CH.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMON PREHISTORIC RELIGIONS

CHARACTERISTIC 1: BELIEF IN SPIRIT FORCES OR INVISIBLE POWERS

• Prehistoric people believed everything was controlled by unseen powers.
• Spirit powers were sometimes friendly or sometimes hostile, and were both impersonal and personal.
• The spirits controlled very aspect of life, such as: tress growing growing crops: failing or growing, lightning flashing
• Today many realigns don't feel that individuals are punished by god because they are bad people.

CHARACTERISTIC 2: CLOSE RELIGIONS WERE NOT UNIVERSAL

• They weren't transcultural.
• They were more focused of the territory where people lived to values important for survival.
• This characteristic would help in today's society because in today's society religions are more universal
• than they were in the past.

CHARACTERISTIC 3: A PRESCIENTIFIC WORLD VIEW

• In the prehistoric world, people were focused on where people lived.
• They had no idea how large the world was.
• They didn't know things that existed from the things they already understood.
• The world they lived in was controlled by ancient spirits that were sometimes capricious or unpredictable.
• Today we know that there is a larger world filled with more predicable forces and machinery.

CHARACTERISTIC 4: CONCERN WITH SURVIVAL

• Prehistoric religions only focused on the success of particular matters that affected the existence of the tribe.
• These customs consisted of hunting, growing crops, birth of children and success against an enemy.
• Today, concern with survival is very similar, but on a larger, more complex scale.

CHARACTERISTIC 5: MANIPULATING, COERCION AND SUPPLICATION OF THE SPIRIT WORLD

• Actions associated with religion was a huge part of early human society.
• Liturgics: was directed to a certain god of unknown power, who affected lives of people and life situations.
• The actions ridded evil spirits, called spirits of assistance to gain favor of gods to force them and act of wishes
• and desires of people of the tribe. Today, there is not considered a few people who have a relationship with
• these spirits and forces.

CHARACTERISTIC 6: CONCERN ABOUT DEATH

• Prehistoric people believed the spirits lived in a life after death.
• They developed burial ceremonies to make the dead persons' way in the world prosperous.
• Developed magical systems that prevented spirits from returning to disturb the tribe.
• Rituals were to honor the dead by preserving memories of heroes, kings and leaders.
• Theses acts dealt with the mystery of death. Today, people continue to believe in a world after death and honor the dead.

CHARACTERISTIC 7: MORAL SYSTEMS

• Moral codes included laws that protected life of people in the tribe.
• Taboo: required actions based on religious beliefs.
• Totem: symbolized spiritual forces that affected the life of the tribe.
• Today, many people live by the Ten Commandments.

CHARACTERISTIC 8: THEOLOGY

• Early societies constructed a system of explanations for their religious beliefs.
• These explanations were the foundations for later religious or theological systems.
• The system of beliefs and practices were the beginnings of religions that have evolved today.

CHARACTERISTIC 9: SCRIPTURE

• Word of mouth stories and poetry passed from generation to generation.
• Some sacred writings included myths, rituals, and songs.
• Today we continue to learn from stories but the Bible is one book that many people
• turn to.

CHARACTERISTIC 10: PROPHECY

• In early religious societies there was usually a gifted charismatic person
• who used words and actions to affect religious life of the society.
• These people would be considered as true prophets.
• In some ways, priests who work in the church believed they were called by god to serve him.

CHARACTERISTIC 11: SACRIFICE

• Gifts represent the relationship between the giver and a receiver.
• These gifts were given to powers, forces, spirits and totem poles from the tribe.
• They were offered in the form of animals or food to the spirits.
• Today, religions don't sacrifice animals, but encourage followers to sacrifice their time and actions
• for god.

CHARACTERISTIC 12: DESIGNATED PLACES OF WORSHIP

• Special places or structures of early societies were made for religious ceremonies.
• They made places where they could practice and express their belief.
• Symbolized relationships to a greater force so they understood it.
• Today, we continue to have religious places to worship not caves, but in a
• modern buildings such as a chapels, churches, synagogues or mosques.