"Geography" is usually considered a science focused
on the natural environment. The earth, its various formations and characteristics, and the environment are normal components of pure geography.
However, the complete science of geography includes not only the study of
natural features, but also the study of the way those natural features influence life.
For example, many natural features, such as rivers, are also national borders. In that role, they act as cultural and social
barriers that are often far more powerful than their natural strength.
Consequently, "political geography" is a very important subset of geography, as is "economic geography." The politics, social welfare, and ability
to prosper economically can greatly impact an area and, more important, can greatly impact its people.
When we think of great world religions, we often think in geographic terms, whether right or wrong. We may think
of Islam as a Middle Eastern religion; yet the largest Muslim country in the world is Indonesia in the South Pacific. And Islam has a strong foothold in central and south Africa, quite a long distance from the Middle
East.
We may think of Buddhism as a Chinese religion, or as Hinduism as having primacy in India. Yet these religions, and variations of them, occur all over the world.
Finally, although we may still think of Western
Europe and North America as Christian regions, there is ample evidence that the "Christian Age' in these regions is past. For example, recent survey responses incidate that the fastest growing religion in the United
States is "none."
For this assignment, we want to become more aware of geography's impact on religious and spiritual practice.
Assignment:
In its day, one of the most startling aspects of Jesus Great Commission
was its geography. He instructed his disciples to "go into the world, making disciples in every nation."
This would have been a breathtaking thought for His disciplies. For one thing, they were not people of "the
world." They were Jewish, and very oriented to geographic Israel at that.
They thought of the Messiah as God's inheritance for Israel. And here He is, telling them to blast past the intellectual walls and physical
borders of Israel to take the Good News of God to the entire world.
For another, the first Apostles were not necessarily well-traveled or world-wise men. They may or may not have known how to take the Gospel beyond
Israel. For that, God showed His amazing genius by bringing into the picture and erudite, well-traveled fellow known as Saul of Tarsus.
For this assignment, please develop a relatively short (5-7 page) report on one
of the following topics (your choice):
Option 1
Trace the spread of the Gospel. Using the Book of Acts, your Questia.com resources, and the Internet, tell the story of how the Good News of God went from a small
story from the Galilean hillsides to a worldwide phenomenon. How did the Good News spread, especially after the close of the Book of Acts?
Option 2
Discuss the impact of geography on religion today. What areas of
the world have geographic and religious characteristics. What area of the world is least geographically religious and why?
Option 3
Discuss missionary geography. Christianity and Islam both instruct adherents to
spread their messages beyond geographic lines. In that respect, they are both global religions with global missions. Discuss the current state of the spread of one religion. You may focus on the growth of Christianity
in the developing world; the growth of Islam or another religion in the US, or any topic related to spreading a religious message beyond geographic boundaries.
