Religion is one of the most important aspects in any given community. Through a system of beliefs and practices, religion plays a fundamental role of enhancing unity and cohesion within the members of the community (Robbins 30). In Roman history, the traditional Roman religion and Christianity have had a significant impact on the community. Despite the fact that the two religions hold different beliefs and practices, they have several similarities.
Both religions emphasize that people should respect authority not only within the religious confines but also in other areas as far as leadership is concerned. The traditional Roman religion held that all the members of the community should follow the decrees of their rulers-Roman emperors (Clarke and Martin 28). In the same way, Christianity stresses that all authority comes from the Supreme Being, God, and all the people should respect authority. Additionally, the religions provide that anyone who disobeys the people in authority undergo some kind of punishment. By so doing, the religions uphold the integrity of the society by giving guidance on how people should treat their leaders.
Festivals form a major part of both religions. The traditional Roman religion had a calendar that stipulated the orders of the festivals in a year. Each month in the traditional Roman calendar had its own festival. Some of the festivals include the Parentilia and Consulia festivals that were held in February and August respectively. Others included the Festival of Mars and the Festival of Vesta, which were celebrated in March and June respectively. On the other hand, Christianity has some festivals with the major ones being the Passover and Christmas. The festivals mark important aspects of both religions such as increasing the unity of the people concerned. In honor of the festivals in the traditional Roman religion, people did not carry out any official businesses. This also applies in Christianity as people break for the festive seasons. In both cases, religious festivals were made to be dignified occasions, somber as well as joyful to all the members of the community.
Both religions acknowledge that the family is an important aspect in the religion. In the traditional Roman religion, the head of the family would lead the entire family in carrying out certain religious rituals. This played the role of equipping the entire society with the basic aspects of the religion. In a broader sense, the family was the basic unit of the religious community. Christianity also emphasized on the significance of biblical teachings from the family setting. Christianity also acknowledges the father as the head of the family with the role of upbringing the family in a Godly manner.
Religious leaders are pivotal in the smooth running of the any religious society. In the state setting, the traditional Roman religion had a number of religious leaders that played a pivotal role in ensuring that all the members of the community observed the religious beliefs and practices closely. Additionally, they interpreted the scripture to the rest of the community. Priests, the Sixteen Pontifices, oversaw the planning as well as the organization of all the religious events. Moreover, they kept religious records of the procedures as well as the dates of the festivals and other days of religious significance to the community (Clarke and Martin 31). In Christianity, religious leaders play a similar role. They ensure that people adhere to the all the religious practices besides guiding them on matters of the scripture.
In conclusion, there are several similarities between the traditional Roman tradition and Christianity. Both religions acknowledge that all members of the society should respect and obey not only their religious leaders but also their earthly rulers. Additionally, they believe that the family is the most important figure in the shaping of a religious community. They also have common places of worship where people gather to worship and give offerings to the Supreme Being. Both religions follow religious calendars, which clearly outline the important festivals. The festivals are not only significant to the religion but also to the entire state. Last and not the least, religious leaders play a fundamental role in ensuring that the members uphold all the aspects in their belief system.
Works Cited
Barton, Stephen. “Eschatology and the Emotions in Early Christianity.” Journal of Biblical
Literature 130.3(2011): 571-591. Print.
Clarke, Timothy and Martin, Heidegger. Deep History. New York: Routledge, 2001. Print.
Robbins, Joel. “Continuity, Thinking and the Problem of Christian Culture: Belief, Time, and
Anthropology of Christianity.” Current Anthropology 48.1(2007): 5-38.
