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37 views24 pages

Module 2 1

Uploaded by

gdescopete25
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Quarter 1 – Module 2:

Interconnectedness of Geography,
Culture,
and Religion

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS


Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems – SHS Interconnectedness of
Geography, Culture, and Religion - 1st Semester Module

Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work of the
Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government agency or office
wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit. Such
agency or office may, among other things, impose as a condition the payment of royalties.

Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand names, trademarks,
etc.) included in this book are owned by their respective copyright holders. Every effort has
been exerted to locate and seek permission to use these materials from their respective
copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not represent nor claim ownership over them.

Regional Director: Gilbert T. Sadsad


Assistant Regional Director: Jessie L. Amin
SDO Albay Schools Division Superintendent: Norma B. Samantela, CESO VI
SDO Albay Assistant Schools Division Superintendent: Wilfredo J. Gavarra
SDO Albay Assistant Schools Division Superintendent: Fatima D. Buen
Development Team of the Module

Writers: Maura Miranda – Daraga National High School


Content Editor: Juan A. Magdaong II – Daraga National High School
Language Editor: Rosemarie P. Esporlas – Bascaran High School
Layout Editor: Mark Joed Q. Matias – Oas Polytechnic School
Antonio L. Morada
Project In-Charge: Judith P. Restubog – EPS (EsP), SDO Albay

Quality Assurance Team:


Dr. Sancita Peñarubia Chief, Curriculum Implementation Division
Edison L. Mallapre EPS, LRMDS
Judith P. Restubog EPS, Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS 2


l. INTRODUCTION

Hello there! Have you ever been to a mountainous place? What d o you notice
about the topography? Do you feel the variations of climate in every specific location?
How do you think these climates affect the way people speak their language; create
their own clothing fashion, traditions, and economic activities? How do people live in
the lowland; what about those who are in the upland? Or near the riverbank, or those
who are living along the shores? Do you think there would be a proverbial difference
in terms of their understanding about life, about their surroundings, and about the
existence of one Supreme Being?

Geography is the basis of understanding history. History is about the origin of


life; how every group of people live and develop their unique way of life. Culture simply
means, any way of life as shown by many attributes that you will find basically from
this module which will lead you to better understanding why you believe in something
greater than the universe. This belief defines the religion that manifests through your
character.

You see, you’re already g iven the hint how all things are interconnected. All
you need is to discover the details for yourself for it will be fun, exciting, and very

Read now and do your task of creating your own way of life.

ll. OBJECTIVES:

much enriching.

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS 3


In this module, you are going to:

1. Analyze the interconnectedness of geography, culture, and religion.

Be ready to learn and accomplish the tasks ahead. I know that you are
excited to learn new things. Let’s start!

IV. VOCABULARY LIST

Let us find the meaning of words that you will encounter in the succeeding texts.

Word Definition
Adonai - ancient Hebrew God
Allah - the one God of Islam
- stories or ideas that define our personal sense of reality,
Belief System
and through which we make sense of the world.
- a path of practice and spiritual development that started
Buddhism in India. It strives for a deep insight leading to the nature
of reality.
- a monotheistic faith based on the life, works, and
Christianity
teachings of Jesus Christ.
- both an ancient religion and philosophy of China; it
Confucianism originated as a philosophical system founded on the
teachings of Confucius.
- a Chinese philosopher whose teachings are the basis of
Confucius
Confucianism.
- a system of vital ideas that contains, energizes, and
directs virtually every aspect of social life and a person’s
Culture relationship with the world, and the matrix from which
values, attitudes, motivations, and skills emerge.

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS 4


- the term comes from the French word milieu, meaning
“middle”. Refers to the setting and environment in which
Cultural milieu a person lives, including social and cultural aspect of life.

- Buddha’s teaching and the inner realizations that are


Dharma
attained in dependence upon practicing them.
Elohim - ancient Hebrew God
- a religion considered a product of spiritual, religious, and
social practices of the people from a large portion of
Hinduism South Asia, including the countries of India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, and Nepal.
- a major monotheistic religion which originated in the
Islam
Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century CE.
- a branch of Buddhism which is widely practiced in
Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, and China: known as a
Mahayana Buddhism “Greater Vehicle”, it has given rise to various offshoots
of Buddhism in other countries.
- a Persian religion founded in the sixth century B.C. by
the prophet Zoroaster, characterized by worship of a
Zoroastrianism supreme god, Ahura Mazda who requires good deeds
for help in his cosmic struggle against the evil spirit
Ahriman.

V. LEARNING ACTIVITIES

LET’S DO THIS!

