The Role Of Religion In The Muslim And The Byzantine Empires

Religion is a constant throughout history. Even after millennia have passed, world religions still hold a prominent place in the society. For a better understanding of why religions are so important today, we must look back at the Middle Ages. Byzantines and Muslims were powerful empires in medieval times. In Byzantium the majority of people were Eastern Orthodox Christians, while Islam was the predominant religion in the Muslim Empires (Beck 306, 269). Understanding the Byzantines as well as the Muslims requires a thorough understanding of religion. Religion was a very important part of both societies.

The Byzantine Empire had a close relationship between religion, state and caliphates. In Byzantium emperors were considered God’s representatives on Earth (Sherrard, 94). He would follow the customs and rituals required by all Christians in Byzantium. Roger explains how the emperor controlled the church. Bishops were chosen by him. In the Muslim empire, the caliphs, who claimed to be God’s appointed successors, led the empire. Muslims followed the Sunna and Qu’ran or Muhammad’s examples to create a shari’a (or Islamic law) that regulated social behavior. Byzantines as well Muslims believed that their god had appointed a central politician. This belief in divine appointment was crucial because it meant that rulers of empires would have an understanding of both politics and religion, resulting into a close link between religion and government. This close relationship between church and state shows that the people wanted to be led both politically and religiously. Religion played a major role in both empires’ cultures. Byzantine Christians wrote hymns about Christianity freely, and holy people were considered important (Byzantine Empire). Byzantine art also had a strong religious element, with artists painting important religious figures. The Prophet Muhammad’s focus on education encouraged science in the Muslim Empires. Early Islamic literature was based upon the Qu’ran. The Qu’ran forbids Muslims from painting living creatures, so they used special designs and calligraphy in their art. Both the Byzantines and Muslims valued arts and science because of their religion. They did so to fulfill the beliefs and teachings of their prophets and gods. Religion played a major role in the arts, sciences and Byzantium’s culture.

Religion is important to both Byzantines as well as Muslims, despite the fact that they follow different religions. The closeness of the religion to the government as well as its influence on arts and sciences are evidence that it was important. In the past, religion was very important to people. This is why both the government and the culture were shaped by the beliefs of the religion’s founders. Christianity and Islam share many similarities, which could explain the similarities that exist between both empires. The same God is worshipped by both Christianity and Islam, and their followers believe that they are related Abraham (Roger 268). God should be central to all religions because of the monotheistic connection. The general era may also have played a role in the importance of religion to the two empires. The Middle Ages were a time when religion was very important, and this included these two areas. Orthodox Christianity is still very popular today. Understanding what it was like back then will help you to better understand how they are now. Religion has evolved over time and can be used to help understand the way religion continues to develop today.