What religions are monotheistic? monotheistic religions. The concept of "monotheistic religion". Monotheistic religions - Confucianism

There are many religious movements that were formed at different times and have their own principles and foundations. One of the main differences is the number of gods that people believe in, so there are religions based on belief in one god, and there are polytheism.

What are monotheistic religions?

The doctrine of one God is called monotheism. There are several currents that share the idea of ​​a supercreature Creator. Understanding what a monotheistic religion means, it is worth saying that this is how the three main world movements are called: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. There is controversy over other religious denominations. It is important to note that the monotheistic religions are different directions, since some give the Lord a personality and different qualities, while others simply elevate the central deity above the others.

What is the difference between monotheism and polytheism?

The meaning of such a concept as “monotheism” was sorted out, and as for polytheism, it is the complete opposite of monotheism and is based on faith in several gods. Among modern religions, for example, Hinduism can be attributed to them. Adherents of polytheism are sure that there are many gods who have their own spheres of influence and habits. A striking example are the gods of ancient Greece.

Scientists believe that polytheism arose first, which eventually moved to belief in one God. Many are interested in the reasons for the transition from polytheism to monotheism, and so there are several explanations for this, but the most reasonable is one. Scientists believe that such religious changes reflect certain stages in the development of society. In those days, the strengthening of the slave system and the creation of the monarchy took place. Monotheism has become a kind of basis for the formation of a new society that believes in a single monarch and God.

World Monotheistic Religions

It has already been said that the main world religions, which are based on monotheism, are Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Some scientists consider them to be a mass form of ideological life, which are aimed at strengthening the moral content in it. Rulers of States ancient east during the formation of monotheism, they were guided not only by their own interests and the strengthening of states, but also by the possibility of exploiting people as efficiently as possible. The god of the monotheistic religion gave them a chance to find a way to the souls of believers and gain a foothold on their throne of the monarch.

Monotheistic Religion - Christianity

Judging by the time of its origin, Christianity is the second world religion. It was originally a sect of Judaism in Palestine. A similar relationship is seen in the fact that the Old Testament (the first part of the Bible) is an important book for both Christians and Jews. As for the New Testament, which consists of four Gospels, these books are sacred only for Christians.

1. There is a fallacy in Christianity in the subject of monotheism, since the basis of this religion is faith in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For many, this is a contradiction in the foundations of monotheism, but in fact, all this is considered the three hypostases of the Lord.
2. Christianity implies redemption and salvation, and people believe in God for sinful man.
3. Comparing other monotheistic religions and Christianity, it should be said that in this system life flows from God to people. In other currents, a person must make efforts to ascend to the Lord.

Monotheistic Religion - Judaism

most ancient religion, which arose from about 1000 BC. The prophets used different beliefs of that time to form a new trend, but there was the only important difference - the presence of a single and omnipotent God, who requires people to strictly observe the moral code. The emergence of monotheism and its cultural implications is an important topic that scholars continue to explore, and the following facts stand out in Judaism:

1. The founder of this trend is the prophet Abraham.
2. Jewish monotheism is established as the basic idea for the moral development of the Jewish people.
3. The current is based on the recognition of a single god Yahweh, who judges all people, not only the living, but also the dead.
4. The first literary work of Judaism is the Torah, which indicates the main dogmas and commandments.

Monotheistic Religion - Islam

The second largest religion is Islam, which appeared later than other directions. This trend originated in Arabia in the 7th century AD. e. The essence of Islam's monotheism lies in the following dogmas:

1. Muslims must believe in one God. He is represented by a being who has moral qualities, but only in superlatives.
2. The founder of this trend was Mohammed, to whom God appeared and gave him a number of revelations described in the Koran.
3. The Quran is the main Muslim holy book.
4. In Islam, there are angels and evil spirits called jinn, but all entities are in the power of God.
5. Each person lives according to divine predestination, since Allah appoints fate.

Monotheistic religion - Buddhism

One of the oldest religions in the world, whose name is associated with the important title of its founder, is called Buddhism. This movement originated in India. There are scientists who, listing monotheistic religions, mention this trend, but in fact it cannot be attributed to either monotheism or polytheism. This is explained by the fact that the Buddha does not deny the existence of other gods, but at the same time he assures that everyone is subject to the action of karma. Given this, figuring out which religions are monotheistic, it is incorrect to include Buddhism in the list. Its main provisions include:

1. No one except a person can stop the process of rebirth, since it is in his power to change himself and achieve nirvana.
2. Buddhism can take many forms depending on where it is practiced.
3. This direction promises believers deliverance from suffering, worries and fears, but at the same time, it does not confirm the immortality of the soul.

Monotheistic religion - Hinduism

The ancient Vedic current, which includes different philosophical schools and traditions, is called Hinduism. Many, describing the main monotheistic religions, do not consider it necessary to mention this direction, since its adherents believe in about 330 million gods. In fact, this cannot be considered an accurate definition, since the Hindu concept is complex, and people can understand it in their own way, but everything in Hinduism revolves around the one God.

1. Practitioners believe that it is impossible to understand one supreme God, therefore he is represented in three earthly incarnations: Shiva and Brahma. Each believer has the right to independently decide which incarnation to give preference to.
2. This religious movement does not have one fundamental text, so believers use the Vedas, Upanishads and others.
3. An important position of Hinduism indicates that the soul of each person must go through a huge number of reincarnations.
4. All living beings have karma, and all actions will be taken into account.

Monotheistic religion - Zoroastrianism

One of the most ancient religions is Zoroastrianism. Many religious scholars believe that all monotheistic religions began with this trend. There are historians who say that it is dualistic. It appeared in ancient Persia.

1. This is one of the first beliefs that introduced people to the struggle between good and evil. The light forces in Zoroastrianism are represented by the god Ahura Mazda, and the dark ones by Ankhra Manyu.
2. The first monotheistic religion indicates that each person must keep his soul pure, spreading goodness on earth.
3. The main meaning in Zoroastrianism is not worship and prayer, but good deeds, thoughts and words.

Monotheistic religion - Jainism

The ancient Dharmic religion, which was originally a reformist movement in Hinduism, is commonly called Jainism. It appeared and spread in India. The religion of monotheism and Jainism have nothing in common, since this trend does not imply belief in God. The main provisions of this direction include:

1. All life on earth has a soul that has infinite knowledge, power and happiness.
2. A person must be responsible for his life in the present and future, since everything is reflected in karma.
3. The purpose of this flow is to free the soul from the negative that causes wrong actions, thoughts and speech.
4. The main prayer of Jainism is the Navokar mantra, and while singing it, a person shows respect to the liberated souls.

Monotheistic religions - Confucianism

Many scholars are sure that Confucianism cannot be considered a religion, and they call it the philosophical current of China. The idea of ​​monotheism can be seen in the fact that Confucius was deified over time, but at the same time this trend practically does not pay attention to the nature and activities of God. Confucianism differs in many ways from the world's major monotheistic religions.

1. It is based on the strict implementation of existing prescriptions and rituals.
2. The main thing for this cult is the veneration of ancestors, so each clan has its own temple, where sacrifices are made.
3. The goal of a person is to find his place in world harmony, and for this it is necessary to constantly improve. Confucius proposed his unique program for the harmony of people with the cosmos.

All three monotheistic religious systems, known to the history of world culture, are closely connected with each other, flow from one another and genetically ascend to the same Middle Eastern zone. The first and oldest of these is Judaism, the religion of the ancient Jews. Much has been written about Judaism. This religion with all its dogmas and rituals, rich historical and cultural tradition, recorded in the sacred texts, was studied in detail by specialists. Engels, assessing the monotheism of the Jews, wrote that in this system, "... the whole set of natural and social attributes of many gods ..." was transferred to one omnipotent god - the national god of the Jews Yahweh ... (Marx K., Engels F. Works. 2nd ed., vol. 20, p. 329.).

There is nothing surprising in the fact that a monotheistic religion took shape in the Middle East zone, where the most ancient centers of civilization first appeared and where, as early as the 3rd millennium BC. e. quite developed first religious systems were formed. It is also not surprising that it was here, where the oldest centralized despotisms in history existed, primarily Egypt, that the very idea of ​​​​absolute power and supreme sovereignty of a deified ruler could lead to monotheism. As Engels wrote, "... the unity of God, who controls numerous natural phenomena ... is only a reflection of a single oriental despot ..." (Marx K., Engels F. Soch. 2nd ed., vol. 27, p. 56.)

It is important to note, however, that this relationship should not be taken lightly. Of course, the subjects of the Egyptian pharaoh quite definitely saw in their master the highest divine symbol, personifying their entire expanded ethno-cultural and socio-political community. Such an exclusive concentration of earthly power in its own way could lead to the idea that in heaven, that is, in the kira of supernatural forces, the structure of power was something similar. It was precisely such assumptions that should have contributed to the maturation of the idea of ​​monotheism. Tendencies towards the implementation of this idea showed themselves quite early, already in the time of Akhenaten. But trends are one thing, and their successful implementation is quite another.

Religion, as already mentioned, autonomous system. Its development largely depends on the norms that have developed in it since ancient times and is subject to the force of inertia of conservative traditions. Actively functioning in order to preserve the existing system, customary norms and conservative traditions usually guard the status quo, so that new religious systems can relatively easily replace outdated ones only in exceptional circumstances, in critical situations, accompanied by a radical breakdown of the established structure. At the same time, one cannot discount the force that an all-powerful despot like a pharaoh can rely on in his reforms, including religious ones. Akhenaten obviously did not possess such power, and the discrediting of his reforms completely undermined the ideological base on which anyone else could rely in their attempts to replace the cults of the powerful and jealously competing ancient Egyptian gods and the influential priests who stood behind them with a single deity. Be that as it may, but exactly where it would be most logical to expect the emergence of monotheism, the opposition of a long-established and firmly established religious system, based on a powerful layer of traditions, did not allow it to establish itself. On the other hand, the idea of ​​monotheism, already literally in the air in the Middle East zone, was picked up and developed by a relatively backward semi-nomadic Semitic tribe of ancient Jews, who for some time found themselves in contact with the great empire of the pharaohs.

The emergence of the cult of Yahweh. The history of the ancient Jews and the process of the formation of their religion are known mainly from the materials of the Bible, more precisely, its most ancient part - the Old Testament. A thorough analysis of biblical texts and the entire Old Testament tradition gives reason to conclude that at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. Jews, like many other related Semitic tribes of Arabia and Palestine, were polytheists, i.e. they believed in various gods and spirits, in the existence of the soul (believing that it materializes in blood) and relatively easily included deities of other peoples in their pantheon, especially from among those conquered by them. This did not prevent the fact that each more or less large ethnic community had its own main god, to whom they appealed in the first place. Apparently, Yahweh was one of such deities - the patron and divine ancestor of one of the tribes (related groups) of the Jewish people.

Later, the cult of Yahweh began to come out on top, pushing others aside and finding itself in the center of attention of the entire Jewish people. The myths about the legendary forefather of the Jews Abraham, about his son Isaac, grandson Jacob and the twelve sons of the latter (according to the number of which, as it began to be considered later, the Jewish people were divided into twelve tribes) over time acquired a fairly consistent monotheistic connotation: the god with whom they directly had In fact, these legendary patriarchs, whose advice they heeded and whose orders they acted, began to be considered one and the same - Yahweh. Why did Yahweh manage to become the only god of the ancient Jews?

The biblical legendary tradition tells that under the sons of Jacob, all the Jews (following Jacob's son Joseph, who fell into Egypt) ended up in the Nile Valley, where they were warmly welcomed by the pharaoh who favored the wise Joseph (who became a minister). After the death of Joseph and his brothers, all the twelve tribes of the Jews continued to live in Egypt for several centuries, but their life became more and more difficult with each generation. With the birth of the baby Moses (in the tribe of Levi), the Jewish people found their leader, a true messiah, who managed to make direct contact with Yahweh and, following his advice, led the Jews out of the “captivity of Egypt” to the “promised land”, i.e. to Palestine. According to biblical legends, Moses was the first Jewish legislator, it is he who owns the famous ten commandments, inscribed on the tablets at the command of Yahweh. With the help of various miracles (with a wave of his hand, he forced the sea to recede, and the Jews passed through this passage, while the Egyptians pursuing them drowned in the waves of the newly closed sea; with a rod, Moses cut water from the rocks in the middle of the desert, etc.) he saved the Jews from death in a long and difficult journey. Therefore, Moses is considered the father of the Jewish religion, sometimes even called Mosaism after him.

