CLASSICAL RELIGIONS

In CONTEXT

RELIGIONS in CONTEXT Historians view religion in the context

of time and place. Religions’ main beliefs may not “change”, but how people interpret those religions does change. Buddhists in India in the 300s ce were not the same

as Buddhists in Southeast Asia in the 1800s ce.

Historians view religions as an influence ON culture but also influenced BY culture. Christianity changed Roman culture and the

Renaissance in Europe influenced Christianity.

RELIGION as a study topic

Historians view religions as a part of human experience Hinduism is not judged as right or

wrong in its beliefs or practices, but interpreted in how it influenced human history as it started in India and spread elsewhere.

RELIGIONS

Which religions are the most important? Largest or “most influence” based on

historians’ interpretation?

Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam “get the most ink”

Polytheism – belief in many gods; each god represents aspects of nature or life Rain god, war god, goddess of fertility

Some Comparisons

In Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, & Christianity

Religions of the Classical Period

Foundation There is no recorded founder of

Hinduism – it is the oldest institutional religion of the 4 classical religions.

Judaism began in the Middle East around the 1200s bce when it had its own political empire.

Abraham is considered its founder. First monotheistic religion

Foundations Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha),

the founder of Buddhism, was originally a Hindu in the upperclass.

Buddhism emerged in India out of Hinduism starting in the 500s bce.

Foundations Jesus of Nazareth, the founder of

Christianity, was a lower class Jew along with his first followers living in Roman controlled Middle East.

The Jesus movement became Christianity with non-Jewish converts.

Spread

Groups within Buddhism and Christianity supported missionaries – men and women who took the message of a religion into different regions.

Religions also spread along trade routes.

Spread

Buddhism spread from India into East and SE Asia.

Buddhism by the 500s ce was stronger in areas where it spread than where it originated.

Spread

Christianity spread into the Roman Empire, into North and East Africa, and beyond.

Christianity by the 1200s was stronger in areas where it spread than in where it originated.

Spread

Judaism spread after the Romans exiled Jews to new territories in Western and Eastern Europe after several rebellions against Roman rule in the 1st century c.e. (the Jewish temple was also destroyed).

Spread & CHANGE

As religions spread and new interpretations arose – there were changes, splits into different sects (or groups), and new influences

Existence after Death

Hinduism and Buddhism – Existence is cyclical until one breaks from the cycle and becomes eternally spirit.

Judaism (some forms) and Christianity – Existence is linear; one lives and then becomes eternally spirit.

Challenges to Society

Both Buddhism and Christianity, more than Judaism and Hinduism, challenged the social class system and the status of women.

Especially in the early centuries, these religions appealed to lower classes.

Texts

The founders of Buddhism and Christianity did not record their own statements or life story.

The interpretation of texts was a main basis for different groups or sects to separate in each religion.