World Religions

Introduction to World Religions Study Guide

Ancient Egyptian Religion The pharaoh was considered a divine ruler. They had many myths regarding the world and built animal totems to worship. The afterlife was a place the soul and the body went after death. The bodies were embalmed; this was the first religion to do so. They were then mummified. Egyptian gods were often depicted as a human body with an animal head. The most important deity was the sun god, who had several different names. Osiris was the god of the dead and ruler of the underworld. His consort was Isis. Greek Religion Greek religion is not the same as Greek mythology, as the latter encompasses the traditional tales. However, there is some intermingling between the two. Greeks believed that the gods existed and they were to perform rituals and sacrifices to them. If one did not give the god his due, there would be reprisals. In times of crisis, the Greeks prayed to the relevant god and to other deities that might be able to help. Roman Numen Religion Roman religion was also called Roman Mythology. Religion was based on mutual trust (fides) between god and man. The object was to secure cooperation and benevolence. Initially, religion was devoid of a moral element, as it focused on the rituals. The Roman Numen religion was based on rituals, spells, and magic. Prayer and magic were used to reach the gods. Much of what was done was to flatter the gods to seek their assistance. The annual festival of Lupercalia was the ritual dance of the Salii in honor of Mars.

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