About this sheet
Religious Belief Map by A.K. Johnston – Moral and Statistical Chart 1852
This antique chart titled "Moral & Statistical Chart Showing the Distribution of Man According to Prevailing Forms of Religious Belief & the Proportionate Number of Each Creed in the Principal States of the Globe" was created by Alexander Keith Johnston and published in 1852 by William Blackwood & Sons in Edinburgh and London. Issued as Plate 18 in Johnston’s Physical Atlas of Natural Phenomena, this map is a rare and historically significant early attempt to visualize global religious demographics.
The world is color-coded to reflect the dominant religions in various regions, including Christianity (with Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Protestant branches distinguished), Islam (Sunni and Shiite), Buddhism, Brahmanism (Hinduism), Judaism, and areas broadly labeled as "Heathen" or "Other Faiths," in accordance with 19th-century terminology. The color-coded legend to the lower right includes estimated numbers of adherents for each group, offering a numerical context to the geographic distribution.
Each country or empire is labeled with estimates of its religious composition and population size, from the British Isles and Ottoman Empire to China, Russia, India, and the Americas. The chart reflects not only religious spread, but also the political-religious affiliations of empires and colonial powers during the mid-19th century.
At the bottom of the chart is a diagram titled “Progress of Education,” using bar graphs to compare levels of literacy and schooling across nations—an early example of combining moral and statistical inquiry through cartography. Countries such as Prussia, Scotland, and Saxony rank highest in this education index, while others show much lower rates of public instruction, as interpreted from available data at the time.
Alexander Keith Johnston (1804–1871), Geographer in Ordinary to Queen Victoria in Scotland, was a pioneer in thematic and scientific cartography. His Physical Atlas was one of the first atlases to integrate human, environmental, and physical data into visually compelling and educational maps.
This plate is of particular interest to collectors of religious history, antique data visualization, and 19th-century worldviews. It reflects the empirical spirit of the age, while also serving as a historical document of cultural perspectives from a European scientific lens.
Condition and framing tips:
Very good antique condition with some mild age toning and a clean printed surface. Original centerfold as issued. Frame in a dark or neutral wood with a cream or parchment mat to complement the subtle pastel palette and enhance legibility. Ideal for display in a study, library, or historical institution.
