Religious structures, as fundamental elements of human history, have profoundly shaped our understanding of the world from the dawn of humanity through to the fifteenth century. Their impact is revealed in the emergence and maintenance of societies, the promotion of cultural values, and the formation of personalities. Religious structures were among the key factors in determining how early settlements in the lands of Egypt and Mesopotamia, as well as the medieval societies of Europe and Asia, evolved their culture and the basic societal laws and standards. The influence of these religious sites of the past gives us a clearer sense of their nature and the reasons for the existence of this world. Throughout history, the religious structures from the very beginning to the fifteenth century played a fundamental role in influencing world history by shaping societies, controlling many pivotal events, defining concept formation, and molding moral and ethical values that are still preserved by current societies.
People
There are several significant people whose religious structures have impacted the world’s history. First, St. Augustine of Hippo left a trace that will forever show the impacts of religious structures. Augustine touches upon the issue of miracles and how they help to spread belief in Christ, positing that the world needed miracles in order to believe and that the very fact that the world believes is a miracle to itself (“St. Augustine’s City,” n.d., para. 1). In this case, Augustine’s perspective on miracles underscores the transformative power of faith, suggesting that the miraculous is not just an event, but a catalyst for belief and understanding, and this belief system, propagated through religious structures, has shaped societies and cultures, influencing moral and ethical values. Apart from theology, Augustine’s influence is also felt in philosophy, literature, and even politics, drawing attention to the fact that religious structures play an important role in shaping our civilization. Therefore, Augustine stands as the epitome of the way that the intricate nature of religious structures influences how we appreciate the world around us.
St. Jerome, another influential theologian from the same era as St. Augustine, also contributed significantly to Christian thought by producing the first complete translation of the Bible. Jerome’s notable accomplishment, the “Vulgate,” is a Latin translation of the Bible, named for its common language accessibility, and is recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, extending beyond scholarly reach (Brown, 2003, p. 357). The Vulgate turned into a standard text or a reference copy of the Bible for the Latin Church, molding the language of theology and influencing the Church’s life. Additionally, the influence of the Vulgate extends to literature, fine arts, music, and culture of that time during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Therefore, Jerome’s translation was a formative factor in shaping Western culture and in intellectual development.
Akhenaten, an 18th dynasty pharaoh of Egypt, formulated religious structures that impacted the world’s history. For instance, Akhenaten pioneered the concept of exclusive monotheism, emphasizing its significance once more (Hoffmeie, 2015, p. 82). He abolished the worship of multiple gods, which was against the Egyptian religion. He declared his wife Nefertiti and himself to be the sole intermediaries between the Aten and the people. This abolition impacted the world’s history by introducing a significant shift in the religious belief systems, as it was the first known instance of monotheism. Hence, it influenced future religions and philosophies, altering the course of world history.
Societies
Apart from people, some ancient societies’ religious structures controlled important events, fostered the development of ideas, and shaped moral and ethical values that continue to influence our societies today. First is the Christian European society during the Middle Ages. It sought to govern every facet of an individual’s life, exerting significant influence over their beliefs and behaviors (Mark, 2019, para. 3). By governing the individuals through events such as the Crusades, society played a significant role in shaping the course of history. Furthermore, it fostered the development of ideas and moral values that continue to resonate in our societies today, demonstrating the enduring influence of religious structures on world history.
Additionally, the Eastern Churches’ religious structures impacted world history. Despite the absence of a single pontiff in the Eastern Churches, they maintained firm and energetic control over Christian doctrines, irrespective of the patriarch of Constantinople’s claims (Stefon, 2019, para. 1). Being in control enabled them to influence most activities in their regions. The activities included the organization of religious events, the dissemination of Christian doctrines, and the establishment of societal norms and values, all of which had a profound impact on the historical trajectory of their regions.
Further, there was the Roman Empire, whose cultural syncretism impacted the world’s history. Starting with a diverse set of deities, Rome incorporated both Greek gods and various foreign cults into its pantheon as the empire grew (Wasson, 2013, para. 1). The incorporation of these diverse religious elements fostered a sense of unity within the empire, shaping societal norms and values. This practice significantly influenced the religious landscape of the empire and beyond, contributing to the development of unique Roman religious and philosophical ideas that continue to resonate in our societies today.
Events
Several significant events show the religious structure’s impact on world history, helping us better understand the world in which we live. The crusades led to an increase in Christianity. They were military campaigns initiated by Western European Christians in the late 11th century as a response to the centuries-long expansion of Muslim territories (Baldwin et al., 2018, para. 1). They controlled significant events by causing major geopolitical shifts and establishing temporary Christian states in the Levant. They fostered the development of ideas through cultural exchange between Christian and Muslim societies and shaped moral and ethical values by influencing perceptions of warfare, redemption, and religious duty, impacts that continue to resonate in our societies today. Hence, the Crusades were a significant event that impacted the world’s history.
Additionally, the fall of Constantinople is an event that wedged the world’s history at a great length. A letter to Firmanus mentioned that both new messages from Venice and Serbia were upsettingly revealing that the power of the Turks was increasing and that a general rumor spread that they had captured Constantinople, the Christian navy had been destroyed, and Pera was given to the Turks (Piccolomini, 1453, p. 1). The end of the Byzantine Empire was affected by the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the rise of the Ottoman Empire, which in turn resulted in the transfer of power and a new course of history. The event caused scholars to move from the Greek region to the Western end and to the Renaissance, which later shaped the morals and ethics of people from both regions. Hence, the aftermath of Constantinople’s fall continues to be felt in the current society.
