The most ancient form of religion. The oldest religions in the world

Traditionally, questions of faith cause the most controversy and debate. How many copies have been broken in figuring out which religion is the most correct, which one deeply reflects the essence of man and the world, which one is better than all the others.

And it is extremely rare that such debates take place peacefully. Most often, having exhausted all arguments, participants grab clubs (in ancient times), swords (closer to us) or bombs and missiles (today).

As a result, it may seem that such debates have been going on forever, and that religion has surrounded man just as forever. But this is far from true. And even the most ancient religions of the world appeared in the quite foreseeable past, which only confirms this. So, let's figure out what our distant ancestors actually believed in and how exactly they did it.

Forerunners of religion

It is sometimes believed that any belief in supernatural forces is already a religion. But scientists clearly list its main characteristics, separating it from mythology and primitive beliefs. Each of these forms of worldview was based on the previous one, logically flowing from it. Therefore, in order to understand ancient religions, you need to describe their forerunners in a nutshell.

Ancient Beliefs

With ancient beliefs everything is relatively simple. The man did not distinguish much difference between himself, the tree, the stone, the stream and the wolf. Just think, one is lying on the ground and not running anywhere, and the other is regularly howling in the nearest forest, anyway, each of them is alive in their own way.

This is how they appeared:

Animism- faith in living nature, in the literal sense of the word.
Totemism- the belief that a wolf, owl or deer can be a close relative, if not by blood, then certainly by spirit.
Fetishism– but not in the modern sense, but as a belief in the possibility of a mental process in inanimate objects.
Shamanism and magic- the belief that some people can interact not only with their fellow tribesmen, but also with the spirits of everything that surrounds them.

In a sense, these beliefs are the most ancient religions. But in them, a person did not separate himself from the world around him, he lived next to it, and everyone felt easy and comfortable.

Mythology

But then mythology appeared - a slightly more complicated previous version. In it, animals easily turned into people, people became plants, rocks came to life, or, on the contrary, people turned to stone. But entities have already appeared that are superior to this strange cycle - gods (for now - plural). Although the line between them and people was also quite fragile. The gods were happy to mischief or help people, they took revenge on them to the best of their ability or begged for various gingerbread, but, in general, it was a single closed system. Anyone also knows examples:

Greek myths- a multi-part love-tragi-comic film about the relationship between a dozen Olympian gods, a myriad of smaller gods and goddesses, many incomprehensible creatures like satyrs, nymphs and other centaurs-minotaurs and people.
Ancient Roman mythology- the same serial film, adapted to Roman conditions.
Egyptian myths - passions around the solar cycle, its birth, death, the next birth - and further in a circle with the participation of hybrid gods.
Indian mythology- an absolutely incomprehensible to a stranger mixture of beliefs of several hundred tribes and nationalities inhabiting today's India.
Slavic mythology- the basis of many fairy tales familiar to us from childhood. As a rule, it is not recommended to read them to children in their original form to avoid stress.

You can continue in this spirit for a very long time, because every nation had its own mythology, and sometimes even several.

Religions

So long and the hard way We finally come to religions. So how does even the most ancient religion of the world differ from the most recent mythology? The duality of the world. Previously, everything was simple and clear for a person: here I am, here are the gods, here is nature, everyone lives together and does not interfere with each other.

But people do not look for simple ways, and in order to completely complicate and confuse everything, they created religions. In them, God (or gods - not fundamentally) are allocated beyond the boundaries of this world, placed above it, having the ability to set and create circumstances for those living in it.

A person also receives a dual nature: on the one hand, he lives in this world, on the other hand, then he will leave it and move on to a better one (or a worse one, depending on how he behaves). The most old religion and the youngest.

Examples of ancient religions

To make it a little easier to navigate, here are a few examples of the most ancient religions:

Judaism. The first of a series of Abrahamic religions, which also includes Christianity (a very widespread religion), Islam (also popular) and many of their branches.
Taoism. Searching for and following the “path” that every object, phenomenon and person has.
Hinduism. Based on the mythology of this people, only even more complex and confusing. Base for many other religions: Shintoism, Krishnaism, Buddhism, Shaivism, Shaktism and many others interesting words.
Zoroastrianism. Worship of fire in all possible forms.

