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IWRBS - Q1 - Mod2 - The Dynamics of Geography, Culture, and Religion
IWRBS - Q1 - Mod2 - The Dynamics of Geography, Culture, and Religion
Department of Education
National Capital Region
DIVISION OF CITY SCHOOLS – MANILA
Manila Education Center Arroceros Forest Park
Antonio J. Villegas St. Ermita, Manila
Introduction to World
Religions & Belief
Systems
The Dynamics of Geography,
Culture, and Religion
Quarter 1- Week 2
Module 2
Most Essential Learning Competency:
Analyze the interconnectedness of geography, culture, and
religion
.
HOW TO USE THIS MODULE
Before starting the module, I want you to set aside other tasks that will disturb
you while enjoying the lessons. Read the simple instructions below to successfully
enjoy the objectives of this kit. Have fun!
1. Follow carefully all the contents and instructions indicated in every page of
this module.
2. Write on your notebook the concepts about the lessons. Writing enhances
learning, that is important to develop and keep in mind.
3. Perform all the provided activities in the module.
4. Let your facilitator/guardian assess your answers using the answer key card.
5. Analyze conceptually the posttest and apply what you have learned.
6. Enjoy studying!
1
EXPECTATIONS
PRETEST
Direction: Choose the letter that corresponds to your answer and write it in the
space provided.
_____1. Various religions flourished all over the world carrying with them their
religious traditions and practices. One of those practices is worshipping
their God. What is the term for a particular space where they communicate
or pray to their God or gods?
A. sacred place C. holy altar
B. sacred images D. sacred symbols
_____2. Its concern is land and people. Its features are things like continents, seas,
rivers and mountains. It is the fertile ground for the proliferation of
religion. It refers to what term?
A. Culture C. Religion
B. Geography D. Landscape
_____3. Whose belief is this: “Religion is philosophy and philosophy is religion.
A. Western belief C. Eastern belief
B. Southern belief D. Northern belief
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_____4. Each particular religion has particular places where believers go and pray
to their God. What particular religion that considers temples as its places of
worship.
A. Judaism C. Hinduism
B. Christianity D. Islam
_____5. There is a special relationship between religion and geography. Religion
needs the other in order to develop. What is the term appropriate for this
kind of relationship?
A. Religious geography C. Cultural geography
B. Religious anthropology D. all of the above
Great, you finished answering the questions. You may request your
facilitator to check your work. Congratulations and keep on learning!
Questions:
2. It is a belief that the world is inhabited by spirit beings who govern earthly
activities. Mistipris
Your ans.: _______________________
3
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
This lesson will guide you in understanding the relationship between religion
and geography. How geography enhances the proliferation of religion and affects
the mindset of people particularly their beliefs to something divine.
Lesson
DISCUSSIONS
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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. There is a significant disparity between Western and Eastern
religions in terms of belief systems, worldview and philosophy about life. The
mindset of the West is different from the mindset of the East. It is possible that the
difference in mindset is brought by geographical influence.
Let us look at the specific characteristics between the western (occidental) and
eastern (oriental) paradigm as discussed by Christine Carmela R. Ramos in her
book, “Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person.” 2016. In gist the
disparity of mindset can be summarized as follows;
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sacred because of religion. The interplay of geography and religion not only
highlights the role of religion in affecting landscape changes and in assigning
sacred meanings to specific places, but also acknowledges how religious ideology
and practices at specific spaces are guided and transformed by their location
(Kong, 1990). The above picture is the Regina Rica (Regina Rosarii Institute for
Contemplation in Asia) located in a thirteen and half )13.5) hectares along
Marilaque or Marcos Highway at Sitio Aguho, Sampaloc Tanay, Rizal. It used to be
a mountainous, serene, and peaceful location very close to nature overlooking
Laguna lake. Now it is transformed into a pilgrimage site especially for Catholic
Christian believers. This is a concrete example of how religion changes the
landscape of a geographic location and context. Filipinos are very religious people
and their dependence to God can be traced to the numerous sacred images and
places around the country. Regina Rica in Tanay, Rizal is just one of them.
ACTIVITIES
Activity 1. Step out! This place is holy
Objective: Determine the different sacred places from various religious beliefs.
Directions: 1. Reflect on the religious beliefs of sacred places in the pictures and
then answer the following questions below.
