Natalie Medic

History 134
08/15/16
Professor Lark
Portfolio Reflection: Religion

Throughout this course, I have realized how religion has played a very important role as
the foundation for various civilizations that we have studied. As a Christian myself, I gravitate
towards understanding the impact of religion in terms of its history, how it contributes to society,
and how it spreads all over the world. Religion and faith are huge contributions to my life and I
found it to be a remarkable theme in this course because of its influence on the world. Here we
will discuss three separate religious figures, how they have impacted our history, and why we
study them as it is crucial towards understanding our worlds past.
One of the many religions that we have discussed in this course, specifically in Module 5,
is Zoroastrianism. This religion was the official religion of Persia and it formed its base on the
concept of good vs. evil. I found it remarkable how this religion spread throughout Persia as well
as India after Alexander the Great took over. Zoroaster was the founder of this religion and I
enjoyed creating his personalized Facebook page. Zoroaster was one of the first religious leaders
to emphasize this monotheistic religion.6 Believing in one God myself, I find it fascinating to
learn about the areas where this belief may have originated. Though we believe in completely
different entities, the basic idea of one god is analogous. The article, Why Study History?,
explains the importance of changing history. As Zoroaster formed a specific religion, it will
ultimately be viewed, altered, or even respected differently as it will change throughout history.3
The second religious figure that we heavily discussed in Module 9 as well as Module 13
is Constantine the Great. He was a significant figure in the history of Christianity throughout the
Roman Empire and eventually to the rest of the world. The Christian religion fought persecution
for years though Constantine the Great turned this around by supporting the church financially as

well as building various places of worship. 5 I also created a Facebook page for him in Module
13 with his contribution to the Byzantine empire. Why Study History reflects the theme that,
historical knowledge obviously justifies teaching and learning about what happened in recent
times. 3 Constantine the Great understood from Roman history that the persecution of Christians
needed to change. Although he made other contributions in terms of the government and the
military, I believe that his conversion to Christianity was one of the greatest successes
throughout his leadership in the Roman Empire. 5
The last religious figure that we will discuss is Muhammad Ali from Module 11 with the
rise of Islam. As portrayed in our discussion about what was the greatest contribution to the
Islamic religion, I believe that politics had the greatest impact on its success. Muhammad Ali is a
great example of someone that started from nothing and rose to power after his conversion. This
religion began between 570-630 AD and is the worlds second largest religion used today. 1 Why
Study History states that studying alien religious beliefs, strange customs, diverse family
pattern and vanished social structures shows how differently various human groups have tried to
cope with the world around them. 3 Muhammad Ali as well as the other religious leaders
discussed have faced discrimination towards their religious beliefs.2 This is something that our
world has also struggled with today. Religions will constantly clash with one another, though we
must understand the history behind these religions in order to form a world of accepted
diversity.3
I believe that religion, like the article, What Can History Teach Us Today, is a great
example as to how history requires hope in order for move forward. In various forms of religion,
we learn about the importance of our mistakes and how we make changes in order to benefit our
future. Our sinfulness calls for a change in order to make well-beings healthier in terms of our

decisions. History helps us understand how to avoid our past mistakes in order to overcome them
in the future. I believe that religion highlights this theme quit well.4
The second theme that religion envisions from the article, What Can History Teach Us
Today, is that history gives us meaning. Like religion, history is important in terms of framing
who we are as people and how we are represented throughout society. Though religion may
differ among the cultures that we have studied in the course, their religions have impacted their
form of government, social classes, laws, as well as their personal being. Religion often times
defines a society or culture, I believe it is safe to say that their history in terms of religion gives
them purpose and meaning as we study them today and for future years.4
Throughout this course, I have learned far more about religion than any other theme
reflected in the readings and discussions. In order for me to act more responsibly over this
theme, I believe that I should be more sensitive to other religions that I am introduced to. As a
Christian, I am obviously bias towards my beliefs. Understanding that many wars and other
forms discrimination were brought among many civilizations due to their religion, I should
appreciate the fact that I live in a society where my religion is not discriminated. Religion and its
impact on the world should be understood and respected by all, looking at its history is a good
place to start. I believe that religion is a remarkable practice of history because there are so many
different forms and they are constantly changing. Understanding the history of a religion is vital
towards its influence on the present and future of our world.

Sources:
1.

3.

Islam, Muhammad, Prophet Of Islam. Islam, Muhammad, Prophet Of Islam. History

World, 2002. Web. 15 Aug. 2016./.latest_citation_text

4. Islam/Muslim. Islam/Muslim:History & Beliefs of Islamic Religion. Space and Motion,

n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2016./.latest_citation_text
5. McNeill, William H. Why Study History. Why Study History. American Historical
Association, n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2016./.latest_citation_text
6. Postma, Michael. What Can History Teach Us Today. What Can History Teach Us
Today. ASCD Express, n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2016./.latest_citation_text
7. Wasson, Donald L. Constantine I. Constantine I. Ancient History Encyclopedia, n.d.
Web. 14 Aug. 2016./.latest_citation_text
8. "Zoroaster." Hyperhistory. Hyperhistory, n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2016./.latest_citation_text