Religious Traditions
Religious Traditions
HIS 112
March, 31st, 2014
David Reeves
Religious Traditions
It’s no secret that religion has played a large part in how society as a whole has developed and grown. It has been the cause for wars and has also brought millions of people together. Christianity and Islam are two huge religions even in today’s world. Just how these religions have grown and affected the world can be explained through the origins of the two, through the founder’s lives, and through the religious traditions of both.
Christianity is a religion founded by the son of God, Jesus Christ and is based on his teachings. It is believed that God is but one but operates in three parts; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Christianity does not recognize or accept any other God which is exactly what caused Romans to condemn the religion. The faith drew people in for quite a few reasons. Jesus would perform miracles and exorcisms in public places which was very appealing to many individuals in the ancient world because they believed that evil spirits and demons were possessing people. The message for all was that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female, for all are one in Christ Jesus.” (Kishlansky, Geary, and O’Brien, 2008)
Constantine, the Emperor of God, had a vision prior to a battle in Mulvian Bridge. This vision told him to paint a symbol on his soldier’s shields that represented the first two letters of Christ. Constantine and his army were victorious and came to the conclusion that it was because of his vision. Constantine marked one of the most pivotal moments in the history of Christianity by converting to the religion and making Byzantine his New Rome. It was from here that he turned the Empire into a Christian state and continued to bring Christian influence into the Roman world. (Kishlansky, Geary, and O’Brien, 2008) Romans were attracted to Christianity for many reasons. In ancient Rome, it was believed that people
HIS 112
March, 31st, 2014
David Reeves
Religious Traditions
It’s no secret that religion has played a large part in how society as a whole has developed and grown. It has been the cause for wars and has also brought millions of people together. Christianity and Islam are two huge religions even in today’s world. Just how these religions have grown and affected the world can be explained through the origins of the two, through the founder’s lives, and through the religious traditions of both.
Christianity is a religion founded by the son of God, Jesus Christ and is based on his teachings. It is believed that God is but one but operates in three parts; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Christianity does not recognize or accept any other God which is exactly what caused Romans to condemn the religion. The faith drew people in for quite a few reasons. Jesus would perform miracles and exorcisms in public places which was very appealing to many individuals in the ancient world because they believed that evil spirits and demons were possessing people. The message for all was that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female, for all are one in Christ Jesus.” (Kishlansky, Geary, and O’Brien, 2008)
Constantine, the Emperor of God, had a vision prior to a battle in Mulvian Bridge. This vision told him to paint a symbol on his soldier’s shields that represented the first two letters of Christ. Constantine and his army were victorious and came to the conclusion that it was because of his vision. Constantine marked one of the most pivotal moments in the history of Christianity by converting to the religion and making Byzantine his New Rome. It was from here that he turned the Empire into a Christian state and continued to bring Christian influence into the Roman world. (Kishlansky, Geary, and O’Brien, 2008) Romans were attracted to Christianity for many reasons. In ancient Rome, it was believed that people
References: Kishlansky, M., Geary, P., O’Brien, P. (2008). Civilization in the west (7th Ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Longman. Ali, S. R., Liu, W. M., & Humedian, M. (2004, December). Islam 101: Understanding the Religion and Therapy Implications. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 35(6).