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| Sir Edward Tylor was responsible for forming the definition of animism currently accepted in anthropology. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Venus von Willendorf, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| English: Sorcerer of Le Gabillou (Dordogne, France) Español: Hechicero de Le Gabillou (Dordoña, Francia) Français : Sorcier de Le Gabillou (Dordogne, France) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The world is full of different concepts of God. Religious tradition introduces it‘s abstract on what God is in their stories of origin. Stories of origin have their own start in the evolution of humanity. The human mind had to gain concept environment beyond existence in the present moment. This was self awareness and the ability to inject self in the past and future.
Social scientists, anthropologist, and historians with the help the archeological community believe that the ability of humans to have religion occurred very early in Paleolithic societies. Humans live in larger familial groups forced on hunting and gathering .They was not significantly removed from nature and had the fear of things in the natural world. Yet, they had more complex feeling than those instinctual to all higher functioning species, fear was tempered with awe and appreciation of the beauty and plenty that nature provides. ‘
Cave art may be an example of the creator to somehow draw into existence the state of plentiful or to tell the story of a good hunt. It may be the sake or art for art. Art too many speaks of the existence of a more complex being. Many bodies have been found buried with personal objects. There is some evidence that in parts of
In the Paleolithic period it seems to have been a pregnant idol craze. The ‘Venus’ of Millender is standard example of these figurines. Yes, there are images of men, but few compared to that of women. Feminist and others have suggested that the prominent image of God was female Creation of life and ongoing fertility of all creation was a female trait. If any part of the concept of God from this period carried over into our western culture it would be the concept of God the Creator and source of all life.
The concept of God is really not a statement of monotheism .Animism has been the religious focus of most primitive societies. The simple idea that spirit in habits all living things. Yet, even in religions that use animal totems and seem to focus on individual spiritual presence, there is a larger spiritual concept of creation. The roots on polytheism and monotheism come from the free floating spirits of animism. If a tree has a spirit, the maybe there is a larger Spirit of all trees or all Forests. Maybe a specific Spirit rules our forest. Therefore we should appease that spirit by worship or sacrifice. You get the idea has humanity become more complex in organization so did their concepts of God.
If the Goddess concept of God lost out it was not some evil plot some early version of a conservative WASP male, it was simply that moving into organized community to engage in farming and to claim territory was dangerous for women who were almost always with child or caring for children. Munity became warlike to defend the land they farmed in hunted from others. Being male meant being the one who protected all that was created. Therefore, the concept of God became male. It was also that it is instinctual for males to assure that their seed is going forth into the future. Therefore controlling who women reproduced with became a focus the male concept of God and brachial religion. This may be a simplistic view. If you look at how those in Hebrew scripture see
So what will the concept of God evolve into? We may see a glimpse is process theology. It at its core sees God as the common connecting energy for all things. Sounds like the concept as God as undefined Spirit or even a ‘God Particle”, is sort of a move back to an earlier time with a modern twist.
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