As discussed previously, Western religions originated within Western culture. The three main Western religions that we will discuss are: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Western religions are largely universalizing religions that appeal to people from all over the world, regardless of their cultural background.

On the other hand, Eastern religions are more ethnic and indigenous. These religions tend to stay within a community and do not appeal to a global audience.

We will now look at Western and Eastern religions from a globalization standpoint. Globalization refers to the international integration of people, companies, and governments worldwide. In terms of globalization, there are two main concepts:

• Folk culture: cultures that originated from necessity, such as obtaining food, water, and shelter. These cultures need environmental efficiency and spread slowly throughout relocation diffusion.

• Popular culture: cultures that are formed from popular ideas that are more culturally “in.” These cultures largely originate in developed countries and diffuse to other countries through hierarchical diffusion. Generally, these cultures are more environmentally taxing.

For religion, Western religions can be classified as popular culture, while Eastern religions are largely folk culture. For example, Christianity and Islam are all religions commonly found around the world today. On the other hand, many Eastern religions, such as Chinese philosophies and Shinto, are confined to certain regions in East Asia.

However, as the world continues to globalize and more people are introduced to different cultures in various places, more religions may become universalizing and popular. At the same time, some ethnic religions may disappear or become less prevalent due to the domination of larger religions with more influence. This growing dominance of Christianity (the largest religion in the world) is especially accomplished through apostoletic movements, where Christian apostles attempt to spread the Christian faith and convert people belonging to other religions.