The Evolution of Religion in Western Civilization

Mesopotamia's Pantheon

2500 BCE

Priests in ancient Mesopotamia claimed to be able to speak to the gods through forms of the sacrifice of humans, animals, or just by inflicting pain in order to keep the gods from bringing great terror to the people through forms of natural disasters. Temples were created to be centers of worship in cities, and each city had its own deity. Religions that formed off of the Mesopotamian pantheon followed the same ideas of a deity or god, having a priest, and making a place of worship.

The Hebrew's Religion and Yahweh

1200 BCE

In the Hebrew Bible, the Jews worshipped Yahweh. There was a conflict between the Hebrews and the Assyrians on whose god was the true god. The first book of the Hebrew Bible, the Torah, was created in 621 BCE. Eventually, the Yawhist religion was related to Judaism, a religion with practically the same beliefs but included the idea that other gods may exist. Their religion entailed that Jews were equal to god which is also known as monotheism, a very influential belief in religion.

The Creation of Zoroastrianism

600 BCE

Zoroastrianism, which started in 600 BCE, is a religion that worships only one god, Ahura Mazda. This religion was based on the one god who they believed created the universe but was in conflict with the evil spirit Angra Mainyu. Eventually, Zoroastrianism declined in 600, causing most of its worshippers to convert to Muslims or other religions.

Christianity Rises

100

Christianity came to be when Jesus, the messiah, prophetized the Hebrew bible. This religion is based around one god, along with having one sacred scripture, the bible. Christianity continued to grow throughout western civilization, becoming one of the most worshipped and supported religions.

Emperor Constantine

306

Constantine was the first Roman emperor who was a Christian. He also converted the entire empire to Christianity while still allowing the people in the empire to still worship whoever they pleased. Constantine making the conversion to Christianity paved the way for Christianity to gain more supporters.

Muhammad

570

Muhammad, an Arabian man spoken to by God, was the founder of Islam and a prophet of Islam. Muslims, worshippers of Islam, worship one God, Allah, and follow the 6 holy books. Islam became one of the most worshipped religions in the Middle East during the 7th century.

Charlemagne Crowned Holy Roman Emperor

768

Charlemagne, one of the most important kings in history, was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III. This was very important because no leader was put into the place of the Holy Roman Emperor in years, but Charlemagne was worthy of the title in the eyes of the Catholic church. He helped keep Christianity alive in the Western world after the fall of the western Roman empire.

Christianity Increases Education in Europe

1000

Christianity became a focal point of education for people and children in Medieval times. Priests taught individuals how to read and speak Latin which led to an increase in literacy during this time. More people were able to understand the meaning of the bible scripture and the beliefs of Christianity.

The Crusades

1054

The crusades were a series of religious wars between the Christians and Muslims in order to gain control over the holy land. These wars went on for hundreds of years and showed that the Christian church possessed political power and authority.

The Protestant Reformation

1517

New denominations of people such as Calvinists, Lutherans, Presybitarans, and Anglicans followed their own interpretations and beliefs according to the bible, steering away from the strict views and beliefs the catholic church had. These new denominations changed and rebirthed the religious culture and beliefs in Europe.

Martin Luther and the 95 Theses

1517

Martin Luther was a professor in Wittenberg who was exploring theology and his own spiritual beliefs when he thought of the idea of Lutheranism. He did not believe the Catholic church was doing the right thing by making people buy their way to heaven, he thought that people being forgiven and their faith was their way into heaven. The 95 indulgences Luther posted on the Wittenberg chappel against the catholic church was the start of the Protestant movement.

The Religious Wars

1560

With the many changes due to the protestant reformation and the Catholic reformation, there were many members of the Churches who thought the changes were negative. This conflict led to wars between people such as the Spanish Catholics versus the French Protestants. There were many religious wars between different countries, but there was no true winner of these altercations. People were so passionate about religions that they were willing to fight for the belief they thought was true.