Many serious researchers note that in historical documents, in particular ancient Egyptian ones, there is no direct evidence confirming this legendary tradition, and that the whole version of the Egyptian captivity and the exodus of Jews from Egypt to Palestine is doubtful. These doubts are not unfounded. But one should take into account the scarcity of ancient sources and take into account that the scale and significance of this whole story, carefully described in biblical tales, could be greatly exaggerated. It is possible that a small Semitic tribe actually ended up in Egypt or close to it, lived there for a number of centuries, then left this country (maybe even as a result of the conflict), taking with them a lot of the cultural heritage of the Nile Valley. Among the elements of such a cultural heritage in the first place should be attributed to the trend towards the formation of monotheism.

Without direct evidence, experts draw attention to indirect evidence of the great influence that Egyptian culture had on the ideological and doctrinal principles of the Jews, recorded in the Bible. So, for example, the biblical cosmogony (the original abyss of water and chaos; the spirit hovering in the sky; the creation by the spirit of the abyss and chaos of light and firmament) almost literally repeats the main positions of the Egyptian cosmogony from Hermopolis (in ancient Egypt there were several variants of cosmogony). Even more graphic and convincing parallels were found by scientists between the famous hymn to the god Aton from the time of Akhenaten and the 103rd psalm of the Bible: both texts - as academician M.A. great single god and his wise deeds. This evidence is very convincing. Who knows, maybe Akhenaten's reforms really had an impressive impact on the ideological and conceptual ideas of a small people who were somewhere near Egypt (if not even under its rule) in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. e.?

If all this could be so, or at least approximately so (as some authors, such as Freud, for example, suggest), then in principle it is quite possible that a reformer, a prophet, a charismatic leader (later so colorfully described in the Bible under name of Moses), who had to not only lead the Jews out of Egypt, but also change and correct something in their beliefs, decisively bringing Yahweh to the fore, attributing to him the reforms and laws that later played so essential role in the life of the Jews, their society, state, religion. The fact that subsequently all these deeds were shrouded in the Bible with a halo of mysticism and miracles and attributed to direct connections with Yahweh does not contradict the possibility of the real existence of a reformer like a prophet-messiah who could play a really important role in the history of the Jewish people and their religion. In a word, behind the legendary image of Moses, who led the Jews out of "Egyptian captivity" and gave him the "laws of Yahweh", there may be a real process of gradual transformation of Hebrew polytheism into monotheism. Moreover, the legendary "exodus" of the Jews and their appearance in Palestine fall precisely on those very XIV-XIII centuries. Don. e., when Egypt had just experienced a radical transformation of Pharaoh Akhenaten.

Jews in Palestine. Having conquered Palestine (Canaan) and brutally cracked down on its sedentary population (the Bible colorfully describes the "exploits" of the Jews, who, with the blessing of Yahweh, ruthlessly destroyed entire cities and devastated the fertile areas of this fertile part of the Middle East region), the ancient Jews settled in this country, they switched to an agricultural way of life and created their own state here. At the same time, the traditions of the ancient Palestinian Semitic peoples, now incorporated into the Jewish state, had a considerable influence on the development of their culture - perhaps also religion. Its first kings -. the unifier of the country Saul, the brave David, the sage Solomon (XI-X centuries BC), whose activities are vividly described in the Bible, failed, however, to create a strong state, which after Solomon split into two parts - Israel in the north and Judah in the south. The power of the kings in both states was weak, but on the other hand, the priests of the Jerusalem temple and various kinds of "servants of God", Nazirites ("holy" people) and prophets, who denounced injustices and social inequality, which became more and more noticeable as development of society. These "servants of God" saw salvation from all troubles in the frenzied cult of the great Yahweh, in the hope of his mercy and will.

The Jerusalem temple over time, especially after the reforms of the Jewish king Josiah in 622 BC, became not only the center, but almost the only place where rituals and sacrifices were performed in honor of Yahweh. The rest of the sanctuaries and altars, as well as the cults of other Hebrew and borrowed by the Jews from the peoples of Canaan they conquered, from the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. gradually died off. Only Yahweh was now offered prayers by the priests from the tribe of Levi, that is, the descendants of Moses. Yahweh was on the lips of numerous prophets, whose teachings were included in the Bible (in the Old Testament) and have survived to this day. At the same time, it is significant to note that the prophets competed with the priests of the Jerusalem temple, representing something of an opposition to the official course of the cult of Yahweh. To a certain extent, it can be said that the whole life of the people and the policy of the state were concentrated around Yahweh and the Jerusalem temple. It is not for nothing that the entire period of Hebrew history until 586 BC, when Jerusalem was conquered by Babylonia, the temple was destroyed, and many Jews, led by priests and prophets, were taken captive to Babylon, is called the period of the First Temple. This temple, built in the X century. BC e. Solomon from the Lebanese cedar, was an impressive structure. Its construction was a heavy burden on the people, and some authors suggest that this was the reason for the collapse of the Jewish state after Solomon.

The period of the First Temple is the era of increasing the power of the priests and strengthening the cult of Yahweh. Even then, those foundations of hierocracy (the power of the clergy) and theocracy were formed, which clearly manifested themselves later, during the period of the Second Temple. After the conquest of Babylonia by the Persian king Cyrus, the Jews in 538 BC. e. allowed to return to Jerusalem, and the temple was rebuilt. Its priests were buried in luxury - plentiful offerings flocked to them from all over the country. During the period of the Second Temple, the cult of the one and all-powerful Yahweh, cleansed of the layers of the past, began to be carried out even sharper and more consistently than before. The priests of the temple, who practically took all the power in the country into their own hands, vigorously fought against polytheistic remnants and superstitions, in particular, they banned the manufacture of any idols, including Yahweh.

Bible. The whole history and theory of Judaism, so closely connected with the life and fate of the ancient Jews, was reflected in the Bible, in its Old Testament, although the Bible, as the sum of sacred books, began to be completed at the turn of the II-I millennium BC. e. (the oldest parts of it date back to the 14th-13th centuries, and the first records - approximately to the 9th century BC), the main part of the texts and, apparently, the edition of the general code dates from the period of the Second Temple. The Babylonian captivity gave a powerful impetus to the writing of these books: the priests taken away from Jerusalem no longer had to worry about maintaining the temple and were forced to focus their efforts on rewriting and editing the scrolls, on compiling new texts. After returning from captivity, this work was continued and eventually completed.

The Old Testament part of the Bible (most of it) consists of a number of books. First, there is the famous Pentateuch attributed to Moses. The first book ("Genesis") tells about the creation of the world, about Adam and Eve, the global flood and the first Hebrew patriarchs, and finally, about Joseph and the Egyptian captivity. Kii-ga the second ("Exodus") tells about the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, about Moses and his commandments, about the beginning of the organization of the cult of Yahweh. The third ("Leviticus") is a set of religious dogmas, rules, rituals. The fourth ("Numbers") and the fifth ("Deuteronomy") are devoted to the history of the Jews after the Egyptian captivity. The Pentateuch (in Hebrew, the Torah) was the most revered part of the Old Testament, and later it was the interpretation of the Torah that brought to life the multi-volume Talmud and formed the basis for the activities of rabbis in all Jewish communities of the world.

Following the Pentateuch, the Bible contains the books of the judges and kings of Israel, the books of the prophets and several other works - a collection of psalms of David (Psalter), Song of Solomon, Proverbs of Solomon, etc. The value of these books is different, sometimes their fame and popularity are incommensurable. However, they were all considered sacred and studied by many hundreds of millions of people, dozens of generations of believers, not only Jews, but also Christians.

The Bible is, first of all, a church book that instilled in its readers a blind faith in the omnipotence of God, in his omnipotence, in miracles performed by him, etc. The Old Testament texts taught the Jews humility before the will of Yahweh, obedience to him, as well as priests and prophets speaking on his behalf . However, this content of the Bible is far from exhausted. In her texts there are many deep reflections on the universe and the fundamental principles of being, on relations between people, on moral norms, social values, etc., which is usually found in every sacred book that claims to present the essence of a particular creed.

"Miracles" and legends of the Old Testament. The main thing in the Old Testament traditions is not the miracles that Yahweh himself showed when, for example, he created the firmament of the earth or sculpted Eve from Adam's rib. Their essence lies in that miraculous connection that Yahweh allegedly had with the people he patronized, in that supernatural wisdom that he allegedly generously endowed with his chosen patriarchs and leaders of this people. This is what was first of all laid down in the text of the holy book. Here is the first patriarch of the Jews, Abraham, whose wife Sarah, already in her old age, gave birth to her only son Isaac, is ready at the first word of Yahweh to sacrifice his firstborn to him - as a reward for such zealous reverence and obedience, the Lord blesses Abraham, Isaac and all their tribe. Here is the son of Isaac Jacob, who already bears the blessing of the Lord, overcomes all the difficulties of his life path, earns himself a beloved wife, multiplies his herds, acquires a large family and huge property. Here is the beautiful Joseph, the beloved son of Jacob from his beloved wife, betrayed by his envious brothers, falls into slavery in Egypt. But Yahweh is vigilantly watching his fate: the pharaoh has a prophetic dream, as if seven fat cows come ashore, followed by seven skinny ones, the skinny ones attack the fat ones and devour them. Pharaoh demands that the meaning of the dream be explained to him, but no one is able to do this until Joseph is remembered, who by that time had already gained fame in this area. Joseph explains the meaning of the dream: seven fruitful years will come, then seven lean years; time to prepare and take action. The delighted pharaoh makes Joseph a minister, after which the brothers, who arrived in Egypt for alms in the famine years of lean years, admit their guilt, ask for forgiveness and move to Egypt.

Miracles follow miracles - and all by the grace of Yahweh, who blessed his people, endowed them with wisdom and vigilantly followed their fate. When the life of the Jews in Egypt became unbearable, Yahweh blessed Moses to save the people, to lead them to the promised land. And Moses, who almost regularly consulted with the Lord, borrowed commandments and laws from him, received with his help manna from heaven, and water from the rock, and much more, fulfilled his destiny - not without a struggle with those who resisted him, whom he convinced with the help of all new miracles.

Yahweh guards his people and opens all paths for them. With his blessing, the Jews attack the flourishing cities of Palestine, ruthlessly destroy its population and finally take possession of the promised land promised to them by Yahweh. True, this is not easy: the enemy fights, sometimes even overcomes - and then the Lord sends the strong man Samson, who destroys the enemies, the wise child David, who kills the giant Goliath with a sling, and finally, the great sage Solomon. And they all lead the people from success to success. True, after Solomon, less wise rulers led the people to decline, and for all the deeds that were objectionable to the Lord, the Jews were punished by the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple, and Babylonian captivity. But for too long Yahweh could not be angry - and punishment was followed by forgiveness. With the help of Yahweh, the Jewish people returned to Jerusalem, built a new temple and again began to zealously worship their god.

So, the quintessence of the Old Testament is in the idea of ​​being chosen by God. God is one for all - this is the great Yahweh. But the almighty Yahweh singled out one of all nations - the Jewish one. The progenitor of the Jews, Abraham, Yahweh gave his blessing, and since then this nation with all its successes and failures, disasters and joys, piety and disobedience has been in the center of attention of the great god. It is characteristic that during the period of the Second Temple, i.e., approximately from the 5th century. BC e., the Jerusalem priests very strictly ensured that the Jews did not enter into marriage with foreigners, with "uncircumcised pagans" (the rite of circumcision performed on all male babies on the eighth day of their life and consisting in cutting off the "foreskin"; symbolized the introduction to the Jewish people, to faith in the great Yahweh).

Like other monotheistic religions, Judaism not only sharply opposed polytheism and superstition, but was also a religion that did not tolerate the existence of any other gods and spirits along with the great and single god. A distinctive feature of Judaism was expressed in its exclusive belief in the omnipotence of Yahweh; the idea of ​​this omnipotence is perhaps best reflected in the book of Job, included in the Bible. This book tells about the sufferings of Job, from whom Yahweh, who decided to conduct a kind of experiment, alternately took away wealth, children, health and led him to the brink of death, as if testing whether Job, distinguished by piety, would complain, whether he would renounce the great and all-good Yahweh. Job endured for a long time, suffering and still blessing the Lord. But on the verge of death, he could not stand it and murmured. The Lord, through messengers faithful to him, severely condemned Job for cowardice and unbelief, for grumbling and opposition - and the disgraced Job humbled himself, after which God restored his health and wealth, his wife bore him ten more children, and he himself lived for many years. The book of Job is instructive, and not so much in terms of the fight against God, which, in essence, is not in it, but in terms of educating humility and humility, the ability not to lose heart in misfortune and start all over again, relying on the help of the almighty Yahweh.

