Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller, rustic") is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It is a term which, from a Western perspective, has modern connotations of spiritualist, animistic or shamanic practices or beliefs of any folk religion, and of historical and contemporary polytheistic religions in particular. Spiritualism is a Religion founded in part on the writings of the Swedish mystic Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772 Animism (from Latin anima ( Soul, Life) commonly refers to a religious belief that Souls or Spirits exist in Animals Folk religion consists of Beliefs Superstitions and Rituals transmitted from generation to generation in a specific Culture. Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple Gods (usually assembled in a pantheon) together with associated Mythology and Rituals

The term can be defined broadly, to encompass the faith traditions outside the Abrahamic monotheistic group of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The group so defined includes many of the Eastern religions, Native American religions and mythologies, as well as non-Abrahamic ethnic religions in general. Eastern religion is a group of Religions originating in India, China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Like other religions Native American belief systems include many sacred narratives Ethnic religions may include officially sanctioned and organized Civil religions with an organized Clergy, but they are characterized in that adherents generally are More narrow definitions will not include any of the world religions and restrict the term to local or rural currents not organized as civil religions. The world's principal Religions and spiritual traditions may be classified into a small number of major groups or world religions'. The intended meaning of the term civil religion often varies according to whether one is a sociologist of religion or a professional political commentator Characteristic of pagan traditions is the absence of proselytism and the presence of a living mythology which explains religious practice. Proselytism is the practice of attempting to convert people to another opinion and particularly another religion The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" In traditional societies myth and ritual are two central components of religious practice ^[1]

The term "pagan" is a Christian adaptation of the "gentile" of Judaism, and as such has an inherent Christian or Abrahamic bias, and pejorative connotations among Westerners,^[2] comparable to heathen, and infidel, mushrik and kafir (كافر) in Islam. The term Gentile (from Latin, gentilis, meaning of or belonging to a clan or tribe refers to non- Israelite tribes or nations in the Bible. Words and phrases are pejorative if they imply disapproval or contempt Infidel (literally "one without faith" is an English word meaning "one who doubts or rejects central tenets of a Religion or Shirk (شرك is the Islamic concept of the Sin of Polytheism specifically but in a more general way refers to worshipping other than Allah This article is on the Islamic religious term For the pejorative racial slur see Kaffir (ethnic slur. For this reason, ethnologists avoid the term "paganism," with its uncertain and varied meanings, in referring to traditional or historic faiths, preferring more precise categories such as polytheism, shamanism, pantheism, or animism; however others criticise the use of these terms, claiming that these are only aspects that different faiths may share and do not denote the religions themselves. Ethnology (from the Greek ἔθνος, ethnos meaning "habit custom convention" is the branch of Anthropology that compares and Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple Gods (usually assembled in a pantheon) together with associated Mythology and Rituals Pantheism ( Greek: πάν ( 'pan') = all and θεός ( 'theos') = God it literally means " God is All Animism (from Latin anima ( Soul, Life) commonly refers to a religious belief that Souls or Spirits exist in Animals

Since the later 20th century, "Pagan" or "Paganism" has become widely used as a self-designation by adherents of Neopaganism. Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical ^[3] As such, various modern scholars have begun to apply the term to three separate groups of faiths; Historical Polytheism (such as Celtic polytheism and Norse paganism), Folk/ethnic/Indigenous religions (such as Chinese folk religion and African traditional religion), and Neo-paganism (such as Wicca and Germanic Neopaganism). Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple Gods (usually assembled in a pantheon) together with associated Mythology and Rituals Celtic polytheism refers to the religious beliefs and practices of ancient Celts, prior to the Christianization of the Celtic-speaking lands Norse paganism is a term used to describe the religious traditions which were common amongst the Germanic tribes living in Nordic countries prior to and Folk religion consists of Beliefs Superstitions and Rituals transmitted from generation to generation in a specific Culture. Ethnic religions may include officially sanctioned and organized Civil religions with an organized Clergy, but they are characterized in that adherents generally are Chinese folk religion is a collective label given to various folkloric beliefs that draws heavily from Chinese mythology. See also Religion in Africa African traditional religions, also referred to as African indigenous religions or African Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical Germanic Neopaganism, Heathenism or Heathenry is the modern revival of historical Germanic paganism.