From these religions, several hundred, or even thousands of new ones developed like mushrooms after rain. And they continue to appear every day. As you can see, the most widespread religions today are not only not the most ancient, but also secondary, in relation to others.

And this makes it absolutely pointless to search for an answer to the question of which religion is the most ancient, the most correct or the best. All of them have the right not to exist as long as they bring people benefit, joy and an incentive for self-improvement, and not vice versa.

The newest religions

But even today, more and more new religions are appearing, and not only as offshoots from existing ones, but also completely unique:

Pastafarianism. Adherents believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster and even defended the right to have their passport photos taken in a colander, their sacred item of clothing.
Kopimism. Sacred symbols for them are the keyboard shortcuts Сtrl+C and Ctrl+V, and the ritual of copying and distributing information is religious rite. This is how they gracefully circumvented the ban on torrent trackers.
Googleism. This youngest religion recognizes the Holy Google as an eternal, immortal and omniscient being.

So, even such strange beliefs are not at first glance (and at second glance either) also recognized as religions. It's funny, isn't it?

Religion is a certain worldview that seeks to understand the higher mind, which is the root cause of everything that exists. Any belief reveals to a person the meaning of life, his purpose in the world, which helps him find a goal, and not an impersonal animal existence. There have always been and will be many different worldviews. Thanks to the eternal human search for the root cause, the religions of the world were formed, the list of which is classified according to two main criteria:

How many religions are there in the world?

The main world religions are Islam and Buddhism, each of which is divided into numerous large and small branches and sects. It is difficult to say how many religions, beliefs and convictions there are in the world, due to regular creation new groups, but according to some information, religious movements on modern stage there are thousands.

World religions are so called because they have gone far beyond the borders of the nation, country, and have spread to huge number nationalities. Those who are not worldly confess within a smaller number of people. The monotheistic view is based on the belief in one God, while the pagan view assumes the existence of several deities.

The largest world religion, which originated 2,000 years ago in Palestine. It has about 2.3 billion believers. In the 11th century there was a division into Catholicism and Orthodoxy, and in the 16th century Protestantism also separated from Catholicism. These are three large branches, there are more than a thousand other small ones.

The basic essence of Christianity and its distinctive features from other religions are as follows:

Orthodox Christianity has adhered to a tradition of faith since apostolic times. Its foundations were formulated by the Ecumenical Councils and dogmatically enshrined in the Creed. The teaching is based on the Holy Scriptures (mainly New Testament) and Sacred Tradition. Divine services are performed in four circles, depending on the main holiday - Easter:

Daily.
Sedmichny.
Mobile annual.
Fixed annual.

In Orthodoxy there are seven main Sacraments:

Baptism.
Confirmation.
Eucharist (Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ).
Confession.
Unction.
Wedding.
Priesthood.

In the Orthodox understanding, God is one in three persons: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The Ruler of the world is interpreted not as an angry avenger for the misdeeds of people, but as a Loving Heavenly Father, caring for his creation and bestowing the grace of the Holy Spirit in the Sacraments.

Man is recognized as the image and likeness of God, with free will, but fallen into the abyss of sin. The Lord helps those who want to restore their former holiness and get rid of passions on this path.

Catholic teaching - major direction in Christianity, widespread mainly in Europe, Latin America and the USA. This doctrine has much in common with Orthodoxy in its understanding of God and the relationship between the Lord and man, but there are fundamental and important differences:

the infallibility of the head of the church, the Pope;
The Holy Tradition is formed from 21 Ecumenical Councils (the first 7 are recognized in Orthodoxy);
the distinction between the clergy and the laity: people in the rank are endowed with Divine Grace, they are assigned the role of shepherds, and the laity - the herd;
the doctrine of indulgences as a treasury of good deeds performed by Christ and the Saints, and the Pope, as the vicar of the Savior on earth, distributes forgiveness of sins to whomever wants and who needs it;
adding your understanding to the dogma of the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son;
introduction of dogmas about immaculate conception Virgin Mary and Her bodily ascension;
doctrine of purgatory as a middle state human soul, cleansed of sins as a result of difficult trials.