Kamay ni Hesus, Lucban, Buddha under a Bodhi tree Sacred mountain, Saudi, Moses in Mt. Sinai
Quezon (Christians) (Buddhists) Arabia (Muslims) (Judaism)
Asianews.it Alamy.com Dunyanews.tv Co.pinterest.com
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CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
REMEMBER
• Geography is the study of earth and its people. Its features are things like
continents, seas, rivers and mountains
• 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.
• Western religions – are religions that flourish in the Western hemisphere of
the globe or sometimes called the Occidental religions like Judaism,
Christianity and Islam.
• Eastern Religions are religions from the Eastern hemisphere which are also
called the Oriental religions that include Hinduism, Buddhism, , Taoism,
Shintoism to name a few.
• Sacred places - is a place that is thought of as sacred (or holy) to a particular
religion. Every one of the world's major religions has sacred sites.
• Paradigm – is a worldview, belief or a model of thought.
• Hellenism - is the term used to describe the influence of Greek culture on the
entire Roman Empires. The Hellenistic period covers the period of
Mediterranean history between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC
and the emergence of the Roman Empire .
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POST TEST
Directions: Direction: Choose the letter that corresponds to your answer and
write it in the space provided.
_____1. Various Religions developed in time and spaces all over the world carrying
with them their religious traditions and practices. One of those practices
are particular places where the believers enable to communicate to a divine
entity. How do they call these places?
A. sacred places C. holy altar
B. sacred images D. holy war
_____2. Its concern is land and people. Its features are things like continents, seas,
rivers and mountains. It is the fertile ground for the proliferation of religion.
It refers to what term?
A. Culture C. Religion
B. Geography D. Landscape
_____3. Whose belief is this: “Religion is philosophy and philosophy is religion.
A. Western belief C. Eastern belief
B. Southern belief D. Northern belief
_____4. Each particular religion has particular places where they go and pray to
their God. What particular religion which considers temples as their places
of worship.
A. Judaism C. Hinduism
B. Christianity D. Islam
_____5. There is a special relationship between religion and geography. Religion
needs the other in order to develop. What is the term appropriate for this
kind of relationship?
A. Religious geography C. Cultural geography
B. Religious anthropology D. all of the above
_____6. Your friends encouraged you to join a pilgrimage in Antipolo’s our Lady of
Good Voyage church during Holy Week. What will you say?
A. I am not a religious person so I don’t need to go.
B. Yes, I will join because it strengthens my faith when I go to a holy or
sacred place.
C. Yes, I will join because of my friends.
D. No because I pray alone in my room.
_____7. Asia is the birthplace of the major religions in the world. The Philippines is
situated in Asia and it was Christianized by the Spaniards. What kind of
religious influence did we embrace?
A. Western religions C. Eastern religions
B. Asian Religions D. African Religions
_____8. There are places of worship that are considered sacred by religious
traditions. What place of worship is considered sacred by Muslims?
A. Churches c. Synagogues
b. Mosques d. Temples
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_____9. The site where any Muslims all over the world go for a pilgrimage once in
their lifetime.
A. Mecca in Saudi Arabia C. the Kaaba
B. Middle East D. In Iran
_____10. Every Holy Week Catholic Christians commemorate the crucifixion of
Christ. The crucifixion was made possible through the fourteen Stations of
the Cross or even individuals literally reenact the event by themselves
being crucified. What place mentioned in the bible where Jesus was
crucified?
A. Golgotha C. Mt. Tabor
B. Calvary D. Mt. Sinai
Lesson
The Symbiosis of Religion &
2 Culture
EXPECTATIONS
You will analyze the interconnectedness of culture and religions.
Specifically, this module will help you to
• Understand the development of the different religions in a specific culture
• Appreciate the role of culture in the development of religion and ;
• Observe their influence in your interaction with your fellowmen, the world,
nature and God.
PRETEST
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer and write it the space provided
before the number.
_____1. It is referred to as “ordinary way of life” in its broadest sense by Raymond
Williams. What is it?
A. Society C. Politics
B. Culture D. Science
_____2. Perhaps you may encounter people who considered their own culture as
superior than others. Some of us laugh when a person we talk to has a
Visayan accent. What do you call this kind of attitude?
A. Monotheism C. Cultural Relativism
B. Ethnocentrism D. Polytheism
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_____3. Culture is dynamic. This means that culture
A. is genetically structured in man’s biological component.
B. can be accumulated throughout the lifetime of a person.
C. is diverse, and we adjust to other culture.
D. is never stagnant and keep on changing due to new social experiences of
people.
_____4. Which statement reflects the relationship between religion, culture and
geography?
