The Effects of Christianity on Geography in Louisiana -Term Project

The Effects of Christianity on

 Geography in Louisiana. 

A study done by Brianna Gauthier. The study focuses on the effects of Christianity on Geography in Louisiana. 

(Norfleet, 2019)

This image features the St. Louis Cathedral. The St. Louis Cathedral is located in New Orleans, Louisiana. This important landmark happens to be the oldest cathedral in the United States. St. Louis Cathedral was built in 1719. 

            Religion plays a huge role in many individuals' lives all around the world. Religion, including identifying as non-religious, truly impacts all aspects of life. Religion affects what an individual eats and drinks. For example, individuals of Jewish religion, Believe that pork is a sacred meat and avoid the eating and intake of it. Religion can affect the practice of medical procedures. Most Muslim groups believe that many surgical procedures, such as circumcision, are unnecessary and refrain from practicing it. Religion impacts the way that individuals view family structure. Most Christian groups, specifically Roman Catholics, frown upon the idea of divorce and believe that a marriage only ends when a spouse dies or if there are certain grounds for annulment. Religion impacts how the upcoming generation is educated. Buddhist and Hindu groups focus heavily on education and they have sacred monasteries that are a source for learning. Religion impacts the economy. In the Christian church, individuals practice "tithing," where people contribute one-tenth of their income for religious purposes (Effects of Religious Practice on Society). Many of the practices listed previously are common trends found in specific religions. These broad examples demonstrate how greatly religion can affect the day-to-day lives of several individuals. There are so many more examples that are not listed, but also impact people all over the globe. One could write a whole book on how religion impacts. 

(Manoj, 2014)

This a photo of a Buddhist monastery located in Sikkim, India. The students are lined up and ready to receive their education. 

(Marriage)

This image is taken in Parma, Ohio. Features in this photo is a couple, of Catholic religion, exchanging vows in a Catholic Cathedral in the presence of a certified Priest. 

                As interesting as the different impacts of religion are all over the world, that is not quite what this writing is about. In this writing, I am focusing specifically on Louisiana. To evaluate religious trends, we must first look at prevalence. According to Pew Research Center, 84 percent of adults in Louisiana define themselves as a form Christian religion. To break this down, 27 percent of these Christians are Evangelical Protestant, 26 percent are Catholic, 22 percent are Historically Black Protestant, 8 percent are Mainline Protestant, and the remaining percentage is made up through Mormon, Orthodox Christian, Jehovah's Witness, and other. Only 2 percent of Louisiana residents practice a non-christian religion. The remaining 14 percent define themselves to be non-religious or are unsure. Based on these statistics, it is quite apparent that Christianity is the dominant religion/spiritual practice in Louisiana. The chart below is used to demonstrate these statistics in a visual form. 

I created this visual using Microsoft Word. 

            The most efficient way to study the current state of region is to begin looking at the past. So, a great question to ask is, why is Christianity the most commonly practiced religion in Louisiana. The short answer to this question is through the process of mobility. Mobility is one if the major themes of geography. Mobility can be defined as the examination of how people, ideas, and goods move across the world (Teaching the Five Themes of Geography). Christianity in Louisiana is no exception to the theme of mobility.  In 1682, Robert Cavalier and Sieur de la Salle traveled down the Mississippi River and claimed the Territory for Louis XIV of France. This is where Louisiana received its name (Important Dates in History). This is also where Christianity starts in Louisiana. Catholicism is the predominant religion of France, 64 percent of France's population defines themselves as Roman Catholic (Pew Research Center). In 1762, Louis XV gives the "Island of New Orleans" along with other land now located in Mississippi to his cousin, Charles III of Spain (Important Dates). Christianity also enhances in Louisiana with this step in the timeline, 68.9 percent of Spain's population defines themselves as Roman Catholic (Pew Research). In 1803, Louisiana is purchased from Napoleon I of France for 15,000,000 dollars (Important Dates). That was a steal of price back in the 1803. In the 1800s, Evangelical Methodism and Baptism were fast growing religions and becoming extremely popular throughout the United States. Next, the African Slaves also brought their own unique religion to southern states, including Louisiana. This is where Historically Black Protestant religion comes from. Louisiana's colorful and unique history are what helps to define religion in Louisiana. The plethora of different cultures and residents add to the melting pot of Christianity in Louisiana. This diverse history makes Louisiana like no other. 

(The Official Website of Louisiana)

The image above is a picture of the original treaty of the Louisiana purchase. 

            Now that we understand the past, we can focus on the present. Christianity helps to define the South and Louisiana as a formal region. According to The Human Mosaic: A Cultural Approach to Human Geography, a formal region can be defined as an area inhabited by people who share one or more traits in common. Examples of these traits can include system of livelihood, religion, language, and more (Domosh et al., 2013). Based on the statistics talked about previously, it can be concluded that Christianity is the dominant religion in Louisiana. However, just defining oneself as a specific religion does not fully create shared traits. For Louisiana residents, Christianity is not only their religion but also their system of livelihood. The act of practicing that religion is what creates trend throughout a region. Christianity contributes to making Louisiana what it is. In fact, many feel that Christianity and way of life are what makes Louisiana so charming.

