Ancient Religious Traditions

Ancient Religious Traditions : 

The Search for Order, Meaningand the Purpose of Life Ancient Religious Traditions

Ancestor Worship : 

The religious history of China is complex, and has evolved over the centuries. Deeply interwoven into their beliefs is the worship of their ancestors. The Chinese believed that the spirits of their ancestors were watching over them, and that they could be called upon during difficult times. Ancestor Worship

Confucianism : 

In 551 B.C.E. a man by the name of Kongzi was born to a poor family in the province of Shandong. Kongzi is known in the western world as Confucius. Confucianism

Confucius: the Teacher : 

Confucius saw many problems in the world and wanted to correct them. When his attempts to become an advisor to a number of different government officials failed, he became a teacher. Confucius: the Teacher

Peace and Order : 

The most important things to Confucius were peace, and order. He felt that everyone had a proper role in society, and that if people were willing to accept their role, and fulfill it, that peace and harmony would abound. Peace and Order

Respect for Elders : 

In order to help people accept their roles in society, and establish order, Confucius outlined how individuals should treat one another. The most important of these ethics outlined the responsibilities of children to respect and listen to their parents, and other elders. Respect for Elders

Social Ethics : 

He also laid out ethics for how subjects should follow rulers, for how rulers should treat subjects, how husbands and wives should treat one another, and how friends should treat each other. Social Ethics

Spread of Confucianism : 

During his own lifetime Confucius’ teachings were not widely accepted. However, within a hundred years, they were being used by the emperor to help him rule, and eventually became a widely followed religion. Confucianism would remain a powerful force in Chinese history. Spread of Confucianism

Daoism : 

A contemporary of Confucius was a teacher named Laozi. Most of what we know about Laozi is so heavily mixed with legend, that it is difficult to know what is true, and what is myth. Daoism

Rejection of Material Things : 

Laozi taught that a force known as the Dao permeated all living things. He told his followers that the most important thing an individual could do is to reject the world, and their desires for worldly possessions and power, and commune with nature, bringing ones self into a state of oneness with the Dao. Rejection of Material Things

Relationship to Nature : 

Many individuals in China practices both Confucianism and Daoism. Confucianism taught them how to behave towards one another, while Daoism taught them how to behave towards the natural world, and with themselves personally. Relationship to Nature

Hinduism : 

The Hindus believed that all living things possessed within them a part of a universal spirit. Therefore, all living things were sacred and should not be killed. For a spirit to achieve true joy and freedom, they must be united again with that spirit. Hinduism

Yoga : 

In order to achieve tranquility, and bring themselves closer to the spirit, which they called Brahman Nerguna, they practiced a series of mental and physical exercises known as yoga. Yoga

Reincarnation : 

The Hindus believed that the soul went through a series of rebirths, as it strived to obtain a oneness with the universal spirit. They believed that when a person died, they would be reborn again, living many lives, until they perfected themselves. This state of perfection was called Moksha. Reincarnation

Moksha : 

When one obtained this state of Moksha, their cycle of rebirth after rebirth would finally stop, and they would live in eternal happiness at one with the Brahman Nerguna. Moksha

Buddhism : 

Buddhism was founded by an Indian prince, who called himself the Buddha. The Buddha or “Enlightened One” taught his people about Four Noble Truths, and an Eightfold Path. He also taught the people to use meditation. Buddhism

The Four Noble Truths : 

Suffering is part of human life. Suffering is caused by people’s desires for pleasure and material things. (This results in an endless cycle of rebirths or reincarnation.) Overcoming desires during lifetime eventually brings end to this cycle and suffering. Desires can be overcome by following the Eightfold Path. The Four Noble Truths

The Eightfold Path : 

In order to eliminate their desires for worldly things, and thus end the cycle of rebirths, the Buddha taught his people to follow eight principals: Know the truth Resist evil Say nothing hurtful Respect life Free the mind from evil Work in service to others Resist evil Practice meditation The Eightfold Path

Nirvana : 

Nirvana By following the eightfold path, and avoiding evil extremes, the Buddha taught that an individual could achieve nirvana. He taught that nirvana, which in their language meant to blow out a candle, was a state of non-existence.

