Religion as a Positive Force

Religion as a Positive Force in Eurasia's Ancient History When one considers the ancient history of Eurasia, religion is often associated with violence, conquest, death, and destruction. However, many aspects of religion positively influenced the development of culture from the years of 3500 BC until 1400 AD. Indeed, through an examination of religion's artistic and cultural gifts, it is easy to see how religion can, indeed, be viewed as a positive force, one that has had a lasting impact on contemporary society.

The artistic contributions of religion across Eurasia have been the subject of study for sociologists, anthropologists, and dealers in fine art for centuries. Komaroff, the curator of Islamic art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, describes the beauty, functionality, and inventiveness of Islamic art, including a perfume bottle shaped as a camel that Komaroff finds interesting because the camel is clearly recognizable, but incredibly basic. Further, the author writes that, through religious conquest, Muslim art embedded the cultural techniques of other tribes.

It is possible, then, that because of religion these techniques have been preserved. Indeed, other religious contributions to the world of fine art include the magnificent Greecian temples and the Christian icons. In fact, Muslim, Christian, and Greek religions had a profound influence on art -- so profound that their styles and subjects are still mimicked today. While art is certainly a part of culture, other cultural gifts to history mark religion as a positive force.

Without the music, ceremony, poetry, and holy books of Muslim, Hindu, and Christian texts, the world would be without significant Beauty. In their own ways, each of these traditions shaped the cultures that would come after them in significant theological, intellectual, and cultural ways. Burhan writes that Islamic influence in the world has included charity, justice, and unity. Wade writes that even as Christianity is often vilified as a.