history of religions - wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

7/13/2015 HistoryofreligionsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_religions 1/7

Historyofreligionsfoundingfigures

AnthropologyComparativereligionDevelopmentNeurotheology/GodgeneOriginsPsychology

PrehistoricAncientNearEastAncientEgyptSemiticIndoEuropeanVedicHinduismGrecoRomanCelticGermanicAxialAgeVedantaShramanaDharmaTaoHellenismMonismDualismMonotheismChristianizationIslamizationRenaissanceReformationAgeofReasonNewreligiousmovementsGreatAwakeningFundamentalismNewAgePostmodernism

AbrahamicJudaismChristianityIslamBah'FaithIndicHinduismBuddhismJainismSikhismAyyavazhiFarEasternTaoismConfucianism

HistoryofreligionsFromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Thehistoryofreligionreferstothewrittenrecordofhumanreligiousexperiencesandideas.Thisperiodofreligioushistorybeginswiththeinventionofwritingabout5,200yearsago(3200BCE).Theprehistoryofreligionrelatestoastudyofreligiousbeliefsthatexistedpriortotheadventofwrittenrecords.Thetimelineofreligionisacomparativechronologyofreligion.

Theword"religion"asitisusedtodaydoesnothaveanobviousprecolonialtranslationintononEuropeanlanguages.Theanthropologist,DanielDubuissonwritesthat"whattheWestandthehistoryofreligionsinitswakehaveobjectifiedunderthename'religion'is...somethingquiteunique,whichcouldbeappropriateonlytoitselfanditsownhistory".[1]Thehistoryofothercultures'interactionwiththereligiouscategoryisthereforetheirinteractionwithanideathatfirstdevelopedinEuropeundertheinfluenceofChristianity.[2]

Contents

1Historyofstudy2Overview3Origin4Religionattheneolithicrevolution

4.1Neolithicreligions4.2Valueofreligion

5Axialage6MiddleAges7Modernperiod8Developmentof"newreligions"9Seealso

9.1Shamanismandancestorworship9.2Polytheism9.3Monotheism9.4Monism9.5Dualism9.6Newreligiousmovements

10References11Furtherreading12Externallinks

Historyofstudy

7/13/2015 HistoryofreligionsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_religions 2/7

ShintoNeopaganWicca

TheschoolofreligioushistorycalledtheReligionsgeschichtlicheSchulewasa19thcenturyGermanschoolofthoughtwhichwasthefirsttosystematicallystudyreligionasasocioculturalphenomenon.Itdepictedreligionasevolvingwithhumanculture,fromprimitivePolytheismtoethicalmonotheism.

TheReligionsgeschichtlicheSchuleappearedatatimewhenscholarlystudyoftheBibleandchurchhistorywasflourishinginGermanyandelsewhere(seehighercriticism,alsocalledthehistoricalcriticalmethod).Thestudyofreligionisimportantbecauseithasoftenshapedcivilizations'lawandmoralcodes,socialstructure,artandmusic.

Overview

The19thcenturysawadramaticincreaseinknowledgeaboutotherculturesandreligions,andalsotheestablishmentofeconomicandsocialhistoriesofprogress.The"historyofreligions"schoolsoughttoaccountforthisreligiousdiversitybyconnectingitwiththesocialandeconomicsituationofaparticulargroup.

Typically,religionsweredividedintostagesofprogressionfromsimpletocomplexsocieties,especiallyfrompolytheistictomonotheisticandfromextemporetoorganized.Religionscanbeclassifiedascircumcisingandnoncircumcising,proselytizing(attemptingtoconvertpeopleofotherreligion)andnonproselytizing.Manyreligionssharecommonbeliefs.

Origin

TheearliestevidenceofreligiousideasdatesbackseveralhundredthousandyearstotheMiddleandLowerPaleolithicperiods.ArchaeologistsrefertoapparentintentionalburialsofearlyHomosapiensfromasearlyas300,000yearsagoasevidenceofreligiousideas.OtherevidenceofreligiousideasincludesymbolicartifactsfromMiddleStoneAgesitesinAfrica.However,theinterpretationofearlypaleolithicartifacts,withregardtohowtheyrelatetoreligiousideas,remainscontroversial.Archeologicalevidencefrommorerecentperiodsislesscontroversial.AnumberofartifactsfromtheUpperPaleolithic(50,00013,000)aregenerallyinterpretedbyscientistsasrepresentingreligiousideas.ExamplesofUpperPaleolithicremainsassociatedwithreligiousbeliefsincludethelionman,theVenusfigurines,cavepaintingsfromChauvetCaveandtheelaborateritualburialfromSungir.

