Question

What change in religious concepts and in understanding of the universe occurred between the Shang and Zhou dynasties in ancient China?

a.A shift toward ethical monotheism, with emphasis on one all-powerful supreme being
b.A shift in emphasis from this-worldly concerns to focus on achieving rewards in the afterlife
c.A shift toward secularism, where religious concepts played little to no role
d.The addition of several new and important deities that were worshipped regularly
e.A shift in emphasis from the more personal "Lord on High" to the concept of Heaven

Answer 1

The change in religious concepts and understanding of the universe between the Shang and Zhou dynasties in ancient China can be identified as option e: a shift in emphasis from the more personal "Lord on High" to the concept of Heaven. During the Zhou dynasty, there was a transition from the worship of ancestral spirits and deities associated with nature and fertility, as seen in the Shang dynasty, to a more abstract and impersonal concept of Heaven as the supreme cosmic power. This shift marked a transition towards a more philosophical and metaphysical understanding of the universe.