Contents 1 Etymology 1.1 Pagan 1.2 Heathen 2 Terminology 2.1 Common word usage 2.2 Heathenry 2.3 Pagan classifications 3 Groups considered Pagan 3.1 Historical polytheism 3.2 Contemporary ethnic religion 3.2.1 Africa 3.2.2 Eurasia 3.2.3 Central America 3.3 Pagan revivals and new religious movements 3.3.1 Neopaganism 3.3.2 Modern nature religion 4 Demographics 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links 8.1 Articles 8.2 Organisations

Etymology

Pagan

The term pagan is from Greek paganus, an adjective originally meaning "rural", "rustic" or "of the country. Rural areas can be large and isolated (also referred to as "the country" and/or "the countryside over the course of time " As a noun, paganus was used to mean "country dweller, villager. " The semantic development of post-classical Latin paganus in the sense "non-Christian, heathen" is unclear. The dating of this sense is controversial, but the 4th century seems most plausible. An earlier example has been suggested in Tertullian De Corona Militis xi, "Apud hunc [sc. Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, Anglicised as Tertullian, (ca Christum] tam miles est paganus fidelis quam paganus est miles infidelis," but here the word paganus may be interpreted in the sense "civilian" rather than "heathen". A civilian under International humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her Country 's Armed forces. There are three main explanations of the development:

• (i) The older sense of classical Latin pāgānus is "of the country, rustic" (also as noun). It has been argued that the transferred use reflects the fact that the ancient idolatry lingered on in the rural villages and hamlets after Christianity had been generally accepted in the towns and cities of the Roman Empire; cf. Idolatry is usually defined as Worship of any Cult image, Idea, or object, as opposed to the worship of a monotheistic God. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Orosius Histories 1. Prol. "Ex locorum agrestium compitis et pagis pagani vocantur. " From its earliest beginnings, Christianity spread much more quickly in major urban areas (like Antioch, Alexandria, Corinth, Rome) than in the countryside (in fact, the early church was almost entirely urban), and soon the word for "country dweller" became synonymous with someone who was "not a Christian," giving rise to the modern meaning of "Pagan. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Antioch on the Orontes (Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Δάφνῃ Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ Μεγάλη Antiochia ad Orontem also Alexandria ( Egyptian Arabic: اسكندريه Eskendereyya; Standard Arabic: ar الإسكندرية Al-Iskandariyya; Ἀλεξάνδρεια Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth " This may, in part, have had to do with the closeness to nature of rural people, who may have been more resistant to the new ideas of Christianity than those who lived in major urban centers and were cut off from the cycles of nature and the forms of spirituality associated with them. However, it may have also resulted from early Christian missionaries focusing their efforts within major population centers (e. g. , St. Paul), rather than throughout an expansive, yet sparsely populated, countryside (hence, the Latin term suggesting "uneducated country folk") until a bit later on. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and
• (ii) The more common meaning of classical Latin pāgānus is "civilian, non-militant" (adjective and noun). Christians called themselves mīlitēs, "enrolled soldiers" of Christ, members of his militant church, and applied to non-Christians the term applied by soldiers to all who were "not enrolled in the army". Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " The Christian Church, or Church Universal, is traditionally divided into the Church Militant ( Ecclesia Militans) comprising Christians A soldier is a general English term that refers to a member of a land component of National Armed forces.
• (iii) The sense "heathen" arose from an interpretation of paganus as denoting a person who was outside a particular group or community, hence "not of the city" or "rural"; cf. In biological terms a community is a group of interacting Organisms sharing an environment. Orosius Histories 1. Prol. "ui alieni a civitate dei. . pagani vocantur. " See C. Mohrmann, Vigiliae Christianae 6 (1952) 9ff.

-- Oxford English Dictionary, (online) 2nd Edition (1989)

"Peasant" is a cognate, via Old French paisent. A peasant is an agricultural worker who subsists by working a small plot of ground Cognates in Linguistics are words that have a common origin They may occur within a language such as shirt and skirt as two English words descended from Old French was the Romance Dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium (Harry Thurston Peck, Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquity, 1897; "pagus").

