In general, the term Saint refers to someone who is exceptionally virtuous and holy. It can be applied to both the living and the dead and is an acceptable term in most of the world's popular religions. The Saint is held up by the community as an example of how we all should act, and his or her life story is usually recorded for the edification of future generations. The process of officially recognizing a person as a Saint, practiced by some churches, is called canonization and serves to hold up those individuals as rol ...

Including:

• Saint - Definition specific to religion
• Saint - Christianity
• Saint - Islam
• Saint - Judaism
• Saint - Hinduism
• Saint - Buddhism
• Saint - Other religions
• Saint - Bibliography

Read more here: » Saint: Encyclopedia - Saint

The term Voodoo (Vodun in Benin; also Vodou or other phonetically equivalent spellings in Haiti; Vudu in the Dominican Republic) is applied to the branches of a West African ancestor-based spiritist-animist religious tradition. Its roots are varied and include the Fon, Ewe, and Yoruba peoples of West Africa, from western Nigeria to eastern Ghana. In Benin, Vodun is the national religion, and followed by around 60% of the population, or some 4½ million people. The word vodún is the Fon-Ewe word for ...

Including:

• Voodoo - The African Origins
• Voodoo - New World Traditions
• Voodoo - Haitian Vodou
• Voodoo - Demographics

Read more here: » Voodoo: Encyclopedia - Voodoo

UMBANDA: A religion centering on the worship of the ancient African Gods who have been assimilated as Catholic saints. Similar in practice to Voudon, all worshippers of Santería could be called Santeros but the term Santeros usually refers to the priests or priestesses.

The highest order of priest is a babalawo, who has the power to heal the sick, punish the unjust and to divine the future through the Table of Ifá. Also known as Santería.

(See also: UMBANDA, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

UMBANDA: A religion centering on the worship of the ancient African Gods who have been assimilated as Catholic saints. Similar in practice to Voudon, all worshippers of Santería could be called Santeros but the term Santeros usually refers to the priests or priestesses. The highest order of priest is a babalawo, who has the power to heal the sick, punish the unjust and to divine the future through the Table of Ifá. Also known as Santería.

(See also: UMBANDA, Magickal Traditions, Magickal Paths, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Candomble:

A Brazilian spiritist religion.

See also Umbanda; Voodoo.

(See also: Candomble, Psychic, Psychic Dictionary, Parapsychology, Parapsychology Dictionary)

QUIMBANDA: Harmful magick in the Macumba Tradition; a Brazilian form of Vodoun and Santería. Macumba is not in itself a religion but the umbrella fro the two principal forms of African spirit worship in Brazil: Candomblé and Umbanda. Macumba is sometimes used to refer to harmful magick, but that is more properly called Quimbanda.

(See also: QUIMBANDA, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

MACUMBA: The Brazilian form of Vodoun and Santería. Macumba is not in itself a religion but the umbrella fro the two principal forms of African spirit worship in Brazil: Candomblé and Umbanda. Macumba is sometimes used to refer to harmful magick, but that is more properly called Quimbanda.

(See also: MACUMBA, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

MACUMBA: The Brazilian form of Vodoun and Santería. Macumba is not in itself a religion but the umbrella for the two principal forms of African spirit worship in Brazil: Candomblé and Umbanda. Macumba is sometimes used to refer to harmful magick, but that is more properly called Quimbanda. Macumba is also called Spiritism

(See also: MACUMBA, Magickal Traditions, Magickal Paths, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

African religions such as Candomblé have millions of followers, mainly Afro-Brazilians. They are concentrated mainly in large urban centers in the Northeast, such as Salvador de Bahia, Recife, or Rio de Janeiro in the Southeast. The capitals of São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul have fewer practitioners, mainly immigrants from the Northeast. In addition to Candomblé which is the survival of West African religion, there is also Umbanda which blends Kardecist Spiritism beliefs with African beliefs. Candomblé, Batuque, Xango a ...

See also:

Afro-Brazilian, Afro-Brazilian - History, Afro-Brazilian - Origins, Afro-Brazilian - Cuisine, Afro-Brazilian - Religion, Afro-Brazilian - Capoeira, Afro-Brazilian - Music, Afro-Brazilian - Famous Afro-Brazilian musicians, Afro-Brazilian - Other groups

Read more here: » Afro-Brazilian: Encyclopedia II - Afro-Brazilian - Religion

SPIRITISM: The Brazilian form of Vodoun and Santería. Spiritism is not in itself a religion but the umbrella for the two principal forms of African spirit worship in Brazil: Candomblé and Umbanda. Spiritism is sometimes used to refer to harmful magick, but that is more properly called Quimbanda. Spiritism is also called Macumba.

