Download NATIONAL RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD

NATIONAL RELIGIONS
OF THE WORLD
 1. The Development of National
Religions, Causes of Their Origin.
 2. Early and Late National Religions.
 3. Judaism – National Religion of the
Jews.
 The unification of families into tribes and tribes into
nationalities led to the formation of nations. The
necessity to interpret man’s vital activity appeared due
to radical social changes in the life of society. It was
necessary to explain man’s status in the society.
 What are the main signs of spiritual life in the slaveowning system?
 1. Gods are creators and lords of earth and heaven.
 2. The organization of priesthood is formed.
 3. Ethnic (national) religions as the self-consciousness
of privileged part of the society are formed within the
state formations.
 They are divided into two stages: early ethnic (national)
religions and the second – late national religions.
 Ancient Egyptian, ancient Indian, ancient Jewish,
ancient Greek, ancient Roman are early national
religions. Religions were perished together with ancient
states. The main features of early national religions
are:
 1. The belief embraces the upper and middle strata of
the society within a state. Official cult is not spread to
slaves, the poor peasants, enslaved tribes or other
peoples.
 2. Severe Polytheism. Small group of Senior Gods is
excelled among multitude of gods. The Supreme God
is excelled among Senior Gods. He is respected as the
tsar of gods and people. The other gods were
considered as His assistants.
 3. The doctrine about “the other life” is arisen. The idea
about pious and sinful life is formed. It gave the
impetus to the development of moral and ethic
standards and man’s humanism.
 4. Sacrifices were obligatory during cult actions. They
formed religious senses and feelings.
 Late national religions are remained till our days:
Syntoism in Japan, Confucianism and Daocism in
China, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism in India and
Judaism – religion of the Jews.
 Their common features are the following:
 the belief influences on all strata of the society within
one nation.
 The unity of polytheism and monotheism, except
Judaism and Sikhism as monotheistic national
religions.
 the simplified process of sacrifices. Animal sacrifices
are limited, man sacrifices are absent.
 the doctrine about “the other life” (future life) became
dominated in moral and ethic standards of human
relations.
 Syntoism – the religion of inhabitants in Japan.
“Synto” means “the way of gods”. Primitive forms of
beliefs: animism, totemism, cult of ancestors were
sources of syntoism. The fundamentals of syntoism are
expounded in holy book “Kodzyki”. It appeared in the
VIII century. The holy book includes mythes about the
world creation, the origin of nation and state. The
followers of Syntoism built small temples – dzindzya.
Solemn worships (divine services) with sacrifices are
held in the temple once or twice a year. Cult is
performed by sacrificers of different ranks. Their
holding appointment (post) is hereditary. The Goddess
of Sun Amaterasu is greatly respected. Her image is
represented in temples and home altars. Cult of the
emperor is typical for Japan. Syntoism deeply
nationalistic was the state religion till the middle of the
XX century. It was the base of patriotism and moral of
Japanese Samurai.
 Confucianism – philosophic and ethic doctrine of Confucy was
developed in the VI century before Christ (B.C.). He described his
views in the book “Conversations and Judgements”.
 Confucy tried to defend the society from social cataclysms. He
elaborated special ideal. The man of high moral standards must
possess two qualitative features: the sense of humanism and
responsibility. Humanism is modesty, justice, restraint, moderation,
love to people. Each man must know his status in the society and
life. His social status is settled by Heaven. That’s why the society
must consist of two categories – the upper social strata and lower
ones. The upper strata are those who think and manage. The
lower strata are those who work and obey.
 The important principle of social order is severe obedience to old
people.
 Confucianism sanctifies cult of emperors – “sons of heaven” and
nature cult. In present – day China Confucianism became more
than religion. This is the policy, administrative system, supreme
regulator of social processes. This is the basis of Chinese style of
living, nucleus of Chinese civilization, that exists more than two
thousand years.
 Daocism was developed in China in the II
century B.C. The founder of Daocism – Laotszy. The teaching about Great Dao – the law
of being is in the centre of Daocism. Dao (law)
popularizes simplicity and naturality. The man
must not interfere in natural processes.
 The basis of Daocism are the following
commandments: the fulfilment of filial
obligation, faithfulness, love, patience, selfsacrifice, fight with evil or bad deeds, breeding
of animals, planting of trees, building of roads,
wells, education of unwise people, reading holy
books.
 Daocism cult has much in common with
Confucianism. “Immortal genii” composed the
specific category of Daocism deities
 Hinduism – polytheistic religion. The primary and important Gods
are: Brahma – world creator, Vishnu – god-curator and Shiva –
god of destruction. There are a lot of gods of local importance and
Buddhism gods. Vishnu and Shiva are the most honouring. Each
god has the wife. The wife of Shiva – Kali is the most popular.
 The main dogmata in Hinduism are: doctrine about dharma –
social duties and man’s status in the society; carma – man’s
responsibility before gods for his deeds; ahinez – absolute nonresistance to violence; sansara – regeneration of soul after death.
