7/13/2015

HistoryofreligionsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Historyofreligions
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Thehistoryofreligionreferstothewrittenrecordofhumanreligious
experiencesandideas.Thisperiodofreligioushistorybeginswiththe
inventionofwritingabout5,200yearsago(3200BCE).Theprehistoryof
religionrelatestoastudyofreligiousbeliefsthatexistedpriortotheadventof
writtenrecords.Thetimelineofreligionisacomparativechronologyof
religion.
Theword"religion"asitisusedtodaydoesnothaveanobviousprecolonial
translationintononEuropeanlanguages.Theanthropologist,DanielDubuisson
writesthat"whattheWestandthehistoryofreligionsinitswakehave
objectifiedunderthename'religion'is...somethingquiteunique,whichcould
beappropriateonlytoitselfanditsownhistory".[1]Thehistoryofother
cultures'interactionwiththereligiouscategoryisthereforetheirinteraction
withanideathatfirstdevelopedinEuropeundertheinfluenceof
Christianity.[2]

Contents
1Historyofstudy
2Overview
3Origin
4Religionattheneolithicrevolution
4.1Neolithicreligions
4.2Valueofreligion
5Axialage
6MiddleAges
7Modernperiod
8Developmentof"newreligions"
9Seealso
9.1Shamanismandancestorworship
9.2Polytheism
9.3Monotheism
9.4Monism
9.5Dualism
9.6Newreligiousmovements
10References
11Furtherreading
12Externallinks

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

Historyofreligions
foundingfigures

Anthropology
Comparativereligion
Development
Neurotheology/Godgene
Origins
Psychology
Prehistoric
AncientNearEast
AncientEgypt
Semitic
IndoEuropean
VedicHinduism
GrecoRoman
CelticGermanic
AxialAge
VedantaShramana
DharmaTao
Hellenism
MonismDualism
Monotheism
Christianization
Islamization
RenaissanceReformation
AgeofReason
Newreligiousmovements
GreatAwakening
Fundamentalism
NewAge
Postmodernism
Abrahamic
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Bah'Faith
Indic
Hinduism
Buddhism
Jainism
Sikhism
Ayyavazhi
FarEastern
Taoism
Confucianism
1/7

7/13/2015

HistoryofreligionsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

TheschoolofreligioushistorycalledtheReligionsgeschichtlicheSchulewasa
19thcenturyGermanschoolofthoughtwhichwasthefirsttosystematically
studyreligionasasocioculturalphenomenon.Itdepictedreligionasevolving
withhumanculture,fromprimitivePolytheismtoethicalmonotheism.

Shinto
Neopagan
Wicca

TheReligionsgeschichtlicheSchuleappearedatatimewhenscholarlystudyoftheBibleandchurchhistory
wasflourishinginGermanyandelsewhere(seehighercriticism,alsocalledthehistoricalcriticalmethod).
Thestudyofreligionisimportantbecauseithasoftenshapedcivilizations'lawandmoralcodes,social
structure,artandmusic.

Overview
The19thcenturysawadramaticincreaseinknowledgeaboutotherculturesandreligions,andalsothe
establishmentofeconomicandsocialhistoriesofprogress.The"historyofreligions"schoolsoughtto
accountforthisreligiousdiversitybyconnectingitwiththesocialandeconomicsituationofaparticular
group.
Typically,religionsweredividedintostagesofprogressionfromsimpletocomplexsocieties,especially
frompolytheistictomonotheisticandfromextemporetoorganized.Religionscanbeclassifiedas
circumcisingandnoncircumcising,proselytizing(attemptingtoconvertpeopleofotherreligion)andnon
proselytizing.Manyreligionssharecommonbeliefs.