The God-chosen motives of Judaism have played a significant role in the history and destinies of the Jewish people. Convinced faith in their exclusivity, chosenness contributed to the development of the adaptability with which the sons of Israel found the optimal forms of their existence after the turn of our era, when the Jewish state ceased to exist, and most Jews scattered around the world (Jews of the Diaspora - scattered). It was the Jews, according to their ideas, who owned the truth, knew God, one and common for all. However, this great and omnipotent god, who reciprocated the Jews and distinguished them from others, was practically only their god, that is, the deity of a small people. This contradiction led to the fact that the truly considerable spiritual and intellectual potential of the Jews, born of Judaism, was, as it were, driven inside, into the depths of the religion itself. As a result, in the passionate eschatological predictions of the Jewish prophets, ideas about the messiah, about the coming prophet who would appear and save people, were increasingly heard. The prophet Isaiah associated with this moment the onset of the kingdom of universal harmony, when the wolf lies peacefully next to the lamb and when swords are beaten into plowshares. The prophet Daniel predicted in his visions that the "son of man" was coming, whose kingdom would be eternal and just.

At the turn of our era, the idea of ​​a messiah spread throughout Jewish society, it was professed by many different sects, from day to day waiting for divine intervention in the course of history. Apparently, to a large extent, these ideas and moods provoked military actions of the Jews against Roman rule. The uprisings of the Jews, suppressed by the Romans with extraordinary cruelty, put an end to the existence of the Jewish state and the beginning of the resettlement of Jews throughout the world.

Judaism of the Jews of the Diaspora. A considerable number of Jews lived outside the Jewish states of Palestine even before that. However, it was the destruction of the temple (70th year) and the destruction of Jerusalem (133rd year) that put an end to the existence of the Hebrew state and, together with it, to ancient Judaism. Another religious organization arose in the diaspora - the synagogue. The synagogue is a prayer house, a kind of religious and social center of the Jewish community, where rabbis and other Torah experts interpret sacred texts, pray to Yahweh (but do not make sacrifices!) and resolve all disputes and problems that arise among the parishioners with the power of their authority. Compiled in the III-V centuries. The Talmud became the main set of religious prescriptions. The texts of the Talmud and the Bible were studied by boys in synagogue schools under the guidance of special teachers - melameds. The synagogue organization, the authority of the rabbis - everything was aimed at ensuring that Judaism, in the absence of social, political, territorial, even linguistic unity of the Diaspora Jews scattered all over the world, served as an integrating moment. It was the religion of the ancestors - Judaism - that was supposed to preserve the ethno-cultural community of the descendants of the ancient Jews. In addition, the very pressing needs of everyday life, the need for some kind of local association in the interests of protection, with the aim of organizing, adapting Jews in ethno-cultural and religious-political societies alien to them, determined their craving for unity, which was reflected in religious organizations that were natural for that time. . However, this natural desire for unity in a foreign land, in conditions of sometimes severe oppression, even pogroms, was exploited by the synagogue elite of the Jewish communities, which proclaimed the religion, Judaism, the only binding force connecting Jews scattered all over the world with each other.

All this contributed to the fact that in the Judaism of the Jews of the Diaspora, much attention was paid to the rituals of circumcision, ablutions, fasting, as well as strict observance of rituals and holidays. An Orthodox Jew was supposed to consume only kosher (that is, permitted for food) meat, but in no case, for example, pork. This meat was sold in special shops of butchers-slaughterers, who learned how to cut animals according to special rules. On the days of the Easter holidays, it was supposed to eat matzo - unleavened cakes made without yeast and salt. It was believed that the Passover holidays should be spent at home, that the Passover, an ancient holiday of the Jews, dating back to memories of their life as pastoralists, when they sacrificed a lamb, whose blood was smeared on the crossbars of the entrance to the tent, is closely connected with the legendary exodus from Egypt under the leadership of Moses . In addition to Easter, the Jews of the Diaspora celebrated the Doomsday holiday, Yom Kippur, which fell in autumn (September - October), shortly after the onset of the Jewish lunar new year. It was believed that this is the day of humility and repentance, purification and prayers for sins: it was on this day that God was to determine the fate of each person for the next year. It was supposed to be especially prepared for the Day of Judgment, as well as for Easter, to perform fasts, ablutions, etc. Among the sacred days of the Jews is Saturday - the day when one should not do any work, up to cooking, lighting a fire.

Judaism and the history of culture East. Judaism as a monotheistic religion, as a developed cultural tradition with mythological, poetic and philosophical intellectual potential, has played a certain role in the history of culture, in particular in the history of Eastern cultures. This role is most noticeable in the fact that through Christianity and especially through Islam, the religious and cultural principles of monotheism began to spread widely in the East. The countries and peoples of the East, and above all the Middle East, which is closely connected with Judaism by common roots and cultural and genetic affinity, along with the idea of ​​monotheism, also adopted the mythological and poetic tradition of biblical texts with their legendary heroes and prophets, patriarchs and kings. This religious and cultural heritage of Judaism penetrated to the Muslim peoples of the East primarily through Islam, through the suras of the Koran, although many devout Muslims they do not even suspect about the primary source of the wisdom of the commandments and prescriptions, about the real prototypes of the sages and prophets of the Koran.

In addition to the indirect religious and cultural impact of Judaism on the countries and peoples of the Middle East, including the culture of the medieval Islamic world, Judaism also had a more direct impact with the help of the Jews of the Diaspora, scattered all over the world, including many countries of the East. Jewish communities, usually concentrated in the most developed and prosperous economic and shopping malls were quite wealthy and influential. True, this circumstance often contributed to hostility, and even persecution, but it also played a certain role both in preserving the religious tradition of Judaism and in its spread along with Jews moving from place to place. The influence of Judaism on the surrounding Jewish settlements-communities varied. Most often, it was limited to only a small cultural impact. Sometimes Judaism took deeper roots, acquiring the support of those in power and becoming an influential religious factor in certain countries, as, for example, in the South Arabian state of the Himyarites in the 4th-6th centuries. Much less often, only in exceptional cases, did it come to the complete conversion of one or another people of the East to Judaism.

The first of the more or less large states in which Judaism became the official ideology was the Khazar Khaganate. After the death of this ethnically Turkic state, the remnants of the Khazars received the name Karaites, and their descendants live, practicing Judaism in a modified form, on the territory of Lithuania, in the Crimea, in Ukraine. Judaism became widespread among part of the highlanders of the Caucasus (Mountain Jews), among the Khorezmians Central Asia(Bukharian Jews), in Ethiopia (Falasha or "Black Jews"). The transition of these and some other ethnic communities to Judaism was naturally accompanied by the penetration of a certain number of Jews into their midst, who mixed with the local population.

Over time, Judaism became more and more isolated within its communities and isolated from the religions that surrounded it. Existing mainly in a Christian or Islamic milieu (outside of it, there were very few Jewish communities in India, China and other regions), Judaism not only did not have any intellectual, cultural or doctrinal advantages, but practically turned out to be only the earliest version of the dominant religion. . More developed monotheistic religions, which arose on its basis and absorbed a lot of new things, opened themselves to the world incomparably wider than Judaism, in many respects clearly surpassed their "alma mater". Naturally, under such conditions, the Jewish communities of the Jews of the Diaspora, who held on to Judaism as the faith of their fathers, an important ethnically integrating force, retained influence only among their own. And it was precisely this circumstance, fueled by pogroms and persecution, that contributed to the strengthening of the position of Judaism among the Jews.

The emergence of monotheism and its significance.

Religions are either polytheistic or monotheistic.

Monotheism is a form of religion. beliefs, worship of a single god, monotheism, in contrast to polytheism - polytheism. Monotheistic religions: Judaism, Islam, Christianity, etc.

The word "monotheism" is derived from the Greek. μονος (monos) - "one", θεος (theos) - "god".

emergence monotheism is associated with the concept of "henotheism" (Henotheismus) or enotheism - a term introduced by Max Müller, denotes a state of religious consciousness in which one of the most supreme and powerful gods is revered or singled out from the pantheon of numerous gods or deities. Henotheism differs from monotheism (monotheism) in that the allocation of one most powerful god does not exclude the veneration and worship of other gods from the existing pantheon.

In the history of several ancient Near Eastern religions since the Bronze Age, aspects of monotheism can be identified: the introduction of the monotheistic cult of the Aten in Egypt by Pharaoh Akhenaten, the worship of Marduk in Babylon and Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrianism.

The first known attempt to use monotheism as a state religion was made in Egypt by Pharaoh Akhenaten (who changed his name from Amenhotep IV) in the 14th century BC - the latter tried to leave one deity in the Egyptian pantheon, the god of the solar disk Aten. However, after the death of Akhenaten, Egypt returned to traditional religion in the form of polytheism. There are scientific hypotheses that establish a connection between the religious reform of Akhenaten and the monotheism of the prophet Moses.

Judaism (over 3000 years ago)

Monotheism began to take shape in the 6th century. BC e., after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. Monotheistic Judaism subsequently served as the basis for the emergence of Christianity and Islam.

Christianity. (1st century AD)

Christianity accepts the Old Testament, dating back to Abraham, the tradition of worshiping the one God, the creator of the universe and man. At the same time, the main directions of Christianity introduce the idea of ​​the Trinity into monotheism: three hypostases (God the Father, God the Son, the Holy Spirit), united in their divine nature.

In connection with the adoption of the dogma of the Trinity, Christianity is sometimes interpreted by other Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Islam) as tritheism or polytheism. A similar concept of tritheism was also repeatedly expressed in the history of Christianity, but was rejected at the First Council of Nicaea.

Islam. (7th century AD)

Islam is a religion with a strict principle of monotheism at its core. Historically, Islam emerged after Judaism and Christianity. From the point of view of the Koran, all the prophets were Muslims (surrendered). Islam was presented in its final form in the 7th century in the sermons of the Prophet Muhammad. Islam is based on five fundamental principles (Five Pillars of Islam). The first and foremost of these is Shahada, or evidence of faith: "There is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is His prophet"). This formula contains the fundamental idea of ​​Islam - Tawhid, that is, monotheism itself. Indeed, all the rituals of Islam, all prayers, all holidays and rituals are aimed at showing the Unity and Oneness of God - Allah (translated from Arabic means "God").

Monotheistic religions are of great importance. 2 out of 3 world religions are monotheistic (Islam, Christianity).

The emergence of monotheistic religions created the prerequisites for the rallying of various peoples who recognize the truth of one or another faith. In polytheism, this is impossible, because the gods differ from people to people.

Holy books of the Jews.

Judaism is based on the Old Testament. For the Jews, 39 books are canonical. They wrote in Hebrew, on parchment made from animal skins. Engaged in rewriting massarira, special

class of scientists. Greek translation originated in the 3rd century BC (70 translators). Regardless of the relation of the translation to the original, the Old Testament and the Tanakh are diverse quantities. In Christianity, the Old Testament is inextricably linked with the New. The Tanakh occupies an important place in the rabbinic and spiritual life of the Jews. Christianity determines not by blood, but by faith, this is the importance. There is no faith in the Bible in the Creed, "The letter kills, but the spirit gives life." Different hierarchy of value. For Christians, the main thing is the spirit that the Holy Scripture breathes.

1) 5 books - Torah (Pentateuch)

· The Book of Genesis tells of the Creation of the world and the formation of the Jews as a family.

· The book of Exodus has a prologue and an epilogue that separates it from other books and tells about the Exodus from Egypt, the Giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai and the construction of the Tabernacle - that is, the registration of the sons of Israel as the Jewish people;

· The book of Leviticus is devoted mainly to priestly legislation and temple service;

· The Book of Numbers tells about the wanderings of the Jews in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt;

· Deuteronomy is the dying speech of Moses, in which he repeats the content of other books.

2) 8 books of prophets

3) all the rest are scriptures

Along with the written law - oral (Mishnah).

· Be-reshit (Book of Genesis) - the first book of the Torah, the Old Testament and the entire Bible. The book of Genesis describes the Creation of the world and all living things, as well as the creation of the first people - Adam and Eve, the first sin (fall), expulsion from the Garden of Eden. The story of Cain and Abel. This is followed in chronological order by a description of the generations before Noah. Description of the Flood. The life of the patriarchs (forefathers and foremothers of the future Jewish people) - Abraham, his son Isaac and Jacob. The Creator gives them a promise to bless their offspring for eternity, and also to grant them the land of Canaan "... as long as the heavens above the earth exist." At the end of the book, all the Twelve Tribes of Israel are described, Joseph's life in Egypt, and ends with the migration of Jacob's family to Egypt and Jacob's death.