A. Religion influenced culture and geography.
B. Culture influenced religion and geography
C. Geography influenced culture and religion.
D. All of the above
______5. One of the statements reflects the beliefs of the Filipinos before
Christianity was introduced?
A. Nabati C. nabalis
B. Nausog D. all of the above
A-MAZE-ING
To prove your understanding of the past lesson, you should be ready to
accomplish this task. You may do the following.
Religion
Culture Geography
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BRIEF INTRODUCTION
The above activity introduces us to the possible relationship of the three
concepts which are religion, geography and culture. The first two concepts are
already discussed from the previous lesson. This lesson will focus on the concept of
culture and its influence towards religious beliefs or vice versa.
DISCUSSIONS
What is Culture
By the way, if you consider your own culture as superior from the rest, then
your belief is termed as ethnocentrism. On the other hand, if you are open minded
towards other culture without judging them and respect the diverse culture around
you then you believe in cultural relativism. In our present age of technology
wherein the world is one-big community and every human beings communicate
through the internet from different cultural backgrounds, we cannot help but
become a cultural relativist. We should respect the culture of others because we
are all citizens of this world and we are all equal. As a member of a society, we have
no choice but to interact with our fellowmen. In so doing, we can encounter people
with different beliefs, practices or even have different philosophy in life. We are in a
multi-cultural society or simply we live amidst a multiculturalist world wherein
multiculturalism should prevail. The word “multi” implies many. According to
Harrison (1994) multiculturalism is a theory about the foundations of a culture
rather than a practice which subsumes cultural ideas. In a broader sense, the term
is often use to describe societies which have many distinct cultural groups, usually
as a result of immigration. (Vega, et al, 2009). Although we can still observe people
who are ethno centrists. In the course of time there are people who are ethno
centrists and there are those who are cultural relativists. In terms of religious
beliefs, there are people who are fundamentalists who defend their beliefs at all
costs, and there are people who are open minded enough to respect the beliefs of
others.
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Religion and Culture
Our experience of the Covid-19 pandemic can attest to this. The sight of
people dying left and right in hospitals, coffins paraded in the streets and millions
of people all over the world struggling to survive from this malady triggered humans
to depend on some divine power to intercede. The pandemic as of June , 2020, hit a
record high of almost ten (10) million people affected all over the world and
hundreds of thousands of deaths. Since no vaccine is in sight, posts in Facebook,
messenger, Instagram, Twitter and even mainstream media are all dominated by
God-related shares in a form of prayers and pleas for divine intervention. The
“new normal culture” is our way of coping our vulnerability. The new normal
culture changes the landscape of our daily lives including religious practices. “New
normal” is a word of mouth now that the whole world is experiencing the Covid-19
pandemic but the phrase “new normal culture” is used for the first time in this
module. This is not found yet in any dictionary or in a sociology book. What does it
mean? It means a deviation from the “normal” to the “not normal” way of life. It is
more of an awareness and prevention against the pandemic. This is one
characteristic of culture, being dynamic and adaptive and so we adjust and adapt
to the new culture. In the church for example, one important law is, Thou shalt
keep Holy the Lord’s day. If one violates this commandment a believer commits a
grievous sin. Under the new normal culture this is not relevant anymore. The
church now can accommodate only a few. We can now attend masses or services at
home. The church has to adjust to the new culture. This is how culture
influences religion and vice versa. There are certain periods in history that the
intermarriage between culture and religion, the latter dominates in shaping the
way of life of the people. Let us take for example the functions of religion laid down
by Calderon. He assumed that religion also influence not just the religious life but
also social, economic and even political way of life of people. Among the many
functions of religion identified by Calderon (1998) are the following:
1. Religion serves as a means of social control.
2. It exerts a great influence upon personality development.
3. Religion allays fear of the unknown.
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4. Religion explains events or situations which are beyond the
comprehension of man.
5. It gives man comfort, strength and hope in times of crisis and despair.
6. It preserves and transmits knowledge, skills, spiritual and cultural values
and practices.
