATIAL DIFFUSION
 Principle of religious movements- considering

the speed, process, and dynamics of religious
movement
 Principle of intensity movement- dichotomous
nature of diffusion that takes place in time and
space.
 A.) to spread their belief and invite people to
their fold (carrier )
 B.) To refuse to be converted to other religion
(barrier)
STANDARD PROCESS OF DIFFUSION
 Expansion diffusion-religion send

missionaries to various places around
the world to convert people to their
religion
 Relocation diffusion- when people
move from one place to another, they
bring with them their religious identity
and while living in a new territory, they
attract converts.
STANDARD PROCESS OF DIFFUSION
 The less intimidating a religion is to the

region where it is being introduced, the
faster the diffusion is
 Rate of diffusion relies on the way
people react to the new religion
EFFECTS OF RELIGION
MORAL LIFE
Religion influences an individual’s

moral character by prescribing a set
of moral standards
Goal of religion is to help people
live a moral life
Religion teach us how to conduct
ourselves- to become moral and
virtuous character.
 When members of a certain
religion fail to fully
understand the moral
teachings of their religion,
religion then becomes
oppressive, controlling and
manipulating
 Religion creates division
instead of unity, enemies
instead of friends, hatred
instead of love
Most people based their
judgement whether a certain act
is morally good or bad on
religious teachings
When moral standards are based
on religious teachings and
authorities may have the
tendency to be less sensitive to
others.

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GEOGRAPHICAL

• Cite regions or places where

• Process of how religion creates it own culture

Absorption Transformation Rejection

• Geography helps us relate religion as a human activity,

• Noted, observed and described

 Principle of religious movements- considering

 Expansion diffusion-religion send

 The less intimidating a religion is to the

Religion influences an individual’s

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