From the historical perspective, religion and civilization are considered as two intertwined elements. The civilizations experienced in most global regions were directly influenced or shaped by religious beliefs and religious structures in one way of the other. Religion acted as a medium for bringing law and order, as well as the source of guideline for numerous societal developments. This paper focuses on how different religious beliefs influenced civilization and cultural settings in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It also underlines the effects of mythology on decisions put forth by the ruling and the working class, as well as the role of rituals in developing the markers of civilization
The influence of different Religious structures and Beliefs on Asian, African, the Middle East, and European Civilization
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Civilization in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa was largely shaped by the underlying religious facets. This ranged from the aspects of social stratification, architectural designs, and infusion of significant governance ideologies 1 . Regardless of different impacts of religion in the highlighted regions, the most significant is the fact that religion enhanced civilization through enhancement of common bond and significant ethical codes guiding the overall behavioral conducts. This posed direct influence and reinforcement of the economic, occupational and political stratifications. For instance, in Asia, Hinduism influenced the establishment of the political and social roles of the underlying Vedic caste system. Buddhism rather rejected the previous ideology associated with the caste system through the belief in equality amongst the believers 2 . They presumed that believers can be enlightened regardless of their economic or social class. Other examples of religious-based influences of civilizations in Africa encompass the pyramid structures, tombs, and many other architectural designs. As much as they were initially established based on the prevailing religious beliefs, they became the main basis for the current architectural designs. In Europe, the Greek mythology and many other religious beliefs and symbols such as monuments and temples also shaped civilization in several ways.
How Religious differences shaped their Underlying Cultures
The diverse cultures amongst the underlined civilizations were shaped by conflicting religious beliefs. Ever since religion has remained the primary source of conflict across various nations. The sources of conflicts are deemed as the underlying ideological differences 3 . Thus, it is presumed that developmental variations across these regions were mainly determined by the prevailing religious structures and beliefs.
Effects of Mythology on the decisions of the Working and Ruling Classes
The existing mythologies, especially the Greek and the Roman mythologies, played significant roles in shaping the society. It underlined the existence of the ruling classes and the working classes. The powerful individuals used the prevailing methodologies to seek power and blessings. They believed they were able to lead and conger other nations courtesy of the underpinnings put forth in previous mythologies. In this case, mythologies enhanced the aspect of class differences to a greater extent. The rulers believed that they were the ultimate decision-makers and anybody going against their directives was subject to severe punishment 4 . On the other hand, the working classes were subject to the decisions made by their rulers regardless of their diverse ideologies.
The Role of Rituals in Developing the Markers of Civilization
The developments of markers of civilizations such as the governments or economy were largely enhanced by religious rituals. The rituals such as prayers, morality, cultural celebrations, or even sacrifices were used as appropriate mediums for establishing an appropriate bond among the society members 5 . This led to significant political and economic stratification based on the underlying ideological and resource-based exchanges. Through rituals, individuals were influenced by the urge of embracing togetherness, teamwork, and peaceful coexistence.
Bibliography
Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and its discontents . Broadview Press, 2015.
Goody, Jack. "Religion and Civilization." In Re-Imagining the Other , pp. 23-34. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2014.
Hodder, Ian, ed. Religion in the emergence of civilization: Çatalhöyük as a case study . Cambridge University Press, 2010.
Mische, Patricia M., and Melissa Merkling, eds. Toward a Global Civilization?: The Contribution of Religions . Peter Lang Pub Incorporated, 2001.
1 Goody, Jack. "Religion and Civilization." In Re-Imagining the Other , pp. 23-34. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2014.
2 Hodder, Ian, ed. Religion in the emergence of civilization: Çatalhöyük as a case study . Cambridge University Press, 2010.
3 Mische, Patricia M., and Melissa Merkling, eds. Toward a Global Civilization?: The Contribution of Religions . Peter Lang Pub Incorporated, 2001.
4 Goody, Jack. "Religion and Civilization." In Re-Imagining the Other , pp. 23-34. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2014.
5 Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and its discontents . Broadview Press, 2015.
