A sweeping look at the ancient cross-cultural flows that worked to shape the long legacies of the major religions, right up to our contemporary moment. Primarily grounded in examining the Sumerian, Akkadian, Greek, Egyptian, Pagan, and biblical origins of various religious figures, practices, and beliefs, but drawing on a wide array of mythologies that stretch beyond this, author Steve Martin makes a compelling case for the shared origins of the world's great religions, arguing that by reincorporating many previously excommunicated spiritualities and atheisms, Hinduism manifested itself as the complex, multi-faceted cosmology it is today.
Hinduism boasts of having the oldest surviving texts, but those texts are not followed anymore. When comparing Hinduism’s oldest text to its more recent texts, there are subtle, but distinct, differences, which indicate a progression in the religion. Early Hinduism appears to have been nearly identical to most other religions at that time. Likewise, cultural influences appeared around the world parallel to Egypt’s fifth dynasty. As we go back, we see that ancient deities were not always personifications of elements of nature, and for a long-time, certain animals were universally identified with God. Another animal, the serpent, appears to have eventually become a personification of one element of nature. One deity was worshipped by one name at a funeral and by another name at a wedding. The ancient world largely referred to kings and ancestors as gods.
Mesopotamian rulers left their mark far and wide. One such mark is the appearance of pyramids and burial mounds that seem to follow paganism. One unique tradition, anciently known to be practiced in Egypt and Greece was also practiced in India, at least, up to the last couple centuries. Some of the earliest Greek creation myths were used by the biblical apostles to identify with Jesus. Prior to the fifth century BC, astrology was used very different from how it is commonly used now. Throughout history, we see religion and astrology repeatedly being manipulated for the purpose of increasing power by kings and priests. China appeared to be religiously isolated from the rest of the world for a long time but was eventually affected by outside influences. Early Chinese religion helps to connect the dots among the other religions of the world. We later see Hinduism integrating many different religions from all over the world.
Stephen Martin is a theology major working in automotive electronics who has long nurtured an interest in world religions and Hinduism in particular. Equipped with his background in religious studies and a strong desire to better understand his Hindu coworkers, Martin spent time studying the Vedas, the most ancient Hindu texts, along with a plethora of other rich academic sources on the topic, to flesh out his comprehensive study on the matter. He is the author of Retaliation of the Cursed A Historical Investigation of The Origins of Worship, World Religion, Mythology, Paganism, Astrology and Atheism, and Their Contributions Leading to Modern Hinduism.