Inthe19thcentury,varioustheorieswereproposedregardingtheoriginofreligion,supplantingtheearlierclaimsofChristianityofurreligion.EarlytheoristsEdwardBurnettTylorandHerbertSpencerproposedtheconceptofanimism,whilearchaeologistJohnLubbockusedtheterm"fetishism".Meanwhile,religiousscholarMaxMllertheorizedthatreligionbeganinhedonismandfolkloristWilhelmMannhardtsuggestedthatreligionbeganin"naturalism",bywhichhemeantmythologicalexplanationofnaturalevents.[3]Allofthesetheorieshavesincebeenwidelycriticizedthereisnobroadconsensusregardingtheoriginofreligion.

Religionattheneolithicrevolution

7/13/2015 HistoryofreligionsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_religions 3/7

Throughthebulkofhumanevolution,humanslivedinsmallnomadicbandspracticingahuntergathererlifestyle.TheemergenceofcomplexandorganizedreligionscanbetracedtotheperiodwhenhumansabandonedtheirnomadichuntergathererlifestylesinordertobeginfarmingduringtheNeolithicperiod.Thetransitionfromforagingbandstostatesandempiresresultedinmorespecializedanddevelopedformsofreligionthatwerereflectionsofthenewsocialandpoliticalenvironments.Whilebandsandsmalltribespossesssupernaturalbeliefs,thesebeliefsareadaptedtosmallerpopulations.

Neolithicreligions

ThereligionsoftheNeolithicpeoplesprovideevidenceofsomeoftheearliestknownformsoforganizedreligions.TheNeolithicsettlementofatalhyk,inwhatisnowTurkey,washometoabout7000peopleandremainsthelargestknownsettlementfromtheNeolithicperiod.JamesMellaart,whoexcavatedthesite,believedthatatalhykwasthespiritualcenterofcentralAnatolia.[4]Astrikingfeatureofatalhykareitsfemalefigurines.Mellaart,theoriginalexcavator,arguedthatthesewellformed,carefullymadefigurines,carvedandmoldedfrommarble,blueandbrownlimestone,schist,calcite,basalt,alabaster,andclay,representedafemaledeityoftheGreatGoddesstype.Althoughamaledeityexistedaswell,statuesofafemaledeityfaroutnumberthoseofthemaledeity,whomoreover,doesnotappeartoberepresentedatallafterLevelVI.[5]Todate,eighteenlevelshavebeenidentified.ThesecarefulfigurineswerefoundprimarilyinareasMellaartbelievedtobeshrines.One,howeverastatelygoddessseatedonathroneflankedbytwofemalelionswasfoundinagrainbin,whichMellaartsuggestsmighthavebeenameansofensuringtheharvestorprotectingthefoodsupply.[6]

ThePyramidTextsfromancientEgyptareoneoftheoldestknownreligioustextsintheworlddatingtobetween24002300BCE.[7][8]Writingplayedamajorroleinsustainingorganizedreligionbystandardizingreligiousideasregardlessoftimeorlocation.

Valueofreligion

Organizedreligionemergedasameansofprovidingsocialandeconomicstabilitytolargepopulationsthroughthefollowingways:

Organizedreligionservedtojustifythecentralauthority,whichinturnpossessedtherighttocollecttaxesinreturnforprovidingsocialandsecurityservicestothestate.TheempiresofAncientEgyptandMesopotamiaweretheocracies,withchiefs,kingsandemperorsplayingdualrolesofpoliticalandspiritualleaders.[9]Virtuallyallstatesocietiesandchiefdomsaroundtheworldhavesimilarpoliticalstructureswherepoliticalauthorityisjustifiedbydivinesanction.Organizedreligionemergedasmeansofmaintainingpeacebetweenunrelatedindividuals.Bandsandtribesconsistofsmallnumberofrelatedindividuals.Howeverstatesandnationsarecomposedofthousandsormillionsofunrelatedindividuals.JaredDiamondarguesthatorganizedreligionservedtoprovideabondbetweenunrelatedindividualswhowouldotherwisebemorepronetoenmity.Hearguesthattheleadingcauseofdeathamonghuntergatherersocietiesismurder.[10]

thefollowingcanalsobebroughtinto.

