World Distribution Of Major Belief Systems

Find a world map colour in the map based on the worlds current Religious Affiliation. It is a complex but significant task to understand where different religious traditions are currently most prevalent.

Because of modern communications and the movement of people around the world, followers of all of these major belief systems may be found in the same city. Cultures and religions influence one another as they meet, and over a period of time their character may change and the relative influence in an area can change. Some examples of this:

1. In much of Africa and South America, a number of the variants of Christianity exists alongside the traditional local tribal and animistic religions, also known as ethno-religions
2. The three religions traditionally followed in China are Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism and some Chinese may accept parts of all three, and the country is strongly influenced by Communism.
3. In Japan, Shinto (the name given to the many traditional Japanese cults) is practised alongside Buddhism. There are a number of variants of Buddhism practised in Japan. As of December 2006, the Japanese Government recognized 154 schools of Buddhism includingTendai, Shingon, Jodo, Zen (Soto and Rinzai sects), Nichiren, and Narabukkyo. 

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How many adherents are there?

Use the international tab of the ADRD site to develop responses to the following in a manner that can be presented.

• What is the country?
• What is the distribution of the religions in the country? Graph
• Identify the dominant religious tradition
• World Region? Map
• Flag? Image
• Population?
• Total Area (sq.miles)?
• Life Expectancy at Birth?
• Gross National Income Per Capita?
• Official Religion(s) or Church(es)?
• History of the country?
• Why is the dominant religions is such a position?

 
Presentation of findings
After the presentation of findings …
Student write a brief response to the following

• How can the movement of religions around the globe be explained?
• What might have contributed to their growth or decline of a religious tradition in a given area of the globe?

For your GLOSSARY

Adherent
Variant
Sect
​Denomination
Conversion
Invasion
Genocide
Migration
Awakening

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Where did the religions come from?

Middle Eastern Religions:
 Christianity (Palestine)

• Roman Catholicism (later Europe)
  
• Protestantism (later Northern Europe)
  
• Eastern Orthodox (later Greece, Russia)
  

 Islam (Arabia)

• Shi'ite
  
• Sunni
  

Judaism (Palestine)
Zoroastrianism (Iran)


Far Eastern (Asian) Religions:

• Confucianism (China)
  
• Taoism (China)
  
• Shinto (Japan)
  
• Mahayana Buddhism (India later China, Mongolia)
• Vajrayana Buddhism (India later Tibet)
  

Indian Religions:

• Hinduism
  
• Sikhism
  
• Jainism
  
• Theravada Buddhism (later Thailand - Sri Lanka)
  

African Religions:

• Tribal Religions of Sub-Saharan Africa
  

American Religions:

• Religions of Indigenous American Indians
  

Oceanic Religions:

• The religions of the Pacific Islanders
  
• The beliefs of the Aborigines of Australia
  
• The beliefs of the Maoris of New Zealand