The Ideas of the Axial Age

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The Ideas of the Axial Age

• Case study Judaism

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Jacobsen Ancient Mesopotamian Religion Central
Concerns

• 4th millennium
• Protection from famine
• Early gods are more animist in nature the
  representative of a phenomenon sun, rain, the
  river, fertility
• The temple as a storehouse of grain

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Jacobsen Ancient Mesopotamian Religion Central
Concerns

• 3rd millenium
• Protection from perils of war
• Gods become divine (and human-like -
  anthropomorphic) and able to act imperiously,
  guiding and shaping history
• Connected to the rise of kings, who are gods on
  earth or representatives of gods on earth

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Jacobsen Ancient Mesopotamian Religion Central
Concerns

• 3rd millenium
• Protection from injustice
• Codes of law similarly connected to the king
• Gods are now created who do what the societies
  are doing

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Jacobsen Ancient Mesopotamian Religion Central
Concerns

• 2nd millennium
• Protection of an individual from misfortune, in
  this life and the next
• The beginnings of an understanding of human
  responsibility

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Jacobsen Ancient Mesopotamian Religion Central
Concerns

• Israel came into being in a millennium when the
  concept of a moral universe had been achieved and
  when men could enter into a covenant of social
  justice with God under which to act collectively
  and individually in moral responsibility.

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The Axial Age

• An interregnum between two ages of great empire,
  a pause for liberty, a deep breath bringing the
  most lucid consciousness.
• Karl Jaspars The Origin and Goal of History
• Confucianism and Taoism Hinduism, Buddhism,
  Jainism Zoroaster Judaism Greek classical
  philosophy.

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The Axial Age

• Appeared under the same sociological
  circumstances each area was comprised of
  multiple small states engaged in internal and
  external struggles.
• They tend to be about individual action, the
  promulgation of moral codes of behavior.
• How moral behavior will reconstitute a moral
  community.
• The problem of evil.

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The Axial Age

• Many competing philosophical ideas out of which
  winners emerged, often because of the favor of
  the newly emerging Classical empires.
• Religions from this time on tend to serve two
  purposes the well-being of the individual and
  the needs of the state
• Afterlife the carrot of reward to go with the
  stick of law and punishment.

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Judaisms development in historical time

• Tribal polytheism the Golden Calf
• Monaltry - our God, among many
• Monotheism Deuteronomistic covenant you do
  My bidding and you will prosper, as people and
  individuals. Retributive justice.
• Crisis of the Babylonian exile why are we
  suffering because we are faithful?

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Judaisms Exilic Crisis

• Assimilate and choose a more powerful God
• Messianism the belief in a Messiah theres a
  big plan and the righteous will be rewarded
  ultimately
• Fatalism the Book of Job