Religious Belief Systems: Ancient Religions

The people of ancient cultures, in their perpetual struggle to explain their existence and the world around them, developed complex religious ideologies that were based most often in mythology. The majority of the religious belief systems of the ancient world were polytheistic, with specific environmental events such as rain and wind believed to be the result of the current will or mood of an individual god or goddess.

The gods and goddesses that were believed to be responsible for various aspects of the human experience differed among the civilizations of the ancient world. The importance of the mythological gods were determined by their place in an intricate hierarchical order, usually based upon the influence of the individual deities upon the daily lives of ancient peoples. Individual deities were often depicted as having human characteristics both physically and emotionally and were believed to exercise great influence over almost every aspect of ancient life.

Similar to the major world religions of today, almost every ancient religion had a concept of an after-life or "heaven" and there were certain people that were designated as having the ability to communicate with the deities of a people's religion. As ancient civilizations began to evolve toward more complex societies, the application of primitive, myth-based religions to the lives and happenings of developing peoples became increasingly difficult. From this difficulty emerged the world religions that have come to dominate the modern religious landscape. In Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc., the influences of the religious belief systems of the ancient world can still be seen today.