Introduction to World Religion and Belief System

II. HOW WORLD RELIGION BEGAN

II. HOW WORLD RELIGION BEGAN

The HISTORY OF RELIGION refers to the written record of human religious experiences and ideas. This period of religious history begins with the invention of writing about 5,200 years ago (3200 BCE). The prehistory of religion involves the study of religious beliefs that existed prior to the advent of written records.

One can also study comparative religious chronology through a timeline of religion. Writing played a major role in standardizing religious texts regardless of time or location, and making easier the memorization of prayers and divine rules. The case of the bible involves the collation of multiple oral texts handed down over the centuries.

The Earliest evidence of religious ideas dates back several hundred thousand years to the middle and lower paleolithic periods. Archeologists refer to apparent intentional burials of early Homo sapiens from as early as 300,000 years ago as evidence of religious ideas. Other evidence of religious ideas include symbolic artifacts from Middle Stone Age sites in Africa. However, the interpretation of early paleolithic artifacts, with regards to how they relate to religious ideas remains controversial.

Archeological evidence from more recent periods is less controversial scientists. Which generally interpret a number of artifacts from the Upper Paleolithic (50,000-13,00 BCE) as representing religious ideas. Example of Upper Paleolithic remains associated with religious beliefs include the "lion man", the Venus Figurines, cave paintings from Chauvet Cave and the elaborate ritual burial from Sungir.

In the 19th Century researchers proposed various theories regarding "the origin of religion", challenging earlier claims of a Christianity-like religion.
Early theorists Edward Burnett Tylor (1832-1917) and Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) proposed the concept of animism, while archeologist John Lubbock (1834-1913) used the term "fetishism". Meanwhile, religious scholar Max Muller (1823-1900) theorized that religion began in hedoshism and Folklorist. Wilhelm Mannhardt (1831-1880) suggested that religion began in naturalism, by which he meant mythological explanation of natural events. All of this theories have since been widely criticized; there is no broad consensus regarding the origin of religion.

○ Animism a doctrine that the vital
principle of organic
development is
immaterial spirit. attribution of conscious life to objects in and phenomena of nature or to inanimate objects. A belief in the existence of spiritsseparable from bodies.

○ Fetishism a belief in magical fetishes; extravagant irrational devotion

○ hedoshism the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life

○ Folklorist traditional customs, tales, sayings, dances, or art forms preserved among a people; an often unsupported notion, story, or saying that is widely circulated

○ Naturalism a theory denying that an event or object has a supernatural significance;
specifically : the doctrine that scientific laws are adequate to account for all phenomena

The religion begun both "Geographical" and "Historical".

Geographical
- process of diffusion [diffusionist: the anthropologist who emphasizes the role of diffusion in the history of culture rather than independent inventions or discovery.]

a. Anything that moves must be carried in some way.

b. Influence by other things that gets in the way.

Two Basic Types

• EXPANSION DIFFUSION
- Direct contact to a "believer" and the total numbers of knowers increase.

• RELOCATION DIFFUSION
- Initial Groups diffused to others and influence them (ex. Missionaries)

Other types:

• CONTAGIOUS DIFFUSION
- Through growth of population by Direct Contact.

• HIERARCHICAL DIFFUSION
- Implanted the top of society.
(ex. Islam in various region of the world)

Historical
- a response of ē mysteries of life that is organized, ritualized, and agreed upon by a group of people in order to survive.

; this were important, a protection for culture. When protection is achieved, exploration (both internal and external) could be undertaken. A greater query of "cosmos".

; stories where created, passed on by words of mouth, sacred text, and revelation of God.

; systems are establish, worship of nature for survival attempts to find answers about scarcity, death and natural disasters.

; establish rituals, prayers and ceremonies.

; and religions occurs.