1. Introductory Overview

2.   The belief in divine being(s) and practices (rituals) and moral codes (ethics) that result from that belief.  BELIEFS give religion its mind  RITUALS give religion its shape  ETHICS give religion its heart What is Religion?

3.   Integral part of culture-developed as cultures developed  Humans have an innate desire to understand our world, how we got here, why we are here, and what happens after death  Early signs of religion  Ceremonial burials  Animism - Belief that everything in nature has a spirit  Shinto- Traditional Japanese Animism  Daoism- Chinese philosophy with Animistic elements  Shaman - Religious leader who communicates with the spirit world Origin of Religion

5.   Theory: Developed to explain natural phenomena  Early gods were the forces of nature  (the sun IS a god, the sea IS a god)  Later gods represented or controlled the forces of nature  (god OF the sun, god OF the sea)  Common throughout the world (Greeks, Romans, Celts, Chinese, etc)  Indian Polytheism later developed into Hinduism Polytheism

6. Mesopotamian gods

7. Egyptian gods

8. Greek gods

9. Chinese gods

10. Hindu gods

11.   Zoroastrianism : c. 1500- 1200 BCE in Iran  Iranian religion was Polytheistic and related to early Hinduism  Prophet Zoroaster taught worship of One God called “Ahura Mazda” (Lord of Wisdom and Light) Birth of Monotheism

12.   Ancient Judaism : c. 1500-1200 BCE in Canaan  Middle East and Egypt were Polytheistic  Prophet Abraham taught Monotheism  Later, Prophet Moses taught laws for Judaism (Torah) Birth of Monotheism

13.   Around 500 BCE, new religions developed in India, China, and elsewhere from preexisting beliefs and philosophies  Daoism & Confucianism in China  Jainism & Buddhism in India Old Idea, New Religion

14.   World Religions spread and take hold  Spread of Christianity and then Islam  Spread of Buddhism to East Asia  Judaism redefined after Temple destroyed  Indian religions identify as Hindu in contrast to Islam Between 200-1500 CE

15.   Syncretism - the combining of different beliefs  Sikhism = blend of Hindu & Muslim ideas  Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism blended in China Syncretism