History of religions
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2008-06-30T01:01:47Z
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/* Monism */
{{Mergefrom|Claims to the oldest religion|date=June 2008}}
{{for|the academic study of religion in general|Religious studies}}
{{History of religion}}
The '''History of religions''' (''Religiongeschichteschule'', school of religious history) was a [[19th century]] [[Germany|German]] school of thought which was the first to systematically study [[religion]] as a [[society|socio]]-[[culture|cultural]] phenomenon. It depicted religion as evolving with human culture, from primitive polytheism to ethical monotheism.
''Religiongeschichteschule'' appeared at a time when scholarly study of the Bible and church history was flourishing in Germany and elsewhere (see [[Higher criticism]], [[Historical-critical method]]).
==Introduction==
The [[nineteenth century]] saw a dramatic increase in knowledge about other [[cultures]] and religions, and also the establishment of economic and social histories of [[social progress|progress]]. The "history of religions" school sought to account for this religious diversity by connecting it with the social and economic situation of a particular group.
Typically religions are divided into stages of progression from more simple to more complex societies, especially from [[polytheistic]] to [[monotheistic]] and from extempore to organised. (There are now claims "that religion evolved from polytheism to monotheism has now been discredited" p. 1763 [[Man, Myth and Magic]] 1995)
Thus, the starting point is the [[tribal band]] whose religion is [[animistic]] and involves [[shaman]]s and [[totems]]. Since the group is tribal, there is no permanent [[sanctuary]]. Cultic rites centre on [[identification]] with wild animals and appeasing [[spirit]]s, often of the hunted.
As society developed into [[chiefdoms]] and small [[monarchy|kingdoms]], religious rites began to serve different functions. [[Agriculture]] became important and so fertility gods were introduced (often female, as it is the woman who has the power to produce life). The status of the "big man" (or [[tribal chief|chief]]) was supported with mythic tales of [[hero]]es and [[demigods]], from whom he may be descended.
When these small kingdoms merged into larger groups (often through conquest), different cults merged. The conquest of one group by another is therefore recorded in an [[Epic poetry|epic]] tale of the conquest of the conquered group's god by the victor's (e.g. some [[Hinduism]] and the Babylonian [[Marduk]]). Another solution was to [[Syncretism|syncretise]] different religious traditions, for example, the [[Ancient Rome|Romans']] identification of their Gods with the [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]] and the Greeks' adoption of [[Anatolia]]n myths and characters.
Finally, the growth of the [[city state]] brought about progression to the most "civilised" level of religion, [[ethical monotheism]]. Students of the history of religions often learnt that this began in [[Egypt]] with [[Akhnaten]] and grew through 7th century BC [[Judaism]], Persian [[Zoroastrianism]] and [[Greek Philosophy]] to endow [[Western society]] with the most progressive form of religion. The historical basis of this — that religion moved from polytheism to ethical monotheism — is now doubted.
Nevertheless, it is still widely held that ethical monotheism (e.g. Judaism, [[Christianity]], [[Islam]], some forms of Hinduism and [[Buddhism]]) was encouraged by the growth of city states. This was partly due to the role of a [[hierarchical society]] with a god-like [[absolute ruler]]. A more powerful social force was the isolation of the individual as he moved from the clan to a more [[Multiculturalism|cosmopolitan]] lifestyle. Questions of [[justice]] and value that had been previously answered by the family and small tribe were now to be pursued independently. The relative anonymity of the [[city]] afforded the opportunity for not only "sin" but also loneliness. ''Ethical'' monotheism answered society's need for a moral guide and motivation, whilst a unique ''personal God'' who was sovereign over all areas of life answered people's feelings of isolation and powerlessness.
Good examples of this are the prophetic literature of the Jewish [[Tanakh]] (Old Testament), especially [[Isaiah]], and the wisdom literature of the ancient near east dealing with apparently unjustified suffering. This includes [[Job (Biblical figure)|Job]], in the Judaeo-Christian Bible, and "[[The Dialogue of Pessimism]]", a [[Babylonian]] text.
==Origin==
{{main|Evolutionary origins of religion}}
==Development of new religions==
{{main|Development of religion}}
==Shamanism and ancestor worship==
*[[Prehistoric religion]]
*[[Shamanism]]
*[[Animism]]
*[[Ancestor worship]]
*[[Tribal religion]]
*[[African traditional religion]]
*[[Australian Aboriginal mythology]]
*[[History of Shintoism]]
==Polytheism==
{{seealso|Polytheism|Pantheon (gods)|Paganism}}
*[[Ancient Near Eastern religion]], [[Egyptian mythology]]
*[[Historical Vedic religion]]
*[[Ancient Greek religion]], [[Ancient Roman religion]]
*[[Germanic paganism]], [[Finnish Paganism]], [[Norse paganism]]
*[[Maya religion]], [[Inca religion]], [[Aztec religion]]
*[[Neopaganism]], [[Polytheistic reconstructionism]]
==Monism==
{{main|Monism}}
*[[History of Buddhism]]
*[[History of Jainism]]
*[[History of Hinduism]]
*[[History of Ayyavazhi]]
==Dualism==
*[[Zoroastrianism]]
*[[Gnosticism]]
==Monotheism==
:''See also [[Monotheism]], [[Abrahamic religions]]''.
*[[Aten]]
*[[History of Judaism]]
*[[Neoplatonism]]
*[[History of Christianity]]
**[[History of Roman Catholicism]]
**[[History of Eastern Orthodox Christianity]]
**[[History of Protestantism]]
*[[History of Islam]]
*[[Sikhism]]
==New religious movements==
{{main|New religious movements}}
*[[History of Ayyavazhi]]
*[[Rastafari movement]]
*[[History of Wicca]]
==See also==
*[[Religion and politics]]
*[[Christianity and politics]]
*[[Women as theological figures]]
*[[Origin of religion]]
*[[List of founders of religious traditions]]
*[[Oldest religion]]
*[[Code of Hammurabi]]
==External links==
*[http://www.historyofreligions.com/ History of religion]
*[http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/DicHist/analytic/anaVI.html The history of religious and philosophical ideas, in ''Dictionary of the History of Ideas]
*[http://mapsofwar.com/ind/history-of-religion.html History of Religion as flash animation]
[[Category:History of religion| ]]
[[cs:Dějiny náboženství]]
[[da:Religionshistorie]]
[[de:Religionsgeschichte]]
[[fr:Histoire des religions]]
[[ia:Historia del religiones]]
[[lt:Religijos istorija]]
[[nl:Godsdienstgeschiedenis]]
[[ja:宗教の歴史]]
[[no:Religionshistorie]]
[[pl:Historia religii]]
[[sv:Religionshistoria]]
[[zh:宗教史]]