History of Religions

Classification of religions, history of religions, the similarities and differences of religions.

Concept of religion and its place and role in the modern world. Religious and atheistic worldview. Religion and science. Nowadays, intensified and reached its apogee devaluation of human life, attacks on human souls by materialist became more powerful, and the main value was considered not the soul of man, and his wallet. In light of this intense and interesting to observe a pronounced increase in spiritual values​​, in particular to religion. Let's try to understand the causes and roots of this paradoxical phenomenon.

Let's start with a definition of religion. According to the encyclopedia, the term "religion" in Latin (relegio) means piety, holy. From the perspective of religion is a specific attitude, characteristic behavior and certain actions, which are based on belief in the supernatural, sacred and higher, that is, faith in God.

By and large, religion arose with the emergence of man, and in the beginning it was manifested in their primitive forms, such as superstitions, rituals, etc. in the form of fetishism, totemism and magic. For more than two thousand years, religion has been the leading form of social consciousness. This continued until the Enlightenment, when scientific and technological progress greatly shaken the influence of religion in society.

Ideological foundation and theoretical basis of religion is the Theology - a science that involves some discipline on the various aspects of theology. The key concepts are dogmas of theology (or, more simply, the doctrinal truth-axioms). Dogmas do not allow any doubt was, do not need proof, they originally intended as true divine revelation, and only explained in theological treatises, are interpreted so as to make them understandable and bring to the heart and mind of every believer.

Big and very important place every religion assigns rites, sacraments, worship. This is due to resistant secular traditions, rituals supported. From time immemorial religious rites are inextricably linked with the most important events (births, weddings, funerals) in human life. And the church unsuccessfully used this fact to maintain and enhance its influence. There are the following division of religious associations or organizations: Church (in Greek literally God's House), confession (translated from Latin means confession), the denomination (the name change, "out of the name"), sect (mindset), the cult and others .

The Church today is combining separate denominations with certain administrative structures. In the churches there are no permanent lists of parishioners, there is a clear internal hierarchy, they are characterized by strict tradition.
Confession means a commitment to any religion. It is a religious association, which has certain features and services specific organizational structure.
Nowadays denomination called any direction within the same faith.
Denomination in Christianity means "separation, enclosure, from one faith" and sometimes it means also some intermediate type of religious organization.
Sect is a group, the main opposition to religion. For sects characteristic radicalism harizmatizm authoritarianism.

The church has a huge impact on society. Are seven major historically its functions:
1) Worldview (explaining the essence of causality). Every religion is a kind of teaching.
2) Supportive. In difficult times people turn to the church for help and support.
3) educate function. Concept of sin and the inevitable punishment for it brings believers and safeguard them from wrong actions, morally improving themselves in this way.
4) The function of the Office. Religion as we know has a fairly strong influence on personality. Not only. Entire states are vulnerable to this effect. Church defines the organization of the state, its legal structure.
5) Church also common. In the era of turmoil, conflict, strife, religion became so peacemaker and unifier splotitelem how there could be no other organization. Faith united adherents from all over the world, uphold the spirit of the people of entire peoples, splochala to confront enemies. But today this unifying function of the church acquired a certain extremist when adherence to another religion becomes a cause of strife and conflict. With that call to fight contradicts the tenets of all the world's religions.
6) culture-function. As part of the cultural life of society, Religion quite strongly affects the creativity of artists and culture always has a trace professed religion. This kind of rod that allows you to keep basic spiritual idea, thereby saving civilization from degradation.
7) Function continuity. Voluntarily or involuntarily, but that the church we owe the preservation of cultural and national traditions.

Nowadays, we have the following gradation history of religion on 3 conventional steps:
1. Religion that is based on their deity in natural forces (god of the earth, God of Fire, Water, etc.);
2. Religion which recognizes "the host of God," which requires blind obedience to him. This refers to the so-called monotheism, or the doctrine of God as a person. To similar religions include Islam, Judaism, and, with a little stretch, Christianity.
3. Religion of redemption. Example of which is Buddhism.

In the world there are numerous classifications (on different grounds - a national historic and other features) religions.
Consider some of them. National were associated with a particular ethnic group, with their own specificities rites, taboos system. These are today Confucianism, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Shintoism, Taoism, etc.
World Religions - it Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. Their distinguishing feature is that they are closely linked to tribal and national religions, but there are notable differences from them. World religions are mainly associated with the lifestyle of large regions, ethnic groups, castes and classes. They are characterized by a strong level of propaganda, charisma, and thus in some sense cosmopolitan as affect different social and ethnic groups, and preach the idea of ​​equality.

There are different types of religious worldviews:
1. Polytheism, which says that there are many gods associated with natural phenomena, etc. (paganism).
2. Pantheism identifies God with the nature of the world (Hinduism, Buddhism)
3. Deism is based on the idea of ​​a Creator God, who is universal and is indifferent to human history.
4. Monotheism or theism asserts the unity of God as the supreme being, the Creator, the Father, which is responsible for its creation.

Deism was popular among some of the Decembrists, but for Russia today is typical of Monotheism, although the popularity of Pantheism as enhancing environmental advocates and the Green Party recently should not be ignored.

In the late eighteenth century deism place in the niche occupied freethinking atheism, although the arena world atheism was not a novice. Even in ancient times believed all atheists who did not agree with the dominant religion. So, Socrates was considered at the time an atheist. Today atheism considered as an alternative theology. Atheism denies belief in the supernatural, in the gods, etc. By and large Atheism denies religion, in all its manifestations.
Atheists have always been considered dangerous because they were beyond the control of religion, and hence the ruling strata of society. After all, a religious person is much easier to manipulate than a freethinker.

Revolutions are usually preceded by a surge of atheism struggle with theology and clericalism. Of this antagonism born social and other conflicts. So, in the twentieth century scientific atheism resulted in militant atheism. That is, religion has pursued. However, this distortion ideas atheism excesses characteristic of totalitarian regimes, and identification with militant atheism freethinking inappropriate (as inappropriate to equate Catholicism of the Inquisition).
Problems dialogue between science and religion, community and the differences of initial principles.