Wikiversity has learning resources about Beyond Theism
While the word religion is difficult to define, one standard model of religion used in religious studies courses defines it as
[a] system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic.[1]
Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe. They tend to derive morality, ethics, religious laws, or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature. According to some estimates, there are roughly 4,200 religions, churches, denominations, religious bodies, faith groups, tribes, cultures, movements, ultimate concerns, which at some point in the future will be countless.[2]
The word religion is sometimes used interchangeably with the words "faith" or "belief system", but religion differs from private belief in that it has a public aspect. Most religions have organized behaviours, including clerical hierarchies, a definition of what constitutes adherence or membership, congregations of laity, regular meetings or services for the purposes of veneration of a deity or for prayer, holy places (either natural or architectural) or religious texts. Certain religions also have a sacred language often used in liturgical services. The practice of a religion may also include sermons, commemoration of the activities of a God or gods, sacrifices, festivals, feasts, trance, rituals, liturgies, ceremonies, worship, initiations, funerals, marriages, meditation, invocation, mediumship, music, art, dance, public service, or other aspects of human culture. Religious beliefs have also been used to explain parapsychological phenomena such as out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, and reincarnation, along with many other paranormal and supernatural experiences.[3][4]
Some academics studying the subject have divided religions into three broad categories: world religions, a term which refers to transcultural, international faiths; Indigenous religions, which refers to smaller, culture-specific or nation-specific religious groups; and new religious movements, which refers to recently developed faiths.[5] One modern academic theory of religion, social constructionism, says that religion is a modern concept that suggests all spiritual practice and worship follows a model similar to the Abrahamic religions as an orientation system that helps to interpret reality and define human beings,[6] and thus believes that religion, as a concept, has been applied inappropriately to non-Western cultures that are not based upon such systems, or in which these systems are a substantially simpler construct.
|
Main article: Eastern religions |
|
Main article: Indian religions |
The four main religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent; namely Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism and religions and traditions related to, and descended from them.
|
Main article: Buddhism |
|
See also: Schools of Buddhism |
|
Main article: Hindu philosophy |
|
Main article: Hinduism |
|
Further information: Hindu denominations and Bhakti movement |
Syncretic Hinduism
|
Main article: Jainism |
|
See also: Jain schools and branches |
|
Main article: Sikhism |
|
Further information: Sects of Sikhism |
Sects such as the Nirankari, Ramraiya and Namdhari are not accepted within the Sikh Rehat Maryada (Sikh Code of Conduct) as they believe in a current human Satguru which goes against Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Dohra in Ardaas.
|
Main article: Yoga |
|
Main article: East Asian religions |
|
See also: Three teachings |
Religions that originated in East Asia, also known as Taoic religions; namely Taoism, Confucianism, Muism and Shinto, and religions and traditions related to, and descended from them.
|
Main article: Chinese folk religion |
|
Main article: Hundred Schools of Thought |
|
Main article: Confucianism |
|
Main articles: Shinto and Religion in Japan |
|
See also: Shinto sects and schools |
|
Main articles: Korean shamanism and Religion in Korea |
|
Main article: Taoism |
|
See also: Taoist schools |
Syncretic Taoism
Religions that originated in Southeast Asia, namely Vietnamese folk religion, Muong ethnic religion, Philippine folk religions, and animistic indigenous religions.
|
Main articles: Indigenous Philippine folk religions and Religion in Philippines |
|
Main articles: Vietnamese folk religion and Religion in Vietnam |
|
Main article: Religion in the Middle East |
|
See also: Western religions |
Religions that originated in the Middle East; namely Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and religions and traditions related to, and descended from them.
|
Main article: Abrahamic religions |
|
Main article: Christianity |
|
See also: List of Christian denominations |
Early Christianity
|
Main article: Early christianity |
|
See also: Diversity in early Christian theology |
Eastern Christianity
|
Main article: Eastern Christianity |
Western Christianity
|
Main article: Western Christianity |
|
See also: List of Independent Catholic denominations and List of the largest Protestant denominations |
Syncretic
Other
|
Main article: Islam |
|
See also: Islamic schools and branches, Ilm al-Kalam, Ahl al-Hadith, and Islamism |
Khawarij
|
Main article: Khawarij |
Shia Islam
|
Main article: Shia Islam |
|
See also: List of extinct Shia sects |
Sufism
|
Main articles: Sufism and Islamic Mysticism |
|
See also: List of Sufi orders |
Sunni Islam
|
Main article: Sunni Islam |
Syncretic
Other
|
Main articles: Judaism and Jewish religious movements |
|
See also: Jewish schisms |
Kabbalah
|
Main articles: Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism |
Non-Rabbinic Judaism
Rabbinic Judaism
|
Main article: Rabbinic Judaism |
Historical Judaism
|
Main articles: Iranian religions and Religion in Iran |
|
Main article: Manichaeism |
|
See also: Manichaean schisms |
|
Main article: Yazdânism |
|
Main article: Zoroastrianism |
|
Main articles: Ethnic religion and Folk religion |
|
See also: List of ethnic religions, Paganism, Animism, Totemism, Shamanism, and Fetishism |
Religions that consist of the traditional customs and beliefs of particular ethnic groups, refined and expanded upon for thousands of years, often lacking formal doctrine. Some adherents do not consider their ways to be "religion", preferring other cultural terms.
|
Main article: Religion in Africa |
|
Main article: Traditional African religions |
|
Main article: Afro-American religion |
|
Main article: Shamanism in Siberia |
|
See also: List of Tengrist movements |
|
Main article: Native American religion |
|
Main article: Dravidian folk religion |
|
See also: Religion in ancient Tamilakam |
|
Main article: Melanesian mythology |
|
Main article: Shamanism in Siberia |
|
Main article: New religious movement |
|
See also: List of new religious movements |
Religions that cannot be classed as either world religions or traditional folk religions, and are usually recent in their inception.[12]
|
Main article: Cargo cults |
|
Main article: Ethnic religion |
|
See also: List of ethnic religions |
Black Hebrew Israelites
|
Main article: Black Hebrew Israelites |
Rastafari
|
Main article: Rastafari |
|
Main article: Chinese salvationist religions |
|
Main article: Hindu denominations § Newer movements |
|
See also: Neo-Vedanta and Hindu reform movements |
|
Main article: Korean new religions |
|
Main article: Buddhist modernism |
|
Main article: Japanese new religions |
|
Main article: Modern paganism |
|
See also: List of Neopagan movements |
|
See also: Polytheistic reconstructionism and European Congress of Ethnic Religions |
|
Main article: Entheogen |
|
Main article: New Age |
|
Main article: New Thought |
|
See also: List of New Thought denominations and independent centers |
|
Main article: Parody religion |
|
See also: List of fictional religions |
|
Main articles: Post-theism and Religious naturalism |
|
Main article: UFO religions |
|
Main article: Western esotericism |
|
See also: Ceremonial magic, Left-hand path and right-hand path, and Occult |
|
Main article: History of religion |
|
Main article: Prehistoric religion |
|
Main article: Religious demographics |
|
Further information: Religion geography |