Temples, chapels, altars are built honouring individual gods.
There are many sacred places: rivers and objects in India. The
river Ganges is the most honouring river. Gods images in
sculpture are represented in temples. Such animals as: a cow, a
monkey, a snake are worshiped in India. The temples are also
built in their honour. The most sacred place for Hindu is the temple
in Banaras. It consists of 1500 buildings and stands on the river
Ganges. Hinduism sanctified caste division of the society in the
past. Though caste discrimination is forbidden in modern India it
occurs in separate groups of the society.
 Jainism was developed in the VI century B.C. It was
considered that this belief was delivered by 24
prophets. The first of them was Rishambaha and the
last are Jina. The development (spreading) of Jainism
was due to religious reaction on caste system. Jainism
teaches that the whole material world is evil. The
people must make themselves free from it. Stupid life is
the greatest evil. Saving of the soul is the sense of life.
It is necessary to believe in prophets, remember their
teachings, to perfect oneself and to follow the rules of
behaviour: don’t kill, don’t deceive and don’t steal.
Don’t kill anything that is alive, even an insect. Jainists
advocate severe asceticism.
 They are divided into two types: dihambars and
shventambars. The most successive ascetics are
dihambars. Shventambars do not follow severe
asceticism. Jainists cult is rather solemn. Public
worships are served in grandiose temples with luxirious
interior.
 Sikhism was formed at the end of XV and the
beginning of XVI centuries as the independent
trend. It was founded by Nanaka. He
elaborated principles of Sikhism and did much
for its spreading.
 The aim of Nanaka’s teaching is to unite the
Muslims and Hindoos. Nanaka borrowed the
idea about God in Islam. Sikhism teaches that
all people are equal before God, despite caste
status of a man in the society. Nanaka
protested against castes, brahman and
asceticism. Sikhi is rather active ethnic
community in India now.
 Judaism – is one of the ancient national religions in
the world. Besides the Jews it is professed by the
Karaites and Tatars. The main doctrines of Judaism
are: belief in one God Yahwe, the advent of Messiah,
soul immortality, existence of the other life (the next
world).
 The sources of Judaism belief are Tora and Talmud.
Tora consists of five books of the Old Testament. It has
a lot of directions concerning sacrifices, rituals, food
prohibition, worships. Talmud is the collection of Judaic
dogmatic directions concerning law, religion,
philosophy, moral and life conditions. The structural
parts of Talmud are Mishna and Hemera. Talmud is the
commentary to the Old Testament and Hemera is the
explanation of Mishna treatises.
 The following landmarks in rabbinic history of Judaism
are important.
 Primitive forms of religions of ancient
Jews existed in the biblic period. After the
reform of 621 Judaism dogmatics was
substantiated. After Rome’s occupation
of Palestine the period of the Jews
disperse began. Jewish communities
were formed. Synagogues were the
centres of Judaism cult. They were
headed by the rabbi.
 The period of Judaism modernization
began in the XIX century. Three varieties
of Judaism were formed: reformative,
conservative, reconstructivistic.
 Reformative Judaism. German financier
I.Jacobson created a new form of
synagogue. The German language
besides Jewish was used during divine
service at that synagogue. The reform on
Protestant model was carried out.
Reformists do not recognize many
principles and customs of Talmud.
 Conservative Judaism appeared in the
twenties of the XX century. In the USA
Judaist – Conservatives stated Mosaic
laws in a new manner, trying to adjust
them to modern science and philosophy.
 Reconstructivistic Judaism was formed in
the twenties of the XX century too in the
USA. It tries to preserve Jewish religion
with its medieval orders, to renew
rabbinism features and to connect with
national originality. Reconstructivistic
Judaism predominates among the
inhabitants of Israel.
 A new trend of Judaism and Christianity
has been intensified for recent decades.
This trend tries to unite Judaism and
Christianity. The source of this belief is
the Old and the New Testament of the
Bible. Judao-Christianity is widely spread
not only in the USA but in other countries
of the world.
 Hacidism (or piety) is widely spread among Judaism. It
was formed among the Jews in Poland and Ukraine in
the XVIII century. Its founder was Israel Besht (16891760). According to his teaching besides God nothing
more exists in the world. The man takes a special
place in it. His aim is to serve God, cognize divine
sacraments and to unite with God. This aim may be
achieved by passionate prayer but not by recognition of
Tora and Talmud as rabbies demand. Hacidism is
spread in Ukraine too. There are more than 80
religious communities in Ukraine.
 Ancient and original religion of the Jews, its cultural
potential greatly influenced on peoples’ succeeding
history. There were different approaches to the
modernization of Judaism, but its main features that
were formed by centuries – old history became
characteristic signs of the Jews national religion:
successive monotheism, faith in Messiah, God-elect of
the Jews.