The English word ‘religion’ is derived from the Latin word ‘religio,’ which refers to the fear or awe one feels in the presence of a spirit or deity. Most of the religions that have existed have probably been more concerned with humanity’s proper relationship to supernatural beings and pleasing them, rather than with the well being and ethical relationships among people. Ironically, most adherents to religions associate the word ‘religion’ with the word ‘moral,’ but these terms are not actually synonymous.
There is a universality to religion, as wherever people are found, religion is usually found to. Even when we uncover prehistoric civilizations, we usually find altars, cave paintings, and ritualistic burial practices that reveal our religious nature.
Where does religion come from? Some believe that human beings developed religion to make sense of the natural world around them. Some others believe that religion was devised to control and suppress the masses. Another theory is that religion was born out of our psychological fears and/or social needs. Perhaps all these theories are correct.
There are four main theories of religion: the Animistic Theory, the Nature Worship Theory, the Theory of the Original Monotheism, and the Magic Theory.
ANIMISTIC THEORY
The animistic theory is an understanding that human beings developed a practice of ancestor worship or veneration, in which one attends the spirits of the dead. It is believed that an awareness of the existence of spirits in nature led to the worship of various aspects of nature: water, trees, stones, etc… Ultimately, this animistic view of the universe produced the polytheistic religions that worshiped sky, earth, and water deities.
NATURE WORSHIP THEORY
It is believed by some anthropologist that some human beings developed religion from their observations of the forces of nature. People became aware of the regularity and predictability of the seasons, the tides, and the phases of the moon. There response to these forces of nature was to personalize them. Thus they gave names to the sun, moon, etc…, and began to weave tales about them which became mythology. Eventually pantheons and religions were developed around these myths.
THE THEORY OF THE ORIGINAL MONOTHEISM
Some anthropologist studied hunter-gatherer/foraging cultures (which are considered in the field to be very similar to oldest forms of human society). It was notable that most known hunter-gatherer cultures have a common belief in a distant high god. Even though their religions may have animistic and polytheistic characteristics, there always seems to be belief in one ‘great’ or ‘superior’ creator god. Usually this high god is understood to be eternal, having omniscience, beneficence, morality, and omnipotence.
THE MAGIC THEORY
Regarding magic theory, it is believed that early human beings attempted to control the natural world through magic. When humans realized that nature could not be controlled with magic, they developed religion instead. This logic seemed to imply that nature can be implored to cooperate. When religion could not manipulate nature either, it is believed that human beings began to turn to science, as they began to understand that nature is operative.
*This page is still under development. Eventually you will be able to click on the buttons bellow and it will take you to a page dedicated to that religion. So keep checking back to see if more pages have been added.*
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