Religion is among mankind's most ancient concepts. It
seems that among our most primitive instincts is an awareness of a force much greater than ourselves.
Closely related to our capacity for worship (the topic of Assignment 1) is our sense that our universe and the
things we encounter every day are not random acts. They are organized and controlled in specific ways by great and powerful forces and beings.
Throughout history, human beings have sought after explanations for
natural and human events beyond their control. Entire systems of religion revolved around the stories (myths) that enveloped and sought to explain human pain, pleasure, misery, and prosperity.
In fact, Jesus
prophesied that the people of Nineveh, Tyre and Sidon, and even Gomorrah would rise at the judgment to condemn His own generation. It seems likely that entire races and cultures will rise at the judgment to condemn the
atheists of our own generation, so evident is the presence of a supernatural force in the affairs of human life.
One of our course objectives is to understand religion in the ancient world, and how it compares with
contemporary practice. The purpose of this objective is two-fold.
First, it is historically useful to know how ancient people lived and viewed the world. Such knowledge can help us analyze and understand our own
times and challenges much better.
Second, understanding ancient religions can help us understand the themes and habits of current religions. There is nothing new under the sun, as Solomon would tell us. Everything
that is "new" about the "New Age" for example, has its roots in ancient religion, much of it Babylonian.
Finally, understanding ancient religion can help us see the real force behind all religion forever: the
revelation of God. The central conflict in all religion involves mankind's attempt to explain our universe versus God's mission to make us understand His story and Himself.
Arguably, every ancient religion--and many
modern spiritual and religious practices--is at its core an attempt by people to explain God. Conversely, the Judeo-Christian thread of history is God's effort to reveal His nature, being, and work to humans.
For this
assignment, we will become more informed about ancient religious practices as well as modern religious practices that have ancient roots.
Assignment:
Using your course
, your Questia.com subscription and the Internet, develop relatively short (2-4 page)
profiles of the following:
One ancient polytheistic religion. Probably best known to us are the ancient gods of the Greeks and Romans. However, many ancient cultures (Sumerian, Babylonian, Mesopotamian) featured many gods in their
religious rites.
One ancient animistic religion. "Animism" is generally considered the worship of nature or natural symbols. Many tribal religions are animistic in nature and practice.
One ancient
non-Judeo-Christian religion. Many ancient religions honored one "god" but not the One God. In some cases the one "god" was considered superior to many gods in a pantheon.
Be sure your profile includes:
1.) A short introduction of the religion. What is it? What were its central values and beliefs? Who practiced it?
2.) Its current state. Is it still in practice? If so, where and by whom?
3.) Ways that its
practice in the ancient world can be seen in religious and social practice today. For example, the worship of Gaia, or Mother Earth, is an ancient concept that has found its way into not only modern religion, but
also modern social practice (God said, "take dominion over the earth." Gaia worship says "we must tenderly care for the earth." Who is right?
