The Religious Idea that Took Over the World

In this informal unedited presentation to my "Rresearch Community" I discusses a major religious idea that took over most of the religions of the world--including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. I draw from the work of the late great Jonathan Z. Smith, University of Chicago., with whom I studied for my Ph.D. This ideat became so influential that most now identify it as the heart and essence of religion itself--but it only begins to spread in around 400 BCE in the Mediterranean world--but was unknown to the ancient cultures of Israel, Old Babylon, Egypt, or Greece...

Here is a link to Jonathan Z. Smith's presentation on "Hellenistic Religion" for those viewers who do not know Smith's work and ideas:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hell...

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Retired Prof. of Religious Studies/Christian Origins
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

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