Historical and Geographical Contexts of

LESSON 2
the Different Religions
INTRODUCTION
This lesson will discuss the prehistoric beginnings of basic religions and also the
historical contexts of major religions.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

 Narrate the important events in prehistoric beginnings of basic religions.
 Identify the historical contexts of major religions.
 Analyze the interconnectedness of geography, culture, and religions.

PRE-HISTORIC BEGINNINGS OF BASIC RELIGIONS

Anthropologists believe that humans have existed on earth for a million years or
more. They also infer that religion existed in the prehistoric beginnings. Although sources about
the basic religions are limited to non-written sources such as cave paintings, burial sites,
religious sanctuary, and archeological remains.

According to Hopfe (1991), there are two primary sources of information about
the basic religions. First is the contemporary basic religion where anthropologists visit a
contemporary culture and study its religious beliefs and practices. From these observations and
studies, they infer that all basic and prehistoric religions may have similar attitudes and practices.
The second source of information comes from science of archeology. Archeologists carefully
attempt to uncover the physical remains of the past civilizations and reconstruct the life and
history of their traditions and cultures. They investigated how the physical remains were buried
and what tools or weapons were used and materials placed in the burial sites.

Pre-Historic Beginnings of Basic Religions EVENTS

1. Neanderthal Religion Neanderthals are believed to be the earliest
humans. They lived from approximately
125,000 to 30,000 BC and occupied Europe
and Asia.
Archeologists have excavated more than one
hundred sites and these revealed that they
 buried their dead with food, tools, and
weapons. It is believed that the food and tools
are offering to gods or as an accompaniment of
their loved ones into the spiritual world.
There are also Neanderthal burial sites with
bear skulls that were carefully arranged. This
evidence suggests that Neanderthals have a
worship attitude towards the bear. Although
none of the evidences prove that they are
religious.
2. Cro-Magnon Religion Cro-Magnon replaced the Neanderthals and
has lived approximately 30, 000 years ago. The
most exceptional artifacts linked with Cro-
Magnon are the paintings and engravings on
the walls and ceilings of those caves in France
and Spain. The most common themes in the
cave paintings are large wild animals such as
bison, horses, bears, and wild boars. It was
interpreted that these paintings are placed by
the witch doctors before the hunt in order to
predict the events of successful hunt.
3. Neolithic Religion Neolithic or Late Stone Age people lived
approximately 7,000 to 3,000 BC. They are
advanced in the utilization of their stone tools
and weapons. One of the most significant
progresses that gave way to the development of
Neolithic religion was the improvement of
agriculture as a way of life. The Neolithic
enhanced their agriculture which allowed them
to settle in one place and need not to move
constantly from one place to another. It
resulted to land ownership and developed
communities that led to formation of religions.
Humans started to be in touch with the land
and the nature that surrounds them. This led to
the formulation of methodologies in which
deities became personification of the sun,
nature, and seasons. Archeologist also inferred
that Neolithic civilization constructed
monuments of huge stones such as the well-
known Stonehenge in England. It was
generally assumed that these stone sanctuaries
and monuments are associated with the rituals
of the early religions.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE MAJOR RELIGIONS

In studying the context of religion, it is important to approach it with the attitude

of religious pluralism. It means that all religions are viewed as equals. This is very useful in
understanding the context of each religion without bias and views their different faith traditions
with neutral and empirical observation. As man’s search for life’s meaning continues, religious
traditions also developed. The religious traditions particularly the major religions are categorized
into three groups. The groupings are based on their similarities, traditions, historical contexts,
and origins.
 The first group is the Abrahamic religions which include Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam. The Abrahamic religions are traditions whose members believe that Abraham and his
descendants are their common origins. In Judaism (1000+BCE), Abraham as recorded in the
Torah, the sacred book of Jews, is the ancestor of the Israelites. They claim the Jews are
descendants of Abraham. These Jews follow the Abrahamic practices and considered him as a
father together with the other biblical Patriarchs namely: Isaac and Jacob. In Christianity (100
CE), Abraham, is also referred to as the father of faith. In the Holy Bible, it is clearly stated that
Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity, came from the lineage of Abraham. While in Islam (600
CE), Muhammad. The founder of Islam also claimed that he descended from Abraham’s son
Ishmael. For Islam, the religious term Millat Ibrahim which connotes “faith of Abraham” is also
being practiced. All of these Abrahamic religions believe that they are directly related to the
lineage of Abraham.

There are common characteristics in Abrahamic religions. First is monotheism

wherein they worship only one God. They view God as the creator and source of moral law. Also,
their religious texts such as Torah, Bible, and Qur’an hold a common religious figures, histories,
and places. Some of the scriptural texts are said to be coming from a common source. All of
them originated in West Asia where patriarchal customs are dominant.

The second group is known as the Eastern religion, “The Way of Life” or Indian
religions. It consist of Hinduism (2000 BCE) and Buddhism (600 BCE) whose religious
practices are intimately linked to a person’s way of life. Both Hinduism and Buddhism have
common origins, the Ganges culture of northern India. They share common beliefs that are
practiced side by side. These similarities include ideas such as Karma, meaning action, and
Dharma which means natural law or duty. They have also similar practices such as mantra, yoga,
and meditation. These are important devotions in order to attain enlightenment.

Aside from their similarities, there are also differences such as their belief in a
god. In Buddhism, the existence of god in unclear, According to its founder Buddha, it is not
necessary to believe in a god. What is more essential is that a person lives in a good life. On the
other hand, Hinduism believes in the existence of gods and deities.

The third group is East Asian religions, also called as the “Far Eastern religions”
which popularly known as Chinese or Taoist religions. This group is a subset of the Eastern
religions, which originated from Hinduism and Buddhism. It includes Confucianism, Taoism and
Shintoism. Their philosophies focus on the concept of Tao or the flow of the universe. It pertains
to the force behind the natural order. They believe that there is a certain influence that keeps the
universe in balance and order in which effect it can be negative and positive. Believers of these
forces convinced that proper attitude and virtues are the key to deal with the various forces
behind the natural order. These traditions are dominant in China, Korea, Japan, and other regions
within East Asia.

A. Read and understand the following statements. Identify what is being asked in the each
sentence.
_______________1. This group of religions is also known as the “The Way of Life.”
________________2. This group of religions has members who believe that Abraham
and his descendants are their common origins.
________________3. This means “action.”
 ________________4. They lived from approximately 125,000 to 30,000 BC and
occupied Europe and Asia.
_______________ 5-6. These are the two primary sources of information about the basic
religions.
________________7. This means “natural law or duty.”
________________8. The people in this prehistoric beginning are advanced in the
utilization of their stone tools and allowed them to settle in one place.
________________ 9. This group of religions believes in the philosophies focus on the
concept of Tao.
_______________10. This refers to the sacred book of Jews.

B. Write a reflection paper about the importance of understanding the historical and
geographical contexts of the different religions of the world. Share your thoughts in a 2
paragraph essay. Use the space below.

Reflection Paper Rubric

Relevance of the message to the topic -- 30%

Organization of Ideas---- 20%
Originality— 20%
Completeness of the message--- 30%
100%
 Have you learned something new about the things you have just read? Share them!

del Castillo, F. & del Castillo C.D. (2016). Threskeia: Introduction to World Religions and
Belief Systems. Don Bosco Press, Inc. pp. 12-16