There are also differences in the understanding and performance of some Sacraments:

Arose as a result of the Reformation in Germany and spread throughout Western Europe as protest and desire to transform Christian Church, getting rid of medieval ideas.

Protestants agree with Christian ideas about God as the Creator of the world, about human sinfulness, about the eternity of the soul and salvation. They share the understanding of hell and heaven, while rejecting Catholic purgatory.

Distinctive features of Protestantism from Catholicism and Orthodoxy:

minimizing church sacraments - until Baptism and Communion;
there is no division between clergy and laity, every well-prepared person in matters of Holy Scripture can be a priest for himself and for others;
the service is held in the native language and is based on joint prayer, reading psalms, and sermons;
there is no veneration of saints, icons, relics;
monasticism and the hierarchical structure of the church are not recognized;
salvation is understood only by faith, and good works will not help to justify oneself before God;
recognition of the exclusive authority of the Bible, and each believer interprets the words of Scripture at his own discretion, the criterion being the point of view of the founder of the church organization.

The main directions of Protestantism: Quakers, Methodists, Mennonites, Baptists, Adventists, Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons.

The world's youngest monotheistic religion. The number of believers is about 1.5 billion people. The founder is the prophet Muhammad. Holy book - Koran. For Muslims, the main thing is to live according to the prescribed rules:

pray five times a day;
observe the fast of Ramadan;
give alms 2.5% per year of income;
make a pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj).

Some researchers add a sixth duty of Muslims - jihad, which manifests itself in the struggle for faith, zeal, and diligence. There are five types of jihad:

internal self-improvement on the path to God;
armed struggle against non-believers;
struggle with your passions;
separation of good and evil;
taking action against criminals.

Currently, extremist groups use jihad of the sword as an ideology to justify their murderous activities.

A world pagan religion that denies the existence of the Divine. Founded in India by Prince Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha). Briefly summarizes the doctrine of four noble truths:

All human life is suffering.
Desire is the cause of suffering.
To overcome suffering, you need to get rid of desire with the help of a specific state - nirvana.
To free yourself from desire, you need to follow eight basic rules.

According to the teachings of the Buddha, acquiring a calm state and intuition and clearing the mind will help:

a correct understanding of the world as a lot of suffering and sorrow;
acquiring a firm intention to curtail your wishes and aspirations;
control of speech, which should be friendly;
performing virtuous actions;
trying not to harm living beings;
expulsion of evil thoughts and a positive attitude;
the realization that human flesh is evil;
perseverance and patience in achieving the goal.

The main branches of Buddhism are Hinayana and Mahayana. Along with it, there are other religions in India, widespread to varying degrees: Hinduism, Vedism, Brahmanism, Jainism, Shaivism.

What is the oldest religion in the world?

For Ancient world polytheism (polytheism) was characteristic. For example, Sumerian, ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman religions, Druidism, Asatru, Zoroastrianism.

One of the ancient monotheistic beliefs is Judaism - the national religion of the Jews, based on the 10 commandments given to Moses. The main book is the Old Testament.

Judaism has several branches:

Litvaks;
Hasidism;
Zionism;
orthodox modernism.

Also available various types Judaism: conservative, reformist, reconstructionist, humanistic and renovationist.

Today it is difficult to give a definite answer to the question “What is the oldest religion in the world?”, since archaeologists regularly find new data to confirm the emergence of different worldviews. We can say that beliefs in the supernatural have been inherent in humanity at all times.

The huge variety of worldviews and philosophical beliefs since the emergence of mankind does not make it possible to list all the religions of the world, the list of which is regularly updated with both new movements and branches from already existing world and other beliefs.

Religion is an integral part of the life of almost every person. The need to worship higher powers expressed in a spiritual awareness of the world and belief in the supernatural. Arises interesting question about what is the most ancient religion, how it arose and developed.