Axialage

7/13/2015 HistoryofreligionsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_religions 4/7

Theperiodfrom900to200BCEhasbeendescribedbyhistoriansastheaxialage,atermcoinedbyGermanphilosopherKarlJaspers.AccordingtoJaspers,thisistheeraofhistorywhen"thespiritualfoundationsofhumanitywerelaidsimultaneouslyandindependently...Andthesearethefoundationsuponwhichhumanitystillsubsiststoday".IntellectualhistorianPeterWatsonhassummarizedthisperiodasthefoundationofmanyofhumanity'smostinfluentialphilosophicaltraditions,includingmonotheisminPersiaandCanaan,PlatonisminGreece,Buddhism,JainisminIndia,andConfucianismandTaoisminChina.Theseideaswouldbecomeinstitutionalizedintime,forexampleAshoka'sroleinthespreadofBuddhism,ortheroleofplatonicphilosophyinChristianityatitsfoundation.

MiddleAges

PresentdayworldreligionsestablishedthemselvesthroughoutEurasiaduringtheMiddleAgesby:ChristianizationoftheWesternworldBuddhistmissionstoEastAsiathedeclineofBuddhismintheIndiansubcontinentandthespreadofIslamthroughouttheMiddleEast,CentralAsia,NorthAfricaandpartsofEuropeandIndia.

DuringtheMiddleAges,MuslimswereinconflictwithZoroastriansduringtheIslamicconquestofPersiaChristianswereinconflictwithMuslimsduringtheByzantineArabWars,Crusades,Reconquista,OttomanwarsinEuropeandInquisitionShamanswereinconflictwithBuddhists,Taoists,MuslimsandChristiansduringtheMongolinvasionsandMuslimswereinconflictwithHindusandSikhsduringMuslimconquestintheIndiansubcontinent.

Manymedievalreligiousmovementsemphasizedmysticism,suchastheCatharsandrelatedmovementsintheWest,theJewsinSpain(seeZohar),theBhaktimovementinIndiaandSufisminIslam.MonotheismreacheddefiniteformsinChristianChristologyandinIslamicTawhid.HindumonotheistnotionsofBrahmanlikewisereachedtheirclassicalformwiththeteachingofAdiShankara.

Modernperiod

Europeancolonisationduringthe15thto19thcenturiesresultedinthespreadofChristianitytoSubSaharanAfrica,theAmericas,AustraliaandthePhilippines.Theinventionoftheprintingpressinthe15thcenturyplayedamajorroleintherapidspreadoftheProtestantReformationunderleaderssuchasMartinLutherandJohnCalvin.Warsofreligionfollowed,culminatingintheThirtyYearsWarwhichravagedcentralEurope,16181648.The18thcenturysawthebeginningofsecularisationinEurope,gainingmomentumaftertheFrenchRevolution.Bythelate20thcenturyreligionhaddeclinedinmostofEurope.

Inthe20thcentury,theregimesofCommunistEasternEuropeandCommunistChinawereantireligious.Agreatvarietyofnewreligiousmovementsoriginatedinthe20thcentury,manyproposingsyncretismofelementsofestablishedreligions.Adherencetosuchnewmovementsislimited,however,remainingbelow2%worldwideinthe2000s(decade).Adherentsoftheclassicalworldreligionsaccountformorethan75%oftheworld'spopulation,whileadherencetoindigenoustribalreligionshasfallento4%.Asof2005,anestimated14%oftheworld'spopulationidentifiesasnonreligious.

Developmentof"newreligions"

7/13/2015 HistoryofreligionsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_religions 5/7

Thetermnewreligiousmovement(NRM)canidentifyareligiousfaithoranethical,spiritual,orphilosophicalmovementofrecentoriginthatdoesnotformpartofanestablisheddenomination,church,orreligiousbody.

Seealso

HistoriographyofreligionReligionandpoliticsChristianityandpoliticsWomenastheologicalfiguresListoffoundersofreligioustraditions

Shamanismandancestorworship

PrehistoricreligionShamanismAnimismAncestorworshipTribalreligion

Polytheism

AncientNearEasternreligion,EgyptianmythologyAncientGreekreligion,AncientRomanreligionGermanicpaganism,FinnishPaganism,NorsepaganismMayareligion,Incareligion,AztecreligionNeopaganism,Polytheisticreconstructionism

Monotheism

SeealsoMonotheism,Abrahamicreligions.

