De Blij Chapter 7.1 Vocabulary

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Religion

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Defined by geographers Robert Stoddard and Carolyn Prorak ib the book Geography in America as “a system of beliefs and practices that attempts to order life in terms of culturally perceived ultimate priorities.”

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Secularism

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The idea that ethical and moral standards should be formulated and adhered to for life on Earth, not to accommodate the prescriptions of a deity and promises of a comfortable afterlife. A secular state is the opposite of a theocracy.

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Monotheistic Religion

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Belief system in which one supreme being is revered as creator and arbiters of all that exists in the universe.

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Polytheistic Religion

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Belief system in which multiple deities are revered as creators and arbiters of all that exists in the universe.

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Animistic Religion

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The belief that inanimate objects, such as hills, trees, rocks, rivers, and other elements of the natural landscape, possess souls and can help or hinder human efforts on Earth.

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Universalizing Religion

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A belief system that espouses the idea that there is one true religion that is universal in scope. Adhérents of universalizing religious systems often believe that their religion represents universal truths, and in some cases great effort is undertaken in evangelism and missionary work.

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Ethnic Religion

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A religion that is particular to one, culturally distinct, group of people. Unlike universalizing religions, adherents of ethnic religions do not actively seek converts through evangelism or missionary work.

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Hinduism

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One of the oldest religions in the modern world, dating back over 4000 years, and originating in the Indus River Valley of what is today part of Pakistan. Hinduism is unique among the world’s religions in that it does not have a single founder, a single theology, or agreement on its origins.

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Caste System

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The strict social segregation of people- specifically in India’s Hindu society- on the basis of ancestry and occupation.

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Buddhism

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Religion founded in the sixth century BCE and characterized by the belief that enlightenment would come through knowledge, especially self-knowledge; elimination of greed, craving, and desire; complete honesty; and never hurting another person or animal. Buddhism is splintered from Hinduism as a reaction to the strict social hierarchy maintained by Hinduism.

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Shintoism

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Religion located in Japan and related to Buddhism. Shintoism focuses particularly on nature and ancestor worship.

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Taoism

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Religion believed to have been founded by Lao-Tsu and based upon his book entitled “Tao-te-ching” or “Book of the Way.” Lao-Tsu focuses on the proper form of political rule and on the oneness of humanity and nature.

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Feng Shui

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Literally “wind-water.” The Chinese art and science of placement and orientation of tombs, dwellings, buildings, and cities. Structures and objects are positioned in an effort to channel flows of sheng-chi (“life-breath”) in favorable ways.

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Confucianism

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A philosophy of ethics, education, and public service based on writings of Confucius and traditionally thought of as one of the core elements of Chinese culture.

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Judaism

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Religion with its roots in the teachings of Abraham (from Ur), who is credited with uniting his people to worship only one god. According to Jewish teaching, Abraham and God have a covenant in which the Jews agree to worship only one God, and God agrees to protect his chosen people, the Jews.

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Diaspora

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From the Greek “to disperse,” a term describing forceful or voluntary dispersal of a people from their homeland to a new place. Originally denoting the dispersal of Jews, it is increasingly applied to other population dispersals, such as the involuntary relocation of Black peoples during the slave trade or Chinese peoples out of Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong

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Zionism

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The movement to unite the Jewish people of the diaspora and to establish a national homeland for them in the promised land.

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Christianity

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Religion based on the teachings of Jesus. According to Christian teaching, Jesus is the son of God, placed on Earth to teach people how to live according to God’s plan.