Having studied all the available information about the Paleolithic period, scientists came to the conclusion that the people of this era developed spiritual relationships, as indicated by the customs of ritual burials of that time, as well as rock paintings. Most likely, our ancestors believed that the world was inhabited by deities, and considered various places and natural objects to be alive. In addition, burial customs give us an idea of the belief in the afterlife.

But still, what was the most ancient religion? The answers to the question depend on the position taken by various authors studying the origins of man. Some argue that religion was artificially created by man and was not the result of evolutionary development. So, according to this point of view, woman and man knew only one God, who created them, they worshiped him by making various sacrifices. Monotheism and sacrifice described in the Bible were the first characteristics of religion in its original form. Evidence of this can be found in the ancient literary monuments of China, Greece, Egypt and the traditions of many peoples.

But there is another point of view, based on the theory of evolution of Charles Darwin. According to it, a long period of time was required for the formation and development religious beliefs. At first, these beliefs were based on people's worship of spirits, as there was fear of their power. Israel then reduced the diversity of gods of different nations to one tribal god, which paved the way for the improvement of religion as such.

Considering which religion is the most ancient, it should be noted that in modern times exists on Earth large number religious directions, so-called spiritual knowledge, which are divided into several systems. Thus, the primary teaching includes the Aryan one - Vedantism (secret science). Then it transformed into Brahmanism, and then into Buddhism. Aryan traditions were adopted by Russian prehistoric religion, and this is how paganism appeared - the worship of the elements. These beliefs were not completely defeated, and after several thousand years a religion developed on their basis ancient Rome and ancient Greece.

The culture of Egypt and Babylon became the basis for the emergence of knowledge, which is partially transmitted to us in the Bible (therefore, the opinion that Christianity is the most ancient religion is erroneous). On their basis, the philosophy of Plato developed, which had a great influence on spiritual development all over Europe. In addition, these teachings formed the basis of the religion of ancient Judea, on which Christianity would later rely. The knowledge of ancient Egyptian civilization, Jews and Christians is partially preserved in Islam.

The black race practiced ceremonial magic, preserving the rituals and customs of African sorcerers. The Yellow Race gave birth to the teachings of Lao Tzu (Daonism), as well as shamanism, Zen Buddhism and Shintu.

Thus, it is impossible to say with certainty which is the most ancient religion on Earth, since from early times all knowledge, rites, rituals and customs were spread during the mixing of peoples and migration of tribes. Thus, the idea of sacrifice first belonged to the civilization of the black race, later it was adopted by the peoples of all continents and existed for more than one millennium on Earth.

Thus, the answer to the question of what is the most ancient religion on the planet is ambiguous and depends on the worldviews and views of historians.

Today, there are many religions that millions of people trust and follow their faith impeccably. But can anyone give a definite answer to the question: “What is the oldest religion?” There are quite a few debates and opinions on this topic, and every year archaeologists find latest evidence and the basis for support regarding what was the very first religion that appeared on earth. In this material we will try to talk about all the main religions of the world, and also try to find answers to all your questions on this topic.

The "youngest" religion in the world

Well, it would be logical if we start our story with the youngest religion, which, despite its relatively small age compared to others, was able to gain considerable popularity and respect throughout the world. It's about about and slama . Islam translated from Arabic means “surrender to God.” Islam has become one of the world's largest religions, and at the moment Muslims who have converted to Islam live in 49 countries around the world. If we look at statistics, 23% of the world's population are Muslims. Islam began in the 7th century.

But, even despite such an advanced age, Islam is the youngest religion in the world. Islam is based on the following life principles, as a search for one’s own “I”, helping a loved one and not causing harm. Muslims are always open to God's gaze and believe that only God decides when to take a soul and when to create it.

Ancient Christianity

The oldest religion on earth has undergone many transformations, but the basics Christianity , which a huge number of people follow to this day, originated at the beginning of the first century AD. The Eastern Mediterranean can be called the birthplace of Christianity.

Before the advent of Christianity, people had mythological ideas about the world order and the foundations of life. Christianity brought with it faith in a single patron god, who is ready to accept the soul of every person with open arms, if only the person himself desires it.

