The Influences of Religion on Italy Essay examples

Italy Italy is an European country. Italian is its official language, and 93% of the population is native Italian speakers. Its ethnic background includes small clusters of German-Italians, French-Italians, Slovene-Italians, Albanian-Italians, and Greek-Italians. With various clusters of people come various beliefs in religion. Religion has influenced the culture, artists, and national treasures of Italy in various ways. Culture is one aspect of Italy that is highly influenced by religion. Religion was part of the state constitution. The people of Italy are Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim. The Muslim community is still continuing to grow. The Jews, Muslim, Orthodox, or Eastern Rite Catholics make up about 2% of the†¦show more content†¦March 19th is celebrated as the Feast of St. Joseph. It began in the Middle Ages when there was a drought in Sicily. The desperate people living there asked Joseph for rain in exchange for a huge meal in his honor. Of course, the rai ns came and the land was thriving again. In keeping their promise, the people prepared an enormous feast, beginning the tradition of the St. Joseph’s Table and giving food to the less fortunate. Today, many churches and organizations still host St. Joseph’s Tables, in which parishioners or members prepare and donate large amounts of food, all meat-less items. The Italians do believe in the supernatural. Many general supernatural beliefs of the Catholic Church are intertwined with older beliefs. An example is Sicily, in which, Arabic and Greek influences have blended with popular Spanish beliefs and been incorporated into Catholicism. They have beliefs in the evil eye, charms, spells, messages through dreams, and various other types of omens. They believed in witches with powers and anti-witches. Many of the beliefs have died out with the knowledge of the modern age. The people of the capital of Italy, Rome, do not believe in one single all-powerful god. Instead, they b elieve in many. To the Romans, religion was less a spiritual experience than a contractual relationship between humanity and the forces controlling the existence of people. Some Italians believe that after death good isShow MoreRelatedHow Machiavelli Takes The Religious Values Of The Current Time Period1545 Words   |  7 Pagesa great deal of time talking about the need of religion in establishing and maintaining political authority. He tells us that religion can be a tool in establishing political authority and if it receives support from the political leaders, then authoritative power can be maintained. While he recognizes the driving power behind this, he differentiates between religion that can serve and religion that can corrupt the system. With corrupting influences, the citizens could potentially come to rebel andRead MoreCountry Profile Italy813 Words   |  3 PagesItaly Italy falls on the map straight across the North Atlantic Ocean from the a United States. It is a long peninsula in the shape of a boot. It is surrounded by France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. The Apennine Mountains form the peninsulas backbone; while the Alps help form Italys northern boundary. The largest of its many northern lakes is Garda. Lake Garda is around 142 square miles. The Po is the name of Italys principal river. It flows from the Alps in the west across the LombardRead MoreIslamic Laws And Islamic Law Essay1716 Words   |  7 Pagesthere is no separations between religious and legal entities. Islamic law is proclaimed as the basis for all law, including harsh Islamic criminal law, punishment that is based on retribution (Dammer, Albanese p. 57,58). In Iran, there is a great influence to have Shari’a law further integrated in to the national law, the Quran is the Muslim’s holy book and therefore is considered to be the most important source in Sh ai’a law (Dammer, Albanese p. 57,58). The Quran is around 6,000 versus, although onlyRead MoreWhy Did The Renaissance Come From Northern Europe?1696 Words   |  7 PagesWhy did the Renaissance come later to northern Europe than to Italy and what were its distinctive characteristics? The Renaissance, a term coined by Giorgio Vasari in 1550 , is used to describe the period of cultural and intellectual change which started in Italy and then spread across the rest of Europe. This development in society led to Europe stepping out of the medieval era and becoming a powerhouse on a global scale. The Italian Renaissance is what the majority of people think ofRead MoreKiller Cultures: Discovering the Effects of Culture on Ones Personal Happiness921 Words   |  4 Pagesfour months spent in Italy, Gilbert explored the impact of food on one’s health and overall happiness. A. Detail 1: Healthy food/diet will increase happiness B. Detail 2: Ingredients in traditional Italian foods are mood boosters C. Detail 3: Depression rates in Italy vs. America II. TS#2: After leaving Italy, Elizabeth traveled to India, researching the effects of prayer and religion. A. Detail 1: Effects of religion on happiness B. Detail 2: Healing effects of religion C. Detail 3: DepressionRead MoreThe Green Revolution : What Positive And Negative Consequences Did It Have?877 Words   |  4 Pagesquality. Why did the Cuban Missile Crisis represent the â€Å"climax† of the Cold War? How was the Cold War different after the Crisis was over? (150 words) In 1962, the Soviet Union sent nuclear warheads to Cuba. The United States had their bases in Italy and Turkey armed with nuclear warheads, though this was not public knowledge. The closest the world has come to nuclear war was at this point in history. U.S. President Kennedy and USSR leader Khruschev saw the brink of nuclear war and made quick negotiationsRead MoreEtruscans1697 Words   |  7 Pagesamong three groups of people from the East that entered Italy as colonists and later as rulers of various segments of the peninsula. The Etruscans came into Italy about 800 B.C.E. following the Adriatic Sea. Although our knowledge of the Etruscans is severely limited by the fact that their language, although written in a Greek alphabet, has not been fully deciphered, traces remain that they left significant evidence of their effect and influence on Rome. The Etruscans left evidence throughout nearlyRead MoreItaly : A Long And Rich History1417 Words   |  6 PagesItaly stands as the embodiment of unique cuisine, fashion, industry, and culture. Italy holds a long and rich history, starting from how it became one country during ancient times. For thousands of years, people have lived in Italy, relying on its vast amount of assets and resources. There was no established group of settlers to arrive first, because the chief pioneers entailed many different types of people who spoke different languages. Italy was at first preceded by several non-Italian culturesRead MoreWhat is Culture?1622 Words   |  7 Pagesof those influences that were instrumental in molding what is the modern culture of Italy. The geography, history, language, art, food, and religion of the Italian region all combine to form one of the richest cultures on planet earth. This culture has also been a key influencer of western culture as a whole. By better understanding these cultural tenants, one may better understand how to interact with and affect change inside this complex culture. Many societies have had influence on the ItalianRead MoreThe World s Second Largest World Economy1289 Words   |  6 PagesBoth Japanese and Korea cultures have been significantly influenced by the diffusion of Chinese culture. A critical factor distinguishing Asian cultures from that of other peoples is their ancient philosophies and religions. Confucian philosophy and ethical thinking have profoundly influences all three cultures though with varying results .By contrast, Christianity has become a major basis for ethical thinking in both Korea and China, but not Japan. (Moran, Abramson, Moran, 2014). The family is the