Religious

Landscape
Project
By: Hunter, Joe, Madison and Matt
 Geographic Analysis
Our group did of a survey of Millcreek and
the surrounding area. Using the Krishna
Temple as a starting point, we were able to
identify a multitude of religious centers and
realize the great diversity that populates this
small area in the Salt Lake valley.

Our findings confirm the fact that there is a large LDS

population, but we were also surprised to find many
eastern religions represented in the area. The ‘other’
category included a Mystical/Spiritual center that wasn’t
associated with any of the world religions.
Research & Compare
National Demographics California Demographics
1. Christianity: 70.6% 1. Christianity: 63
a. Catholic: 20.87% a. Catholic: 28%
b. Protestant: 14.7% b. Protestant: 10%
c. Orthodox: 0.5%
c. Orthodox: 1%
d. (Other) Evangelical
Protestant: 25.4% d. (Other) Evangelical
e. (Other) Church of Jesus Protestant: 20%
Christ of Latter Day e. (Other) Church of Jesus
Saints: 1.6% Christ of Latter Day
2. Islam: 0.9% Saints: 1%
3. Hindu: 0.7% 2. Islam: 1%
4. Buddhism: 0.7% 3. Hindu: 2%
5. Judaism: 1.9% 4. Buddhism: 2%
6. (Other Non-Christian) 5. Judaism: 2%
Atheist: 3.1% 6. (Other Non-Christian) Atheist:
7. (Other) Agnostic: 4.0% 4%
7. (Other) Agnostic: 5%
 Utah Demographics Conclusion
A majority of the state's residents are members of The Utah is a peculiar state in aspect of the Mormon religion
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As of 2007, which is better known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
60.7% of Utahns are counted as members of The Church Day Saints. It is peculiar because that Christian religion
counts for 60.7% of Utahns in the State of Utah. Christianity
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, although only 41.6%
in Utah is significantly higher compared to California and still
of Utahns are active members.
holds a lead, though a smaller one, when compared with the
nation. Though because of the heightened percentage in
Majority Christianity none of our other religions are as large as
California nor the nation, leaving us with smaller percentages
● The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
in categories like Buddhism, Judaism, Agnostic, and more.
Saints 51% (labeled as Mormon on survey)
Because of these numbers it is arguable that Utah is not as
● Catholic 17% diverse as the other states that are around us are.
● Unaffiliated 16%
● Evangelicals 7%
● Mainline Protestants 6%
● Black Protestant Churches 1.6%
Under 1%
No Answer, Other Faiths, Buddhism, Eastern
Orthodox, Hinduism, Islam, Jehovah's Witnesses,
Judaism, Non denominational and Other World
Religions
 Greek Orthodox
Holy Trinity Cathedral | 279 South 300 West Salt Lake City | www.gocslc.org
Date attended:
October 28, 2018
Image: Holy Trinity Cathedral

Services:
Orthros: 9:00 - 10:00 am
Divine Liturgy: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Why this place?

Because we are American, many of us
are already familiar with the typical
protestant Christian church experience.
Unlike Catholicism, however, Eastern
Orthodox Christianity is lesser known
and therefore we were curious as to
what the service would be like.
 Greek Orthodox (continued…)
History: Image: A view of the Iconostasis (icon
The first Greek immigrants arrived in Salt Lake City around 1875, screen) below the Platytera (the icon of Mary
the Theotokos)
and by 1903 several hundred immigrants had arrived. The first
Greek Orthodox Church in SLC was built in 1905 but by 1920 it
became too small for the growing Greek community. In July of that
year, the church site was sold and the new (present) site was
negotiated for. The first Divine Liturgy at the new and current
cathedral, named Holy Trinity, was held August 15, 1924. The
Cathedral was filled nearly to capacity during our visit: the majority
demographic of members are the Orthodox Greek community,
although there are members of every background in attendance.