Activity 1: PICTURE ANALYSIS

Write a brief answer to the following questions below. You may refer to the
internet or any reference material in World History.

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS 5


A

B
Source: (A) [Link] (B)
[Link]

1. ______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________.

2. What makes the place significant?


______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________.

A B

C D
Source: (A) [Link]
(B) [Link]
(C) [Link] (D)
[Link]
3. ______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________.

4. What is Hajji? How important it is to the Muslim people?


______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________.

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS 6


A

Source: (A) [Link] (B)


[Link]

5. ______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________.

ANSWER ME

How do you find the activity?


___________________________________________________________.

What are your realizations after reading these evidences?


___________________________________________________________.

What does each picture show?


___________________________________________________________.

Vl. DEEPENING

How are you today? Are you ready for the next trekking activity? But before we
start, can you share your meaningful discovery on the initial activities you have gone
through? Write it in your journal.

Today, you are going to read the following learning points. As you go over it, you may
take down notes or write questions that you want to be clarified about.

Does Geography influence religion? All religion and culture are based on
Geography.

Examples:

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS 7


1. Cremation of corpse is done where wood is abundant. But in deserts where
wood is not present, the corpse is buried.

2. When you complete your fasting, if you are in deserts, you will get only dates
and so desert people complete their fasting with dates whereas in regions like
India where milk of fruit juice is used to complete fasting.

3. In hot countries people wear light clothes or with bare chest as part of their
culture and in cold countries people even wear shoes and slippers into their
place of worship due to the impact of cold.

4. In India water plays a main role in rituals as we have multiple rivers in this region
whereas in cold places, fire is used in their rituals.

These are some of the things I had explained. There are other things also which
are affected based on Geography. Without lands, or geography, religion would not
exist.

Geography is everything about people (and their lands) and nature – religion is
part of human environment. Geography is human environment and natural
environment.

Human environment is made of regions, countries etc., Humans spread their


ideas, concepts, and religions where they can reach.

Religious people would not just spread their religions but try to convert others.
You don’t need animals follow your religions but other humans.

Humans compete with other human beings – that’s normal. A species is always
competing among itself for all reasons. Peoples of a region are constantly contesting.
That’s geography. When they can reach faraway lands, their religions spread faraway
lands too.

Published by: Erdkunde, http.//[Link]/stable/41331384, Page Count: 11 For


a thorough discussion of the topic please visit these sites:
[Link]
Accessed time: 11:50pm 7/28/2020 or download on my Google Drive
[Link]

A. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• Prehistoric humans, such as the Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons, have


practiced a set of belief systems like in burying their dead, painting on the walls
of caves and carving images from stones.

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS 8


• The existence of humankind for so long a time has resulted in the formation of
religion and belief systems. It is certain that many religions may have been
unrecorded in the past. Others may have gradually died down like
Zoroastrianism that once flourished in South Asia but is now only confined in
Iran, India, and Central Asia

Important Dates on The Origin of World Religions

Date Significance

• c. 2000 BCE – Time of Abraham, the patriarch of Israel


• c. 1200 BCE – Time of Moses, the Hebrew leader of Exodus
• c. 1100 - 500 BCE – Hindus compiled their holy texts, the Vedas
• c. 563 - 83 BCE – Time of the Buddha, founder of Buddhism
• c. 551 - 479 BCE – Time of Confucius, founder of Confucianism
• c. 200 BCE – The Hindu book, Bhagavad Gita, was written
• c. 2 to 4 BCE - 32 CE – Time of Jesus Christ, the Messiah and founder of
Christianity
• c. 32 CE – The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
• c. 40 - 90 CE – The new Testament was written by the followers of Jesus
Christ
• c. 100 CE – Beginnings of Shintoism (no known founder)
• c. 500 - 580 CE – Time of Lao Tzu, founder of Daoism
• c. 570 - 632 CE – Time of Muhammad, who recorded the Q’ran as the basis
of Islam

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.

The Genealogy of Abraham

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS 9


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.”
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.

Then and now, the followers of the three Abrahamic religions are presented
with a choice between good and evil.

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS 1


0
BY THE WAY…

Why is Abraham important to the development of Judaism, Christianity,


and Islam?

Activity 2: NAME IT!

Familiarize yourself with the diagram above showing the genealogy of


Abraham. Can you identify some of the listed names based on your knowledge of your
religion?

Listed names in the Genealogy My knowledge of my


of Abraham religion

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS 1


1
1. How do you find the activity?
____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________.

