Morality and religion as seen in antiquity and Christianity

Abstract

Religion and morality have been closely intertwined for centuries. Major religious movements from as early as antiquity have had some role to play in the interpretation of moral or ethical behavior. The study of literature from the Greco-Roman world and the Old and New Testament allows us to gain a better understanding of how theology and religion have united and evolved throughout history, especially when taking other academic studies of the same topic into consideration. Within both Greek literature from the likes of Homer and books from the Old Testament, honor was often a main determinant of what made an action ethical. However, this shifted in works from philosophers such as Socrates and the New Testament, where a more individualized focus on morality can be seen. This changing and evolving of ethical ideals and religion is analyzed in detail within this report.