From the emergence of Mesopotamia and Egypt to the Renaissance in the fourteenth century, religion played an instrumental role in shaping virtually every aspect of life in the West. What were some of the fundamental ways religion, especially Christianity and Judaism, shaped the West during this period? What were some of the key problems solved and created by religious institutions? Choose two examples to explain how religion shaped the relations between the West and civilizations it came in contact with during this time? Would you say that religion ultimately played a more stabilizing or destabilizing role during this period?