Origin
TheearliestevidenceofreligiousideasdatesbackseveralhundredthousandyearstotheMiddleandLower
Paleolithicperiods.ArchaeologistsrefertoapparentintentionalburialsofearlyHomosapiensfromasearly
as300,000yearsagoasevidenceofreligiousideas.Otherevidenceofreligiousideasincludesymbolic
artifactsfromMiddleStoneAgesitesinAfrica.However,theinterpretationofearlypaleolithicartifacts,
withregardtohowtheyrelatetoreligiousideas,remainscontroversial.Archeologicalevidencefrommore
recentperiodsislesscontroversial.AnumberofartifactsfromtheUpperPaleolithic(50,00013,000)are
generallyinterpretedbyscientistsasrepresentingreligiousideas.ExamplesofUpperPaleolithicremains
associatedwithreligiousbeliefsincludethelionman,theVenusfigurines,cavepaintingsfromChauvet
CaveandtheelaborateritualburialfromSungir.
Inthe19thcentury,varioustheorieswereproposedregardingtheoriginofreligion,supplantingtheearlier
claimsofChristianityofurreligion.EarlytheoristsEdwardBurnettTylorandHerbertSpencerproposedthe
conceptofanimism,whilearchaeologistJohnLubbockusedtheterm"fetishism".Meanwhile,religious
scholarMaxMllertheorizedthatreligionbeganinhedonismandfolkloristWilhelmMannhardtsuggested
thatreligionbeganin"naturalism",bywhichhemeantmythologicalexplanationofnaturalevents.[3]Allof
thesetheorieshavesincebeenwidelycriticizedthereisnobroadconsensusregardingtheoriginof
religion.

Religionattheneolithicrevolution

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

2/7

7/13/2015

HistoryofreligionsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Throughthebulkofhumanevolution,humanslivedinsmallnomadicbandspracticingahuntergatherer
lifestyle.Theemergenceofcomplexandorganizedreligionscanbetracedtotheperiodwhenhumans
abandonedtheirnomadichuntergathererlifestylesinordertobeginfarmingduringtheNeolithicperiod.
Thetransitionfromforagingbandstostatesandempiresresultedinmorespecializedanddevelopedforms
ofreligionthatwerereflectionsofthenewsocialandpoliticalenvironments.Whilebandsandsmalltribes
possesssupernaturalbeliefs,thesebeliefsareadaptedtosmallerpopulations.

Neolithicreligions
ThereligionsoftheNeolithicpeoplesprovideevidenceofsomeoftheearliestknownformsoforganized
religions.TheNeolithicsettlementofatalhyk,inwhatisnowTurkey,washometoabout7000people
andremainsthelargestknownsettlementfromtheNeolithicperiod.JamesMellaart,whoexcavatedthe
site,believedthatatalhykwasthespiritualcenterofcentralAnatolia.[4]Astrikingfeatureof
atalhykareitsfemalefigurines.Mellaart,theoriginalexcavator,arguedthatthesewellformed,
carefullymadefigurines,carvedandmoldedfrommarble,blueandbrownlimestone,schist,calcite,basalt,
alabaster,andclay,representedafemaledeityoftheGreatGoddesstype.Althoughamaledeityexistedas
well,statuesofafemaledeityfaroutnumberthoseofthemaledeity,whomoreover,doesnotappearto
berepresentedatallafterLevelVI.[5]Todate,eighteenlevelshavebeenidentified.Thesecareful
figurineswerefoundprimarilyinareasMellaartbelievedtobeshrines.One,howeverastatelygoddess
seatedonathroneflankedbytwofemalelionswasfoundinagrainbin,whichMellaartsuggestsmight
havebeenameansofensuringtheharvestorprotectingthefoodsupply.[6]
ThePyramidTextsfromancientEgyptareoneoftheoldestknownreligioustextsintheworlddatingto
between24002300BCE.[7][8]Writingplayedamajorroleinsustainingorganizedreligionbystandardizing
religiousideasregardlessoftimeorlocation.