Interfaith Relationship:
Holy Trinity is on both the State and National Register of Historic
Sites. The parish is a member of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of
America under Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver. They have a sister
church in Holladay named Prophet Elias.
 Greek Orthodox (continued…)
Greek School and Festival:
Holy Trinity is a hub for Greek Culture. They host a Greek School for
children and adults, as well as their famous annual Greek Festival
(www.saltlakegreekfestival.com). They also sang the Greek anthem
at the end of the Divine Liturgy when we visited!

Unique Characteristics:
While sharing beliefs and practices with the Orthodox Christian
community worldwide, Holy Trinity does have a large emphasis on
Greek culture. They conduct the Divine Liturgy using mostly Greek
language (with some English), and the clergy and parish council are
predominately Greek. This isn’t uncommon to Greek Orthodox
parishes.
 Greek Orthodox (continued…)
Here is the cover of the bulletin on the day we
attended: October 28 was celebrating the
Theotokos (Mary) and OXI Day which is a Greek
tradition from the WWII era.

These postcards were given to each of us when we

attended:
dral Image: P
y Cathe rophet E
oly Trinit lias (siste
Image: H r church
)
 Buddhist Fellowship
3474 South 2300 East #12, Salt Lake City | www.saltlakebuddhist.org

Date attended:
November 4, 2018

Services:
Sunday Morning Gathering: 10:00 - 11:30 am

Why this place?

The members of our group quickly decided
this a must see due to our lack of knowledge in this
religion. We wanted to not only learn more but
actually experience a taste of what Buddhism is
about.
 Buddhist Fellowship (continued…)
Practice Leader is Rev. Christopher “Kakuyo” Ross-Leibow.

Who worships there now (demographics)?

I saw all sorts of people that all live very different lifestyles. It's a very comfortable service.
They say “come as you are…”; there is no dress code, and nothing you need to do but
attend. The fellowship is a great place to learn about Buddhism, mindfulness and the Way
of Oneness.”

What happens there daily?

They offer many services: Weekly Dharma Services, Biweekly Meditation Classes, an Intro
to Buddhism Course, Going for Refuge Ceremony, Annual Retreats, Spiritual Friendships,
House blessings, Naming ceremonies, Marriage blessings, Funerals, and Memorials.

Their relationship with the wider community? (any partnerships or interfaith activity?)

The sunday we went they talked about a fundraiser that they collected baby diapers for a
charity and discussed a book club that anyone was invited to. The main thing that they
emphasized was getting to know your neighbor.
Buddhist Fellowship (continued…)
Challenges they may face (Discrimination? Marketing? Finances? Membership?
etc.)

The Buddhist Fellowship relies solely on donations, and therefore may run
the risk of running out of money and being forced to shut down.

Beliefs and practices that make them unique

They are a trans-sectarian and learn from the whole tradition of Buddhist
teachings and practices. They say, “we are open to the entirety of world spirituality.”

Contributions they have made to the community, state or nation

I know that in the community they have held a fundraiser before. They also
teach Buddhism classes that focus on one's spiritual journey. They are also
extremely welcoming to anyone and everyone.
 Application/ Conclusion
Our original expectations for the class and the project itself was mutual; we all wanted to learn about
religion in the United States. We were all interested in learning more about the religions that we may
not have affiliated with before this class. The project helped us observe the religions in great depth.
Not only did we learn about the significance and history of a particular religion, but we were able to
participate and experience the religion as well. After looking further into the our nations religions, we
can conclude that we are very fortunate for the opportunity of being able to practice anything we
want. Religion has impacted this country in so many ways including our basic belief system, local
laws, and social interactions.

We predict America may be going into a more diverse perspective of religion. We learned in class
about seeking out what you like in each religion and adapting that into our everyday lives. Times are
just not as traditional as they were a decade or two ago, but we are a country built on Christianity. As
a result, we think that there will always be a strong Christian presence in America. The United States
is becoming more religiously diverse and people are seeking out the opportunity to share the rights
they want and what they believe. It is important to learn about the differences in religions in the
America in order to be respectful and informed of other people's beliefs.