7. It serves as an instrument of change.
8. It promotes closeness, love, cooperation, friendliness and helpfulness.
9. Religion alleviates sufferings from major calamities.
10. It provides hope for a blissful life after death.
The above functions show that religion penetrates the whole dimension of
one’s life and society even to non-believers. When the Spaniards brought
Christianity in the Philippines, it changes the social, economic and political life of
the people. The Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, the two famous novels of
our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal reflect how religion dictates the way of life of the
people. How religion became an instrument of power to control the Indios or the
Filipinos. Christianity was used as a sword or weapon to make the natives obey
from the whims and caprices of the Spaniards. As history goes by, the perspective
of religion changes. Religion today is used as a weapon not of oppression but of
compassion and solidarity with the poor. From the perspective of Christianity,
this is the original intention of the founder, Jesus Christ. The Bible, the sacred
book of the Christians is very specific that Christ’s leaning is towards the poor and
the oppressed. Plenty of parables in the New Testament can attest to this. What
happened when Christianity embraced different cultures along the way?
Historically, in 313 AD, the Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan,
which accepted Christianity: 10 years later, it became the official religion of the
Roman Empire. (www.pbs.org>empires>romans>empire>christians) The sudden
shift of attitudes and lifestyles among the Christians was observable among which;
a) being powerless, they become powerful; b) being persecuted, they become
persecutors. We have a long list of abuses since then especially during the Dark
Ages of the church. What does this mean? The development of religion is influenced
by the cultural milieu where it belongs. When Christianity was embraced by the
Greeks and Romans, it became a religion of the mind. It became and academic
subject devoid of compassion and mercy. Compassion and mercy are the original
values of Jesus Christ. Thanks to Vatican II which happened in the 1960’s the
church realized that there was a need to retrieve the real spirit of the Bible. The
Vatican Council II of the Catholic Church discussed about the urgency of the
spiritual renewal of the church. It became the marching order from the top
echelon of the Catholic Church from the Pope to the Cardinals, bishops and priests
all over the world. This movement caught fire and duplicated by other Christian
denominations and sects. Hence we have now the term, ecumenical movement or
ecumenism.
Ecumenism- is a movement or
tendency foward worldwide Christian unity
or cooperation. The ecumenical movement
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seeks to recover the apostolic sense of the early church for unity in diversity, and it
confronts the frustrations, difficulties, and ironies of the modern pluralistic world.
It is a lively reassessment of the historical sources and destiny of what followers
perceive to be the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church of Jesus Christ.
(www.britannica.com/topic/ecumenism). If you look at the picture of Ghandi, he
has a perfect reminder for everyone. He said, “Nobody in this world possesses
absolute truth. This is God’s attribute alone. Relative truth is all we know.”
Today, ecumenism is not only exclusive among Christian churches but it extends
towards other religions through the principles of “unity in diversity” and “many
paths yet only one destiny.” Ecumenism simply means that no religion possesses
the whole truth as Gandhi reiterates.
ACTIVITIES
Activity 2.1. Picture Analysis
Objective: Compare and contrast the cultural and religious influences to our
society.
SAATCHIART.COM
Directions:
1. Analyze the picture and answer the following questions.
2. Use a separate sheet of paper for your answer.
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Activity 2.2. SUSMARYOSEP
Directions: Below are pictures of “Kamay ni Jesus” and “Regina Rica” as discussed
in Lesson 1. They are located in Lucban, Quezon and Tanay, Rizal respectively. In
essay type, answer the following questions below:
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CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Sensitivity Check
Directions:
1. Apply the values of compassion and solidarity of religion to the ethnic identity
issues below.
(An Excerpt)
Source: Odchigue, R. (2010). Bibo Ergo Sum: Theo-Social Reflections of the Taguibo
Watershed Advocacy. Hapag 7.No.1, 79-71.
REMEMBER
• Culture – is the whole way of life. It is ‘ordinary” according to Raymond
Williams which means all we do from sunrise to sunset is part of our
culture.
• New Normal Culture-is a deviation from the “normal” way of life to the “not
normal” due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is more of awareness and
prevention against the pandemic which includes social distancing, wearing
masks and washing of hands or using alcohol to avoid the virus.
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• Ecumenism- is a movement or tendency toward worldwide Christian unity or
cooperation
• Renewal - Second Vatican Council, also called Vatican II, (1962–65), 21st
ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, announced by Pope John
XXIII on January 25, 1959, as a means of spiritual renewal for the church
and as an occasion for Christians separated from Rome to join in a search
for Christian unity.
POST TEST
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer and write it on a separate sheet of
paper.
_____1. It is referred to as “ordinary way of life” in its broadest sense. It is the way
how we wake up in the morning, fold our bed, brush our teeth, take a bath
and pray before and after meals, the way we dress for work, the way we
mingle with friends, etc. It is the way we do or act in our everyday life from
morning to sunrise. What is this?
