The Arts, Religion, and Conflict Since the very beginning, anatomically modern humans represented reality through the lenses of emotions and aesthetic values. Humans react and respond to the challenges of survival in complex ways. These responses involve communication; the complexity of this communication is expressed by the myriad of symbols that constitute human language including all of artistic expressions. The first cave paintings date back to approximately 40,000 years ago, but absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. What if the materials used were biodegradable? Were textiles used? Were there wood carvings? These materials would have little chance of surviving over time. Artistic tendencies and sensibilities could have been much more diffused than what is suggested in the archeological record. The common theme in all primitive artwork is magic or the struggle to control nature through ritual behaviors and strict morals. In most cases, and especially in primitive art, magic is summoned through symbols to help in the daily struggle for survival. Religion is the domain of the supernatural; it manifests itself through rituals and practices that include stratification of roles, mythology or worldview, identity, and extraordinary experiences. The role of religion is to provide a degree of comfort in the form of hope and establish a moral code intended to uphold cultural norms. Religion provides cultural cohesiveness and the illusion of control over the uncertain matters of life and may even help rationalize violence as the solution to conflict of interest. Avoiding Conflict Access to resources or the lack thereof is cause of conflict; the sharing of resources is viable only in the presence of reciprocal benefit. Two parties would not come to war if the potential outcome does not afford supremacy over primary sources of territorial power War or conflict existed since the time humans formed groups. Clashes or small-scale “wars” between bands or tribes have been documented as far back as the time of the first sedentary farming settlements. War, as it is envisaged today, is the last resort of states or nations. How do we avoid conflict? The environment ability to support a population is the key to peace. When this ability is threatened by population growth or external forces, conflict becomes unavoidable. Religion, and most of ideological infrastructures, constitutes a powerful force: Nationalism and national identity are cemented by common ideological values shared by all the members of a population. Although the cause for conflict is generally of materialistic nature, a universally perceived external threat is a unifying element and will enable mass mobilization. Art of the Ancient World The Ancient World covers the time from the Paleolithic period through the rise of Islam. Many of the "modern" notions of art such as abstraction, surrealism, and expressionism can trace the ...

1. The Arts, Religion, and Conflict
Since the very beginning, anatomically modern humans
represented reality through the
lenses of emotions and aesthetic values. Humans react and
respond to the challenges of
survival in complex ways. These responses involve
communication; the complexity of
this communication is expressed by the myriad of symbols that
constitute human
language including all of artistic expressions.
The first cave paintings date back to approximately 40,000
years ago, but absence of
evidence is not evidence of absence. What if the materials used
were biodegradable?
Were textiles used? Were there wood carvings? These materials
would have little
chance of surviving over time. Artistic tendencies and
sensibilities could have been
much more diffused than what is suggested in the archeological
record.
The common theme in all primitive artwork is magic or the
struggle to control nature
through ritual behaviors and strict morals. In most cases, and
especially in primitive
art, magic is summoned through symbols to help in the daily
struggle for survival.
Religion is the domain of the supernatural; it manifests itself
through rituals and
practices that include stratification of roles, mythology or

2. worldview, identity, and
extraordinary experiences. The role of religion is to provide a
degree of comfort in the
form of hope and establish a moral code intended to uphold
cultural norms.
Religion provides cultural cohesiveness and the illusion of
control over the uncertain
matters of life and may even help rationalize violence as the
solution to conflict of
interest.
Avoiding Conflict
Access to resources or the lack thereof is cause of conflict; the
sharing of resources is
viable only in the presence of reciprocal benefit. Two parties
would not come to war if
the potential outcome does not afford supremacy over primary
sources of territorial
power
War or conflict existed since the time humans formed groups.
Clashes or small-scale
“wars” between bands or tribes have been documented as far
back as the time of the
first sedentary farming settlements. War, as it is envisaged
today, is the last resort of
states or nations.
How do we avoid conflict? The environment ability to support a
population is the key
to peace. When this ability is threatened by population growth
or external forces,
conflict becomes unavoidable. Religion, and most of ideological
infrastructures,

3. constitutes a powerful force: Nationalism and national identity
are cemented by
common ideological values shared by all the members of a
population. Although the
cause for conflict is generally of materialistic nature, a
universally perceived external
threat is a unifying element and will enable mass mobilization.
Art of the Ancient World
The Ancient World covers the time from the Paleolithic period
through the rise of
Islam. Many of the "modern" notions of art such as abstraction,
surrealism, and
expressionism can trace their roots to the ancient world. The
history of civilization,
however, also articulates and formalizes the fundamental ties
between government,
philosophy, and art. Let’s examine the roots of this unique art
and culture relationship
more closely.
The Ancient World
The beginning of humankind's artistic pursuits is a subject of
much debate. The earliest
art forms we can find are the cave paintings done some 30,000
years before the
Common Era. From what scholars can gather, much of the
artwork has symbolic

4. meaning with a possibility of being of religio-magical in nature.
Most scholars will agree, however, that artwork seems to
become more common as a
society grows and matures. Thus, the intimate link between
society and the art
produced by its members is established. From the ancient
Sumerian idols and ziggurats
to the sophisticated and dictated styles of the Egyptians, art
remained a force in the
political and religious circles of society.
Archaic Greece, the Aegean, and Classical Greek Art
While religion played a central role in the cultures and arts of
the Ancient World, it
would be reinterpreted in early Greek culture. At the core of
Greek religion was a large
family of superhuman gods, often represented in human terms,
sometimes superior to
us, sometimes worse than us, but central was an implied
intimacy and recursive
relationship between human and god. Not surprisingly, this
relationship framed Greek
artistic endeavors. In fact, archaic Greek art featured temples to
the gods, but
simultaneously depicted the earthly existence of its people in
vase painting and the
freestanding kouroi. As Greek culture evolved, so too did the
Greek art forms.
Reflecting classic philosophical thought, art forms emerged that
exhibited self-control,
rational thought, and physical perfection.
The Roman Period
Although primarily copiers of Greek artwork, the Romans took

5. to creating an absolute
realism to their art. The blend of Greek style with the Etruscan
style led to a prolific
and original set of work.
It is a time of achievement in the arts and culture, as well as
total suppression. On the
one hand, we see the development of tremendous feats of
engineering and architecture
in the Roman forums, aqueducts, and the Coliseum. Humanism,
however, which
reached its pinnacle in Greek civilization, would not surface
again until the Middle
Ages.
Judaism, Early Christianity, and the Rise of Islam:
With the growth and expansion of the Christian Empire, art
tended toward the
representation of spiritual and heavenly themes. The acts of
Christ and biblical events
were portrayed by almost every artist. Constantine erected
basilicas that featured
rounded shapes rather than the traditional churches. As with
almost everything else,
music in the late Roman period also reflected Roman decline
and Christian ascension.
Just as St. Paul took the Judaic and Eastern mystical traditions
of Christian thought and
shaped them into the logical processes of the Greco-Roman
world, so early Christian
music began to combine the music of Jewish worship with forms
from the classical
heritage.

6. Equally impressive and different is the Byzantine Style, which
emphasized the
symbolic over the representational. Geometric patterns and gold
leaf were fused with
mosaics to produce a uniquely Byzantine flavor. Meanwhile, the
Islamic culture
created elaborate mosques and ornate designs incorporating the
text of the Koran,
while Asian temples reached an apex of complexity and detail.
In short, the “arts” were
highlighted within each culture and religious sector of both the
Eastern and the
Western worlds.