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ISO 9001:2015
HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
SELF-LEARNING MODULE

HUMSS 12

Introduction to World Religions &

Belief Systems
Quarter 1
SELF LEARNING MODULE 2
Week 2

F2 ROYLAN HOPE C. PETILUNA.

Subject Teacher
09663557331
F2roylanhopecpetiluna@gmail.com

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Most Essential Learning Competencies:

1. Analyze the interconnectedness of geography, culture and religions

 OUR LADY OF TRIUMPH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Purok Tugas, Balangasan Dist., Pagadian City, Philippines
Document Title:
ISO 9001:2015
HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
SELF-LEARNING MODULE

Geographical & Cultural Foundations of Religion

Introduction:

Religion can affect several different aspects of human life and society. That is why, in
analyzing how religion affects and is affected by society, we need to look at it in different
approaches.
Approaches to Understanding the Effects of Religion
1. Psychological Approach – used to understand the effects of religion to human
behavior
2. Anthropological Approach – studies the evolution of religion and its central
influence on man as a being
3. Historical Approach – understand the origins of religion
4. Geographical Approach – understand how the environment, dispersion, and
diffusion of religion affect the spread and establishment of religions
In understanding religion, it is important to remember that religion is also a product of
the influence of its environment. This is what we refer to as “Principle of Environmental
Determinism” wherein it is stated that human activities, which include religion, is determined by
the environment in which the human person resides. For instance, Christians often drink wine
in their religious activities. One of the main contributors of this practice is that the region from
which Christianity arose is abundant in wine sources and plantations.
Another way of improving our understanding of religion is the “Synergistic Principle”. This
principle suggests that the synergy or interplay between the environment and culture has a
significant effect on the formation of religion. Going back to the example of Christians using wine
in their religious rites, before Christianity was founded, people in Mediterranean have had the
culture of drinking wine in times of great celebration. This interaction between the wine-rich
environment and the culture of drinking wine as a merry-making practice, has been the major
source for including the drinking of wine as a major element in the founding of the
Mediterranean religion of Christianity.

Religion and Culture

Culture comes first before religion. Because of this, the formation of religion is highly
influenced by culture, consequently religion also plays a major role in preserving and promoting
culture. However, in the advent of religion, it (religion) can also be a major determining factor in
the creation of culture. This process of having religion influence the formation of culture is based
on the triadic model of absorption, transformation, and rejection. Religious absorption happens
when a religions completely or partially adopts the practices of their original or foreign culture
and spreads it to other areas. Transformation happens when a religion chooses some
parts/aspects from a particular culture and modifies it to create other unique practices. Lastly,
rejection is when a religion completely rejects that practices of its original culture to adopt a new
and unique practice. Rejection could also happen when a particular culture completely rejects all
its practices just to adopt a new or foreign religion with new practices.
To prove this, kindly read and understand the following examples below.

 Buddhism and Taoism are religions that were founded out from Hinduism. However,
Buddhism only absorbed some cultural practices from Hinduism and transformed it to
new practices that would make the Buddhist culture unique from all the other religions.
 Islam absorbed the language of its original civilization (Arab civilization) in its religious
practices (e.g. using the Arabic language in writing the Qur-an and other prayers). This
can also be observed in Christianity as they followed the language of their original
civilization (Latin) in writing the Bible before.
 The Philippines originally practice animism as their pre-colonial civilization but when
Islam arrived in Mindanao, a lot of tribes/barangays rejected their original animistic
practices to adopt the cultural practices of Islam
 When the Philippines was formally conquered by the Spanish Christian colonizers,
animism was largely rejected, while some regions transformed their cultural practices by
combining animistic practices with Christianity, and in other areas, Christianity was fully
 OUR LADY OF TRIUMPH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Purok Tugas, Balangasan Dist., Pagadian City, Philippines
Document Title:
ISO 9001:2015
HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
SELF-LEARNING MODULE

absorbed making all its cultural practices (e.g. attending Sunday Mass, building huge
cathedrals, revering priests, and the Christian way of praying) the new cultural practices
of the Filipinos.

Religion greatly affects the culture of a certain place as it imposes the culture’s sense of
morality (idea of what one should do, and what one should not do). These religious impositions
ultimately limit or stimulate the behavior of people in a particular culture. Here are some
examples showing how religions have affected or influenced culture.

