RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS AND CIVILIZATIONAL IDENTITY: A CROSS-CULTURAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

Religious symbols serve as visual and conceptual anchors of belief systems and play a central role in shaping civilizational identities. This article explores the historical, theological, and sociopolitical dimensions of religious symbols across major world civilizations. Drawing on comparative religious studies and cultural anthropology, the study analyzes how symbols like the Cross, Crescent, Om, and Yin-Yang contribute to civilizational cohesion, differentiation, and conflict. It further investigates how globalization and secularization have altered the perception and function of these symbols in contemporary societies. Through cross-cultural examples, this article offers a nuanced understanding of the symbolic intersections between religion and identity, suggesting that religious symbols remain potent carriers of collective memory, power, and cultural continuity.