In their distant origins, these usages derived from pagus, "province, countryside", cognate to Greek πάγος "rocky hill", and, even earlier, "something stuck in the ground", as a landmark: the Proto-Indo-European root *pag- means "fixed" and is also the source of the words page, pale (stake), and pole, as well as pact and peace. The Pale ( An Pháil in Irish) or the English Pale ( An Pháil Sasanach) was the English-controlled part of Ireland that had reduced by the late

While pagan is attested in English from the 14th century, there is no evidence that the term paganism was in use in English before the 17th century. The OED instances Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776): "The divisions of Christianity suspended the ruin of paganism. The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English Edward Gibbon ( April 27, 1737 January 16, 1794) was an English historian and Member of Parliament. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (known popularly as The History) was written by English Historian " The term was not a neologism, however, as paganismus was already used by Augustine. A neologism (from Greek neo = "new" + logos = "word" is a word that although devised relatively recently in a specific time period has been ^[4]

Less than twenty years after the last vestiges of paganism were crushed with great severity by the emperor Theodosius I^[5] Rome was seized by Alaric in 410. This led to murmuring that the gods of paganism had taken greater care of the city than that of the Christian God, inspiring St Augustine to write The City of God, alternative title "De Civitate Dei contra Paganos: The City of God against the Pagans", in which he claimed that whilst the great 'city of Man' had fallen, Christians were ultimately citizens of the 'city of God. '^[6]

Heathen

Heathen is from Old English hæðen "not Christian or Jewish", (c. f. Old Norse heiðinn). Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Historically, the term was probably influenced by Gothic haiþi "dwelling on the heath", appearing as haiþno in Ulfilas' bible as "gentile woman," (translating the "Hellene" in Mark 7:26). Gothic is an extinct Germanic language that was spoken by the Goths. Wulfila is also a spider genus ( Anyphaenidae) Wulfila (meaning "little wolf" (ca Since the time of Homer, some Greeks have called themselves Hellenes ( in Homer "Hellas" (Eλλάς and "Hellenes" were names of This translation probably influenced by Latin paganus, "country dweller", or it was chosen because of its similarity to the Greek ethne, "gentile". The term Gentile (from Latin, gentilis, meaning of or belonging to a clan or tribe refers to non- Israelite tribes or nations in the Bible. It has even been suggested that Gothic haiþi is not related to "heath" at all, but rather a loan from Armenian hethanos, itself loaned from Greek ethnos. The Armenian language (hy հայերեն լեզու hajɛɹɛn lɛzu —, conventional short form) is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian

Terminology

Common word usage

Both "pagan" and "heathen" have historically been used as a pejorative by adherents of monotheistic religions (such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam) to indicate a disbeliever in their religion. Words and phrases are pejorative if they imply disapproval or contempt For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Although, in modern times it is not always used as a pejorative. "Paganism" frequently refers to the religions of classical antiquity, most notably Greek mythology or Roman religion, and can be used neutrally or admiringly by those who refer to those complexes of belief. Classical antiquity (also the classical era or classical period) is a broad term for a long period of cultural History centered on the Mediterranean Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance Ancient Roman religion encompasses the collection of Beliefs and Rituals practised in Ancient Rome in the form of Cult practices However, until the rise of Romanticism and the general acceptance of freedom of religion in Western civilization, "Paganism" was almost always used disparagingly of heterodox beliefs falling outside the established political framework of the Christian Church. Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Freedom of religion is the freedom of an individual or community in public or private to manifest religion or belief in teaching practice worship and observance Heterodoxy includes "any opinions or doctrines at variance with an official or orthodox position" "Pagan" came to be equated with a Christianized sense of "epicurian" to signify a person who is sensual, materialistic, self-indulgent, unconcerned with the future and uninterested in sophisticated religion. The word was usually used in this worldly and stereotypical sense, particularly among those who were drawing attention to what they perceived as being the limitations of paganism, for example, as when G. K. Chesterton wrote: "The pagan set out, with admirable sense, to enjoy himself. Gilbert Keith Chesterton (29 May 1874 – 14 June 1936 was an influential English writer of the early 20th century By the end of his civilization he had discovered that a man cannot enjoy himself and continue to enjoy anything else. " In sharp contrast Swinburne the poet would comment on this same theme: "Thou hast conquered, O pale Galilean; the world has grown grey from thy breath; We have drunken of things Lethean, and fed on the fullness of death. "^[7]

