Atlas Trail
Religious Turning Points of the Twentieth Century, Year by Year
This path walks through fifteen years from 1925 to 1995 that the atlas ties to a turning point in religious life, from a courtroom over evolution to a gas attack on a subway. Each year page also names its place in the Chinese sexagenary cycle, so the same calendar year is read two ways, as a Gregorian date and as a stem and branch pairing.
Stop 1 of 15.
Years
The Scopes trial in Dayton, Tennessee, set the teaching of evolution against the Genesis account of creation in a courtroom, and the year page records it as 1925, Yi-Chou, the Wood Ox year, position 2 of 60 in the cycle.
Stop 2 of 15.
Years
The Barmen Declaration was the year's mark: the Confessing Church in Germany broke from the pro-Nazi German Christians movement. The cycle names 1934 as Jia-Xu, the Wood Dog year, 11 of 60.
Stop 3 of 15.
Years
The Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered near Qumran this year, which is the event the 1947 page carries. The cycle calls it Ding-Hai, the Fire Pig year, 24 of 60.
Stop 4 of 15.
Years
Two institutions date from 1948 on this page: the State of Israel was declared and the World Council of Churches was founded in Amsterdam. It is Wu-Zi, the Earth Rat year, 25 of 60.
Stop 5 of 15.
Years
Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Assumption of Mary a dogma of the Catholic Church in 1950, the year page states. In the cycle it is Geng-Yin, the Metal Tiger year, 27 of 60.
Stop 6 of 15.
Years
Sun Myung Moon founded the Unification Church in Seoul in 1954, according to the year page. The cycle names it Jia-Wu, the Wood Horse year, 31 of 60.
Stop 7 of 15.
Years
The fourteenth Dalai Lama fled Tibet for India in 1959, the event the year page records. It is Ji-Hai, the Earth Pig year, 36 of 60.
Stop 8 of 15.
Years
The Second Vatican Council opened in Rome in 1962 according to the year page. In the cycle this is Ren-Yin, the Water Tiger year, 39 of 60.
Stop 9 of 15.
Years
The Second Vatican Council closed in 1965, issuing Nostra Aetate on relations with non-Christian religions, as the year page records. It is Yi-Si, the Wood Snake year, 42 of 60.
Stop 10 of 15.
Years
Anton LaVey founded the Church of Satan in San Francisco in 1966, the year page states. The cycle calls it Bing-Wu, the Fire Horse year, 43 of 60.
Stop 11 of 15.
Years
Two very different events share 1978 on this page: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints extended priesthood ordination to men of all races, and members of Peoples Temple died at Jonestown in Guyana. It is Wu-Wu, the Earth Horse year, 55 of 60.
Stop 12 of 15.
Years
The Iranian Revolution, which established an Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Khomeini, is the event the 1979 page carries. In the cycle it is Ji-Wei, the Earth Goat year, 56 of 60.
Stop 13 of 15.
Years
Pope John Paul II convened an interfaith World Day of Prayer for Peace at Assisi in 1986, the year page records. The cycle starts a new round here: Bing-Yin, the Fire Tiger year, 3 of 60.
Stop 14 of 15.
Years
The siege at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas ended in fire in 1993, as the year page states. It is Gui-You, the Water Rooster year, 10 of 60.
Stop 15 of 15.
Years
The Aum Shinrikyo movement released sarin gas in the Tokyo subway in 1995, the year page records. The cycle names it Yi-Hai, the Wood Pig year, 12 of 60.
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