Animism
Belief that objects, such as plants and stones, or natural events, like thunderstorms and earthquakes, have a discrete spirit and conscious life.
Autonomous religion
A religion that does not have a central authority but shares ideas and cooperates informally.
Branch (of a religion)
A large and fundamental division within a religion.
Caste
The class of distinct hereditary order into which a Hindu is assigned according to religious law.
Cosmogony
A set of religious beliefs concerning the origin of the universe.
Denomination
A division of a branch that unites a number of local congregations in a single legal and administrative body.
Diocese
The basic unit of geographic organization in the Roman Catholic Church.
Ethnic religion
A religion with a relatively concentrated spatial distribution whose principles are likely to be based on the physical characteristics of the particular location in which its adherents are concentrated.
Fundamentalism
Literal interpretation and strict adherence to basic principles of a religion (or a religious branch, denomination, or sect).
Ghetto
During the Middle Ages, a neighborhood in a city set up by law to be inhabited only by Jews; now used to denote a section of a city in which members of any minority live because of social, legal, or economic pressure.
Hierarchical religion
A religion in which a central authority exercises a high degree of control.
Missionary
An individual who helps to diffuse a universalizing religion.
Monotheism
The doctrine or belief of the existence of only one god.
Pagan
A follower of a polytheistic religion in ancient times.
Pilgrimage
A journey to a place considered sacred for religious purposes.
Polytheism
Belief in or worship of more than one god.
Sect
A relatively small group that has broken away from an established denomination.
Solstice
Time when the Sun is farthest from the equator.
Universalizing religion
A religion that attempts to appeal to all people, not just those living in a particular location.
Interfaith boundary
The boundaries between the world's major faiths.
Intrafaith boundary
The boundaries within a major religion.
Religion
The service and worship of God or the supernatural.
Secularism
A doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations.
Shamanism
Form of a tribal religion that involved community acceptance of a shaman, a religious leader, healer, and worker of magic who, through special powers, can intercede with and interpret the spirit world.
Syncretism
The blending traits from two different cultures to form a new trait.
Traditional/tribal religion
Special forms of ethnic religions distinguished by their small size, their unique identity with localized culture groups not yet fully absorbed into modern society, and their close ties to nature.
Zionism
A worldwide movement, originating in the 19th century that sought to establish and develop a Jewish nation in Palestine. Since 1948, its function has been to support the state of Israel.