2. What significant concept have you learned from today’s activity?


____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________.

3. What meaning does it give you as a person?


____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________.

4. You have already trekked back in time of Abraham. Do you want to know
and discover more about it? Let us now continue your trekking!
____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________.

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.

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS 1


2

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.

• Born near the end of the 6th century BCE, Siddhartha Gautama’s life is closely
linked with the historical and religious development of Buddhism in India.
Gaining new converts due to its mass appeal as compared to the exclusivity of
Hindu beliefs, Buddhism spread far and wide from India to Sri Lanka and to
Southeast Asia.

• The religion was transported to China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Across the
Himalayas, it reached the Tibetan lands.

• Presently, Buddhism has become more popular outside its place of origin while
Hinduism has remained entrenched (rooted) in India throughout many
centuries.

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

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS 1


3

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 Siddhartha 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.

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS 1


4

• 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.

B. GEOGRAPHY OF FAITH

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.

• The Levant: Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Syria, and Palestine.

• Israel remains the only country in the world with a Jewish-majority population
comprising almost 75% of its citizens.

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS 1


5

• The Arabian Peninsula, the world’s largest peninsula, consists of countries that
are predominantly Islamic in character. (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait,
United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Oman). Most West Asian countries follow
Shi’a and Sunni denominations of Islam. Iran and Iraq associate themselves
with the Shi’a sect while Muslims in Saudi Arabia belong to Sunni branch.

• The topography of West Asia is characterized by vast areas of mountainous


terrains which played significant roles in many religious beliefs as these

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS 1


6
landforms provide ideal settings where gods live or where gods and mortals
meet.

SACRED MOUNTAINS in the Judeo-Christian Traditions


Holy
Mountains Location Significance

Mount Ararat Eastern part of Traditional landing place of Noah’s Ark


Turkey as narrated in the book of Genesis

Mount Sinai Sinai Peninsula in The peak where Moses received the Ten
Egypt Commandments

Mount Zion/ Jerusalem Known as Known as the city of David and Temple
Mount Moriah the city of 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 Domen
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.

Place Significance
Israelites crossed this as they escaped
Yam Suph (Red Sea) from Egyptian lands
Israelites lived here en route the
Sinai Desert Promised Land (spiritual cleansing

• 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.

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS


17
• 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 Sepulcher, 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.

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.

• Because sweltering heat is one major feature of India’s ecological setting, it is no


wonder that Hindus revere the sun (Surya) and fire (Agni).

• Water also plays a major role as evidenced by Hindus venerating a god of water
and celestial oceans (Varuna).

• The South Asian countries of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh depend on the
rivers of Indus, Ganga-Yamuna, and Brahmaputra. Traversing the great plains of
north India, the Ganga (Ganges) is the holiest river for the Hindus. From its point

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS


18
of origin to its confluence with the ocean, many ancient pilgrimage sites and cities
line up along the Ganga that include Rishikesh, Haridwar, Prayag and Varanasi.

• Even Buddhists consider Varanasi as an important religious site. During the olden
days, there was once a deer park in Samath which is now a residential area in
Varanasi. In this park, Siddhartha Gautama gave his first sermon about the
principles of Buddhism. It is presently marked by the Dhamek Stupa shrine.

• The Buddha also met his first disciples at this place which is now commemorated
by the Chaukhandi Stupa monument.

The Eastern End

• At the eastern end of the great Asian continent one finds the cultural and political
dominance of China.

• The location of China proper in the valleys of two great bodies of water, the Huang
He and Yangtze, is quite favorable because of the support these streams provide
to the Chinese people that made historic China the center of culture.

• From these river valleys emerged small states now controlled by the first
recorded dynasties, the Shang and the Zhou. It is within this context that the great
Confucius became fascinated with ethical questions and morality in government
officials.

• It was only during the second millennium after the death of Confucius in 479 BCE
that the teachings and ideals identified with his philosophy spread in China. By
the time of the Han dynasty, Confucian teachings had become the state religion.
In Korea, it began to be disseminated extensively around the 15th century. In
Japan, it was accepted by the majority during the 18th and 19th centuries.

• Daoism emerged in response to the widespread warfare and social turmoil that
besieged the Zhou dynasty.

• The entry of Buddhism in Japan between the 4th and 8th centuries had a direct
effect in their religious traditions.

a. Shinto was introduced (to distinguish native from foreign religion).

b. Shinto followers acknowledged that the numerous buddhas and bodhisattvas were
revelations of the kami.

c. Fusion between Shintoism and Buddhism.

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS


19
d. Japan developed a unique form of Buddhism taking its fullest meditative form under
Zen.

