Religion and Non Religion
Religion in Human History
Summary Points
Students learn about:
The expression of the religious dimension in human history
Students learn to:
Identify the following expressions of the religious dimension in human history:
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Animism
Polytheism
Monotheism
Animism
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Animism, in its simplest form is the idea that all living things have a soul
Animism is the term coined by Edward Tylor as a proposed theory of the origins of
religion
Animism is the belief that all natural objects are endowed with a spirit or soul,
known as "animae"
This soul is understood to exist independently of the natural object it inhabits
These spirits were believed to govern the day-to-day activities of the natural world
Since all natural objects had souls, every part of creation had to treat every other part
of creation with respect
In some animistic societies, it is believed that the soul can survive physical death
After physical death, some communities believed that the soul bec ame a wandering
ghost that actively intervenes in the day-to-day lives of people who are still alive
Other communities believed that the soul move d onto a more fertile world, where
vegetation and game were plentiful
Animistic cultures had priests, known as shamans who performed rituals to appease
these wandering souls
Animism is still a key feature of some communities today
For example, animistic thought still features in the Australian Aboriginal, the
Melanesian, Polynesian, the Micronesian and the Native American Indian cultures of
today
Tylor's theory, though it was influential during the nineteenth century, has been
largely rejected by scholars today
Polytheism
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Polytheism is the belief in and worship of multiple gods or deities
Examples of polytheistic religious practice can be found in the Graeco-Roman
cultures, as well as in the Hindu, Norse, Aztec, Egyptian and Sumerian traditions
Though this theory has been disputed, it is generally believed, that polytheism
developed from animism
One typical characteristic of polytheis tic religious systems is that its deities
resemble human beings in the sense that they have their own personalities, hold
grudges against other gods, and have a personal history
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Another common feature of polytheis tic religious systems is that polytheistic
divinities are rarely omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent
Polytheistic deities are usually assigned jurisdictional powers, which are directly
linked with their particular skill or talent
Gods of the polytheistic religious system are generally immortal, and hence are often
referred to as the " I mmortals"
Polytheistic religious systems are usually highly stratified, which each god being
given their own position within this hierarchy
Most ancient religions were polytheistic, and even today some tribal cultures and
religions have remained polytheistic
Hard polytheists conceive of their gods as being distinct and separate entities
Soft polytheism is the belief that all the different gods embody a particular facet of a
unitary, singular god or reality
Monotheism
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Monotheism is the belief that there is only one god
The term monotheism is best used to describe the religious system adopted by the
three major monotheistic traditions, Christianity, Islam and Judaism
Traces of monotheistic thought can also be found in the works of Greek antiquity, in
cultures such as ancient Egypt and in traditions such as Zoroastrianism
It is generally believed that monotheism developed from polytheism, though this
theory has been disputed
The god of monotheistic religious systems is usually depicted as an omnipotent,
omniscient and omnipresent being
Generally, this divine being is credited with the creation of the universe, and is
responsible for giving humankind its moral code
Deism and pantheism are two varying forms of monotheism
Deism affirms the notion that there is only one god , but rejects the idea that god
actively intervenes in human history
Pantheism equates god with the universe
Therefore, pantheists believe that every part of creation is intrinsically a result of
god's activities on earth
Students learn about:
The significance of the religious dimension in human history
Students learn to:
Evaluate the place of the religious dimension in human history to provide:
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Meaning and purpose for the individual
Social cohesion
Social transformation
Meaning and purpose for the individual
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Human experience is characterised by a search for answers to the big questions of
life, which are known as the key religious questions
The most significant of these questions relate to the origin (where did we come
from?), purpose (why are we here?) and destiny (what happens to us when we die?)
of humankind
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The answers provided through religion understanding give meaning and coherence
to life
One significant role of religion is to provide life with meaning, and hence a sense of
overall consistency and direction in a world that is constantly changing
During times of crises for example , religion is particularly uplifting because it
provides life with a sense of purpose , and a framework upon which to understand
life
The ritualistic dimension of religion provides individuals with one of the most basic
needs of humankind, a sense of belonging within a community
Religion can also serve to reinforce the cultural identity of a group, which is
particularly important when the group consists of small ethnic minorities or people
who have been socially marginalised by mainstream society
Social cohesion
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Religion has an important role in affirming traditional beliefs and practices
Religion provides communities with a sense of continuity as it serves to link the
rapidly changing, complex modern society with a more traditional and stable past
The downside of religion as a force of social cohesion is that religion can also used
to reinforce and legitimise values and institutions, which may be unjust eg. Slavery
Social transformation
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Paradoxically, whilst religion is a force of social cohesion it can also serve as a force
of social transformation
Religion can be used as a tool for criticising the structures, customs and beliefs of its
own societies
The importance of working towards a just and peaceful society is integral to the
message of all major religious traditions
Historically, religious groups have played a significant role in advocating and
campaigning for social justice and equality
Today religious groups can be seen at the forefront of campaigns, which seek to
address issues such as poverty, environmental degradation, global conflict, economic
inequality, indigenous rights and unemployment
Students learn about:
The global distribution of the five major religious traditions
Students learn to:
Investigate statistical data of the current global distribution of the 5 major religious
traditions
Buddhism
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Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama in approximately 500 BCE
Buddhism began as an offshoot of its mother religion, Hinduism
Buddhism began in the Ganges Plain
King Asoka sent out missionaries to spread the word of the Buddha in the 5 th
century BCE which resulted in the spread of Buddhism to Central Asia, Burma and
Sri Lanka
From the 3 rd to the 5 th century CE Mahayana Buddhism became firmly rooted in
China
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In the 4 th century CE Mahayana Buddhism spread to Korea
In the 5 th century CE Mahayana Buddhism spread to Japan
In the 8 th century CE Buddhism spread to Tibet
By 1500 CE Buddhism had spread to Mongolia
Today Mahayana Buddhism is mainly located in Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Tibet,
Vietnam and in some parts of India and Russia
Today Theravada Buddhism is mainly located in Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka
and Thailand
Buddhism is steadily growing from a small base in Western countries
The 10 largest national populations of Buddhism are: (in descending order) China,
Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, India, South Korea and
Taiwan
Christianity
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During the life of Jesus of Nazareth, (founder of Christianity) and in the immediate
aftermath of his death the Jesus movement was largely restricted to the Roman
province of Palestine and to the immediate surrounding areas
Paul of Tarsus ( Saint Paul), who is typically regarded as the second founder of
Christianity, assisted Christianity to move out of its Judaic-Palestinian confines by
formalising the religion, and providing Christianity with an infrastructure
Christianity grew as an underground movement that faced intermittent persecution in
the Roman Empire up to the 4 th century CE
Under the patronage of Emperor Constantine, Christianity became a state religion in
the 4 th century
As a result of this, Christianity began to thrive and grow rapidly in the Roman
Empire
The Great Schism of 1054 formalised a division between Western Christianity and
Eastern Orthodoxy
Christianity became the dominant religion in Europe during the Middle Ages as a
result of missionaries who were sent out to convert local European tribes who were
seen as barbaric
The Reformation of the 16 th century, split Western Christianity into the Catholic
Church and the Protestant Churches
The age of European colonisation from the 15 th century onwards saw the spread of
Christianity to Asia, Africa and North America
Christianity is the largest religion in the world today
The 10 largest national populations of Christianity are: (in descending order) USA,
Brazil, Mexico, Philippines, China, Russia, India, Nigeria, Germany and
Zaire/Congo
There is a clear trend in the recent development of Christianity which points to its
steady decline in the Western world and its rapid growth in Asia, Africa and Latin
America
Hinduism
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Hinduism began in the Punjab region 4000 years ago
The vast majority of the Hindu's in the world are found in India and surrounding
areas
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The 10 largest national populations of Hinduism are: (in descending order) India,
Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Malaysia, USA, South Africa
and Burma (Myanmar)
Hinduism is largely restricted to the Indian sub-continent
Hindus are generally located in the Indian subcontinent because Hinduism is largely
dependant upon the Indian cultural environment for its existence
Another reason as to why Hinduism is largely restricted to the Indian subcontinent is
that Hinduism lacks the doctrine of self propagation, unlike the other major religious
traditions
Furthermore, the diverse nature of Hinduism works against the possibility of its
spreading easily with a single recognisable doctrine
Islam
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Islam was founded by the Prophet Muhammad in 622 CE in Madinah
Within a century or two of its establishment, Islam had spread to Palestine, Syria,
Persia, Damascus, Persia, Jerusalem, Caesarea, Egypt, North Africa, and Spain
which it dominated until the Middle Ages
The Crusades which occurred between the 11 th and 13 th centuries facilitated the
spread of Islam into Europe
By the 10 th century CE, Islam had moved into Western Africa, China and India
By the 14 th century CE, Islam was firmly cemented in Indonesia and Malaysia
During the 19 th century, as a result of the efforts of missionaries, more people were
converted to Islam on the African continent
Many Muslims were resettled to Western countries such as the US and the UK in the
post World War II period
Islam is the fastest growing religion of the five major world religions today
Islam is the second largest religion in the world today
Islam is remaining strong in its traditional areas such as Asia, Africa and the Middle
East, and is also growing steadily in Western countries
The 10 largest national populations of Muslims are: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh,
Indonesia, Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Morocco
Judaism
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Jewish history is marked by a series of persecutions and exiles
From the time it began to the Middle Ages, as a result of centuries of persecution the
Jewish people came to be scattered across Europe and the Middle East
Many Jews migrated to the US in the 20 th century
During World War II, Hitler's Nazi Party sought to destroy the Jewish population of
Europe
As a result of this attempted genocide, known as the holocaust, approximately 6
million European Jews died
In 1948 the United Nations sponsored the reformation of the Jewish state of Israel in
Palestinian territories
It is often difficult to obtain precise figures about the numbers of Jews living in any
given area
This is because Jews fear religious persecution and hence are reluctant to divulge
their religious identity