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What is The Development and Codification of Religious and Cultural Traditions?
This is the change from religions that did not have many specific practices, to a religion where people all around the world who practiced that religion would be able to do the same things as they're counterparts in other areas. It is also the creation of newer religions based off of the rules and regulations for the older religions. For example, while religions like Judaism and Hinduism were refined and got set rules, religions like Christianity and Islam, which have a base in Judaism, and Buddhism, which has a base in Hinduism, were created based off of the other religions and, in the minds of the followers, it improved the former religions.
This is the change from religions that did not have many specific practices, to a religion where people all around the world who practiced that religion would be able to do the same things as they're counterparts in other areas. It is also the creation of newer religions based off of the rules and regulations for the older religions. For example, while religions like Judaism and Hinduism were refined and got set rules, religions like Christianity and Islam, which have a base in Judaism, and Buddhism, which has a base in Hinduism, were created based off of the other religions and, in the minds of the followers, it improved the former religions.
This map shows the spread of two of the main classical religions, Buddhism and Christianity. The reason that the other two religions that were formed during this period are not shown is because of the fact that they were not universalizing religions. A universalizing religion is a religion that goes around and tries to get converts. Christianity and Buddhism spread out a lot and spread their message so far that people from everywhere around the known world at least knew of the two religions.
Vocabulary
2.1- I
Diaspora- a scattered group of people who origin is within a smaller geographic locale, can also refer to the movement of people from their original homeland.
Bhagavad Gita- A scared text for Hinduism that explains important Hindu values that are still relevant today. It is said that Arjuna was told this so he could get over his hesitation in fighting his own kin.
Reincarnation- The soul is reborn into a new body after it dies, changes its body similar to how people change their clothes
Karma- A principle of Hinduism that what you do in this life carries over into your next life, can determine whether you are born into a higher caste
Atman- in Hinduism it is known as the imperishable soul, the soul is reborn each time the body dies
2.1- II
Eightfold Path to Enlightenment- The ultimate goal is to reach nirvana, shows how to remove suffering.
Buddhism- An offshoot of Hinduism created by Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Buddha the Enlightened one, attracted people who wished to escape the caste system in India, grew in size and reached many other countries in the Eastern and South Easter part of Asia
Confucianism- a religion or philosophy that was used to govern the way that China ran for a long time. Puts a heavy emphasis on respect and filial piety
Daoism- Founded by Spiritualist, believes that Dao is an all pervading force that governs what you do and don't do.
Hellenism- Culture in Ancient Greece, was spread by Alexander the Great, put lots of emphasis on symmetry, logic, and systematic thinking
2.1- III
filial piety- a form of ancestor worship or a deep respect for parents and elders, basic belief in Confucianism
Monastic- to live in solitude and spend time dedicated to practicing or studying religion, examples are monks and nuns
Asceticism- an extreme rejection of the materialistic values of the world, anything that is not necessary is taken away
Bible- Holy book for Christians, Old Testament and New Testament, New Testament holds the teachings of Jesus
Monastery- A building used by a large community of monks as a place to practice religious vows
2.1- IV
Animism- a pagan belief in which a soul is given to inanimate objects such as plants or rocks
Shamanism- a pagan, to most other religions, belief that certain people have access to the gods or special powers
Oracle Bones- used in China to communicate with ancestors, provided possible answers and advice to questions that were asked
Ancestor Worship- A high level of respect was given to both the living and dead elders of society
Anima- Latin word for life or soul, Animism is derived from this word
2.1-I Summary
I. Codifications and further developments of existing religious traditions provided a bond among people and an ethical code to live by.
This part of the key concept is referring to the older religions that are already established at this time such as Hinduism and Judaism which are the first and second oldest religions in the world respectively. As the specifications within the religion became more pronounced and it became easier for people who practiced the religion to understand the customs within the religion, it was easier to unite the people culturally.
A. The Hebrews or Jews maintained a monotheistic faith. As their numbers grew and they became a more organized civilization, the beliefs and practices of the people were codified into a common book for the people. This was known as the Torah. It is the part of the Bible known as the Old Testament to Christians. The Torah gave specific guidelines that covered many of the interactions that people would be involved in on a daily basis including a diet and personal hygiene. These basic practices within the Torah became what is known as Judaism. Another important belief in Judaism is that God had chosen them to be a special group of people, and this along with the newly codified Torah gave the Jewish people a strong sense of identity. Even when they were separated by conquering empires, the Jewish people retained the basic identity through their traditions.
B. Hinduism was also becoming a more defined religion. As the Aryan race moved away from the Vedic sacrifices and focused on agriculture, the importance of the Vedas diminished in everyday life. A new set of scriptures known as the Upanishads were created. This is where a very important part of Indian culture came from which is called Gurushishyaparampara (GHU-rue-SHish-YUH-puh-rum-puh-RA) which is the method of teaching from the Teacher (Guru) to the student. The student then becomes someone else's guru and the cycle continues. The Upanishads focused more on the meaning of life and what a person's purpose was. The influence of the Vedas was still present in all of India, but the Upanishads introduced new ideas such as karma and reincarnation. The new teachings of the Upanishads and the influence of the Vedas combined together to become Hinduism. Another important part of Hinduism is the Bhagavad Gita which talked of the existence of a universal spirit and emphasized the belief of reincarnation and the atman, which was the soul in Hinduism, was completely immortal. The story of the Bhagavad Gita still strongly influences India today. With the addition of all these scriptures and epic stories, Hinduism became even more structured than it had ever been before.
This part of the key concept is referring to the older religions that are already established at this time such as Hinduism and Judaism which are the first and second oldest religions in the world respectively. As the specifications within the religion became more pronounced and it became easier for people who practiced the religion to understand the customs within the religion, it was easier to unite the people culturally.
A. The Hebrews or Jews maintained a monotheistic faith. As their numbers grew and they became a more organized civilization, the beliefs and practices of the people were codified into a common book for the people. This was known as the Torah. It is the part of the Bible known as the Old Testament to Christians. The Torah gave specific guidelines that covered many of the interactions that people would be involved in on a daily basis including a diet and personal hygiene. These basic practices within the Torah became what is known as Judaism. Another important belief in Judaism is that God had chosen them to be a special group of people, and this along with the newly codified Torah gave the Jewish people a strong sense of identity. Even when they were separated by conquering empires, the Jewish people retained the basic identity through their traditions.
B. Hinduism was also becoming a more defined religion. As the Aryan race moved away from the Vedic sacrifices and focused on agriculture, the importance of the Vedas diminished in everyday life. A new set of scriptures known as the Upanishads were created. This is where a very important part of Indian culture came from which is called Gurushishyaparampara (GHU-rue-SHish-YUH-puh-rum-puh-RA) which is the method of teaching from the Teacher (Guru) to the student. The student then becomes someone else's guru and the cycle continues. The Upanishads focused more on the meaning of life and what a person's purpose was. The influence of the Vedas was still present in all of India, but the Upanishads introduced new ideas such as karma and reincarnation. The new teachings of the Upanishads and the influence of the Vedas combined together to become Hinduism. Another important part of Hinduism is the Bhagavad Gita which talked of the existence of a universal spirit and emphasized the belief of reincarnation and the atman, which was the soul in Hinduism, was completely immortal. The story of the Bhagavad Gita still strongly influences India today. With the addition of all these scriptures and epic stories, Hinduism became even more structured than it had ever been before.
Visual Evidence
This map shows the Jewish diasporic communities. From the map it is possible to tell how far apart they were spread and a guess can be made about the struggles that they went through. It is amazing that even through this they managed to maintain their identity and support for their culture and religion. This would not have been possible if it were not for the fact that throughout this period in time the customs and practices of religions were becoming more legitimate and were being written down and distributed.
Textual Evidence
"Of the things that are in the waters, you may eat anything that has fins and scales. Leviticus 11,9; Deuteronomy 14,9." (Torah/Old Testament)
This excerpt from the Torah that describes Jewish dietary laws shows the power codification has in relation to uniting a group of people. This law is extremely old, but it serves as part of the cultural identity for the Jewish people and most of them still follow it to this day.
This map shows the Jewish diasporic communities. From the map it is possible to tell how far apart they were spread and a guess can be made about the struggles that they went through. It is amazing that even through this they managed to maintain their identity and support for their culture and religion. This would not have been possible if it were not for the fact that throughout this period in time the customs and practices of religions were becoming more legitimate and were being written down and distributed.
Textual Evidence
"Of the things that are in the waters, you may eat anything that has fins and scales. Leviticus 11,9; Deuteronomy 14,9." (Torah/Old Testament)
This excerpt from the Torah that describes Jewish dietary laws shows the power codification has in relation to uniting a group of people. This law is extremely old, but it serves as part of the cultural identity for the Jewish people and most of them still follow it to this day.
2.1-II Summary
II. New belief systems and cultural traditions emerged and spread, often asserting universal truths.
The new belief systems are Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Christianity. All of these religions had relatively new ideas that were expressed as things that would always be true. Of these 4 religions, 2 of them were made based on other religions. Buddhism was based off of Hinduism and Christianity was based off of Judaism. These two religions thought that they were fixing the problems present in the other two religions and gained many followers as they were more universalizing religions in relation to Hinduism and Judaism being ethnic religions.
A. Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism that was made by Siddhartha Gautama. He was the son of a Hindu prince and grew up pampered and well. He had many questions and as he couldn't find the answers in Hinduism he went off to find his answer. The revelations he made are the basic principles of Buddhism. These basic principles are The Four Noble Truths (All of life is suffering, Suffering is caused by false desires, Suffering may be relieved by removing desire, and Desire may be removed through the eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path to Enlightenment was the other basic principle and it is the steps to get rid of desire and to reach Nirvana. Buddhism was very popular with the lower castes in India and moved from India into China where it changed some of it's customs to better match Chinese values. As Buddhism spread, the religion changed and became different from the original.
B. Confucianism emerged in China during the Warring States Period between the Zhou and Han Dynasties. This period, while one of the most chaotic in Chinese history, had a large amount of cultural change that changed China forever. Confucius believed that Emperors and Dynasties lost their power because they acted in a way that made them not worthy of the Mandate of Heaven and it was therefore taken away from them. Confucius also believed in 5 basic relationships between the community that were important for a functional society. He strongly emphasized filial piety which is ancestor worship. Confucius also influenced the government by endorsing inequality within the government. He stated that inequality showed the power of the emperor and made him responsible for his subjects. Confucianism was seen as a more social and political religion than a theological religion.
C. The founder of Daoism is thought to have been Laozi, a spiritualist who most likely lived during the 4th century BCE. The religion is focused on the Dao which means the way or path. Within the religion Daoism is thought to be a force of the cosmos that is eternal and unchanging. It is control of all the things that happen in the world. It is not good nor bad, it just is. It cannot be changed and according Daoism, Human goals and achievements have brought the world to chaos because they resist the Dao. Daoism is similar to Confucianism because both encourage self knowledge and acceptance, but Daoism is much more passive while Confucianism is active.
D. Christianity is seen to be the improved version of Judaism. Its founder, Jesus of Nazareth was raised as a Jew east of the Mediterranean. Christianity was formed partially because of the Jewish belief that a Messiah would come that could restore the Jewish kingdom to its former status. The followers of Jesus saw him as this Messiah that would bring back the glory of Judaism by getting rid of corrupt priests. Jesus was believed to be the son of god, he advocated for love and charity. After Jesus died, the apostles carried on his teachings. The Bible, which is the holy book for Christians, is the culmination of Jesus' teachings and the Old Testament.
E. Hellenism is the culture of Ancient Greece that as spread by Alexander the Great. There were many religions in Athens, though there were no religious castes or orders to decide who had the true knowledge. Athens believed in individual inquiry. Because the world was believed to be rational and symmetrical the Greeks invested too much time into logical thinking and created western philosophy. The Greeks never established a veritable science because they placed too much emphasis on theories without ever experimenting with those theories.
The new belief systems are Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Christianity. All of these religions had relatively new ideas that were expressed as things that would always be true. Of these 4 religions, 2 of them were made based on other religions. Buddhism was based off of Hinduism and Christianity was based off of Judaism. These two religions thought that they were fixing the problems present in the other two religions and gained many followers as they were more universalizing religions in relation to Hinduism and Judaism being ethnic religions.
A. Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism that was made by Siddhartha Gautama. He was the son of a Hindu prince and grew up pampered and well. He had many questions and as he couldn't find the answers in Hinduism he went off to find his answer. The revelations he made are the basic principles of Buddhism. These basic principles are The Four Noble Truths (All of life is suffering, Suffering is caused by false desires, Suffering may be relieved by removing desire, and Desire may be removed through the eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path to Enlightenment was the other basic principle and it is the steps to get rid of desire and to reach Nirvana. Buddhism was very popular with the lower castes in India and moved from India into China where it changed some of it's customs to better match Chinese values. As Buddhism spread, the religion changed and became different from the original.
B. Confucianism emerged in China during the Warring States Period between the Zhou and Han Dynasties. This period, while one of the most chaotic in Chinese history, had a large amount of cultural change that changed China forever. Confucius believed that Emperors and Dynasties lost their power because they acted in a way that made them not worthy of the Mandate of Heaven and it was therefore taken away from them. Confucius also believed in 5 basic relationships between the community that were important for a functional society. He strongly emphasized filial piety which is ancestor worship. Confucius also influenced the government by endorsing inequality within the government. He stated that inequality showed the power of the emperor and made him responsible for his subjects. Confucianism was seen as a more social and political religion than a theological religion.
C. The founder of Daoism is thought to have been Laozi, a spiritualist who most likely lived during the 4th century BCE. The religion is focused on the Dao which means the way or path. Within the religion Daoism is thought to be a force of the cosmos that is eternal and unchanging. It is control of all the things that happen in the world. It is not good nor bad, it just is. It cannot be changed and according Daoism, Human goals and achievements have brought the world to chaos because they resist the Dao. Daoism is similar to Confucianism because both encourage self knowledge and acceptance, but Daoism is much more passive while Confucianism is active.
D. Christianity is seen to be the improved version of Judaism. Its founder, Jesus of Nazareth was raised as a Jew east of the Mediterranean. Christianity was formed partially because of the Jewish belief that a Messiah would come that could restore the Jewish kingdom to its former status. The followers of Jesus saw him as this Messiah that would bring back the glory of Judaism by getting rid of corrupt priests. Jesus was believed to be the son of god, he advocated for love and charity. After Jesus died, the apostles carried on his teachings. The Bible, which is the holy book for Christians, is the culmination of Jesus' teachings and the Old Testament.
E. Hellenism is the culture of Ancient Greece that as spread by Alexander the Great. There were many religions in Athens, though there were no religious castes or orders to decide who had the true knowledge. Athens believed in individual inquiry. Because the world was believed to be rational and symmetrical the Greeks invested too much time into logical thinking and created western philosophy. The Greeks never established a veritable science because they placed too much emphasis on theories without ever experimenting with those theories.
Visual Evidence
This picture shows a large group of people gathering for religious purposes. From the way these people are depicted we can assume that it is Christianity. Christianity is what is known as a universalizing religion because it has people that try to spread the message and obtain converts. Christianity is a religion that encourages growth whereas religions like Hinduism are ethnic religions that mainly stick with the Indians and their surrounding countries. The reason that Christianity was so popular with people and many people easily accepted it over their former religion is because Christianity talked about certain principles that could be applied anywhere in life. These principles are also known as universal truths and all of the newer religions of this period contained them.
Textual Evidence
"The Four Truths of the Noble One) were the first teachings of Gautama Buddha after attaining enlightenment. Escape from suffering is possible for those who accept and follow these Four Noble Truths which are traditionally summed up as follows: (1) life is basically suffering, or dissatisfaction (dukkha); (2) the origin or arising of that suffering (samudaya) lies in craving or grasping; (3) the cessation (nirodha) of suffering is possible through the cessation of craving; and (4) the way (magga) to cease craving and so attain escape from continual rebirth is by following Buddhist practice, known as the Noble Eightfold Path" (Maier, 2014).
The Four Noble Truths are an example of the universal "truth" in Buddhism. The Four Noble Truths say that all of life is suffering and that one must learn how to get rid of the suffering, which can conveniently be done by following another Buddhist practice. These universal truths were meant to attract people to the religion that showed them and offer a reason as to why you should convert from your religions to this one.
This picture shows a large group of people gathering for religious purposes. From the way these people are depicted we can assume that it is Christianity. Christianity is what is known as a universalizing religion because it has people that try to spread the message and obtain converts. Christianity is a religion that encourages growth whereas religions like Hinduism are ethnic religions that mainly stick with the Indians and their surrounding countries. The reason that Christianity was so popular with people and many people easily accepted it over their former religion is because Christianity talked about certain principles that could be applied anywhere in life. These principles are also known as universal truths and all of the newer religions of this period contained them.
Textual Evidence
"The Four Truths of the Noble One) were the first teachings of Gautama Buddha after attaining enlightenment. Escape from suffering is possible for those who accept and follow these Four Noble Truths which are traditionally summed up as follows: (1) life is basically suffering, or dissatisfaction (dukkha); (2) the origin or arising of that suffering (samudaya) lies in craving or grasping; (3) the cessation (nirodha) of suffering is possible through the cessation of craving; and (4) the way (magga) to cease craving and so attain escape from continual rebirth is by following Buddhist practice, known as the Noble Eightfold Path" (Maier, 2014).
The Four Noble Truths are an example of the universal "truth" in Buddhism. The Four Noble Truths say that all of life is suffering and that one must learn how to get rid of the suffering, which can conveniently be done by following another Buddhist practice. These universal truths were meant to attract people to the religion that showed them and offer a reason as to why you should convert from your religions to this one.
2.1-III Summary
IIII. Belief systems generally reinforced existing social structures while also offering new roles and status to some men and women. For example, Confucianism emphasized filial piety, and some Buddhists and Christians practiced a monastic life.
in the earlier time period it was the surplus of food that led to the first social and gender inequalities which then became laws. Religions soon began to adapt to this and also affected gender roles in their own way. In Hinduism the Laws of Manu said that a woman is not independent of men at any point in her life. The Bible also talks about patriarchy, but also says that a husband must love his wife like Jesus loved church. Confucianism talked about filial piety along with the normal patriarchy and said that a deep respect must be present for parents and ancestors. Buddhism too was also affected by this change in society. Originally it rejected social inequality and taught that everyone was equal no matter your caste, race, or gender. After spreading into China it partially adopted the patriarchy model of Confucianism. Some followers of Buddhism and Christianity were more like ascetics and rejected materialistic items and luxuries including any form of sexual pleasure. Christians then developed monasticism which was similar to asceticism except it was done with a group of people.
in the earlier time period it was the surplus of food that led to the first social and gender inequalities which then became laws. Religions soon began to adapt to this and also affected gender roles in their own way. In Hinduism the Laws of Manu said that a woman is not independent of men at any point in her life. The Bible also talks about patriarchy, but also says that a husband must love his wife like Jesus loved church. Confucianism talked about filial piety along with the normal patriarchy and said that a deep respect must be present for parents and ancestors. Buddhism too was also affected by this change in society. Originally it rejected social inequality and taught that everyone was equal no matter your caste, race, or gender. After spreading into China it partially adopted the patriarchy model of Confucianism. Some followers of Buddhism and Christianity were more like ascetics and rejected materialistic items and luxuries including any form of sexual pleasure. Christians then developed monasticism which was similar to asceticism except it was done with a group of people.
Visual Evidence
Monasticism was something developed by the Christians and adopted by the Buddhists. It was present in the form of monks and nuns. One of the societal roles that it filled here was the complete separation of men and women. While there were separate forms of Monasticism for men and women, a man could not be a nun and a women could not be a monk. This kept them separated and allowed them to focus more on spiritual practices.
Textual Evidence
"Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church. . . Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her."
--Ephesians 5:22,25
This piece of evidence is from the New Testament of the Bible and shows the early Christian's view on women. They were meant to be subordinate to their husband and must listen to what they say. The husband had to be seen as the head of the house and his orders must be followed. However, Christianity didn't change only the wives role. Men had to be more loving and be willing to sacrifice themselves for their wife which, up until this point in time, would have been considered an odd act of sacrifice due to the way women were treated.
Monasticism was something developed by the Christians and adopted by the Buddhists. It was present in the form of monks and nuns. One of the societal roles that it filled here was the complete separation of men and women. While there were separate forms of Monasticism for men and women, a man could not be a nun and a women could not be a monk. This kept them separated and allowed them to focus more on spiritual practices.
Textual Evidence
"Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church. . . Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her."
--Ephesians 5:22,25
This piece of evidence is from the New Testament of the Bible and shows the early Christian's view on women. They were meant to be subordinate to their husband and must listen to what they say. The husband had to be seen as the head of the house and his orders must be followed. However, Christianity didn't change only the wives role. Men had to be more loving and be willing to sacrifice themselves for their wife which, up until this point in time, would have been considered an odd act of sacrifice due to the way women were treated.
2.1-IV Summary
IV. Other religious and cultural traditions, including shamanism,animism, and ancestor veneration, persisted.
Religions or philosophies that were seen as pagan did still exist within the areas that surrounded the main religions however their importance was greatly diminished as most people began to follow one of the larger religions. The population of people who followed these 3 philosophies never again rose to a high level after the introduction and codification of these religions.
A. Examples of these philosophies or practices are Shamanism and Animism. Shamanism believed that certain people have special abilities that connect them with god, and Animism believed that everything had a soul including inanimate objects. These two philosophies survived, but were never able to regain a large following.
B. Another belief was ancestor worship and oracle bones. Ancestor worship consisted of giving a great deal of respect to the elderly in society as well as those that had already passed on. Throughout their lives they learned new skills and practices that would be passed on to the younger people. Oracle bones were thought to be a way to communicate with ancestors and gain knowledge or receive advice. The use of oracle bones did promote the importance of having a written script that could be used by everyone, and the oracle bones that are still present in the world show a great deal about the early Chinese civilization.
Religions or philosophies that were seen as pagan did still exist within the areas that surrounded the main religions however their importance was greatly diminished as most people began to follow one of the larger religions. The population of people who followed these 3 philosophies never again rose to a high level after the introduction and codification of these religions.
A. Examples of these philosophies or practices are Shamanism and Animism. Shamanism believed that certain people have special abilities that connect them with god, and Animism believed that everything had a soul including inanimate objects. These two philosophies survived, but were never able to regain a large following.
B. Another belief was ancestor worship and oracle bones. Ancestor worship consisted of giving a great deal of respect to the elderly in society as well as those that had already passed on. Throughout their lives they learned new skills and practices that would be passed on to the younger people. Oracle bones were thought to be a way to communicate with ancestors and gain knowledge or receive advice. The use of oracle bones did promote the importance of having a written script that could be used by everyone, and the oracle bones that are still present in the world show a great deal about the early Chinese civilization.
Visual Evidence
Many of these older religions are still practiced today, for example Shamanism is practiced by the Native Americans in the US. While there form of Shamanism may be different when compared to the Shamanism that was around from 600 BCE - 600 CE, all religions have changed a lot to take in other cultures or traditions since their founding. Shamanism now focuses more on nature spirits and animal spirits than the powers that certain people had.
Textual Evidence
"Oracle bones continued to be used in later dynasties but not as regularly as during the Shang. These bones are important primary sources on the history of the Shang Dynasty and gave birth to Chinese script."
While Oracle Bones were used for a while after the earlier Chinese dynasties, the true importance of oracle bones is from their influence in making Chinese script a more standardized and necessary thing. As China progressed oracle bones weren't used as often, but the impact they left on China is still strong and present there to this day,
Many of these older religions are still practiced today, for example Shamanism is practiced by the Native Americans in the US. While there form of Shamanism may be different when compared to the Shamanism that was around from 600 BCE - 600 CE, all religions have changed a lot to take in other cultures or traditions since their founding. Shamanism now focuses more on nature spirits and animal spirits than the powers that certain people had.
Textual Evidence
"Oracle bones continued to be used in later dynasties but not as regularly as during the Shang. These bones are important primary sources on the history of the Shang Dynasty and gave birth to Chinese script."
While Oracle Bones were used for a while after the earlier Chinese dynasties, the true importance of oracle bones is from their influence in making Chinese script a more standardized and necessary thing. As China progressed oracle bones weren't used as often, but the impact they left on China is still strong and present there to this day,
This picture shows a part of the Upanishads which were a new part of Hinduism during the classical era. The Upanishads added ideas about the daily lives of the people and what the purpose of life is. It also added the ideas of reincarnation, karma, and dharma which are now some of the most famous parts of the Hindu religion. The Upanishads along with the Bhagavad Gita, the Vedas, and the Puranas make up most of the holy texts of Hinduism.
"He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'" -Mark 16:15
This verse from the New Testament shows how important spreading the Christian Faith was to them. This verse was from the moment that Jesus was being taken to heaven and one of his final requests was for them to spread Christianity. This can be seen as one of the main reasons that Christianity was one of the largest growing faiths of this time.
"He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'" -Mark 16:15
This verse from the New Testament shows how important spreading the Christian Faith was to them. This verse was from the moment that Jesus was being taken to heaven and one of his final requests was for them to spread Christianity. This can be seen as one of the main reasons that Christianity was one of the largest growing faiths of this time.