Early Christianity interpreted faith in God through the prism of suffering. This religion was opened only exclusively for people suffering in life. Christianity has always called for one faith and professed unity in love, and never divided her own into strangers. Every person in the world, regardless of belonging to any nationality, could become a Christian. Every Christian who has lived on earth must perceive himself as a temporary wanderer. But at the same time, everyone had to decide for themselves in what direction they would direct their path to the Kingdom of God. One the right way No. There is only love and commandments, but people have different paths. Because of its charitable principles, Christianity quickly gained popularity throughout the world. To this day, the very first religion on earth naturally remains the most popular.

Other ancient religions

Mankind, in addition to Christianity, knew other ancient religions that were not rooted in modern world, but, nevertheless, for a long time were part of the lives of many people who lived on earth. It is rightfully considered one of the most ancient Sumerian religion . Unlike other religions, the Sumerians had a whole pantheon of gods, to whose will a believer had to obey throughout his life. Between ordinary people and by the seven gods there were so-called intermediaries on earth, through whom the gods addressed their servants. The Sumerians called such intermediaries Anunnaki.

Inca religion , despite its short existence, is also considered one of the oldest and most unusual. The fact is that after conquering new lands, it was customary for the Incas to add deities of defeated gods to their pantheon.

Well, among modern religions the oldest can be called Buddhism , which appeared no more than 2500 years ago. Buddhism is based on the oldest teachings of India, including enlightenment and the desire for nirvana and the divine. Buddhists try to achieve this state throughout their lives and at the same time decide to completely renounce earthly attachments. Buddhists pray during meditation and thus improve themselves.

The oldest religion in the world

It’s hard to believe, but long before the advent of Christianity, the foundations of modern religion were carried within Hinduism . If you believe this one ancient religion, then man, like all things on Earth, appeared from parts of the body of a huge giant.

Despite the fact that all the foundations of Hinduism were deliberately losing and the religion as such lasted less than all the others, in some villages in India they still tend to believe that the world was created this way, and that Hinduism used to be much more popular than Christianity. Many religious scholars believe that Hinduism was deliberately doomed to failure, because it contained the foundations of paganism, which people, on the contrary, wanted to get rid of.

The Origin of Primitive Religions

Simplest forms religious beliefs existed already 40 thousand years ago. It was at this time that the emergence of modern type(homo sapiens), which differed significantly from its supposed predecessors in physical structure, physiological and psychological characteristics. But his most important difference was that he was a reasonable person, capable of abstract thinking.

About the existence of religious beliefs in this distant period human history evidenced by the burial practice of primitive people. Archaeologists have established that they were buried in specially prepared places. At the same time, certain rituals were previously carried out to prepare the dead for afterlife. Their bodies were covered with a layer of ocher, weapons, household items, jewelry, etc. were placed next to them. Obviously, at that time religious and magical ideas were already taking shape that the deceased continues to live, that along with real world there is another world where the dead live.

Religious beliefs of primitive man reflected in the works rock and cave paintings, which were discovered in the 19th-20th centuries. in Southern France and Northern Italy. Most ancient rock paintings are scenes of hunting, images of people and animals. Analysis of the drawings allowed scientists to conclude that primitive man believed in a special kind of connection between people and animals, as well as in the ability to influence the behavior of animals using some magical techniques.

Finally, it was established that among primitive people there was widespread veneration of various objects that were supposed to bring good luck and ward off danger.

Nature Worship

Religious beliefs and cults of primitive people developed gradually. The primary form of religion was the worship of nature. The primitive peoples did not know the concept of “nature”; the object of their worship was the impersonal natural force, designated by the concept of “mana”.

Totemism

Totemism should be considered an early form of religious views.

Totemism- belief in a fantastic, supernatural relationship between a tribe or clan and a totem (plant, animal, object).

Totemism - belief in existence family connection between a group of people (tribe, clan) and a certain type of animal or plant. Totemism was the first form of awareness of the unity of the human collective and its connection with the outside world. The life of the clan was closely connected with certain types of animals that its members hunted.

