AOS 2 exam revision Flashcards
Define animism
Role it played in the development of religious practices in early history?
Belief that all objects, places, and creatures possess a distinct spiritual essence or soul
Influenced early Indigenous beliefs - believed everything in nature had a spiritual component
Define polytheism
Role it played in the development of religious practices in early history?
Belief and worship of multiple deities or gods, each with their own distinct characteristics, domains, and stories.
Typical form of religion before the spread of religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
How was religious knowledge transmitted from one generation to the next?
3 examples
Through a process of SOCIALISATION
Imitating - tool makers teaching their young the survival skills of tool making and hunting, the young imitating the elder.
Oral transmission - spiritual ideas continuously passed down through word of mouth.
Rock art - projects religious ideas, form of education for future generations.
How has the passing of spiritual and religious ideas through generations effected Australia?
As civilisations developed, formal religious institutions emerged, providing structures for education and socialisation.
Religious ideas were reinforced through cultural norms, societal expectations, and community cohesion.
What do burial ceremonies connected with our First Nations people reveal about their spiritual beliefs and their communication with the sacred?
3 points
Burial ceremonies represented the beliefs of the first nations people.
Burial and cremation was important to indigenous people due to their strong connection to the land.
believed that when someone died, their spirit went back to the land with the Dreaming Ancestors through ritual ceremony.
What does rock art connected with our First Nations people reveal about their spiritual beliefs and their communication with the sacred?
3 points
Important to Indigenous Australians as it provided evidence of spirituality and creative life.
Through them, we see prehistoric evidence of spiritual beliefs and how they passed on sacred knowledge.
Mungo man and woman are the earliest examples of archaeological evidence from this time.
How did writing contribute to the development of religion (Ancient sumer)
invention of writing in Ancient Sumer had a profound impact on the development of religion by facilitating the preservation, spreading and formalisation of religious beliefs and practices
Preservation of Religious Texts and Myths
3 points
Before writing, religious stories, rituals, and beliefs were transmitted orally from generation to generation, leaving them open to loss over time.
With the advent of writing, Sumerians began to record their religious narratives on clay tablets, ensuring their preservation for future generations.
example, Sumerian creation myth, the “Enuma Elish,” and the “Epic of Gilgamesh” were both written down, providing a lasting record of religious beliefs and cosmology.
Recording of Rituals of Religious Practices
3 points
Writing allowed for the official recording of rituals of religious practices.
Written records provided guidelines for priests and worshippers, dictating proper procedures for religious observances (offerings, sacrifices)
Promoting cohesion and unity among worshippers.
Transmission of Religious Knowledge
Sacred texts could now be copied and distributed, allowing religious teachings to reach a wider audience
As a result, religious ideas and beliefs spread more rapidly across Sumerian society and beyond
Spreading of religious knowledge influenced the development of religious thought in neighbouring regions over time.
What was the ‘symbolic revolution’ or ‘literacy of the sacred’? And how did these and archaeological discoveries, add to our understanding of what the spiritual and religious practices of early civilisations were?
Refers to a shift towards using symbols to express abstract ideas in early human societies, particularly concerning spirituality and religion.
Archaeological discoveries include cave paintings and burial sites.
Offer insights into their beliefs, rituals, and the role of religion in shaping human culture and society throughout history.