Christianity itself has been perceived at times as a form of paganism by followers of the other Abrahamic religions^[8][9]because of, for example, the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, the celebration of pagan feast days,^[10] and other practices^[11] – through a process described as "baptising"^[12]or "christianization". The historical phenomenon of Christianization (or Christianisation &mdash see spelling differences) the conversion of individuals to Christianity Even between Christians there have been similar charges of paganism levelled, especially by Protestants,^[13][14] towards the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches for their veneration of the saints and images. In Christianity, veneration ( Latin veneratio, Greek &delta&omicron&upsilon&lambda&iota&alpha dulia) or veneration of saints

Heathenry

"Heathen" (Old English hæðen) is a translation of Paganus. The Germanic tribes were distributed over Eastern and Central Europe by the 5th century, and their dialects ceased to be mutually intelligible from around that time, Christianization of the Germanic peoples took place from the 4th (Goths) to the 6th (Anglo-Saxons, Franks) or 8th (Alamanni, Saxons) centuries on the continent, and from the 9th to 12th centuries in Iceland and Scandinavia. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic The Germanic languages are a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European (IE Language family. The Germanic peoples underwent gradual Christianization in the course of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. The Goths ( Gothic: Gothic usvg|14px|u]]Gothic asvg|14px|a]]Gothic s For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Main river ( Germany The Saxons or Saxon people were a Confederation of Old Germanic tribes.

Pagan classifications

Pagan subdivisions coined by Isaac Bonewits^[15]

• Paleopaganism: A retronym coined to contrast with "Neopaganism", denoting a Pagan culture that has not been disrupted by other cultures. Phillip Emmons Isaac Bonewits is an influential Neopagan leader and Author. A retronym is a type of Neologism coined for an old object or concept whose original name has come to be used for something else is no longer unique or is otherwise inappropriate Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical The term applies to Hinduism, Shinto, pre-Migration period Germanic paganism as described by Tacitus, Celtic polytheism as described by Julius Caesar, and the Greek and Roman religion. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. is the native religion of Japan and was once its State religion. Germanic paganism refers to the religious beliefs of the Germanic peoples preceding Christianization. Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. Celtic polytheism refers to the religious beliefs and practices of ancient Celts, prior to the Christianization of the Celtic-speaking lands Greek religion encompasses the collection of beliefs and rituals practiced in Ancient Greece in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. Ancient Roman religion encompasses the collection of Beliefs and Rituals practised in Ancient Rome in the form of Cult practices
• Mesopaganism: A group, which is, or has been, significantly influenced by monotheistic, dualistic, or nontheistic worldviews, but has been able to maintain an independence of religious practices. This group includes aboriginal Americans as well as Australian aboriginals, Viking Age Norse paganism. Viking Age is the term denoting the years from about 700 to 1066 in European history. Norse paganism is a term used to describe the religious traditions which were common amongst the Germanic tribes living in Nordic countries prior to and Influences include: Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, Theosophy, Spiritualism, and the many Afro-Diasporic faiths like Haitian Vodou, and Santería. The term Rosicrucian (symbol the Rose Cross) describes a secret society of mystics allegedly formed in late mediaeval Germany, holding a doctrine "built on This article is about the philosophy introduced by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky Spiritualism is a Religion founded in part on the writings of the Swedish mystic Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772 vodoo, vodun, or vodoun may refer to any of West African vodun, a west African religion Haitian vodou, mostly derived Santería, also known as La Regla de Lukumi (Lukumi's Rule and The Way of the Saints is an Afro-Cuban religious tradition derived from traditional beliefs Bonewits includes British Traditional Wicca in this subdivision. British Traditional Wicca (abbreviated BTW is a term used to describe some Wiccan traditions which have their origins in the New Forest region of England
• Neopaganism: A movement by modern people to revive nature-worshipping, pre-Christian religions, or other nature-based spiritual paths. Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical This definition may include anything on a sliding scale from Reconstructionist at one end to non-reconstructionist groups such as Neo-druidism and Wicca at the other. Polytheistic reconstructionism, or simply Reconstructionism, is an approach to Neopaganism first emerging in the late 1960s to early 1970s and gatherig momentum Neo-druidism or neo-druidry (referred to simply as Druidry by some adherents is a form of modern Spirituality or Religion that promotes