            Another major theme of geography is the theme of nature/society. This theme is a tad more abstract than others discussed previously. However, it still relates greatly to this discussion. Nature/Society theme focuses on how individuals inhabit the Earth, it studies the relationships between individuals and the physical environment (Domosh et al., 2013). One of the most important features of any religion is typically the sacred building, place of worship, or physical building used to practice the religion (The Nature of Religion). In this instance, churches are the extremely important in Christianity. The importance of this feature is present in this particular theme of geography. The importance of this is apparent in the setup of the cities or towns and is greatly influenced by the placement of religious building. 

    Map of a region in Denham Springs, Louisiana. I created this map using Google Maps.

    

        The map above features the city of Denham Springs, Louisiana. Denham Springs is a town located just one exit away from Baton Rouge, the capitol of Louisiana. I have outlined a particular region to focus on. The reason I chose this place is because it is a perfect example of what was discussed previously. I highlighted seven points on this map for focus. Two of the points are Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and Midway Baptist Church. These two churches are very important to the town of Denham Springs. They are two of the largest and oldest churches in the town (Denham Springs). The remaining points include Denham Springs Elementary School, Denham Springs Jr. High, Denham Springs High School,  Town Hall, and Willow Park. All of these important features of the town are precisely placed in a small vicinity of the religious buildings. 

            The next geographical thread we can link to Christianity is residential property and the setup of it. Christians commonly have a strong value of family. Nearly half of Christian Americans say they gather with extended family at least once or twice a month. On the contrary, less than one-third of non-religious Americans say they gather with extended family once or twice a month (Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project). This is apparent throughout the geography as well. It is extremely common in Louisiana that families develop near each other. They live on the "family land." Being that Christians have such a strong relationship with their families, it is not uncommon for families to want to live near each other. There are many streets in Louisiana named after an individual or a last name that has been and is continuously resided by the family. 

    

            Lastly, Christianity has a strong connection with land and farming. Farming and agriculture is popular throughout the state of Louisiana. Driving through, one will pass tons of sugar-cane fields, cow pastures, and more. In Hebrews 6:7, a quote from the Holy Bible, "Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God." According to Farmland Information Center, Louisiana had a total of 29,574,600 acres of land in 2016. Of that acreage, 7,816,200 acres are agricultural land, 4,687,900 acres are used as cropland, 2,132,500 acres are pastureland, 65,900 acres are rangeland, and 929,800 are woodland (Louisiana Data and Statistics). In case those numbers are a tad bit confusing and jumbled together, that is a great deal of farmland. 

(Louisiana Data and Statistics)

T  The image above is taken from displays all of the farm and agricultural land in yellow in comparison to the developed land, in red.

                      Religion plays a huge role in Geography all across the globe. Louisiana is no exception. Through its diverse and interesting history came a region defined by religion. Religion in Louisiana is not just a set of beliefs and values, it is a way of life. This way of life influences geography greatly and it is quite apparent throughout the landscape of Louisiana. Combining these aspects are what make Louisiana so unique and charming. If these examples are not enough to prove it, take a visit and see it yourself, you will not regret it.          

    

Works Cited:

Boundless. (n.d.). The Nature of Religion. Lumen. courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-sociology/chapter/the-nature-of-religion/.

Denham Springs. Louisiana Official Travel and Tourism Information. (n.d.). https://www.louisianatravel.com/cities/denham-springs.

Domosh, M., Neumann, R. P., Price, P. L., & Jordan-Bychkov, T. G. (2013). The Human Mosaic: A Cultural Approach to Human Geography. W.H. Freeman and Company.

Effects of Religious Practice on Society. (n.d.). marripedia.org/effects_of_religious_practice_on_society.

Important Dates in History - The Official Website of Louisiana. (n.d.). www.louisiana.gov/about-louisiana/important-dates-in-history/.

Louisiana Data and Statistics. FIC. (2020, November 13). https://farmlandinfo.org/statistics/louisiana-statistics/.

Manoj. (2014, September 19). Explore the Buddhist Monasteries of Sikkim. /www.nativeplanet.com/travel-guide/buddhism-sikkim-000881.html.

Marriage. Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma. (n.d.). https://parma.org/marriage.

Norfleet, M. (2019, January 15). The History of the Saint Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. USA Today. traveltips.usatoday.com/history-saint-louis-cathedral-new-orleans-38042.html.

Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. (2020, May 30). www.pewforum.org.

Teaching the Five Themes of Geography. The Edvocate. https://www.theedadvocate.org/teaching-the-five-themes-of-geography/.