Faith communities – organized systems of belief in early societies
As communities became larger and more structured, some belief systems changed. This probably had a lot to do with the development of hierarchies brought on by early farming societies. As these societies were formed and farming created food surpluses, specialization of labor and social hierarchies developed. Certain members of society became specialists such as priests and priestesses who communicated with gods and goddesses. Additionally, as religion became more structured, it gave rulers a way to establish common practices and beliefs that bound together everyone living in the state. The increased organization of religion gave rulers more control over their subjects, especially when the ruler claimed to be a priest-king or divine (god-like). These more structured beliefs systems usually had a pantheon (collection of gods and goddesses) with a main or supreme deity (god or goddess) at the top. They also had creation stories about how the world and humans originated. As exchange networks grew and empires began conquering new territories, these religions and their stories began to spread. Eventually, belief systems began to change and some local community spirits and rituals were incorporated into the wider pantheon of deities and religious practices.