Groups considered Pagan

Historical polytheism

Further information: Prehistoric religion and Polytheism

Bronze Age to Classical Antiquity (as opposed to Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Indian religions)

• Religions of the Ancient Near East
  • Ancient Egyptian religion
  • Ancient Semitic religion
• reconstructed Proto-Indo-European religion
• Graeco-Roman
  • Ancient Greek religion
  • Ancient Roman religion
  • Hellenistic religion
  • Roman imperial cult
  • Mystery religion
• Celtic polytheism

Late Antiquity to High Middle Ages (as opposed to Abrahamic and Indian religions)

• Germanic paganism
• Slavic paganism
• Baltic paganism
• Finnish paganism
• Estonian paganism
• Incan paganism
• Aztec paganism

Contemporary ethnic religion

Further information: ethnic religion

There are many surviving traditions of ethnic religion. Prehistoric religion is a general term for the religious beliefs and practices of prehistoric peoples Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple Gods (usually assembled in a pantheon) together with associated Mythology and Rituals Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings The Religions of the Ancient Near East were mostly Polytheistic, with some early examples of emerging Henotheism ( Atenism, early Ancient Egyptian religion encompasses the various religious beliefs and rituals practiced in Ancient Egypt from the predynastic period until the adoption of Christianity Ancient Semitic religion spans the Polytheistic religions of the Semitic speaking peoples of the Ancient Near East. The existence of similarities among the deities and religious practices of the Indo-European (IE peoples allows glimpses of a common Proto-Indo-European Greek religion encompasses the collection of beliefs and rituals practiced in Ancient Greece in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. Ancient Roman religion encompasses the collection of Beliefs and Rituals practised in Ancient Rome in the form of Cult practices Hellenistic religion comprises any of the various systems of beliefs and practices of the peoples who lived under the influence of ancient Greek culture during the Hellenistic The Imperial cult in Ancient Rome was the worship of a few select emperors as gods once they were deceased the only emperor to Mystery Religions, Sacred Mysteries or simply Mysteries, were "religious cults of the Graeco-Roman Celtic polytheism refers to the religious beliefs and practices of ancient Celts, prior to the Christianization of the Celtic-speaking lands Germanic paganism refers to the religious beliefs of the Germanic peoples preceding Christianization. Slavic mythology is the Mythological aspect of the Religion that was practised by the ancient Slavs. Finnish paganism was the indigenous pagan Religion in present-day Finland and Karelia prior to Christianization. Estonian Mythology is a complex of myths belonging to the folk heritage of Estonians. Inca mythology includes a number of stories and legends that are mythological and helps explain or symbolizes Inca beliefs Aztec religion is a Mesoamerican religion combining elements of Polytheism, Shamanism and Animism within a framework of Astronomy and calendrics Kyzyl ( Tuvan and Кызы́л is a city, and is the capital of the Tuva Republic, Russia. The Kapsiki are an Ethnic group of Cameroon. They live in the Far North Province in the Mandara Mountains. Rhumsiki, also spelt Rumsiki and Roumsiki, is a Village in the Far North Province of Cameroon. Ethnic religions may include officially sanctioned and organized Civil religions with an organized Clergy, but they are characterized in that adherents generally are Ethnic religions may include officially sanctioned and organized Civil religions with an organized Clergy, but they are characterized in that adherents generally are Organized ethnic religions that achieved the status of a civil religion are Shinto, tied to Japanese identity, and Judaism, tied to Jewish identity. The intended meaning of the term civil religion often varies according to whether one is a sociologist of religion or a professional political commentator is the native religion of Japan and was once its State religion. The are the dominant Ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent of these approximately 127 million are residents of Japan Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ In nationalist definitions, Hinduism may be tied to Indian identity. Hindu nationalism is a nationalist Ideology that sees the modern State of the Republic of India as a Hindu Polity Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Bharata is a legendary king in Hindu mythology He was the first to conquer all of Greater India, uniting it into a single entity which was named after him as

