The Origin Of Man s Relationship With The Divine Essay

The origin of man’s relationship with the divine extends far back into his evolution – almost certainly farther still than the lifespan of any evidence could suggest. Indeed, religion is considered a cultural universal - where there are people, there is religion. For ancient humanity, religion combated ambiguity about death and deception, provided prosocial constructs that enabled greater cooperation, and generally fell in line with humanities distinctive (and possibly overactive) ability to attribute goals and desires to events – living or not. It was Xenophanes (c. 520) who noted the tendency of gods to be constructed in the likeness of the culture that birthed them. It is not surprising, then, that learning about a culture s religion can tell you a great deal about how the members see themselves and the world. Although ancient religions such as Hellenism seem a far cry away from today’s prevailing religions, many aspects of modern religions can be trace d back across cultures. One of the most interesting of these cultural shifts was the Roman assimilation of Greek culture. While the Greeks revered themselves for their communal government (democracy), their culture still very much praised the individual. The relationship between the gods and the people (particularly heros) suggest that religion is an individual pursuit – resolution is up to a single man to find. In Roman renditions, however, these same gods are depicted as rewarding selflessness – sacrifice for the greaterShow MoreRelatedThe Law And Civil Law1668 Words   |  7 PagesThe concepts of law and justice are interdependent and deeply intertwined. The relationship between these concepts is able to be perceived through analysis of each independently and then comparatively. One of the primary questions concerning law and justice pertains to the balance and importance of natural law compared to civil law. Problems arise when defining what natural law and civil law are. 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