C. CULTURAL MILIEU

World religions can be regarded along the lines of their exclusivity or


nonexclusivity.

• Exclusive religions are oftentimes monotheistic with Judaism, Christianity, and


Islam. Meanwhile, non-exclusive religions are Hinduism, Buddhism,
Confucianism, Taoism and Shintoism.

On Monotheism and Universality

While Judaism and Islam affirm the presence of one god (Unitarian creed)
Christianity acknowledges one God in three persons (Trinitarian creed): The Father, the
Son and the Holy Spirit.

• The basic principles of the Muslim faith are reflected in the “Five Pillars of Islam”.

• Both Christianity and Islam are considered universalizing religions because they
both attempt to operate on a global scale.

• On the other hand, Judaism can be considered an ethnic religion because it


draws members from a specific group of people from a definite locality with most
of its practices and rituals performed continuously throughout generations.

On 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.

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS


20
• 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:

o Hindus believe in trimurti or the three forms of god.


o 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.

On Nature and Ancestors

• The elements of cult of heaven and ancestor worship are features of ancient
Chinese culture integrated into the Confucian philosophy and belief. Confucius
had a firm conviction in a natural order that was moral order.

• Apart from having a harmonious relationship between humans and heaven, the
establishment of an ideal human society is also key to Confucian followers. The
five basic social relationships are:

1. Ruler and subjects


2. Father and son
3. Husband and wife
4. Older and younger brothers
5. Friends or members of the community

• In Shintoism, divinities are closely linked to nature and natural forces. The sacred
Mount Fuji, an abode of Japanese gods, is surrounded by temples and shrines.
It is one of the three holy mountains along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku.

• Shrines are erected to venerate or remember ancestors, an occurrence, and


natural phenomena, such as mountains, rivers, rocks and trees. Shinto followers
carry out ritualistic practices diligently in order to establish union with
the present society and the nation’s past. Majority of its followers also practice
Buddhism.

Activity 3: Concept Map

Based on the readings, what are the 3 things that are related to World

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS


21
Religion? Fill out the concept map below

World
Religion

Read and answer the following questions in your journal


.

1. What concepts have you learned from this module?


____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________.

2. What have you discovered about yourself in relation to the module?


____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________.

CONGRATULATIONS!

You are now in the last part of this module! But before we part ways, let us try to
sum up the learnings that you got.

At this point, write down on your journal, your significant insights by completing
the following sentence prompts.

I have learned that ___________________________________________________.

I have realized that ___________________________________________________.


I will apply __________________________________________________________.

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS


22
Vll. APPLICATION

MY REFLECTION PAPER

Be guided on the following questions:

1. In what way do you appreciate geography and culture in your religion?


_____________________________________________________________.

2. If given the chance, which part of geography and culture would you like to
change? Why?

World mapping analysis of interconnectedness of geography, culture, and


religion of five world religions. (Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity,
Islam)

Source: [Link]

Rubrics for map analysis.

CATEGORY 20 15 10 5

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS


23
Thoroughly explained Little or no
ideas of the Ideas somewhat
Ideas explained the explanation of ideas
explained the
Idea interconnectedness interconnectedness
interconnectedness
of the
Explanation of geography, culture, of geography, culture, interconnectedness
of geography, culture,
and religion and religion of geography, culture,
and religion
and religion
Most place of origin Some place of origin No place of origin per
All place of origin per
per religion were per religion were religion were
Location religion were labelled
labelled and located labelled and located labelled and located
and located correctly
correctly correctly correctly
Work adequately Work inadequately Work does shows Work does not
shows understanding shows little understanding of shows
Map of the understanding of the the understanding of the
representat interconnectedness interconnectedness interconnectedness interconnectedness
ion of 5 religions in of 5 religions in of 5 religions in of 5 religions in
geography, and geography, and geography, and geography, and
culture culture culture culture
Color & symbols Color & symbols Color & symbols Color & symbols
used per religion, all used per religion, used per religion, used per religion,
Color/map shows mostly shows some shows does not shows
legend interconnectedness interconnectedness interconnectedness interconnectedness
of geography and of geography and of geography and of geography and
culture culture culture culture

What three (3) questions would you like to ask your teacher about
Interconnectedness of Geography, Culture and Religion?

lX. ASSIGNMENT / ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

Congratulations and thank you for finishing this module! You’ve just had a
fruitful learning discovery in the interconnectedness of geography, culture and religion,
for sure, you will also do the same in the succeeding modules. Read in advance about
Effects of Religion.

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS


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