Uninstitutionalized folk religion is found mainly in rural and sparsely populated areas. Folk religion consists of Beliefs Superstitions and Rituals transmitted from generation to generation in a specific Culture. These include Animism, ancestor worship and Shamanism of Asia, Africa, the Americas, as well as New Guinea and other Pacific islands. Animism (from Latin anima ( Soul, Life) commonly refers to a religious belief that Souls or Spirits exist in Animals The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known The Pacific Ocean contains an estimated 20000 to 30000 Islands (the exact number has yet to be precisely determined Chinese folk religion is an umbrella term for uninstitutionalized folk traditions under a secular regime. Chinese folk religion is a collective label given to various folkloric beliefs that draws heavily from Chinese mythology.

All world religions, however, also include folk religious aspects, as opposed to their theological or philosophical aspects, see folk Christianity, or local institutions of revealed religions may become strongly tied to ethnic identity, e. The world's principal Religions and spiritual traditions may be classified into a small number of major groups or world religions'. Folk Christianity is composed of Christian ideas and practices outside the approval or authority of a religious establishment &mdash Roman Catholic Protestant or other g. Yazdânism (Kurdish faiths descending from Zoroastrianism), Tibetan Buddhism, or various Christian national churches such as the Armenian Apostolic Church, the various Syriac churches, and the various branches of the Orthodox Church, e. Yazdânism is a term introduced by Mehrdad Izady to denote a group of native Kurdish monotheistic religions Alevism Yarsan and Yazidism Izady Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including The term national church is usually a reference to a church organization in Christianity that claims pastoral jurisdiction over a Nation. The Armenian Apostolic Church (Հայաստանեայց Առաքելական Եկեղեցի Hayasdaneaytz Arakelagan Syriac Christianity is a culturally and linguistically distinctive community within Eastern Christianity. g. , Anglican Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox and other non-Roman churches. The Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία Hellēnorthódoxē Ekklēsía) is formed by several autocephalous churches See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure

Africa

Main article: African traditional religion

Further information: Yoruba religion and Bwiti

During the expansion of the Sokoto Caliphate in West Africa, Islamic Fulbe (Fula) labelled their non-Muslim neighbours, such as this Kapsiki diviner, Kirdi, or "pagans". See also Religion in Africa African traditional religions, also referred to as African indigenous religions or African The Yoruba religion is the religious beliefs and practices of the Yoruba people both in Africa (chiefly in Nigeria and Benin Republic) Bwiti is a West Central African religion practiced by the forest-dwelling Babongo and Mitsogo people of Gabon (where it is one of the three official religions The Sokoto Caliphate is an Islamic spiritual community in Nigeria, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’adu Abubakar. The Fula or Fulbe or Fulani (the latter being an Anglicisation of the word in their language Fulɓe) are an ethnic group of Divination (from Latin divinare "to be inspired by a god" related to Divine, Diva and Deus) is the attempt of ascertaining The Kirdi are an ethnic group of people living mostly in the Mandara Mountains in northwestern Cameroon and northeastern Nigeria.

Eurasia

Further information: Chinese folk religion, Shamanism in Siberia, Korean shamanism, and Bön