Valueofreligion
Organizedreligionemergedasameansofprovidingsocialandeconomicstabilitytolargepopulations
throughthefollowingways:
Organizedreligionservedtojustifythecentralauthority,whichinturnpossessedtherighttocollect
taxesinreturnforprovidingsocialandsecurityservicestothestate.TheempiresofAncientEgypt
andMesopotamiaweretheocracies,withchiefs,kingsandemperorsplayingdualrolesofpolitical
andspiritualleaders.[9]Virtuallyallstatesocietiesandchiefdomsaroundtheworldhavesimilar
politicalstructureswherepoliticalauthorityisjustifiedbydivinesanction.
Organizedreligionemergedasmeansofmaintainingpeacebetweenunrelatedindividuals.Bandsand
tribesconsistofsmallnumberofrelatedindividuals.Howeverstatesandnationsarecomposedof
thousandsormillionsofunrelatedindividuals.JaredDiamondarguesthatorganizedreligionserved
toprovideabondbetweenunrelatedindividualswhowouldotherwisebemorepronetoenmity.He
arguesthattheleadingcauseofdeathamonghuntergatherersocietiesismurder.[10]
thefollowingcanalsobebroughtinto.

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

3/7

7/13/2015

HistoryofreligionsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Theperiodfrom900to200BCEhasbeendescribedbyhistoriansastheaxialage,atermcoinedby
GermanphilosopherKarlJaspers.AccordingtoJaspers,thisistheeraofhistorywhen"thespiritual
foundationsofhumanitywerelaidsimultaneouslyandindependently...Andthesearethefoundationsupon
whichhumanitystillsubsiststoday".IntellectualhistorianPeterWatsonhassummarizedthisperiodasthe
foundationofmanyofhumanity'smostinfluentialphilosophicaltraditions,includingmonotheisminPersia
andCanaan,PlatonisminGreece,Buddhism,JainisminIndia,andConfucianismandTaoisminChina.
Theseideaswouldbecomeinstitutionalizedintime,forexampleAshoka'sroleinthespreadofBuddhism,
ortheroleofplatonicphilosophyinChristianityatitsfoundation.

MiddleAges
PresentdayworldreligionsestablishedthemselvesthroughoutEurasiaduringtheMiddleAgesby:
ChristianizationoftheWesternworldBuddhistmissionstoEastAsiathedeclineofBuddhisminthe
IndiansubcontinentandthespreadofIslamthroughouttheMiddleEast,CentralAsia,NorthAfricaand
partsofEuropeandIndia.
DuringtheMiddleAges,MuslimswereinconflictwithZoroastriansduringtheIslamicconquestofPersia
ChristianswereinconflictwithMuslimsduringtheByzantineArabWars,Crusades,Reconquista,Ottoman
warsinEuropeandInquisitionShamanswereinconflictwithBuddhists,Taoists,MuslimsandChristians
duringtheMongolinvasionsandMuslimswereinconflictwithHindusandSikhsduringMuslimconquest
intheIndiansubcontinent.
Manymedievalreligiousmovementsemphasizedmysticism,suchastheCatharsandrelatedmovementsin
theWest,theJewsinSpain(seeZohar),theBhaktimovementinIndiaandSufisminIslam.Monotheism
reacheddefiniteformsinChristianChristologyandinIslamicTawhid.Hindumonotheistnotionsof
BrahmanlikewisereachedtheirclassicalformwiththeteachingofAdiShankara.

Modernperiod
Europeancolonisationduringthe15thto19thcenturiesresultedinthespreadofChristianitytoSub
SaharanAfrica,theAmericas,AustraliaandthePhilippines.Theinventionoftheprintingpressinthe15th
centuryplayedamajorroleintherapidspreadoftheProtestantReformationunderleaderssuchasMartin
LutherandJohnCalvin.Warsofreligionfollowed,culminatingintheThirtyYearsWarwhichravaged
centralEurope,16181648.The18thcenturysawthebeginningofsecularisationinEurope,gaining
momentumaftertheFrenchRevolution.Bythelate20thcenturyreligionhaddeclinedinmostofEurope.
Inthe20thcentury,theregimesofCommunistEasternEuropeandCommunistChinawereantireligious.
Agreatvarietyofnewreligiousmovementsoriginatedinthe20thcentury,manyproposingsyncretismof
elementsofestablishedreligions.Adherencetosuchnewmovementsislimited,however,remainingbelow
2%worldwideinthe2000s(decade).Adherentsoftheclassicalworldreligionsaccountformorethan75%
oftheworld'spopulation,whileadherencetoindigenoustribalreligionshasfallento4%.Asof2005,an
estimated14%oftheworld'spopulationidentifiesasnonreligious.