In Harmony with Universe : 

Nirvana was not a place, like heaven, but rather an actual state of non-existence. When someone reached nirvana, their soul was in harmony with the universe, and they would cease to exist. In Harmony with Universe

Zoroastrianism : 

Zarathustra (in Greek, Zoroaster) was a Persian prophet who lived in the sixth century B.C.E. At the age of 30, he believed he had visions of God (whom he called Ahura Mazda), the creator of all that is good and who alone is worthy of worship. Zoroastrianism

Monotheism : 

Zoroastrianism, the religion he inspired, was a departure from previous Indo-Persian polytheism. It has been termed the first non-biblical form of monotheism. Monotheism

Dualism: Good v. Evil : 

Dualism: Good v. Evil Zoroastrian theology is strongly dualistic. In his visions, Zarathustra was taken up to heaven, where Ahura Mazda revealed that he had an opponent, Angra Mainyu, the spirit and promoter of evil. Ahura Mazda Angra Mainyu

Humanity Has Choice : 

Zarathustra taught that humans are free to choose between right and wrong, truth and lie, and light and dark, and that their acts, words, and thoughts would affect their lives after death. Humanity Has Choice

Influenced Other Religions : 

Most religious historians believe that the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim beliefs concerning God and Satan, the soul, heaven and hell, the virgin birth, the slaughter of innocents, the resurrection, and the final judgment were all derived from Zoroastrianism. Influenced Other Religions

Led to Manichaeism : 

Later Zoroastrianism conceived of an opposition between body and soul, though there was no suggestion in its theology that the body was evil and the soul was good. A wandering preacher from Mesopotamia named Mani developed those theories into an extreme form of dualism called Manichaeism. Led to Manichaeism

Judaism : 

Judaism is a monotheistic religion that holds that the world was created by a single, all-knowing divinity, and that all things within that world were designed to have meaning and purpose as part of a divine order. Judaism

In the Image of God : 

In the Image of God Judaism teaches that every person was created "in the image of God." For this reason every person is equally important and has an infinite potential to do good in the world. People have the freewill to make choices in their lives and each of us is responsible for the consequences of those choices.

Ten Commandments : 

Jews believe that God's will for human behavior was revealed to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. The ten commandments, which are part of the Torah, indicate how humans are to live their lives. Ten Commandments

A Messiah : 

After the Romans took control of Israel in 63 B.C.E., many Jews anticipated the arrival of the Messiah, a religious-political-military leader who was expected to drive out the Roman invaders and restore independence. A Messiah

Christianity : 

Around C.E. 30 a new religious movement began among the Jews in the distant borders of the Roman Empire. A group of Jews began following the teachings of a new leader, Jesus of Nazareth. Slowly this movement expanded beyond the Jews, to many other peoples in the surrounding areas, and Christianity was born. Christianity

Son of God : 

After the death of Jesus, his followers taught that he was the Son of God and the Messiah that the Jews had been waiting for. Many people throughout the Mediterranean accepted these teachings, and became known as Christians. Son of God

Persecutions : 

For the next 300 years, Christianity was practiced by many city dwellers in private. Roman officials viewed Christians as a threat, and often had them killed. Christians continued to establish churches, and to spread their religion, but they did so discreetly. Persecutions

State Religion : 

In 312 C.E., the Roman general Constantine became emperor of Rome. He offered protection to Christians, allowing them to build churches and to spread Christianity more quickly. By 392 C.E., Christianity had become a powerful force in the empire and Emperor Theodosius declared Christianity the state religion. State Religion

Church Organization : 

Christians began to organize their church into parishes, which were overseen by priests. Several parishes formed what was called a diocese. Each diocese was led by a bishop. Church Organization

The Papacy : 

Eventually the bishop in Rome began to claim authority over all other bishops, and gave himself the title of Pope. The Western parishes readily accepted the authority of the Pope, however, the Eastern churches did not. The Papacy

East-West Division in Christianity : 

The churches in the West eventually became known as the Roman Catholic Church, while the churches in the East joined together to form the Eastern Orthodox Church. East-West Division in Christianity