What is the origin of religion?
The Bible does not explicitly state the origin of religion in general. However, it provides insight into the origins of some specific religions and religious practices. Here is an overview of what the Bible says about the origins of religion:
The Origin of Idolatry
Idolatry, or the worship of idols, is condemned throughout the Bible. The Old Testament prophets frequently rail against the Israelites for engaging in idolatrous practices (Isaiah 44:9-20; Jeremiah 10:1-16; Ezekiel 6:1-7). However, the origins of idolatry itself are not extensively discussed.
The first clear example of idolatry in the Bible is in Genesis 31, where we read that Rachel stole her father Laban’s household gods when Jacob fled from Laban’s household. So idolatry was already present in Abraham’s extended family. Later, in Exodus 32, Aaron makes a golden calf for the Israelites to worship while Moses is on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments. This calf was likely inspired by Egyptian religious practices.
So the origins of idolatry appear to predate the Biblical narrative. Some scholars believe idolatry emerged out of early ancestor worship. As cultures began to venerate their ancestors and leaders, this practice may have evolved into the worship of images and statues representing those figures. But the Bible itself does not provide a definitive explanation for how the practice of idolatry first emerged.
The Origin of Pagan Religions
The Bible references many pagan religions, such as the worship of Baal (1 Kings 16:31), Asherah (1 Kings 18:19), Molech (Leviticus 18:21), Dagon (1 Samuel 5:2), Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:14), and many others. However, it does not extensively discuss their origins. These pagan religions clearly predated the writing of the Biblical text.
Some scholars theorize that many pagan religions originated from early cultures’ attempts to understand and connect with the forces of nature. For example, Baal was a storm and fertility god, while Asherah was a fertility goddess. As polytheistic cultures interacted with natural phenomena like storms, agriculture, and human sexuality, they may have conceived deities to represent these forces. But again, the Bible itself does not provide definitive information about how these specific ancient pagan religions actually originated.
The Biblical View of False Religion
While not directly addressing the historical origins of ancient idolatry and paganism, the Bible does provide a theological perspective on the source of false religion in general. Several passages suggest that false religion ultimately stems from human rebellion against God:
Romans 1:18-25 indicates that rejection of the true God leads to idolatry and false beliefs.
2 Kings 17:7-18 states that the Israelites’ idolatry and adoption of pagan practices stemmed from their rejection of the Lord.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 suggests that many are deceived due to their refusal to love the truth.
So in the Biblical view, false religion originates from human desire to suppress the truth about God (Romans 1:18). Idolatry and pagan religion are presented as the result of humankind’s rejection of divine truth, rather than God’s own design. This contrasts with the perspectives of some other faith traditions, which teach that diverse religious beliefs are positive manifestations of the divine at work in different cultures.
The Biblical authors did not seem to know or speculate about the historical origins of ancient idolatrous and pagan faiths. But the Bible does propose a theological perspective on the root cause of non-true religions – the suppression of spiritual truth by sinful humanity. This rejection of truth is fertile ground out of which confused religious beliefs can develop.
The Origins of True Religion
In contrast to its treatment of false religions, the Bible contains extensive information about the origins of true religious practice, as designed by God:
1. The Sabbath ordinance was established at Creation for all humanity (Genesis 2:3).
2. Sacrificial offerings were inaugurated after the fall into sin (Genesis 3:21, 4:3-5).
3. The Abrahamic covenant initiated the history of Israel as God’s people (Genesis 15, 17).
4. The Mosaic Covenant at Sinai formally founded God’s nation of Israel, along with detailed laws and rituals (Exodus 19-24).
5. The Davidic Covenant established a dynastic lineage within Israel for the promised Messiah (2 Samuel 7).
6. The New Covenant was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper (Luke 22:20).
So the major Biblical covenants – Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and New – explain the origins of true Biblical religion. God directly intervened in history to initiate covenants and rituals that would enable humanity to know Him. This contrasts with the Bible’s general silence regarding the beginnings of false religion. While condemning idolatry and paganism as spiritually dangerous, the Biblical authors apparently had little knowledge about or interest in their historical origins.
Summary
The Bible does not offer definitive explanations for the origins of ancient idolatrous or pagan religions. Some scholars theorize they emerged from early ancestor worship or humanity’s attempts to understand natural forces. But Scripture is relatively silent regarding their pre-Biblical development.
However, the Bible does propose a theological perspective – that false religion springs from willful human rejection of divine truth. In contrast, Biblical religion originates directly from God’s revelation and intervention in human history through the major covenants. The Bible is primarily concerned with evaluating religious beliefs as either true or false, not tracing their long-term historical development from a neutral academic standpoint.
So in summary, the Biblical texts emphasize the divine origins of true religion, criticize the spiritual emptiness of false religion, but do not extensively address the human origins of idolatrous and pagan faith traditions. The focus is on religious validity, not anthropological reconstruction. This reflects the Bible’s identity as an authoritative divine revelation, rather than simply an academic work of history or sociology. The Bible is far more concerned with spirituality than history when it comes to the topic of religion’s origins.