THE SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION OF HUMANITY THROUGH THE PRISM OF THE HISTORY OF RELIGIOUS ART [Review of the monograph by Y.V. Bondarchuk «The history of religious art as a reflection of the spiritual evolution of humanity in the cosmic cycles of precession». Lvi

Abstract

The urgency of the problem. Modern life, considerable awareness of society, availability of information make it possible to touch on the study of those issues which relatively recently did not become the subject of scientific studies.
In this regard, the analyzed work is precisely the one in which, on the basis of a powerful body of documentary evidence, the author considered the spiritual evolution of humanity through the prism of fine art.
The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that, based on the analysis of a significant number of objects of material culture, the author proves that the coincidence of the main features of the religious life of one or another astronomical epoch and the characteristics of the zodiac sign dominant in this epoch is the result of the action not only of the human mind, but also of supermundane consciousness, marking the stages of the spiritual evolution of humanity.
The proposed concept fits into the modern interpretation of historical development from the standpoint of the post-nonclassical (monadological, totalological) approach, according to which, despite the fact that the world-historical process diverges into a multitude of various formations, it is equally understood as complete (total). The reason for the unity and integrity of history is the transcendent spiritual Absolute.

The practical significance of the research - the collected, processed and critically analyzed material will form an important basis for the development of the outlined issues in the future. It will also be useful for the network of higher education institutions, whose students must also know the evolution of cultural practices.