The Spread of Religion - Essay Example

YOUR FULL YOUR The Spread of Religion Was religion a force of peace and stability or of discord during the eraActually, it was both. For the people in Western Europe, the Christian position on peace and rule of law did provide a measure of stability for society. As the church institutionalized, it also provided a model for administrative efficiency. Similarly in the Middle East, where Islam was uncontested, it provided a social structure and stable behavioral code. When the two came together, however, religion was certainly not peaceful.

The crusades, the Islamic conquests, the Inquisition; all demonstrate the ability of cruel men to vent their angst and justify inhumanity in the name of God.Are conflicts political rather than theologicalAgain, yes and no. The conflicts are inherently theological; but the theology drives the political structure and social norms. In the crusades, for example, the actual conflict was very much political; who was going to rule the area. It was driven, however, by religious fervor, with Christians seeing the area as holy due to Jesus, and Moslems viewing it as holy because of Mohammed.

On the surface, the conflict was about who was going to rule the area and possess the land; but it was the theological ideology that sparked the flame in the first place.Do the roots of conflict stretch back thousands of yearsYes, most certainly. The paganism of the Roman Empire eventually gave way to state-sponsored Christianity after much conflict. Christianity developed and came into conflict with both its own people (heretics) and outside religions (Islam). Similarly, Islamic history is full of conquest and division, with a classic example of modern Iraq's ware between Suni and Shi'ite Muslims.

These conflicts go back as far as recorded history.How did societies handle religious differences in the pastGenerally, though not always, with intolerance. Witness the transition from Druidism to Christianity in pre-medieval England. The two groups were diametrically opposed to each other, and found now way for a peaceful coexistence. This has generally been the rule from the late Bronze Age forward.Are there lessons from the past to be applied todayYes, one of the chief of which is that religion has no place in the rule of governmental law.

It is in this area that the power of the throne has been most abused and focused towards people of different faiths. Be they priests or imams, the religious rulers should not attempt to form a Theocracy.Works CitedWorld History. "A New Civilization Emerges in Western Europe." Dec. 2005. World History International. 28 May 2006. .