Theology and Sociology

[The Grand Nudger]

When we wonder what could create all of the religion and theology we see, we need look no further than human beings - which are quite a bit more meat than spirit.  One of the many reasons that using religious studies and theology interchangeably is a bad idea is that religious beliefs need not be...and most are not...about gods.  All of them, though, from a sociologists POV anyway, are the product of human communities - and understanding those communities would be crucial to understanding their beliefs.  Practical, religious, theological - what have you.  It's been noted since at least the time of the greeks and probably earlier if we allow for eastern traditions....that gods tend to have a hell of alot in common with the people who worship them.  In the historical development of written theology this is apparent in various struggles between gods and their tribes of people.  Where the idea of a god being defeated was taken for granted because why not, people can be defeated.

I was interested in a comment of yours about that, SimpleCaveman.  The idea that the greeks (anyone really) "got pretty far" with respect to developing their theology.  How would we know?  Is there a particular end point so we can tell who gets further than someone else.  What is the metric?  Are we sure that the arrow of progress flows the same way as the arrow of time?  That we have better ideas about gods now..than then - and if then, perhaps gods do have weaknesses, perhaps gods can be defeated, perhaps...well...you know the drill.