· Shemot (Book of Exodus) - the story of the Exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt under the leadership of Moses (Moshe). The book describes the spiritual path of Moses, the Ten Plagues of Egypt and the Exodus itself. What follows is a description of the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. Moses receives from the Creator the Tablets of the Covenant with the Ten Sayings (commandments). During the stay of Moses on Mount Sinai, the sons of Israel created the Golden Calf, as a result of which the first tablets were broken. After all the people repented of their deed, the Almighty granted forgiveness to the people, and Moses again ascends Mount Sinai to receive new tablets. The Second Tablets of the Covenant were received on the 10th of Tishrei, which was called Yom Kippur (that is, the "Day of Atonement"). The book also describes in detail the structure of the Tabernacle of the Covenant.

· Va-yikra (Book of Leviticus) - devoted mainly to priestly legislation and temple service. This is followed by the laws of spiritual purity and impurity, including the laws of Kashrut, Yom Kippur (Judgment Day), etc.

· Bemidbar (Book of Numbers) - dedicated to the forty-year wandering of the Jews in the desert before entering the Land of Israel: from the beginning of the second month of the second year to the eleventh month of the fortieth year. Further, the sons of Israel come out of the wilderness and go around the kingdoms of Moab and Edom to the Promised Land. Then Israel's confrontation with Balak, the ruler of Moab, and the prophet Balaam, the fall of the tribe of Shimon, is described. Having won, the Jews are sent to the kingdoms of Og and Sihon (Transjordanian kingdoms). After defeating them, the Israelites finally approach the borders of Canaan.

Dvarim (Deuteronomy) is the final book of the Pentateuch. Its main part is instructions and prophecies to the sons of Israel for all subsequent generations. Moses approached the Jordan itself and could see the entire Land of Israel, however, as the Lord foretold, Moses was not destined to enter it. The book and the entire Pentateuch ends with the death of Moses.

The Bible itself is an almost entirely historical book that tells about major events in world and Jewish history. All three collections of the Holy Jewish books - this is the Torah, Neviim and Ketuvim - are combined into one book - the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh).

The word "Tanakh" is an acronym (initial letters) of the names of three sections of the Jewish Holy Scripture:

Torah, Heb. תּוֹרָה‎ - Pentateuch

Neviim, Heb. נְבִיאִים‎ - Prophets

Ktuvim, Heb. כְּתוּבִים‎ - Scriptures (Hagiographs)

The term "Tanakh" appeared for the first time in the writings of medieval Jewish theologians.

All books of the Tanakh, the originals, are written in Hebrew - in Hebrew. Only separate books of Daniel, Ezra are written in Aramaic, akin to Hebrew. In the 1st century, Hebrew left the spoken language and it is Jesus who speaks Aramaic.

Tanakh is the written part of the teaching, something that is constantly read and therefore it is otherwise called the word mikra, that is, readable.

The Torah is divided into a certain number of fragments equal to the number of weeks in a year. So every week in synagogues and Jewish homes around the world, the same specific portion of the Torah is read. At the end of the annual cycle of reading the Torah, a special feast of Simchat Torah (Joy of the Torah) is celebrated.

The Tanakh is also accepted as sacred scripture in Christianity, where it is called the Old Testament.

Talmud

The Jews believe that Mashiach received on Mount Sinai not only the 10 commandments and the Pentateuch. According to Judaism, the Lord gave Moshe (Moses) two Torahs: one written and the other oral. The written Torah is the Torah (the first 5 books). And the oral Torah was passed down from one generation of sages to another for a long time, until it was written down by the Jewish sages and compiled a book called the Talmud.

The Talmud contains many volumes and sections.

For example: the Nezikin section contains only wise sayings. The teacher Hillel repeated: “If I am not for myself, then who is for me? But if I'm only for myself, then what am I worth? If not now, then when? Hillel (died in the 10th century, lived about 120 years) is one of the most famous scribes who lived on the verge of eras, eras. He is revered as one of the creators of the ethics of Judaism. “Do not do to another what is hateful to yourself” - this is the whole Torah, the rest is interpretation. Go and study.

The study of the Torah and the Talmud is charged to the Jew as one of the most important commandments. From the earliest times, in different countries of the Jewish diaspora, Jews founded schools in which at least all boys were required to study (from the age of 3 - the Torah, from the age of 8 - the Talmud).

The modern rabbi, who is considered the spiritual rabbi of Russia, lives in Israel - Berl Lazar.

“From many points of view, the Talmud is the main book of Jewish culture,” wrote Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, the backbone of national existence and creative activity. There is no other work that would have had a doubtful influence on the theory and practice of Jewish life, giving form to its spiritual content and serving as a guide to behavior. The Talmud is a repository of thousands of years of Jewish wisdom, a huge collection of rules and legends, deep philosophy and unique logic, mixed with subtle pragmatism, historical facts and funny parables, combined with a scientific approach and sly humor. The Talmud is a collection of paradoxes... But even today the Talmud remains the primary source of Jewish law...”

If you read the Talmud, then it does not contain any final truths. This is the paradox. Every wise man expresses his thought. And there can be several ideas, several truths, and one of them does not exclude the other. That is, there is no, once and for all, ready-made solution. There are many opinions on the same issue. And they are all accepted. This is the tolerance of the Talmud, tolerance for different points of view.

Torah (Hebrew תּוֹרָה - Torah, lit. "teaching, law"; in Ashkenazi pronunciation - Toiro).

According to the traditional Jewish point of view, the text of the Torah was written by Moses from the words of the Almighty. There is, however, disagreement over whether the entire Torah was written in forty days at Mount Sinai, or whether it was written during the forty years of the Jewish people in the wilderness and was completed shortly before the death of Moses.

For many generations, the Oral Torah was transmitted only in the form of oral tradition from generation to generation, until it was written down in the 2nd century in the form of the Mishnah, and later in the Gemara, which together make up the Talmud.

Septuagint; translation of seventy interpreters (from Latin Interpretatio Septuaginta Seniorum - “translation of seventy elders”) - a collection of translations of the Old Testament into ancient Greek, made in the III-II centuries BC. e. in Alexandria. Often denoted LXX (the number seventy, written in Roman numerals).

The Septuagint is the oldest known Greek translation of the Old Testament. Quotations from it are found in the New Testament. The Septuagint played an important role in the history of the Christian Church, becoming, in essence, the canon of the Old Testament in Greek, from which translations into other languages ​​were subsequently made, including the first translation into Church Slavonic.

Protestants.

The main dogmatic system arose at the First Ecumenical Council, at the Second Ecumenical

The Council was supplemented, at the III Ecumenical Council it was adopted unchanged. Nevertheless,

the Catholic Church, contrary to the prohibitions of the III Ecumenical Council, added to the Symbols

Filioque faith. (Filioque (from Latin "and the Son") - addition to the Latin translation

Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed adopted by the Western (Roman) Church in XI

century in the dogma of the Trinity: about the origin of the Holy Spirit not only from God the Father, but “from

Father and Son." It became one of the reasons for the division of the Universal Church).

The Catholics have new dogmas that the Orthodox do not have. Dogma about purgatory.

The Catholic Church proclaimed the dogma of purgatory. This is the state of mind after

death, destined for paradise, but not yet ready for it. In Orthodox teaching

there is no purgatory (although there is something similar - ordeals). But the prayers of the Orthodox

the dead suggest that there are souls in an intermediate state, for

who still have hope to go to heaven after the Last Judgment.

The Catholic Church adopted the doctrine of Immaculate Conception Virgin Mary. This

means that even original sin did not touch the Mother of the Savior. Orthodox

glorify the holiness of the Virgin, but believe that she was born with the firstborn

sin, like all people.

In 1870, the First Anglican Council adopted the dogma of the primacy of the Pope over

the whole Church in matters of faith and morality, discipline and government. Orthodox

do not recognize the supremacy of the Pope.

In the Orthodox Church, the highest authority is the Ecumenical Council, in the Catholic

Dad. Therefore, the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope in matters of faith arose.

Protestants have their own dogma about justification by faith - faith justifies.

Politics

Religion is now, of course, not the core public life, but it is needed as an organization

between society and the individual, between the state and people, as a way to achieve

compromise. In many countries of the East, the state is the stronghold of religion. Despite

secular twentieth century religion is alive. Religion - from Latin bind - it opposes the worldly,

everyday life. The concept of religiosity means different things. Religion as faith

dogmas, attends worship), religion as an identity, religion as an image

life (observance of the norms of everyday culture). Irreligiosity - spiritual philistinism, sluggish

indifference, rejection of spirituality, worship of animal passions. Division between

religion and spirituality. Christianization is on the rise African continent,

new phenomena are being formed - the Third Church is not Protestantism and not Orthodox.

Japan is a post-industrial world, but many adhere to religion only in everyday life.

India - sharp contrasts. Modern culture is different in that a person believes in

All. A new spirituality appears in esotericism, but religious

structures. In life, Catholics go to confirmation, funerals and weddings - and in case of disbelief

fatigue from faith, observance of formal rites in disbelief. Commercialization

religions, their parameters of church life. "Jesus fills everything around today, it's

the desire of people to grab hold of the symbol, but this is desacralization." Religion in this way

loses its content, the horizontal system of values. Preference dynamics

consumers - the "church market". At the end of the twentieth century, the era of ideologies ended, but

now religion is offered instead of ideology. There is a use of religion in

public political life. Previously, the religious factor was indirect from

religious life, but now the opposite is true. Evidence in 1979 - a revolution from the Shah

regime, a new revolutionary regime on a religious principle. Karen Armstrong

"The origins of two revolutions": most of the inhabitants professed Calvinism,

secularist religious ideology. The revival of religion has created conflicts,

began to use the religious factor in world politics today - this is an active

inclusion in world political processes of non-state actors (religious

institutions of structure and organization). Christianity influences the norms of the international

rights, the challenge of religious fundamentalism. "The struggle for power is the quintessence of the fallen

world." "Give Caesar's to Caesar, and God's to God." The Church must be separated from

politicians. If there can be no Christian politics, why do politicians need religion?

The modern manifestation of papocaesarism, new forms of ideology-> use religion.

Against the backdrop of catastrophes, politicians use religiosity, the politics of multiculturalism

failed, the religious factor became a reality. Reagan used religious

topics in political life. Pope John Paul II received members in 1983

tripartite commission. In 1969, Faisal created the Islamic Conference, an organization

on a religious basis, support for Islamic banks. In the United States, religious radicalism

evidence. "To be against Israel is to be against God."

India - In May 2014, the Hindu Party won. Kemal Attaturk in Turkey

secularized, but the current president is reviving religious principles. In decay

Yugoslavia is an important point. How to organize mobilization - ethno-confessional

factor. Western European tolerance led to religious Islamic

fundamentalism in the region and attacks on Christianity. The expansion of Protestantism in

Africa: The style and form of worship attracts many. Marginalization of the Church

resist secularization, sometimes the Church descends to accessible forms. Islamic

fundamentalism - it seems to be an appeal to tradition, but this is a response to the challenge of modernity,

born of modernity. Fundamentalism is a modern trend, there is a struggle going on. On

the front lines of desecularization - the permissibility of schools of prayer and minutes of silence. IN

courts considered a ban on the text of the 10 Commandments, on the image of Christmas. In 2002

Peter Berger noted that there is an Americanized mass culture, but also ways

where religiosity is high. There is no revival of religion in the world now, but it is

demand for ideas and ideals, not forms and institutions. Desecularization takes

different forms, including fundamentalism. Pope Francis, the reformer, is trying

bring Catholicism closer to modernity, condemns the tyranny of capitalism, worship

money, leaving culture and the state out of the economy. In September 2013 he was convicted

big business for the worship of money. Patriarch Alexy II - The desire to deprive

people of spirituality, neo-paganism is even more terrible than atheism.