Further, the resolution of the Western Schism is also an event that portrays how religious structures impacted the world’s history. During that time, there were two or three popes, and each of them had his supporters in The College of Cardinals and his administrative structure, as opposed to earlier periods when only one pope existed (“The Schism,” 2015, para. 1). These political rivalries and power struggles resulted in a significant loss of prestige for the papacy which gave rise to the Conciliar Movement and a lack of papal support. The moral and ethical values we still adhere to today are those shaped by this period of disruption and eventual settlement at the Council of Constance, values such as the importance of questioning authority and the reality that unity and reconciliation are central. Hence, the turmoil of the Schism transformed the way we think about authority and ethics.
Ideas
Some ideas resulted in religious structures that impacted the world’s history by controlling important events, fostering the development of ideas, and shaping the world’s moral and ethical values. The first is the evolution of Christian philosophy. In the 4th and 5th centuries, the concept was introduced by theological thinkers such as St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, and St. Jerome (Stefon, 2019, para. 1). The notion was rooted in the teachings of Jesus and performed religious history as well as advised about how the Christian should live. It gave a particular direction to world history by implying political structures, inspiring the arts and humanities, advancing intellectual movements, and forming moral and ethical norms, which rightly make Western society the dominant form of humanism.
Also, the essence of the Christian faith has impacted the world’s history. Over a millennium, the core of the Christian faith was preserved differently compared to its first three centuries prior to official recognition; its understanding continually evolved throughout the Middle Ages (Stefon, 2019, para. 1). The transformation and safeguarding of Christian beliefs in the Middle Ages significantly shaped global history, affecting political systems, inspiring cultural and artistic expressions, and nurturing intellectual progress. This idea enabled the emergence of universities within a Medieval Christian context and the expansion of Christianity to continents such as the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. These developments have had a lasting influence on our societies today.
Additionally, the core of the Christian Faith influenced history in general. Over a millennium, the core of the Christian faith was preserved differently compared to its first three centuries prior to official recognition; its understanding continually evolved throughout the Middle Ages (Stefon, 2019, para. 1). Christian beliefs were preserved and gradually transformed in the Middle Ages, consequently affecting the political systems of the world, inspiring cultural and artistic expressions, and nurturing intellectual progress. This notion gave rise to universities developed in the Medieval Christian environment, and the religion spread to the continents, including the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. Though these developments were long ago, the effects are still apparent today.
Finally, there is the idea of the doctrine of the Church. The doctrine included the Pope’s Bull that approved Spain in pursuing its strategy, waiving exploration rights and trade in areas that were bordered by a line of longitude that stretched from the Atlantic Ocean, which Columbus had discovered in the preceding year (Trenholm, 2012, p. 3). The Bull justified the colonization of the New World, consequently controlling significant historical events. It was the source of beliefs, ideas, and values, such as land ownership, national sovereignty, morality, and ethics, particularly around the treatment of indigenous peoples. Therefore, through the Pope’s Bull, the doctrines of the Church greatly affected the course of world history.
In conclusion, based on this evidence, it is evident that religious structures have significantly influenced the course of world history from the beginnings of humanity up through the fifteenth century. This theological understanding from key people such as St. Augustine and St. Jerome, as well as critical historical events, has shaped society and left an indelible mark that is still relevant today. This knowledge of our past, in particular, the influence of Christian philosophy and doctrine, gives us a lens to see the current world as a more complex place. Thus, the echoes of the past go on resonating, which greatly affects the way we contextualize and interpret the present societal interactions.
References
Baldwin, M. W., Madden, T. F., & Dickson, G. (2018). Crusades | facts, summary, & legacy. In Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Crusades
Brown, D. (2003). Jerome and the Vulgate. In A. Hauser & D. Watson (Eds.). A History of Biblical Interpretation: The Ancient Period (pp. 1–536). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Hoffmeie, J. (2015). Akhenaten and the origins of monotheism. Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections, 7(4), 81–83.
Mark, J. (2019, June 28). Religion in the Middle Ages. World History Encyclopedia; World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1411/religion-in-the-middle-ages/
Piccolomini, A. (1453, July). [Letter on the fall of Constantinople describing reaction and misinformation surrounding the event at the court of Emperor Frederick III]. https://carleton-wp-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/sites/83/2019/06/Piccolomini_to_Cardinal_Capranica_1453.pdf
St. Augustine’s city of god and Christian doctrine – Christian classics ethereal library. (n.d.). Ccel.org. https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf102/npnf102.iv.XXII.8.html
Stefon, M. (2019). Christianity – medieval and reformation views | Britannica. In Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christianity/Medieval-and-Reformation-views
Trenholm, S. (2012). The doctrine of discovery, 1493. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/sites/default/files/inline-pdfs/04093_FPS.pdf
Wasson, D. (2013, November 13). Roman religion. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Roman_Religion/
Western schism | Roman Catholic history. (2015). In Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Western-Schism
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