How Beliefs and Cultures Shape Each Other

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to explain the relationship among religious ideas, philosophical ideas, and cultures, showing how each one influences the others. A religion is a set of beliefs and practices centered on a god, gods, or a sacred power. A philosophy is a way of thinking about big questions, such as how to live a good life, that relies mainly on reasoning; a philosophy can be separate from religion or woven into it, so the two are not opposites. A culture is the whole way of life of a group of people, including its food, holidays, art, laws, and family customs.

Religious ideas and philosophical ideas shape cultures. In Islam, one of the Five Pillars is zakat, the required giving of a share of one's wealth to the poor, so in Muslim cultures charity is built into the yearly routine. In China, the philosophy of Confucianism taught deep respect for parents and elders, and this idea shaped family life, schooling, and even how the government chose officials.

Cultures also shape religious and philosophical ideas. In ancient Egypt, the Nile River flooded every year and left rich soil for farming, so the whole culture depended on this cycle of flood, growth, and harvest. Egyptian religion grew to match that experience: the god Osiris was linked to the flood and to rebirth, and Egyptians believed strongly in life after death, just as the fields came back to life each year.

Religious ideas and philosophical ideas also relate to and influence each other. In China, Confucianism, the religion of Daoism, and the religion of Buddhism existed side by side, borrowed from one another, and sometimes competed. A single family might follow Confucian rules for respecting elders, honor its ancestors with offerings, and visit a Buddhist temple to pray. In another example, the reasoning methods of Greek philosophers such as Aristotle were later used by Christian and Muslim thinkers to explain and defend their faiths, so philosophy gave religion tools for thinking, and religion gave philosophy new questions to answer.

You can see these relationships in Texas. Many families gather for Easter and Christmas, holidays that come from the religious ideas of Christianity. Muslim neighbors observe Ramadan, a month of fasting during daylight, break each day's fast with an evening meal called iftar, and celebrate the festival of Eid al-Fitr when the month ends. To explain a relationship like this, use three steps: name the religious or philosophical idea, describe the cultural practice, and state which one influenced which. For Easter, the religious idea is the Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus, the cultural practice is a Sunday church service followed by a family meal, and the religious idea influenced the practice.

Try it: think of one holiday or custom your family or community follows, and in your head name the religious or philosophical idea behind it, describe the cultural practice, and state whether the idea shaped the practice or the culture shaped the idea.