Religion is a spiritual, social and political phenomenon, irrational

ideals within one religion, but then a system of rational ideas is formed and

constructions, material interests are formed, from the system of religion there remains only

rite. In a traditional society, only ideals, ideas, interests - a hierarchy. But now

a person begins to choose values ​​himself, this hierarchy is violated. oblivion speaks of

negative phenomena in religious life. Silouan of Athos - Russian Saint, reached

deep mysteries of faith, prayed for the whole world, which is very difficult. Metropolitan

Anthony (examples of disbelief): The professor of dogmatics published the book "The Myth of the Incarnation",

a student was expelled from the audience for believing in the Resurrection, the metropolitan was forbidden to broadcast

for BBC in English-> Contradictory processes in religious and social

22. Judaism in the XX-XXI centuries.

Capitalism - Werner Sombardt - Jews in economic life. Capitalism is a special system

relationships between people, spiritual relationships between people. Judaism contains

doctrines favorable to capitalism, there was no ideal of poverty, financiers

flourished, because it was impossible to take money from among their own, but from others it was possible. "Jew

strove for profit and confessed it. "Zionism is a secular phenomenon with a religious

aspects of the movement for the return to Zion (Holy Land). It was thought that this would

possible with the coming of the Messiah. In 1862, Moses Hess published Rome-Jerusalem,

who proposed to gather the Jews in Palestine, proposed to separate the concepts of Jew and

Jew. 1881 - Beloved of Zion - return to Palestine. At the beginning of the twentieth century 1605000

Jews from Russia left for the USA. Only 35,000 went to Palestine. Theodor Herzel (1860-1904) -

obtain consent to settle in Palestine on a non-religious basis. First World

Zionist congress in Basel.

1887 The Wailing Wall was purchased. Political basis - 2.11.1917 Balfour letter

Rothschild - Balfour Declaration. The Minister of Military and Political Affairs approved the national center of the Jewish

people. 1920 Mandate for Palestine-Sais-Pico. 600,000 Arabs, 83,000 Jews - 1922

Revolts of the Palestinian Arabs, also the protection of the rights of the Jews. In 1947, the Air Force renounces

mandate for Palestine. Resolution of the General Assembly on the division of Palestine. In May 1948

the creation of the State of Israel, a parliamentary republic, the Knesset. Starts right away

Arab-Israeli war. In 1947-1949 million Arabs left Palestine. The constitution is not

was accepted because there were many non-religious Jews. Relationships are based on

an agreement that the holiness of the Sabbath is observed, marriages according to religious custom,

religious educational institutions with autonomy, observance of the principle of freedom of conscience. IN

the very idea of ​​a Jewish state is a contradiction. Since 1949, constant confrontation.

The Age of Departure. 1962 - the case of Josel Schumacher - kidnapped by his grandfather. Who to count

Jew - ethno-confessional principle, 1956 - irrefutable evidence of blood purity

by mother. In 1970, in the citizenship law, converted Judaism or born from

Jewish mother. 2010 - 7.5 million people - Jews - 5 million, 1 million Arabs (Muslims,

Christians...), 319,000 non-Jews. The Orthodox exist autonomously in Israel. Hareddim-

religious orthodoxies - rejection of innovations, emphasizing Jewish identity,

the use of Hebrew, the affirmation of the special vocation of the Jews - constant study

religious school - number limit, also the share of Jews for conscription - 1328, 8.8% - share

ultra-orthodox. There is a wave of social protests in the country.

Judaism in Russia

1st century BC - the first settlements on the Black Sea. 7-8 centuries - Turkic state - Khazar

kaganate. Jews settled along the trade routes, in Kiev - the Jewish community. Galician-

Volyn principality. Under Ivan the Terrible - a ban on the entry of merchants, after 1654

large communities. 18th century - patronage of baptized Jews. In 1727, the expulsion of the Jews

from the country. Wine business is the main occupation. In 12.1762, Catherine allowed to settle

Jews in Novorossiya. Three partitions of Poland - 900,000 Jews. Jewish suffrage.

Permission to enroll Jews in the merchant class. Paul 1 patronized, Alexander

founded the Jewish Committee. Permission to open taverns and factories. In 1812 the Jews

supported Russia. Under Nicholas, the policy of gradual assimilation. Stieglitz.

1844 decree on the education of Jewish youth. Under Alexander 2, Jews were raised to

hereditary nobility. Ginzburg-dynasty, Polyakovs. assimilation process. WITH

1865-1881 - 3-12% share of high school students. Up to 13% at universities. Alexander 3 approved

project of the first synagogue in St. Petersburg. At the beginning of the 19th century, 30% of the world, by the beginning of the 20th century, 50%

world Jewish community. 5%-50%. Abolished the Pale of Settlement, Jewish

commissariat. 1920 - circular on the liquidation of all religious Jewish institutions,

1922 synagogues. 1948 - 10,000 people when Golda Meyer arrived. Three currents:

orthodox, reformist, khazidizm (mystical), institutionalization. 1993

Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations, Federation of Religious Communities of Russia.

2001 - Congress of Bukharian Jews, Mountain Jews. Gusinsky created the Russian

Jewish Congress. January 2011-282 religious Jewish organizations.

Society in the XX-XXI centuries.

In the 20th century, in the modern era, the Christian Church has faced many challenges.

Since the 16th century, the gradual growth and dominance of the principle of rationalism,

Christian values ​​are forced into the speculative sphere, the replacement

vertically oriented system to a horizontally oriented one (everything is equalized,

you can not believe in God, the Christian value system is not required, lost

The WFBI struck a blow at the Church, the point here is not only in new principles, but they tried

to create a new person meant a change in the system of values ​​and a struggle against the Church,

priests were destroyed, an open struggle against faith; instead they offered the cult of reason,

if they remove God, then they deify the mind, they tried to change the language, the replacement of addresses,

replacement of the calendar - to change people's consciousness). When the West formed a new

society, a trend of liberalism appeared. "Oxford Movement" - pause

dominance of liberalism. In 1845 Newman converted to Catholicism and became

cardinal. The patristic teachings were forgotten - hence the search. Friedrich

Schleiermacher, a German, tried to adapt Christianity to the modern world, "ideas and

principles are alien to religion, they belong to reason", tried to leave religion only

feeling. Schools 1) liberal school of theology based on the ideas of Schleiermacher-Adolf

von Mahert. In 1871, Kulturkampf, an anti-Catholic cultural movement based on the ideas

liberalism - the goal is to push Catholicism. Spiritual education - under control

state, the prohibition of criticism of the state-va from the church pulpit. In 1851, Isabella concluded

concordat with Rome, according to which Catholicism is the main religion. From 1871 Alphonse 12 to

1931 Catholic Kingdom. Miracles 02/11/1858 in Lourdes (France): 14 years old

The Mother of God appeared to Bernadette Soubirous (18 Apparitions), in 1862 it was recognized as true.

In the US, many fled oppression. Quakers, Mormons, Adventists. 10/13/1917

The Appearance of the Mother of God at Fatima. About the future war, about the special role of Russia in the world. Roman

the throne kept it a secret for a long time (the Fatima secret).

There were reactions to the challenges of the time in the RCC. First Vatican Council - 07.1870 - new

the dogma of papal infallibility from the pulpit (outside of reliance on Holy Scripture).

A trend of Old Catholics was formed. Pius 11 in 1922 the concept of mass catholic

organizations of the world: to increase the mass support, the apostolic ministry of the laity, in the conditions

cooling people to faith. The reckoning of new Saints, the activation of missionaries in

countries of Asia and Africa. In the 20-30s, the Vatican concludes concordats in 32 countries,

acted papal nuncios (representatives). In 1929, the Lateran Accords

recognition of the Papal State, abolished in 1870

1933 Pius 11 signed a concordat with Hitler. Party "German Christians" - Hitler

found Hosenfelder, who denied the Old Testament as a Jewish book. 1930 crusade

campaign against communism, 500 Orthodox churches were destroyed, but attention to this

Characteristic life in the West of the twentieth century - a negative reaction to negative

sides of the capitalist order, against liberal ethics and norms. Cult

competition and individualism, the decline of morality. Inside the general life of the Western

countries there was a belief about the subordination of profits to Christian values. Gilbert

Chesterton is an apologist for Christianity. The fundamental difference between Christianity and others

beliefs. "Faith is like a key, there is nothing to argue about the key." The shape of the key is complex, it is simple

just to open the door.

Persecution of Catholics.

In the second half of the 20th century, public life changed - new challenges, the era of mass

production and consumption. Production for profit, increased importance

Improving the standard of living and comfort. Pushing values ​​aside, thoughtless egoists and

individualists. The Western world is industrial and also post-Christian.

Clive Lewis is another apologist.

Evangelical Christian movement, neo-orthodoxy, Christian existentialism,

Roman Catholics, Feminist Theology and Liberation Theology (LA, Catholic response

on the liberation movements, formed in 1968 in Colombia, when

bishops, injustice - institutionalized cruelty - > politicization

religion. 1984 The Vatican approved the participation of Christians in the struggle for human dignity.

The ideas of Christ are addressed to the inner world of a person, and not to a politicized struggle.

Pope John 23 - years of pontificate 1958-1963 - mid-twentieth century, aggravation of the spiritual

four sessions, important decisions - strengthening the position of the RCC: diplomatic relations with the USSR, 20

documents: the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, on the Sacred Liturgy, the Decree on

Eastern Catholic Church, decree on ecumenism (new norms of existence in

world), all the dogmas have been preserved. The ultra-Catholic movement - Marcel Lefebvre - condemnation

declaration on ecclesiastical freedom "the document is saturated with liberalism." Lefevrists: not

deny the papacy, but the principle of ecumenism, freedom of conscience, liturgical reform.

Paul 6 also took the path of correction - in 12.1965 in the Vatican and Athenagoras in

Jerusalem canceled mutual anathemas (1054). Humanization of worship

becomes human, not divine communion. "Let your will be a holiday" - not any

Will of God.

John Paul 2 - 1978-2005, tried to follow the traditions of both popes. First Pope

Slav, from Krakow. Great contribution - visited 129 countries of the world; tough stance in

theological questions. "Opposition to Church teaching is not legitimate Christian

freedom". The social policy of the predecessors, the neo-liberal model of organization,

"communism compared to capitalism is a child's toy." Benedict 6 - Joseph Ratzinger -

theologian, cardinal, opposed the secular world. In 2013, he resigned. Dad

Francis - Francis of Assisi, reformation of the Church.

The direction of Christianity: three confessions: Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism, but

also Monophysitism (Copts, Armenians, Ethiopians); Nestorianism, Apostolic

Catholic Assyrian Church of the East; Roman Catholicism and non-Roman; inside

Protestantism: Anglicanism, Lutheranism, Calvinism, Mennonism, Baptism,

Adventism, Pentecostalism. Denomination - rel.organization, ROC, Ecumenical

Orthodox Church of Constantinople.

Structure: in 2006 Christianity 2173 million people. 33% of the world's population. 20% of the population

world - Islam (1336 million); 6% Buddhism; Hinduism-13%; Confucianism-0.1%, Shintoism-0.05%,

Judaism-0.2% of the world's population. Catholics - W. and W. Europe. Non-Roman Catholics

Old Catholics, Brazilian Cat.Ap.Church, etc. Protestants - 39% of all Christians; IN/

b-56%, in Germany-35%., in the USA-51%. Calvinism - Federation of Protestant Churches;

Baptism (the main thing is conscious Baptism, there is a divine service, improvised

Prayers - Worldwide Baptist Union). Ecumenism - 1930s, believers tried

to revive the faith, conferences, 1937 in Geneva - Union of Churches, 1954 - World Union

Churches are independent communities; not a new universal church, but united

faith in Christ. The Ecumenical Orthodox Church is church communion. Conditional

names for convenience. Dialogue within religious associations-

Anglicans (Palmer).

1980 Greek Islands Commission on Orthodoxy and Catholicism: not discussed

questions of open rejection (filioquia, papal infallibility). After expansion

Catholicism in Ukraine, the dialogue has stalled.

Longing for unity, awareness of the impossibility of unity, satisfaction with separation.

Postsecularism.

Dogmatics of Islam.

Monotheism. The opening sura, al-fatiha, as the Lord's Prayer should be known to everyone. The Quran is rhyming prose. There are many Arabic dialects, but the common one is fusha - literary, the language of the Koran, books, radio, TV, religion, a highly developed grammatical form, mathematical formulas. syntactic perfection. There are 99 epithets of Allah. The 100th is Allah himself, the rosary for this, there are also 99 seeds in them, they are sorted out, naming all these epithets, they also need to be known (Muslims). Mikail, Gabriel, Jabrail, who conveyed revelations to Muhammad, Israel, who understood the souls of the dead. There is also Munkyar منكر (“angel of death”) and Nakir, who interrogate the deceased after death. Shaitan شيطان - expelled from paradise, an army of jinn, created before man from fire. All prophets are respected by Muslims, but only Muhammad is recognized as the main one. "Institute of Hell", Gehenna.

Basics. Pillars of Islam. Mandatory rules prescribed by Shariah.

1. Shahada, evidence of monotheism, tawhid. Behind this "evidence" is faith. This is a declaration of faith containing the confession of monotheism and the recognition of the prophetic mission of Muhammad. By reciting the shahada - La ilaha illa llah wa muhammadun rrasulullah ("There is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah") - begin muslim prayers and any religious or secular event held in Islamic countries.