Eurasian ethnic religions became largely extinct in the course of the Middle Ages, first with Christianization in the West and the spread of Buddhism in the East, and then with the Islamic conquests of Persia, Central and South Asia. Chinese folk religion is a collective label given to various folkloric beliefs that draws heavily from Chinese mythology. Northern Asia, particularly Siberia is regarded as the locus classicus of Shamanism. Korean shamanism encompasses a variety of indigenous beliefs and practices that have been influenced by Buddhism and Taoism. Bön ( is the oldest spiritual tradition of Tibet. Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, has recognized the Bön tradition as the fifth principal spiritual The historical phenomenon of Christianization (or Christianisation &mdash see spelling differences) the conversion of individuals to Christianity The Silk Road transmission of Buddhism to China started in the 1st century CE with a semi-legendary or quasi-historical account of an embassy sent to the West by the The initial Arab Muslim conquests (632–732 (فتح Fatah, literally opening, also referred to as the Islamic conquests or Arab A notable survival of pre-Islamic traditions are the people of Kafirstan, now shrunk to the Kalasha people, inhabiting three valleys in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Kāfiristān or Kāfirstān ( was a historic name of Nurestan ( Nuristan) a province in the Hindukush region of Afghanistan The Kalash ( Nuristani: Kasivo) or Kalasha, are an ethnic group of the Hindu Kush mountain range residing in the Chitral district The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP ( Urdu: śimāl maġribī sarhadī sūba) is the smallest of the four main provinces of Pakistan. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The 2002 census of the Russian Federation reports 123,423 people (0. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending 23% of the population) as belonging to ethnic groups predominantly adhering to "traditional beliefs", mostly in Siberia and the Russian Far East. Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving Russian Far East (Да́льний Восто́к Росси́и ˈdalʲnʲɪj vʌˈstok rʌˈsʲiɪ is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i In Japan, there is the Ryukyuan religion. Ryukyuan religion is the indigenous belief system of the Ryukyu Islands.

Central America

Main article: Maya religion

Further information: Mayan astrology

In spite of five centuries of persecution Mayan paganism is alive and well in Guatemala, and is experiencing a resurgence of interest among young Mayans. Nowadays the Maya religion of Chiapas and Yucatan (Mexico Guatemala Belize and western Honduras is full of tensions between the traditional ancestral religion the 're-invention Maya calendrical divination is a subset of traditional beliefs rituals and divinatory practices that are held or performed among various Maya communities in Recent peace accords signed by the Guatemalan government have provided funds to teach Mayan language and traditional religion in rural schools.

Pagan revivals and new religious movements

Neopaganism

Main article: Neopaganism

Neopaganism includes reconstructed religions such as Hellenic, Celtic or Germanic reconstructionism as well as modern eclectic traditions such as Discordianism, or Wicca and its many offshoots. Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical Polytheistic reconstructionism, or simply Reconstructionism, is an approach to Neopaganism first emerging in the late 1960s to early 1970s and gatherig momentum Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism (CR is a polytheistic, animistic, religious and cultural movement Germanic Neopaganism, Heathenism or Heathenry is the modern revival of historical Germanic paganism. Discordianism is a modern Religion centered on the idea that Chaos is as important as order.

Many of the "revivals", Wicca and Neo-druidism in particular, have their roots in 19th century Romanticism and retain noticeable elements of occultism or theosophy that were current then, setting them apart from historical rural (paganus) folk religion. Neo-druidism or neo-druidry (referred to simply as Druidry by some adherents is a form of modern Spirituality or Religion that promotes Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden" This article is about the philosophy introduced by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky The Íslenska Ásatrúarfélagið is a notable exception in that it was derived more or less directly from remnants in rural folklore. The Íslenska Ásatrúarfélagið "Icelandic fellowship of Æsir faith ( Ásatrú)" is an Icelandic neopagan New religious movement

Neopaganism in the United States accounts for roughly a third of all neopagans worldwide, and for some 0. Neopaganism in the United States is represented by widely different movements and organisations. 2% of US population, figuring as the sixth largest non-Christian denomination in the US, after Judaism (1. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut 4%), Islam (0. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. 6%), Buddhism (0. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices 5%), Hinduism (0. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. 3%) and Unitarian Universalism (0. Unitarian Universalism ( UUism) is a theologically liberal Religion characterized by its support for a "free and responsible search for truth 3%). ^[16]