Subsequently, within the framework of totemism arose the whole system prohibitions called taboo. They represented an important mechanism for regulating social relations. Thus, the gender and age taboo excluded sexual relations between close relatives. Food taboos strictly regulated the nature of the food that was supposed to go to the leader, warriors, women, old people and children. A number of other taboos were intended to guarantee the inviolability of the home or hearth, regulate the rules of burial, and fix positions in the group, the rights and responsibilities of members of the primitive collective.

Magic

Magic is one of the earliest forms of religion.

Magic- the belief that a person has supernatural power, which is manifested in magical rituals.

Magic is a belief that arose among primitive people in the ability to influence any natural phenomena through certain symbolic actions (incantations, spells, etc.).

Having originated in ancient times, magic was preserved and continued to develop over many millennia. If initially magical ideas and rituals were of a general nature, then their differentiation gradually occurred. Modern experts classify magic according to the methods and purposes of influence.

Types of magic

Types of magic by methods of influence:

contact (direct contact of the carrier magical power with the object to which the action is directed), initial (a magical act aimed at an object that is inaccessible to the subject of magical activity);
partial (indirect influence through cut hair, legs, leftover food, which in one way or another reaches the owner of the mating power);
imitative (impact on some semblance of a specific subject).

Types of magic socially oriented and impact goals:

harmful (causing damage);
military (a system of rituals aimed at ensuring victory over the enemy);
love (aimed at invoking or destroying sexual desire: lapel, love spell);
medicinal;
commercial (aimed at achieving success in the process of hunting or fishing);
meteorological (weather changes in the desired direction);

Magic is sometimes called primitive science or pre-science because it contained elementary knowledge about the surrounding world and natural phenomena.

Fetishism

Among primitive people, the veneration of various objects that were supposed to bring good luck and ward off danger was of particular importance. This form of religious belief is called "fetishism".

Fetishism- the belief that a certain object has supernatural powers.

Any object that captured a person’s imagination could become a fetish: a stone unusual shape, piece of wood, animal skull, metal or clay product. This object was attributed properties that were not inherent to it (the ability to heal, protect from danger, help in hunting, etc.).

Most often, the object that became a fetish was chosen by trial and error. If after this choice a person managed to achieve success in practical activities, he believed that the fetish helped him in this, and kept it for himself. If a person suffered any misfortune, then the fetish was thrown out, destroyed or replaced by another. This treatment of fetishes suggests that primitive people they did not always treat their chosen subject with due respect.

Animism

Speaking about early forms of religion, one cannot fail to mention Obanimism.

Animism- belief in the existence of souls and spirits.

Being at a fairly low level of development, primitive people tried to find protection from various diseases, natural disasters, endowing nature and surrounding objects on which existence depended with supernatural powers and worshiping them, personifying them as the spirits of these objects.

It was believed that all natural phenomena, objects and people have a soul. Souls could be evil and benevolent. Sacrifice was practiced in favor of these spirits. Belief in spirits and in the existence of the soul is preserved in all modern religions.

Animistic beliefs are a very significant part of almost everyone. Belief in spirits evil spirits, immortal soul - all these are modifications of the animistic ideas of the primitive era. The same can be said of other early forms of religious belief. Some of them were assimilated by the religions that replaced them, others were pushed into the sphere of everyday superstitions and prejudices.

Shamanism

Shamanism- the belief that an individual (shaman) has supernatural abilities.

Shamanism arises at a later stage of development, when people with special social status. Shamans were the keepers of information that had great value for a given clan or tribe. The shaman performed a ritual called ritual (a ritual with dances and songs, during which the shaman communicated with spirits). During the ritual, the shaman allegedly received instructions from the spirits about ways to solve a problem or treat the sick.

Elements of shamanism are present in modern religions. For example, priests are credited with a special power that allows them to turn to God.

In the early stages of the development of society, primitive forms of religious beliefs did not exist in pure form. They intertwined with each other in the most bizarre way. Therefore, it is hardly possible to raise the question of which form arose earlier and which later.

The considered forms of religious beliefs can be found among all peoples at the primitive stage of development. As it becomes more complex public life, forms of cult are becoming more diverse and require closer study.