2. Namaz. Ritual prayer, 5 times - before dawn, in the afternoon, at 4 o'clock, before sunset and after it. The place where the prayer is performed must be ritually clean (tahara), for which the worshipers can spread a prayer rug. The ritual purity of Muslims includes actions whose goal is to achieve ritual purity and has an "internal" and "external" side. "Internal tahara" involves the purification of the soul from unseemly thoughts, anger and sin, and "external tahara" - the purification of the body, clothes, shoes, housing, etc.

REGIONAL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

SMALL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES FOR YOUNG RESEARCHERS

CYCLE IN HISTORY

MONOTHEISTIC RELIGIONS

(section of cultural studies)

7th grade student of gymnasium No. 1 in Karaganda

Scientific adviser:

Rybkin V.I., history teacher of gymnasium No. 1

KARAGANDA, 2009

Introduction

Chapter 1. Cyclicity in world history

Chapter 2. Cyclicity in the history of monotheistic religions

2.1 The concept of "religion". Monotheistic religions

2.2 Judaism is the first monotheistic religion

2.3 Short story Christianity

2.4 Rise and development of Islam

2.5 Cycles in the history of monotheistic religions

Conclusion

List of used literature

INTRODUCTION

Each person has his own unique destiny, his own unique life cycle. Most often, this cycle has the following structure: a person is born into the world, goes through periods of childhood, adolescence, youth, maturity, old age and dies.

The same processes, according to some historians, are inherent in peoples, states, and civilizations.

The idea of ​​a cyclic development of history has a lot of both supporters and opponents. In our opinion, the opinions of the supporters of the cyclical development of history sound more convincing.

However, in our research work we will not try to prove or disprove the theory of the cyclical development of this or that civilization.

The object of consideration in our work was the history of monotheistic religions, i.e. Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The subject of the work is the study of the problem of cyclicity in the history of monotheistic religions.

The aim of the work was to search for cyclical development in the history of monotheistic religions.

Based on the goal, we have set the following tasks:

1) briefly characterize the theories of cycles of world history;

2) analyze the history of monotheistic religions;

3) work out a possible cycle of development of monotheistic religions.

Hypothesis. If we analyze the history of monotheistic religions, we can come to the conclusion that this history has certain cycles of development, since both human life and the history of countries, peoples, civilizations have their own certain cycles.

In preparation research project we used the method of theoretical analysis and synthesis of literature and sources.

CHAPTER 1. CYCLE IN WORLD HISTORY

The idea of ​​historical cycles is not new. Even before the beginning of our era, the Roman historian Polybius in the 40-volume "General History" and the Chinese historian Sima Qian in the "Historical Notes" considered the history of society as a cycle, as a cyclical movement. The idea of ​​large historical cycles was put forward at the beginning of our era by the Arab historian al-Biruni, and somewhat later this idea was developed by Ibn Khaldun from Tunisia.

In the Renaissance, the idea of ​​cycles in the historical process was expressed by the French historian Vico. And the German philosopher and historian Johann Herder at the end of the 18th century. in the work "Ideas for the Philosophy of the History of Humanity" emphasized the genetic beginnings in history, periodic upheavals between epochs on a cosmic scale.

Thus, all these historians proceeded from the fact that any development in nature or in society is cyclical, passes through similar phases.

The study of cyclicity in the historical process reached a new stage in the second half of the 19th – 20th century, when a whole galaxy of talented historians from different parts of the world proposed their vision of cyclical development.

So, in 1869, the Russian historian N.Ya. Danilevsky put forward the idea of ​​cultural and historical types of local civilizations. This idea was developed in O. Spengler's book "The Decline of Europe" published in 1918.

However, the most complete doctrine of the circulation of local civilizations and their cyclical dynamics was presented by the famous English historian Arnold Toynbee in his "Study of History".

Let's try to deal with the very concept of "civilization", since many people use this term without even knowing what it means.

This concept has a huge number of definitions.

Let's start with the fact that this term was introduced into wide scientific circulation as early as the Enlightenment, in the middle of the 18th century. The laurels of its creation are given to Boulanger and Holbach. According to the enlighteners, civilization was, on the one hand, a certain stage in the development of human society, following savagery and barbarism, on the other hand, the totality of the achievements of the human mind and their incarnations in the public life of various peoples. Today, one of the most popular definitions of this concept is the following: "civilization is a qualitative originality of the material, spiritual, social life of a particular group of countries, peoples at a certain stage of development."

Among the most representative theories of civilizations is, as already mentioned, the theory of A. Toynbee. His theory can be considered the culminating point in the development of theories of "local civilizations". A. Toynbee's monumental study "Comprehension of History" is recognized by many scholars as a masterpiece of historical science. The English culturologist begins his research with the assertion that the true field of historical analysis should be societies that have, both in time and in space, a greater extent than nation-states. They are called "local civilizations".

Toynbee has 26 such civilizations, each of which has a certain system of values. It is this system of values ​​that determines the life of people. The general criteria for classifying civilizations are religion and the degree of remoteness of a civilization from the place where the civilization originally arose.

Among such civilizations, A. Toynbee distinguishes Western, two Orthodox (Russian and Byzantine), Iranian, Arabic, Indian, two Far Eastern, ancient and many others.

He also points to four civilizations that have stopped in their development - Eskimo, Nomadic, Ottoman and Spartan, and five "stillborn".

Each civilization, according to Toynbee, passes on its own life path several stages. 1) The stage of origin - genesis. Civilization can arise either as a result of a mutation of a primitive society or on the ruins of a "mother" civilization. 2) The stage of genesis is followed by the stage of growth, in which civilization develops from an embryo into a full-fledged one. social structure. 3) Breakdown stage. During the growth of civilization is constantly in danger of transition to the stage of breakdown. 4) The stage of decay. Having disintegrated, civilization either disappears from the face of the Earth (Egyptian civilization, Inca civilization) or gives birth to new civilizations (Hellenic civilization, which gave rise to Western and Orthodox Christianity through the universal church). It should be noted that in this life cycle there is no that fatal predetermination of development that is present in the Spengler civilization cycle. Toynbee believes that the stage of fracture (or breakdown) is not necessarily followed by disintegration.

A. Toynbee presents the process of formation and development of civilization as "Challenge and Response". The challenge of the historical situation and the response of the creative minority of civilization to this challenge. If the answer is not given or it is not adequate to the challenge, then civilization will still return to this problem. If a civilization is unable to respond to a challenge, then civilization is doomed to perish.

As we can see, A. Toynbee paid great attention to the role of religion in the life of society. Is it possible to find cycles in the history of religions themselves? We will try to answer this question in the second chapter.

CHAPTER 2. CYCLE IN THE HISTORY OF MONOTHEIST RELIGIONS

2.1 The concept of "religion". Monotheistic religions

Many people do not perceive the difference between religion and mythology. Indeed, it is very difficult to draw a clear line between them. But you can. So what is the difference between one and the other?

In mythology, there is no teaching that is inherent in religion.

Mythology accepts sacrifices (including human ones), idolatry.

Religion - rejects sacrifices, idolatry, it has the idea of ​​heaven and hell, there are various branches.

However, it would be foolish to reject the claim that religion does not have the same foundations as mythology. Any religion, like mythology, is based on the same foundation, a concept - a concept that is more than two million years old. The concept of good and evil. Already at the earliest stages of development, a person thought - what is good and what is evil? And not only thought, but also drew conclusions. This is how myths and legends appeared. The very first legends were based on the idea of ​​the struggle between good and evil. And then these legends were developed into mythology, which, in turn, was developed into religion.

Religion(from Latin religio - piety, piety, shrine, object of worship) - worldview and attitude, as well as appropriate behavior and specific actions , which are based on the belief in the existence of one or more gods.

Monotheism- literally "monotheism" - a religious idea and doctrine of the One God (as opposed to pagan polytheism, polytheism). In monotheism, God is usually personified, that is, is a certain "person". Monotheistic religions include, among others, Judaism, Islam and Christianity. .

Let's move on to a brief historical description of the above religions.

2.2 Judaism is the first monotheistic religion

Judaism is the earliest monotheistic religion that arose at the turn of the 2nd-1st millennium BC. in Palestine.

The founder of the religion was the prophet Abraham, who left his native city of Ur with his family and came to Canaan (later the state of Israel - named after one of his sons - Jacob).

What made this man give up a quiet life? The idea that the peoples of the world are deluded into worshiping many gods; the belief that for him and his family, from now on and henceforth - for all time - there is only one God; faith that this God promised the land of the Canaanites to his children and descendants and that this land would be his home.

So, Abraham and his family cross the Euphrates River (perhaps because of this they began to be called Jews - Hebrew, from the word "ever" - "the other side") and settles in the hilly part of Canaan. Here Abraham raised his son and heir Isaac, bought from the Hittite Ephron a piece of land with a cave of Machpelah, where he buried his beloved wife Sarah.

Abraham, like then his son and grandson, the patriarchs Isaac and Jacob, does not have his own land in Canaan and is dependent on the Canaanite kings - the rulers of the cities. He maintains peaceful relations with the surrounding tribes, but retains his isolation in everything related to beliefs, worship, and even the purity of the clan. He sends his slave to his relatives in Northern Mesopotamia in order to bring his wife to Isaac.

After some time, the Jews, who professed Judaism, due to hunger, were forced to go to Egypt, while maintaining faith in the one God - Yahweh.

Approximately in the middle of the XIII century. begins the famous exodus of the Jews from Egypt and the conquest of Canaan. It should be noted that this conquest was accompanied by a large-scale destruction of the Canaanite peoples, a genuine genocide, committed largely on religious grounds.

Finally, from the X century. BC. Judaism is established as the fundamental idea of ​​the moral development of the Jewish people. The people, which was waiting for a very difficult historical fate. The capture of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by Assyria, the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, the Galut (expulsion) of the Jews from the Promised Land, and, finally, the long-awaited return to their native land, carried out with late XIX century, and culminating in the formation of the State of Israel.

Judaism is based on the following dogmas: recognition of the one god Yahweh; God's chosen people of the Jewish people; faith in the messiah, who should judge all the living and the dead, and bring the worshipers of Yahweh to the promised land; the holiness of the Old Testament (Tanakh) and the Talmud.

One of the first literary works of Judaism is the Torah, which consolidated the main dogmas and commandments of Judaism. The Torah was promulgated in the 5th century BC. in Jerusalem.

Initially, Judaism was spread over a very meager territory and almost did not go beyond the borders of a small country: Palestine. The position of religious exclusivity of the Jews preached by Judaism did not contribute to the spread of religion. As a result, Judaism, apart from minor exceptions, has always been the religion of one Jewish people. However, the originality of the historical fate of the Jewish people led to the resettlement of the followers of the Judaic religion in all countries of the world.

2.3 Brief history of Christianity

Christianity originated in Palestine in the 1st century AD. against the background of the mystical-messianic movements of Judaism as a religion of the oppressed and those who sought salvation from cruel conditions in the coming of the savior. Despite the persecution, the new religion spread very quickly, primarily among the slaves.

Christianity initially spread among the Jewish environment in Palestine and the countries of the Mediterranean basin, but already in the first decades of its existence it received a large number of followers from other peoples.

In the second half of the 1st century and in the first half of the 2nd century, Christianity consisted of a number of communities consisting of slaves, freedmen, and artisans. In the second half of the 2nd century, Christian writers already noted the presence of noble and wealthy people in the communities.

One of important elements The transition of Christianity to a fundamentally new level was its break with Judaism in the II century. After that, the percentage of Jews in Christian communities began to steadily decrease. At the same time, Christians are abandoning the Old Testament laws: Sabbath observance, circumcision, and strict food restrictions.

Expansion of Christianity and involvement in Christian communities a large number people of different faiths led to the fact that Christianity of this period was not a single church, but a huge number of directions, groups, theological schools.

The end of the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire was put at the beginning of the 4th century by Emperor Constantine, who made religion the state religion.

At this time, the church organization is strengthened and the church hierarchy is formalized.

Until the 5th century, the spread of Christianity took place mainly within the geographical boundaries of the Roman Empire, as well as in its sphere of influence - Armenia, Ethiopia, Syria.

In the second half of the 1st millennium, Christianity spread among the Germanic and Slavic peoples.

In 1054 there was a split of a single Christian church into Catholicism and Eastern Church, which, in turn, was divided into many churches.

In the XIII-XIV centuries, Christianity spread among the Baltic peoples. By the 14th century, Christianity had almost completely conquered Europe, and from that time on, it began to spread outside of Europe, mainly due to colonial expansion and the activities of missionaries.

Today, Christianity is the world's largest religion, with about 2 billion followers.

There were not the most pleasant moments in the history of Christianity.

In the IX-X centuries. in Christian Europe, the power of bishops is sharply increased. As a result, the persecution of dissidents begins, which resulted two centuries later in the Holy Inquisition. Inquisition (from the Latin inquisitio - search) - special courts of ecclesiastical jurisdiction, independent of secular authorities and institutions. Basically, they fought against dissent (heresy). The inquisitorial process was distinguished by a special system of evidence, the judge and the investigator were combined in one person. Torture was widely used as the most important source of evidence. The condemned were usually sentenced to be burned at the stake.

At the end of the X century. The infamous Crusades begin.

Crusades - campaigns in the Middle East (1096-1270), organized by Western European feudal lords and the Catholic Church under the banner of the struggle against the "infidels" (Muslims), the liberation of the Holy Sepulcher and the Holy Land (Palestine). However, despite all the religious goals, Crusades pursued one main goal - enrichment and conquest.

So, in 1096, the poor of Europe moved to Palestine, hoping to seize great wealth there. Crowds of peasants, with families and belongings, poorly armed, under the leadership of random leaders, or even without them at all, moved to the East. At the same time, they marked their way with robberies (believing that, since they are the soldiers of God, any earthly property belongs to them) and Jewish pogroms (in their eyes, the Jews from the nearest town were the descendants of the persecutors of Christ). Of the 50,000 troops of Asia Minor, only 25,000 reached, and almost all of them were exterminated by the Turks. In the same year, in the fall, an army of knights moved to Palestine.

In total, there are 8 crusades in history, which cover a period of time lasting 174 years.

The crusades were accompanied by the plunder of the local population, and sometimes its merciless destruction. The culmination of the predatory essence of the campaigns was the plundering of the Christian, but Orthodox Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium.

After the Reformation in Europe, Christianity gradually asserts itself as the moral basis for a huge number of people inhabiting the globe.

What is the essence of this ideology?

God, according to Christian dogmas, exists in three persons (Trinity), or hypostases: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. For Christians, the Trinity is the main object of faith and worship. The Church Fathers affirm the absolute unknowability of the essence of God by the human mind.

Christian mythology is based on the doctrine of the God-man Jesus Christ, who descended from heaven to earth (incarnated in the form of a man) and accepted suffering and death in order to atone for the original sin of mankind. After death, Christ was resurrected and ascended to heaven.

In the future, according to Christian teaching, there will be a second coming of Christ to judge the living and the dead.

Christianity (to a lesser extent this applies to Protestantism) is characterized by the presence of strict commandments and rules established for its adherents. Followers of Christianity must fulfill the commandments of Christ, meekly endure the hardships of life. Both for observance and non-observance of all the rules, Christians are promised retribution in the afterlife. The basic law of Christianity is "everyone will be rewarded according to his faith."

During the formation of Christianity, this religion broke up into three main branches. These branches include Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Protestantism, in each of which the formation of its own, practically not coinciding with other branches, ideology began.

2.4 The rise and development of Islam

Islam is one of the three world religions. In the historical aspect, Islam is the youngest world religion, because. its appearance dates back to the early Middle Ages.

At the time of its inception, Islam was a religion that absorbed elements of a number of religions of the Arabian Peninsula. The main influences on the original Islam were pre-Islamic ancient beliefs and cults, Hanifism, Judaism, Christianity and Mazdaism.

The founder of Islam is the prophet Muhammad - a historically reliable person.

In 610, Muhammad appeared in Mecca publicly as a prophet. This year can be considered the year of the emergence of Islam. Although neither the first nor subsequent sermons of Muhammad in Mecca brought him success, he managed to gain a certain number of adherents of the new religion. The sermons of that period dealt mainly with real life, but souls, and therefore could not arouse great interest among the population. From the ruling circles, both to the sermon and to Muhammad himself, there was a hostile attitude.

After the death of his wealthy wife, Muhammad's position in Mecca became perilous, and in 622 he was forced to move to Medina. The choice of a new base was fortunate, since Medina was a competitor to Mecca in many respects, primarily in trade. Often there were clashes between the population of these areas. The real interests of the people determined the ideological atmosphere in which the preaching of the new religion found support. The sermons of that period (Suras of Medina) are full of confidence and categoricalness.

The Aus and Khazraj tribes inhabiting Medina, having converted to Islam, became the main group of followers of Muhammad and helped him seize power in Mecca in 630.

By the end of Muhammad's life, an Islamic theocratic state was formed, covering the entire Arabian Peninsula.

Shortly after the death of Muhammad, a political party of Shiites arose in Islam, which recognized the legitimate successor of Muhammad to his son-in-law Ali and rejected the Umayyad dynasty. Gradually, the Shiites were transformed into a religious direction and broke away from the mainstream of Islam. Supporters of orthodox Islam began to be called Sunnis.

In the 30s of the 7th century, the caliphate inflicted a crushing defeat on its main opponents - Byzantium and Iran. In 639, a campaign began in Egypt, culminating in its complete conquest.

After the assassination of Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law Caliph Ali, the throne of the Caliphate was occupied by the Umayyad dynasty. In the very first year of the reign of the dynasty, the capital of the Caliphate was moved to Damascus, and Mecca and Medina ceased to be the political centers of the state.

As a result of further Arab conquests, Islam spread to the Middle and Near East, and later to some countries of the Far East, Southeast Asia, and Africa. In 711, a crossing was made through Gibraltar, and within three years the Iberian Peninsula was in the hands of the Arabs. However, with further advance to the north, they were defeated at Poitiers in 732 and stopped.

In the 8th - 9th centuries, a mystical trend arose in Islam - Sufism.

At the beginning of the 9th century, the Arabs invaded Sicily and owned it until they were expelled by the Normans at the end of the 11th century.

At the beginning of the 10th century, the deteriorating financial situation of the caliphate allowed many emirs to gain greater independence. As a result, by the beginning of the 10th century, North Africa, Spain and the eastern territories from Iran to India broke away from the caliphate.

Today, Islam is going through hard times.

The media around the world today increasingly use the term "Islamic threat". This refers to the events taking place in Chechnya, the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 in New York, the events in the Nord-Ost entertainment complex, the attack by Islamists on a number of buildings in the Indian city of Mumbai, riots around the world associated with the cartoon crisis, and much more. .

However, is it legal to use like a term?

To answer this question, let's try to understand the basic ideological principles of Islam.

The main source of research and description of Islam is the Koran - a historical document compiled by the closest followers of Muhammad after his death according to his statements. Although, according to legend, the sayings of Muhammad were recorded during his lifetime by special scribes on palm leaves, there is reason to believe that the Qur'an includes sayings to which Muhammad had nothing to do.

The main tenets of Islam are the worship of the only almighty God Allah and the veneration of Muhammad as the prophet of Allah. Jesus Christ is placed by the Koran in a very high place among the prophets, but his divine nature is denied. The religious literature of Islam, created in subsequent periods, is divided into Sira - biographical literature dedicated to Muhammad, and hadiths - traditions describing real or fictional periods in the life of Muhammad. In the 9th century, six collections of hadiths were selected for the Sunna - the Holy Tradition of Islam.

Islam has five main pillars:

Shahada - the belief that there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah

Salad - five daily prayers

Zakat - alms for the benefit of the poor

Sawi - fasting in the month of Ramadan

· Hajj - a pilgrimage to Mecca, performed at least once in a lifetime.

The entire legal system of Islam is laid down in a special set of rules - Sharia.

Just like Judaism and Christianity, Islam stands on the position of predestination of everything that happens according to the will of God. Islam recognizes the coming end of the world and the Last Judgment. Unlike Christianity, these events are not associated with the appearance of the messiah.

Along with Allah, the Qur'an mentions an evil god opposing him, called either Sheitan or Iblis. Muslims recognize the immortality of the soul and the afterlife.

Pictures of hell and paradise are thoroughly developed in Islam. These places are intended not only for the resurrected, who have passed the Last Judgment, but also for the dead, who have passed through some kind of intermediate judgment and await the final payment after the resurrection.

Hell in the view of Muslims is located under the seven lands. Hell itself also consists of seven floors. The more the sinner is guilty, the deeper he is imprisoned. The assortment of hellish torments consists of the entire set available to the imagination. Paradise is seven floors of gardens, which are separated by hundreds of steps, the distance between which is 50 years on foot. The main joy of the righteous is houris and eternally young boys, who carry around everyone with unthinkably delicious food and drink.

Every Muslim is allowed to have four legal wives at the same time. For a Muslim to divorce, it is enough to say the phrase “You are divorced” three times. Despite this simplicity of relationship, the Qur'an forbids adultery.

In everyday life, Islam has some restrictions on food and drink. As a rule, this applies to products that are not very popular among Arabs, for example, pork.

Islam borrowed from Judaism the prohibition to portray living beings.

So, as we see, in its moral essence, Islam differs little from other monotheistic religions. But at the same time today we are witnessing a fairly aggressive development of religion. Various Muslim sects, Muslim militants continue to wage religious wars.

Islam is the youngest of the world's religions, which, in our opinion, like other monotheistic religions, brings light and goodness to the world. It is light and goodness, and not a threat to destroy all life. However, the media heavily use the term “Islamic threat”, without indicating that behind this lies religious extremism, which includes all the above manifestations of terrorism. A misunderstanding of the term, in this case, can lead to large-scale persecution of Islam, persecution that can develop into a bloody tragedy that threatens to destroy the very foundation of this religion. But is it possible to destroy the spirit, idea, ideology? Numerous examples from world history say no.

To convince you that all religions have an aggressive period, but are not aggressive in themselves, let's look at them from the point of view of the manifestation of aggression.

So Christianity. What is the holy book of Christians? It is, of course, the Bible. It describes not only the events that happened to people, but also moral principles. Naturally, these are the Ten Commandments. They describe how to lead a life. Take a closer look at them. The Commandments nowhere mention violence, murder, robbery, etc. On the contrary, the Commandments just say: Do not kill, do not steal, Love your neighbor as yourself. Do not these lines breathe peace, do not show the attitude of Christianity to violence? (Old Testament, 10 Commandments, Exodus, 20 chapter).

Some may object to me: But what about Islam? Yes, Islam, with its prescription to wage war against the infidels, the so-called "jihad", clearly does not fit into this peaceful picture. However, a tax in favor of the poor is obligatory, it is prescribed to be fair, to repay good with good, for evil with evil (unlike Christianity, where it is prescribed to respond with good to every deed), to help the poor, etc. Wealth and poverty are recognized as a natural fact established by Allah himself. In Islam, there are obligations that every Muslim must fulfill. For example, sunset, and much more. So, in Islam it is prescribed not to insult or oppress a woman, although she occupies a lower position. Although for a divorce, it is enough for a Muslim to say the phrase three times: you are divorced, but get divorced, as the Koran prescribes. It is necessary with dignity:

And when they reach their limit, then hold them with dignity or deal with them with dignity. And take the testimony of two righteous ones among you and set up a testimony before Allah. This warns the one who believes in Allah and the last day. And whoever fears Allah, then He will arrange the outcome (3). and give him food, from which he does not count. (Quran, 65 sura. Divorce)

Here is an example of the tolerance of Islam, an excerpt from sura 109, which clearly shows the attitude of Islam towards other religions:

Say: "Oh, you infidel!

2(2). I will not worship what you will worship,

3(3). and you do not worship what I will worship.

6(6). You have your faith and I have my faith!" (Quran)

Unfortunately, many commandments and suras have already lost their force over more than two millennia, and these suras calling for peace have changed, and now a huge number of religious crimes are committed in the world every year.

Judaism, despite the elements of cruelty, is also a peaceful religion. For example, in Judaism, Saturday is declared a sacred day. On Saturday, one cannot deal with money and conduct any kind of monetary transactions. On Saturday, a symbolic ablution (bath) is obligatory, which symbolically washes away all sins. (Torah, Mannach)

2.5 Cycles in the history of monotheistic religions

One of the main problems of today, in addition to the global economic crisis, is the above-mentioned problem of religious extremism.

Questions of religion, its formation and historical path, in general, are hushed up by modern reporters, and are analyzed only in special scientific literature. However, this literature, unfortunately, is not available to the general reader (mainly due to the reluctance to read such articles). As a result, the following situation develops: some (journalists), while publishing material "on the topic of the day", care, first of all, about the rating, both their own and the publication, others (readers) do not want to know the truth on a wider scale, being content with the small and distorted image that the media gives them.

This fact plays a particularly important role in questions about the roots and causes of modern terrorism. Some journalists and social scientists, speaking of the "Islamic threat", point out that such a manifestation of aggression is, in general, characteristic of Islam. I would very much like to ask them a question: do you remember the position of the Jews in the Arab Caliphate and its Spanish fragments: the Emirate of Granada and the Caliphate of Cordoba? After all, the Jews of Muslim Spain were characterized by a real cultural upsurge. And there is no need to talk about the oppression of Jews by Muslims in these states. Or maybe someone forgot about what happened at that time in Christian Europe? Jewish pogroms, crusades to the Holy Land, political rhetoric typical of real extremist religious leaders. It is hardly possible to forget the terrible genocide of the Canaanite peoples, arranged by the Jews after the Exodus from Egypt.

Perhaps we should all consider that every monotheistic religion goes through certain stages of aggression. What could be the reason for this aggression? Probably with a low social level or, more understandably, a low standard of living.

Did the Christians of medieval Europe leave their families, their homes and go on crusades to capture Jerusalem from a good life? Of course, these people were driven by bright (from their point of view) thoughts. But what thoughts were swarming in the minds of the people who organized these trips? It seems to me that with rare exceptions - greed. How it all looks like today!

One gets the impression that every religion goes through a very difficult stage of formation in the minds of the masses. And as long as these ideas (once again, every religion brings good and light), in their correct understanding, take root in the minds of people, any manifestation of religious aggression is possible.

So, in our opinion, all the named monotheistic religions go through the following stages in their development: origin - formation - period of aggressive development - period of the establishment of religion as the basis of the moral worldview of countries and peoples.

Consider the development of monotheistic religions according to our proposed cycle.

So, Judaism, the earliest monotheistic religion, was born at the turn of the 2nd-1st millennium BC. in Palestine.

The founder of the religion is Abraham, who with his family came to Canaan (later the kingdom of Israel - by the second name of Abraham's grandson - Jacob).

After some time, Jews who professed Judaism, due to hunger, were forced to go to Egypt. At the same time, the Jews retained faith in one God - Yahweh.

In Egypt, Jews fall into slavery, which reached its peak during the reign of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II.

Approximately in the middle of the XIII century. begins the famous exodus of the Jews from Egypt and the conquest of Canaan, accompanied by the Canaanite peoples, a genuine genocide, committed largely on religious grounds. The aggressive spread of Judaism can also be attributed to the struggle against the Philistines following the conquest of Canaan. That is, there is a third stage in the development of religion - the period of aggression.

And finally, from the X century. BC. Judaism is established as the fundamental idea of ​​the moral development of the Jewish people.

Christianity arose in the 1st century. AD in the Roman Empire among the slaves. Despite the persecution against Christians, the new religion spread very quickly. End of persecution in the 4th century. laid by Emperor Constantine, who made religion the state.

During the early Middle Ages, Christianity established itself as the dominant religion in much of Europe.

However, after 9-10 centuries, we also see signs of an aggressive development of religion. In the case of Christianity, aggression includes an increase in the 9th-10th centuries. the power of bishops and the beginning of the persecution of dissidents - heretics, which resulted two centuries later in the Holy Inquisition

The crusades can be considered the culmination of the aggressive development of Christianity.

After the Reformation, a gradual transition to the peaceful development of Christianity begins - a religion that today is the moral norm for a large number of people inhabiting the globe.

Islam originated in the 7th century. in the Arabian Peninsula. Prophet Mohammed became its founder. The Islamic religion has received a very rapid spread in a large area of ​​Africa and Eurasia. One of the reasons for this was the Arab conquests.

As for the period of aggressive development of the Islamic religion, in this regard, one can single out numerous publications in modern media, as well as statements by some politicians who are increasingly talking about the concept of "Islamic threat".

This concept refers to the events taking place in Chechnya, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on New York, the events in the Nord-Ost entertainment complex, the attack by Islamists on a number of buildings in the Indian city of Mumbai, and much more.

Thus, perhaps today we can talk about a certain stage in the aggressive development of Islam, a period that will undoubtedly end, since Islam, being the youngest of the world religions, brings light and goodness to the world, like other monotheistic religions.

Thus, the hypothesis of our study that the history of monotheistic religions has a certain cycle was confirmed.

CONCLUSION

So, we have proved that cyclical development takes place not only in the development of religions, but also in civilizations, and even in our lives. For example: a person is born, matures, grows old and finally dies. With civilization, the situation is exactly the same: civilization is born, gradually gaining power, then comes the peak of development or otherwise called the "golden age", and after it comes a period of decline. The decrepit civilization "dies". All civilizations have to go this way one way or another. The development of monotheistic religions has a number of differences: at first, from the very birth of religion, it is attacked and ridiculed, then, after some time has passed, people begin to think about its meaning, and then, when religion is sufficiently strong, a period of aggression begins - a period of forcible conquest of supporters . After passing this period, religion finds its true purpose - it becomes peaceful. Any, I emphasize, any monotheistic religion brings peace and light, just such is the historical pattern - each of the religions one way or another, but must go through this difficult path.

list of USED LITERATURE

1. Sources and literature

1.1 Nazarbaev N.A. Critical decade. - Almaty: Atamura, 2003

1.2 Samuels R. On the paths of Jewish history. - Moscow: Library - Aliya, joint venture "Panas", 1991

1.3 Yudovskaya A.Ya., Baranov P.A., Vanyushkina L.M. Story. The world in modern times (1640-1870). St. Petersburg: "SMIO Press", 1998

1.4 Even A. My people. Jerusalem: "Library-Aliya", 1993

1. NETWORK MATERIALS INTERNET

2.1 Toynbee Arnold. Theory of local civilizations. Personalities. http://www.countries.ru/library/culturologists/toinbitlc.htm

2.2 Yakovets Yu.V. cycles. Crises. Forecasts. http://abuss.narod.ru/Biblio/jakovets.htm

2.3 http://www.bse.freecopy.ru/print.php?id=71855

2.4 http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki

Monotheistic religion as a type religious outlook appeared long before the beginning of our era and represented both the personification of God and the representation and endowment of all the forces of nature with a single conscious egregor. Some world religions will endow God with a personality and its qualities; others merely elevate the central deity above the rest. For example, Orthodox Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the image of the trinity of God.

To shed light on such a confusing system of religious beliefs, it is necessary to consider the term itself from several aspects. It should be remembered here that all the world's monotheistic religions belong to three types. These are the Abrahamic, East Asian, and American religions. Strictly speaking, a monotheistic religion is not one that is based on the functioning of several cults, but has a central god that rises above the rest.

Monotheistic religions have two theoretical forms - inclusive and exclusive. According to the first - inclusive - theory, God can have several divine personifications, provided they are united in the whole central egregore. The exclusive theory endows the image of God with transcendent personal qualities.

This structure implies a deep heterogeneity. For example, deism suggests leaving the affairs of the Divine Creator immediately after the creation of the world and supports the concept of non-interference of supernatural forces in the course of the development of the Universe; pantheism implies the holiness of the universe itself and rejects the anthropomorphic appearance and essence of God; theism, on the other hand, includes general idea the existence of the Creator and his active participation in world processes.

Teachings of the Ancient World

The Egyptian ancient monotheistic religion, on the one hand, was a kind of monotheism; on the other hand, it also consisted of a large number of local combined cults. An attempt to unite all these cults under the auspices of a single god who patronized the pharaoh and Egypt was made by Akhenaten in the 6th century BC. After his death, religious beliefs returned to their former course of polytheism.

Attempts to systematize the divine pantheon and bring it to a single personal image were made by the Greek thinkers Xephan and Hesiod. In The State, Plato aims to search for the Absolute Truth, which has power over all things in the world. Later, on the basis of his treatises, representatives of Hellenistic Judaism attempted to synthesize Platonism and Jewish ideas about God. The heyday of the idea of ​​the monotheistic nature of the divine essence dates back to the period of antiquity.

Monotheism in Judaism

From the Jewish traditional point of view, the primacy of monotheism was destroyed in the process of human development by its disintegration into multiple cults. Modern Judaism as a monotheistic religion strictly denies the existence of any supernatural third-party forces, including gods, beyond the control of the Creator.

But in its history, Judaism has not always had such a theological basis. And the early stages of its development passed under the status of monolatry - a polytheistic belief in the exaltation of the main god over the secondary ones.

World monotheistic religions, such as Christianity and Islam, have their origins in Judaism.

Definition of the concept in Christianity

Christianity is dominated by the Old Testament Abrahamic theory of monotheism and God as the only universal creator. However, Christianity is a monotheistic religion, the main directions of which introduce into it the idea of ​​the trinity of God in three manifestations - hypostases - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This doctrine of the Trinity imposes a polytheistic or tritheistic character on the interpretation of Christianity by Islam and Judaism. As Christianity itself claims, “monotheistic religion” as a concept is fully reflected in its basic concept, but the very idea of ​​tritheism was repeatedly put forward by theologians until it was rejected by the First Council of Nicaea. However, there is an opinion among historians that in Russia there were followers of Orthodox movements that denied the trinity of God, which Ivan the Third himself patronized.

Thus, the request “explain the concept of a monotheistic religion” can be satisfied by giving the definition of monotheism as belief in one God, who can have several hypostases in this world.

Islamic monotheistic views

Islam is strictly monotheistic. The principle of monotheism is proclaimed in the First Pillar of Faith: "There is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is His prophet." Thus, the axiom of the uniqueness and integrity of God - Tawheed - is contained in his fundamental theory, and all rites, rituals and religious actions are designed to show the Oneness and Integrity of God (Allah).

The greatest sin in Islam is shirk - equating other deities and personalities with Allah - this sin is unforgivable.

According to Islam, all the great prophets professed monotheism.

Baha'i specific features

This religion originates in Shia Islam, now many researchers regard it as an independent trend, but in Islam itself it is considered an apostate religion, and its followers in the Muslim republics were previously subjected to persecution.

The name "Baha'i" comes from the name of the founder of the religion of Bahá'u'lláh ("Glory of God") - Mirza Hussein Ali, who was born in 1812 in a family of descendants of the royal Persian dynasty.

Bahaism is strictly monotheistic. He claims that all attempts to know God will be futile and useless. The only connection between people and God is the "Epiphany" - the prophets.

A feature of the Baha'is as a religious teaching is the open recognition of all religions as true, and God is one in all manifestations.

Hindu and Sikh monotheism

Not all world monotheistic religions have similar features. This is due to their different territorial, mental and even political origins. For example, it is impossible to draw a parallel between the monotheism of Christianity and Hinduism. Hinduism is a huge system of various rituals, beliefs, local national traditions, philosophies and theories based on monotheism, pantheism, polytheism and closely related to linguistic dialects and writing. Such a broad religious structure was strongly influenced by the caste stratification of Indian society. The monotheistic ideas of Hinduism are extremely complex - all the deities are united into one host and created by the One Creator.

Sikhism, as a variety of Hinduism, also affirms the principle of monotheism in its postulate "One God for all", in which God is revealed by the aspects of the Absolute and the individual particle of God living in each person. The physical world is illusory, God is in time.

Chinese system of theological worldviews

Starting from 1766 BC, the traditional worldview of the Chinese imperial dynasties was the veneration of Shang-Di - the "supreme ancestor", "God" - or the sky as the most powerful force (Tan). Thus, the Chinese ancient system of worldviews is a kind of the first monotheistic religion of mankind, which existed before Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. God was personified here, but did not acquire a bodily form, which equates Shan-Di with Moism. However, this religion is not monotheistic in the full sense - each locality had its own pantheon of small earthly deities that determined the features of the material world.

Thus, to the request “explain the concept of“ monotheistic religion ”, we can say that such a religion is characterized by monism - the outer world of the Maya is just an illusion, and God fills the entire flow of time.

One God in Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism never claimed the idea of ​​a clear monotheism, balancing between dualism and monotheism. According to his teaching, which spread throughout Iran in the first millennium BC, the supreme single deity is Ahura Mazda. In contrast to him, Angra Mainyu, the god of death and darkness, exists and acts. Each person must kindle the fire of Ahura Mazda within himself and destroy Angra Mainyu.

Zoroastrianism had a noticeable influence on the development of the ideas of the Abrahamic religions.

America. Monotheism of the Incas

There is a trend of monotheinization of the religious beliefs of the peoples of the Andes, where the process of unification of all deities into the image of the god Vikarocha takes place, for example, the rapprochement of Vikarocha himself, the creator of the world, with Pacha-Kamak, the creator of people.

Thus, when compiling an exemplary explanation in response to the request “explain the concept of a monotheistic religion”, it should be mentioned that in some religious systems, gods with similar functions eventually merge into one image.