Modern nature religion

Many current pagans in industrial societies base their beliefs and practices on a connection to Nature, and a divinity within all living things, but this may not hold true for all forms of Paganism, past or present. Some believe that there are many deities, a pantheon of deities, which is known as polytheism. A pantheon (from Greek Πάνθειον - pantheion, literally "a temple of all gods " neut Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple Gods (usually assembled in a pantheon) together with associated Mythology and Rituals By contrast, pantheism is the belief that the combined subconscious spirit of all living things form the Universal Deity. Pantheism ( Greek: πάν ( 'pan') = all and θεός ( 'theos') = God it literally means " God is All Panentheism takes this one step further, incorporating the idea that the Universal Deity is both in everything (in the universe) but also extends beyond the known physical universe. Panentheism (from Greek (pân "all" (en "in" and (Theós "God" "all-in-God" is a belief system Ancient Greek paganism, which tended in many cases to be a deification of the local deity, as Athena in Athens, saw each local emanation as an aspect of an Olympian deity during the Classical period and then after Alexander to syncretize the deity with the political process, with "state divinities" increasingly assigned to various localities, as Roma personified Rome. ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' In Roman mythology Roma was a Deity personifying the Roman State, or a Personification in Art of the City of Many ancient regimes would claim to be the representative on earth of these gods, and would depend on more or less elaborate bureaucracies of state-supported priests and scribes to lend public support to their claims. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always

In one well-established sense, paganism is the belief in any non-monotheistic religion, which would mean that the Pythagoreans of ancient Greece would not be considered Pagan in that sense, since they were monotheist, but not in the Abrahamic tradition. For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία In an extreme sense, and like the pejorative sense below, any belief, ritual or pastime not sanctioned by a religion accepted as orthodox by those doing the describing, such as Burning Man, Halloween, or even Christmas, can be described as "pagan" by the person or people who object to them and the individuals who choose to claim this title. Burning Man is an annual event held in Halloween, or Hallowe’en, is a Holiday celebrated on the night of October 31.

Demographics

Paganism has been previously defined broadly, to encompass many or most of the faith traditions outside the Abrahamic monotheistic group of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. If the Indian religions are included, nearly 30% of the world population can be termed as Pagans. Indian religions, also called Dharmic religions, are the related religious traditions that originated in the Indian subcontinent, namely Hinduism, ^[17]

The term has also been used more narrowly,^[18][19][20] however, to refer only to religions outside the very large group of so-called Axial Age faiths that encompass both the Abrahamic religions and the chief Indian religions. German Philosopher Karl Jaspers coined the term the axial age ( Achsenzeit in the German language original to describe the period Under this narrower definition, which differs from that historically used by many^[21][22] (though by no means all^[23][24]) Christians and other Westerners, contemporary paganism is a relatively smaller and more marginal numerical phenomenon. According to Encyclopedia Britannica estimates (as of 2005), adherents of Chinese folk religion account for some 6. The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc Chinese folk religion is a collective label given to various folkloric beliefs that draws heavily from Chinese mythology. 3% of world population, and adherents of tribal religions ("ethnogeligionists") for another 4. Ethnic religions may include officially sanctioned and organized Civil religions with an organized Clergy, but they are characterized in that adherents generally are 0%. The number of adherents of neopaganism is insignificant in comparison, amounting to 0. 02% of world population at the most, or some 0. 4% of the "ethnoreligious" population.

See also

• Animism
• Folk religion
• Idolatry
• List of Pagans
• Myth and ritual
• Mythology
• Neopaganism
• Polytheism
• Religion and mythology
• Shamanism

Notes

References

• Michael York, Pagan Theology: Paganism as a World Religion NYU Press (2003), ISBN 0814797083.

External links

Articles

• BBC - Religion & Ethics - Paganism - overview with many articles and links
• BBC - The Revival of Paganism - short report on modern Paganism
• The Demise of Paganism by James J. O'Donnell
• Surviving in church as a Pagan - article supporting the claim that Pagan religions influenced Christianity

Organisations

• Netherlands Centre for Indigenous Peoples
• Pagan Association UK
• The Pagan Federation International
• The Pagan Federation UK
• Pagan Network
• Speaking 4 Earth: International Platform for Indigenous Peoples
• Chakana: NGO & knowledge centre about Indians of the highlands (Nederlands)
• Vortigern's Cave, Pagan Networking in South East UK

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic