1. Nature Religions / Animism
Evolution of Religion
Nature Religions / Animism

2. The Idea of God
From earliest times humans have worshipped / revered / feared spirits or powers that they believe to be superior to themselves
These spirits they believed to be responsible for the existence and functioning of the world around them

3. The God Concept
Animism: A belief in countless numbers and nameless, shapeless spirits who exist in nature and were rather fearsome in character
Polytheism: the belief in many gods. These gods could be identified by name; they possessed individual characteristics; and they usually had a specific role or function to perform in nature
Monotheism: the concept that a single Supreme Being as the creative principle of the universe and the object of human worship.

4. Evolution of the God Concept???
Monotheism
Polytheism
Animism
Does religion follow a straight evolutionary path?
Answer: ??????

5. Evolutionism
Darwinism gave way to the evolutionist school of thought, the belief that evolutionist theory could be applied to cultural anthropology including the study of religion
It purports:
Evolution follows a uniform development, obeying similar laws and passing through similar stages, though not at a similar rate
Evolution progresses very slowly in time
Evolution proceeds in all cases from lower to higher forms
Critique!!

6. Evolution of the God Concept???
Does religion follow a straight evolutionary path?
Answer: NO

7. Religion: Prehistoric Peoples
A general overview
Australopithecus (2,000,000 years ago)
No evidence of “religious awareness”
Homo Erectus: (500,000 years ago)
Practiced cannibalism (eating only the brain)
Why only the brain? (nutritional or religious practice?)

8. Religion: Prehistoric Peoples
Burial Customs: Burying the dead is unique to humans. The common procedure of other animals is to abandon the dead

9. Religion: Prehistoric Peoples
Homo Sapien Neanderthal (100,000 years ago) (species disappeared about 30,000 years ago)
France 1908 – Archeological site
Body on its side
Head cushioned on a pile of flint
Body in the fetal position
Body surrounded by carefully worked stones, tools and animal bones
Consistent burial customs discovered in other archeological sites of this time
Meaning????

10. Religion: Prehistoric Peoples
Homo Sapien Sapien: (30,000 years ago)
True representation of modern day humans
Burial customs refined from Homo Neanderthal Sapien
Body covered with ornaments
Weapons and food also buried along with the body
Painting the dead with red ochre
Binding the dead

11. Significance!!
Discovery of tools, weapons and food suggests the belief in an afterlife.
What form did this afterlife take?
Red paint suggest magical significance. Red represents blood – giving the dead vitality for the afterlife
Body positioning
facing east towards the rising sun suggesting a belief in a resurrection
In the fetal position – Earth like a womb, from which it is reborn
Binding the dead – fear of the dead, Fear of being haunted / spirit.