Developmentof"newreligions"

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

4/7

7/13/2015

HistoryofreligionsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Thetermnewreligiousmovement(NRM)canidentifyareligiousfaithoranethical,spiritual,or
philosophicalmovementofrecentoriginthatdoesnotformpartofanestablisheddenomination,church,or
religiousbody.

Seealso
Historiographyofreligion
Religionandpolitics
Christianityandpolitics
Womenastheologicalfigures
Listoffoundersofreligioustraditions

Shamanismandancestorworship
Prehistoricreligion
Shamanism
Animism
Ancestorworship
Tribalreligion

Polytheism
AncientNearEasternreligion,Egyptianmythology
AncientGreekreligion,AncientRomanreligion
Germanicpaganism,FinnishPaganism,Norsepaganism
Mayareligion,Incareligion,Aztecreligion
Neopaganism,Polytheisticreconstructionism

Monotheism
SeealsoMonotheism,Abrahamicreligions.
Aten
HistoryofJudaism
Neoplatonism
HistoryofChristianity
HistoryofRomanCatholicism
HistoryofEasternOrthodoxChristianity
HistoryofProtestantism
HistoryofIslam
Sikhism
Zoroastrianism

Monism
HistoryofBuddhism
HistoryofJainism
HistoryofHinduism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_religions

5/7

7/13/2015

HistoryofreligionsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Dualism
Gnosticism

Newreligiousmovements
HistoryofAyyavazhi
Rastafarimovement
HistoryofWicca
TimelineofScientology
Mormonism
Bah'Faith
Bbism
HistoryofSpiritism
Thelema

References
1. 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:An
ArchaeologicalJourneytotheDawnofCivilization.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.ISBN0393
038912.

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)excerptandtext
search(http://www.amazon.com/dp/0198662424/)1126pp
Carus,Paul.Thehistoryofthedevilandtheideaofevil:fromtheearliesttimestothepresentday
(1899)fulltext(http://www.sacredtexts.com/evil/hod/index.htm)
Eliade,Mircea,andJoanP.Couliano.TheHarperCollinsConciseGuidetoWorldReligion:TheA
toZEncyclopediaofAlltheMajorReligiousTraditions(1999)covers33principalreligions,
includingBuddhism,Christianity,Jainism,Judaism,Islam,Shinto,Shamanism,Taoism,South
Americanreligions,BalticandSlavicreligions,Confucianism,andthereligionsofAfricaand
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_religions

6/7

7/13/2015

HistoryofreligionsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Oceania.
Ellwood,RobertS.andGregoryD.Alles.TheEncyclopediaofWorldReligions(2007)528ppfor
middleschools
Gilley,SheridanShiels,W.J.HistoryofReligioninBritain:PracticeandBelieffromPreRoman
TimestothePresent(1994)590pp
James,PaulMandaville,Peter(2010).GlobalizationandCulture,Vol.2:GlobalizingReligions
(http://www.academia.edu/4416072/Globalization_and_Culture_Vol._2_Globalizing_Religions_edit
or_with_Peter_Mandaville_Sage_Publications_London_2010).London:SagePublications.
Marshall,Peter."(Re)definingtheEnglishReformation,"JournalofBritishStudies,July2009,Vol.
48#3pp564586
Schultz,KevinM.Harvey,Paul."EverywhereandNowhere:RecentTrendsinAmericanReligious
HistoryandHistoriography,"JournaloftheAmericanAcademyofReligion,March2010,Vol.78#1
pp129162
Wilson,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.
TextisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlikeLicenseadditionaltermsmay
apply.Byusingthissite,youagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.Wikipediaisa
registeredtrademarkoftheWikimediaFoundation,Inc.,anonprofitorganization.

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

7/7