A. Society C. Politics
B. Culture D. Science
_____2. Within Christianity there are a lot of divisions among themselves. History is
a witness to the numerous wars brought by religion. Towards the middle of
the 20th century a movement was formed by both Catholic and their
Protestant counterparts to heed to the original gospel message of Unity,
Holiness, Universality and Apostolic. What movement is this?
A. New Age Movement C. Renewal
B. Ecumenism D. Activism
_____3. “Culture is adaptive, “is one of the characteristics of culture. One of the
statements does not reflect this characteristic. Which statement are we
referring to?
A. is genetically structured in man’s biological component
B. can be accumulated throughout the lifetime of a person
C. is diverse, and we should adjust to other culture
D. is never stagnant and keep on changing due to new social experiences of
people
____4. There is a symbiotic relationship between these three (3) concepts;
geography, culture and religion. Which statement reflects this kind of
relationship?
A. Religion influenced culture and geography.
B. Culture influenced religion and geography
C. Geography influenced culture and religion.
D. All of the above
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____5. Amidst our modern lifestyles and technology, a Filipino superstition that
attributes its illness to the greeting of a stranger still prevails. This belief is
called ________.
A. Filipinos are polytheistic.
B. Filipinos are monotheistic?
C. Filipinos are animistic?
D. Filipinos are polytheistic, monotheistic and animistic?
____6. The Western and Eastern religions have different mindset in terms of
worldview, beliefs and philosophy in life. Which statement does not reflect
the difference between the two?
A. Western religions are linear while Eastern religions are cyclical.
B. Western religion separates religion and philosophy while Eastern religion
treats religion and philosophy as one.
C. Eastern religion believes in Incarnation while Eastern religion believes in
Re-incarnation.
D. all of the above.
____7. Identify which group of religions traces their history from Abraham?
A. Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism
B. Christianity, Islam, Hinduism
C. Judaism, Christianity, Islam
D. Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism
____8. A certain guy approached you and asked this question, how can I be saved?
What will be your best answer?
A. You should be a member of any of the religions?
B. Don’t worry about salvation, just enjoy life and be happy?
C. Go to Quiapo and your prayers will be answered?
D. You should go beyond religions in believing God.
____9. What characteristic of culture applies when Filipinos adapted and embraced
the Christian religion from the Spaniards?
A. Culture can be shared and learned
B. Culture is transmitted from generation to another
C. Culture is adaptive and integrated.
D. All of the above.
____10. Find out which phrases below is not an element of religion?
A. Belief in supernatural powers
B. Belief in the holy or sacred?
C. Curing the sick
D. Mode of worship
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REFERENCES
Online Sources
Kong, Lily (1990). Geography and Religion: Trends and Prospects retrieved
from https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2239/
Books:
McKinney, Laurence O. (1994). Nuerotheology: Virtual Religion in the 21st
Century retrieved from https://www. Amazon.com>Nuerotheology-Virtual-2
Articles:
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Acknowledgements
Writers: Paciano B. Ferrer – MT II
Editors : Amalia C. Solis – EPS
Reviewers : Gener Irinco –MT II, Aldrin C. Alac –T-III, Jeriel
Apurillo- TIII, (Content) ; Virginia A. Pike- TIII (Language)
Management Team : Maria Magdalena M. Lim –Schools
Division Superintendent-Manila, Aida H. Rondilla –Chief
Education Supervisor, Lucky S. Carpio-EPS and Lady
Hannah C. Gillo, Librarian II-LRMS
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REFLECTIVE LEARNING SHEET
Name ____________________________________________ Grade and Section ___________
School: ______________________ Date: _____________ Subj. Teacher: _______________
Reflection
Directions: Meditate on the phrase below and reason out against the claim or
opinion about the world.
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REFLECTIVE LEARNING SHEET
Name ____________________________________________ Grade and Section ___________
School: ______________________ Date: _____________ Subj. Teacher: _______________
Directions:
1. Christian or not, you are going to observe and analyze the behaviors of the
believers as they honor the black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila and answer the
following questions below.
2. Submit your task in a separate folder
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ANSWER KEY
Module 2:
Lesson 1
PRETEST POSTTEST
1.d 1.d
2.a 2.a
3.b 3.b
4.d 4.d
5.c 5.c
6.b
7.d
8.c
9.d
10. c
MODULE 2: Lesson 2
PRETEST POSTTEST
1.a 1.a
2.b 2.b
3.c 3.c
4.c 4.c
5.a 5.a
6.b
7.a
8.a
9.a
10.b
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