religious and cultural developments

Sufis

Followers of Sufism, a mystical

interpretation of Islam that seeks direct communion with God through meditation, asceticism, and spiritual practices.

Most popular: Al-Ghazali

• Piety

• Aesthetism

Bhakti Movement

A devotional trend in Hinduism emphasizing personal devotion to God, characterized by passionate love and devotion towards a chosen deity. It encourages worship and strong emotional connections with the divine.

• Blend of Islam and Hindu

• From trading

Traditional African Culture and Religion

An umbrella term encompassing various indigenous beliefs, practices, and cultural expressions across Africa, often characterized by ancestral worship, communal rituals, and a deep connection to nature.

• Griots

Griots

Traditional storytellers and musicians in West African cultures, serving as historians and keepers of oral tradition.

Muslim conservation of

greek and Roman knowledge, literature, and scientific advancements during the Middle Ages. They played a crucial role in preserving and transmitting classical works to the Western world.

Twelver Shiism

A major branch of Shia Islam that believes in a line of twelve imams, starting with Ali ibn Abi Talib and concluding with Muhammad al-Mahdi, who is believed to be in occultation and will return as a messianic figure.

• qizilbash

qizilbash

Ismail’s father, an influential figure himself, instructed his followers to wear red hats with twelve pleats in memory of the 12 imamswho were central to their beliefs and identity, symbolizing their loyalty to the Twelver Shiism tradition.

Sikhism

It is a monotheistic religion that encourages the “learner” or “seeker of the truth”. Leans into equality, social justice, humanity, tolerance of religions. Sikhism was supported by Akbar, Emperor of Mughal Dynasty. He supported the early Sikhs, who combined elements of Hinduism with Islam into a syncretic faith. He liked it because it provided a nice religious base for the ethnically and religiously diverse empire.

Brought religiously diverse MUGHAL empire together

Continuity:

• retained several important doctrines

• monotheistic

• cycle of reincarnation and death

Changes:

• gender hierarchies disregarded

• discarded caste system

Simony

The buying or selling of church offices or roles, often seen as a corrupt practice that undermines the integrity of the church.

Sail of Indulgences

A practice in the Catholic Church where one could purchase a pardon for sins or a reduction in time in purgatory, often viewed as a corrupt and exploitative method of fundraising.

Protestant reformation

BRANCH OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM

A significant movement in the 16th century that sought to reform the Catholic Church, leading to the establishment of various Protestant denominations.

• Martin Luther

• John Calvin

Calvnism

A branch of Protestantism founded by John Calvin, emphasizing the sovereignty of God, the authority of scripture, and the doctrine of predestination.

Council of Trent

An important ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church held from 1545 to 1563, which aimed to address the issues raised by the Protestant Reformation and to clarify Catholic doctrine.

Caesaropapism

• byzantine 306–337 CE

• use of divine favor since monotheistic

Scholasticism 1200s

• St. Thomas Aquinas

• Aristotle+Christianity

• Rational

Developments in popular religion, medieval europe

• sacrements

• rituals

• relics

• Pilgrimage

Spanish Inquisition 1478

• SPAIN

• eliminate other religions: judaism and Islam and protestantism

• witch hunts

• religiously strict

Virgin of Guadelupe

A key religious symbol in Mexican Catholicism, she is believed to have appeared to Juan Diego in 1531, blending indigenous and Christian beliefs.

The Enlightenment 1685-1815

• John Locke - natural laws and rights

• Economic Laws - Adam Smith

• De Montesquieu - science of politics and political liberties -

• Voltaire - championed individual freedom and Deism

Effects:

• weakened religion

Deism - Enlightenment Period

A philosophical belief in a supreme being who does not intervene in the universe, emphasizing reason and observation of the natural world.

Syncretic religions in Sub-sahara

• Islam + Christianity still prominent in west africa

• Women much more present in African Muslim communities

• Antonian Movement

Antonian Movement

A syncretic religious movement in the Kingdom of Kongo during the early 18th century, combining elements of Christianity with traditional African beliefs, aiming to promote a distinct African identity in faith.