Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Paganism has broadly connoted the "religion of the peasantry". [1] [5] During and after the Middle Ages, the term paganism was applied to any non-Christian religion, and the term presumed a belief in "false gods". [6] [7] The origin of the application of the term "pagan" to polytheism is debated. [8]
Modern paganism, also known as "contemporary" or "neopagan", encompasses a wide range of religious groups and individuals. These may include old occult groups, those that follow a New Age approach, those that try to reconstruct old ethnic religions , and followers of the pagan religion or Wicca .
There is "considerable disagreement as to the precise definition and the proper usage" of the term modern paganism. [6] Even within the academic field of pagan studies, there is no consensus about how contemporary paganism can best be defined. [7] Most scholars describe modern paganism as a broad array of different religions, not a single one. [8]
Belief and practice in magic in Islam is "widespread and pervasive" [1] and a "vital element of everyday life and practice", both historically and currently in Islamic culture. [2] While scholars generally agree that the Quranic term siḥr, (usually defined as magic) is forbidden in Islam, there is less agreement on how siḥr is defined. [3]
The history of Islam is believed by most historians [1] to have originated with Muhammad's mission in Mecca and Medina at the start of the 7th century CE, [2] [3] although Muslims regard this time as a return to the original faith passed down by the Abrahamic prophets, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, and Jesus, with the submission (Islām) to the will of God.
Pagan Theology: Paganism as a World Religion is a taxonomical study of various world religions which argues for a new definition of the word "paganism".It was written by American religious studies scholar Michael York of Bath Spa University and first published by New York University Press in 2003.
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 ...
The second paper in the volume was provided by the American folklorist Sabina Magliocco, who had studied the Pagan community in the U.S. for a number of years, resulting in the publication of two books, Neo-pagan Sacred Art and Altars: Making Things Work (2002) and Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-paganism in America (2004). [6]