AtenHistoryofJudaismNeoplatonismHistoryofChristianity

HistoryofRomanCatholicismHistoryofEasternOrthodoxChristianityHistoryofProtestantism

HistoryofIslamSikhismZoroastrianism

Monism

HistoryofBuddhismHistoryofJainismHistoryofHinduism

7/13/2015 HistoryofreligionsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_religions 6/7

Dualism

Gnosticism

Newreligiousmovements

HistoryofAyyavazhiRastafarimovementHistoryofWiccaTimelineofScientologyMormonismBah'FaithBbismHistoryofSpiritismThelema

References1. DanielDubuisson.TheWesternConstructionofReligion.1998.WilliamSayers(trans.)Baltimore:Johns

HopkinsUniversityPress,2003.p.90.2. TimothyFitzgerald.DiscourseonCivilityandBarbarity.OxfordUniversityPress,2007.pp.4546.3. "Religion".EncyclopediaUniversalIlustradaEuropeoAmericana,70vols.Madrid.19071930.4. Balter,Michael(2005)."TheDorakAffair"(http://books.google.com/books?

id=l2QiRkJXX60C&pg=PA40&dq=catalhoyuk+in+its+day).TheGoddessandtheBull:Catalhyk:AnArchaeologicalJourneytotheDawnofCivilization.ISBN0743243609.

5. Mellaart,James(1967).CatalHuyuk:ANeolithicTowninAnatolia.McGrawHill.p.181.6. Mellaart(1967),180.7. Budge,Wallis.AnIntroductiontoAncientEgyptianLiterature(http://books.google.com/books?

id=SieAmOiyGQMC&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9&dq=the+pyramid+texts+oldest+religious).p.9.ISBN0486295028.8. Allen,James.TheAncientEgyptianPyramidTexts(http://books.google.com/books?

id=6VBJeCoDdTUC&pg=PA1&dq=2353++2323+%22pyramid+texts%22).ISBN1589831829.9. Shermer,Michael.TheScienceofGoodandEvil.ISBN0805075208.

10. Diamond,Jared."chapter14,FromEgalitarianismtoKleptocracy,Thee".GunsGermsandSteel.ISBN0393038912.

Furtherreading

Armstrong,Karen.AHistoryofGod:The4,000YearQuestofJudaism,ChristianityandIslam(1994)excerptandtextsearch(http://www.amazon.com/dp/0345384563/)Armstrong,Karen.Islam:AShortHistory(2002)excerptandtextsearch(http://www.amazon.com/dp/081296618X)Bowker,JohnWesterdale,ed.TheOxfordDictionaryofWorldReligions(2007)excerptandtextsearch(http://www.amazon.com/dp/0198662424/)1126ppCarus,Paul.Thehistoryofthedevilandtheideaofevil:fromtheearliesttimestothepresentday(1899)fulltext(http://www.sacredtexts.com/evil/hod/index.htm)Eliade,Mircea,andJoanP.Couliano.TheHarperCollinsConciseGuidetoWorldReligion:TheAtoZEncyclopediaofAlltheMajorReligiousTraditions(1999)covers33principalreligions,includingBuddhism,Christianity,Jainism,Judaism,Islam,Shinto,Shamanism,Taoism,SouthAmericanreligions,BalticandSlavicreligions,Confucianism,andthereligionsofAfricaand

7/13/2015 HistoryofreligionsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_religions 7/7

Oceania.Ellwood,RobertS.andGregoryD.Alles.TheEncyclopediaofWorldReligions(2007)528ppformiddleschoolsGilley,SheridanShiels,W.J.HistoryofReligioninBritain:PracticeandBelieffromPreRomanTimestothePresent(1994)590ppJames,PaulMandaville,Peter(2010).GlobalizationandCulture,Vol.2:GlobalizingReligions(http://www.academia.edu/4416072/Globalization_and_Culture_Vol._2_Globalizing_Religions_editor_with_Peter_Mandaville_Sage_Publications_London_2010).London:SagePublications.Marshall,Peter."(Re)definingtheEnglishReformation,"JournalofBritishStudies,July2009,Vol.48#3pp564586Schultz,KevinM.Harvey,Paul."EverywhereandNowhere:RecentTrendsinAmericanReligiousHistoryandHistoriography,"JournaloftheAmericanAcademyofReligion,March2010,Vol.78#1pp129162Wilson,JohnF.ReligionandtheAmericanNation:HistoriographyandHistory(2003)119pp

Externallinks

Historyofreligion(http://www.historyofreligions.com/)Thehistoryofreligiousandphilosophicalideas,inDictionaryoftheHistoryofIdeas(http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/DicHist/analytic/anaVI.html)HistoryofReligionasflashanimation(http://mapsofwar.com/ind/historyofreligion.html)Thehistoryandoriginsofworldreligionsdepictedasanavigabletree(http://religionstree.com/)

Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_religions&oldid=669484635"

Categories: Historyofreligion Studyofreligion

Thispagewaslastmodifiedon1July2015,at14:08.TextisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlikeLicenseadditionaltermsmayapply.Byusingthissite,youagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.WikipediaisaregisteredtrademarkoftheWikimediaFoundation,Inc.,anonprofitorganization.