An Increase in Development, Complexity and Interpretation

Origen’s commentary on Lamentations highlights an important concept dealing with the evolution of religion (or the big picture). As the human species developed, the documentation of religious ideas or legends (the bible) increased in complexity, making interpretations about religion equally complex.
In surveying the Paleolithic era all the way up to the development of bible, it is apparent that the style of religious and spiritual documentation developed in complexity. The lack of “cognitive fluidity” in the Paleolithic period (which prevented early humans from expanding their cognitions into any type of elaborated art form) was bridged in the Holecene period, where “selective elaboration” was common. Finally, religious texts (the bible) were constructed, and evoked the most elaborate interpretations of all.
The increasing complexity of religious documentation (from primitive art forms to specific legends and commandments – Bible/other religious texts) is an important concept because it suggests the possible origin of diverse religious groups. Whereas, spirituality was once only seen in primitive art forms, which as Guthrie would argue had only a naturalistic, and hence one-dimensional meaning, religious texts provided a more ambiguous medium for spiritual understanding. Though a religious text may seem more concise and easily interpreted than a picture of a mammal, I would argue that Origen proves otherwise. He believes Lamentations illustrates “the soul in captivity of demons” and a “merciful God” who held “no wrath or vindictiveness.” (74) Origen concentrates the specific nature of God (mercifulness) and attaches a direct meaning to Jerusalem (the soul). Plainly, the complexity of this interpretation far exceeds that of Paleolithic art, which suggests that humans had developed individualized opinions about the meanings contained in religious texts.
Different interpretations of exceedingly complex religious texts may have contributed to the development of diverse religious groups. For example, the different denominations in Christianity are usually separated by only negligible differences in opinion. Even in today’s society, people interpret the bible in hundreds and even thousands of ways. As human developed, so did their means of religious expression, and their ability to create their own interpretations about spirituality and religion.