Natural religion

Natural religion most frequently means the "religion of nature", in which God, the soul, spirits, and all objects of the supernatural are considered as part of nature and not separate from it. Conversely, it is also used in philosophy to describe some aspects of religion that are said to be knowable apart from divine revelation through logic and reason alone, for example, the existence of the unmoved Mover, the first cause of the universe. Most authors consider natural religion as not only the foundation of monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam but also distinct from them. According to some authors, aspects of natural religion are found universally among all peoples, often in such forms of shamanism and animism. They are still practiced in many parts of the world. The religions of Native American societies for example are considered as possessing some aspects of natural religion. Natural religion might have the following meanings: In the modern study of religion it is used to refer to the notion that there is a spontaneous religious apprehension of the world common to all human beings, see: urreligion origin of religion anthropology of religion As a reverent form of nature worship, embodied in a statement by Frank Lloyd Wright: "I put a capital N on Nature, and call it my Church." Referring to the religions of people prior to their Christianization. The basic tenets of natural religion were outlined by Aristotle, in whose hylomorphism all things are made of matter and form. The form of each living thing is the soul, which guides and directs its development. Many natural religions consider God to be the "soul of the universe". Early monotheism had many naturalistic elements. Heaven and hell were thought of as physical places above and below the earth and "salvation" was expected to bring resurrection of the body. In the fourth century, Christians were concerned that Jesus had not returned and wondered what happened to those who died before the Second Coming of Christ.