 Buddhist followers consider the lotus flower and the Bodhi tree as sacred things which
resulted to having its followers propagate and protect these plants and condemn those
who abuse them.
 Muslims and Jews view pigs as unclean animals, thus it is prohibited for them to eat its
meat or propagate it in their areas.
 Christians see marriage as an exclusive affair for only one husband and one wife thereby
prohibiting any one of them to engage in extra-marital affairs. Those who violate this are
considered badly among other followers. However, for Muslims, the practice of extra-
marital affairs are permitted so long as the husband (the only one permitted to have
extra-marital affairs) can provide for number of wives he desires to have, and that it has
been consented by his first wife.

Culture and religion are two complimentary aspects of society as both provide necessary
elements to one another to ensure the survival and well-being of society. One cannot fully
understand a particular culture without first understanding its religion, and a person cannot
fully understand a particular religion without first discovering more about its culture. Thus, in
our dealings with different types of people from different cultures, we must also understand first
their religion for us to offer respect. When people learn how to respect our differences not just in
culture but also in religion, we can harness the benefits of cooperation in this planet that we
commonly share.

Geography of Religion

Like Culture, Geography and Religion also affect one another. The geographical condition
of a place can dictate religious customs and practices. Take for instance the case of Islam
wherein Muslim women wear hijabs as a sign of their surrendering to the will of Allah. While
wearing such may have a religious meaning, the reason for such is also because Islam started
from the Arabian dessert where geographical and topographical conditions are extremely
dangerous for humans. As Arab continue to adapt to the geographical conditions of their place,
they developed an outfit that would protect them from the harsh environment they are living in
and which has also been adopted by their religion.
On the other hand, religion can also affect certain aspects of geography as it impose
different beliefs and practices to the people living in a particular region or area. Take for example
the case of the Indian subcontinent. The Indian subcontinent more or less have the similar
geographical patterns but is divided into different countries with different religions. As different
religions practice different beliefs and customs, the geography of the Indian subcontinent
continues to become more diverse than ever.
Geography is also interconnected to culture. This relationship is shown in the case that
geography provides the space and resources to form cultural norms, while culture bears the
necessary knowledge about the region’s geographical conditions and ways to manage it. Ever
since, the spread of religion is always affected by several factors, which greatly include
geographical hospitality, or the possibility for human access to a certain geographical setting.
Religion is spread not only by their religious leaders but of every follower it has. When people
find a place as geographically hospitable or highly convenient to live in, they are attracted to live
in the area and practice both their culture and religion. However, if people see a certain
geographical setting or area as inhospitable, people as well as their culture and religion tend to
leave it. Other factors that affect the spread of religion also include economic and political
considerations.
 OUR LADY OF TRIUMPH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Purok Tugas, Balangasan Dist., Pagadian City, Philippines
Document Title:
ISO 9001:2015
HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
SELF-LEARNING MODULE

General Instructions:
Always read and follow the instructions for every exercise carefully. Write your answers in
the blank spaces provided.
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Exercise 1

Directions: Complete the matrix below by identifying how each element affect the other. After
discussing its effect, provide a simple yet concrete example showing this effect.

Religion

Culture Geography

Example: Culture Example:

Religion
Geography

Geography
Example:
Example:

Culture Religion

------Scoring
Rubric------
Example: Criteria Example:
Poi
Content Comprehensiv Clarity
nts
eness
15 Answer(s) are Examples are Has very good
highly relevant highly specific sentence
to what is and connected construction and
asked in the to the effect does not provide
corresponding discussed any vague
column statements.
12 Answer(s) are Examples are Has a good
relevant to specific but sentence
what is asked contains some construction with
in the points of little grammatical
corresponding vagueness mishaps and
column vague statements
9 Most points in The connection Has a good
the discussion between the sentence
of the effects effect(s) and the construction with
are relevant to example is little grammatical
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Purok Tugas, Balangasan Dist., Pagadian City, Philippines
Document Title:
ISO 9001:2015
HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
SELF-LEARNING MODULE
what is asked in the unclear mishaps and vague statements
corresponding column
6 Most points in the The connection between the Sentence construction has a
discussion of the effects are effect(s) and the example is moderate number of grammatical
not relevant to what is asked unclear mishaps and ague statements
in the corresponding column
3 The answer is not related to The connection between the Poor sentence construction and no
what is asked effect(s) and the example is idea can be easily understood.
unclear

Reflection

What did you learn most from this topic? Discuss your learnings/insights comprehensively.

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Reference(s)

Atim, B., C., N. (2016) DIWA Senior high school series: introduction to world religions and
belief systems. Philippines. DIWA LEARNING SYSTEMS INC. pp. 26-40