(See also: SPIRITISM, Magickal Traditions, Magickal Paths, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

QUIMBANDA: Harmful magick in the Macumba Tradition; a Brazilian form of Vodoun and Santería. Macumba is not in itself a religion but the umbrella for the two principal forms of African spirit worship in Brazil: Candomblé and Umbanda. Macumba is sometimes used to refer to harmful magick, but that is more properly called Quimbanda.

(See also: QUIMBANDA, Magickal Traditions, Magickal Paths, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

African religions such as Candomblé have millions of followers, mainly Afro-Brazilians. They are concentrated mainly in large urban centers in the Northeast, such as Salvador (Bahia), Recife, or Rio de Janeiro in the Southeast. The capitals of São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul have fewer practitioners, mainly immigrants from the Northeast. In addition to Candomblé which is the survival of West African religion, there is also Umban ...

See also:

Religion in Brazil, Religion in Brazil - African Religions, Religion in Brazil - Other Religions

Read more here: » Religion in Brazil: Encyclopedia II - Religion in Brazil - African Religions

Recently developed religious systems that exhibit marked syncretism include the New World religions Candomblé, Vodun, and Santería, which analogize various Yorùbá and other African gods to the Roman Catholic pantheon of saints. Some sects of Candomblé have incorporated also Native American gods, and Umbanda combined African deities with Kardecist spiritualism. Unitarian Universalism is an example of a modern syncretic religion; it traces its roots to Universalist and Unitarian Christian congregations while at the same time freely incorporating el ...

See also:

Syncretism, Syncretism - Social and political roles, Syncretism - Origin of the word, Syncretism - Syncretism in Ancient Greece, Syncretism - Syncretism in Rome, Syncretism - Syncretism in Christianity, Syncretism - Syncretism in Islam, Syncretism - Syncretism in the Bahá'í Faith, Syncretism - Syncretism in the Caribbean, Syncretism - Syncretism in the Enlightenment, Syncretism - Modern syncretic religions, Syncretism - Modern syncretic social movements

Read more here: » Syncretism: Encyclopedia II - Syncretism - Modern syncretic religions

One way to define a major religion is by the number of current adherents. Population numbers by religion are computed by combination of census reports and population surveys (in countries where religion data is not collected in census, for example USA or France), but results can vary widely depending on the way questions are phrased, the definitions of religion used, and the bias of the agencies or organizations conducting the survey. Informal or unorganized religions are especially difficult to count. Major world religions - ...

See also:

Major world religions, Major world religions - Defined by population, Major world religions - All religions or belief systems by number of adherents, Major world religions - Organized religions by population ranking, Major world religions - Historic classic view

Read more here: » Major world religions: Encyclopedia II - Major world religions - Defined by population

SANTERÍA (Spanish santo, saint): A religion centering on the worship of the ancient African Gods who have been assimilated as Catholic saints. Similar in practice to Voudon, all worshippers of Santería could be called Santeros but the term Santeros usually refers to the priests or priestesses. The highest order of priest is a babalawo, who has the power to heal the sick, punish the unjust and to divine the future through the Table of Ifá. Also known as Umbanda.

(See also: SANTERÍA, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

SANTERÍA (Spanish, santo: "saint"): A religion centering on the worship of the ancient African Gods who have been assimilated as Catholic saints. Similar in practice to Voudon, all worshippers of Santería could be called Santeros but the term Santeros usually refers to the priests or priestesses. The highest order of priest is a babalawo, who has the power to heal the sick, punish the unjust and to divine the future through the Table of Ifá. Also known as Umbanda.

(See also: SANTERÍA, Magickal Traditions, Magickal Paths, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Main article: Religion in Brazil About 74% of the population in Brazil are Roman Catholic. Followers of Protestantism are rising in number, currently at 15.4%. Spiritism constitute 1.3% of the population (about 2,3 millions) and is the country with more adepts of this religion. African traditional religions such as Candomblé, Macumba, and Umbanda are the next largest groups. There are around 120,000 members of the Jewish community (located mostly in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro but also in Brasilia, Curitiba, Porto Alegre and ...

See also:

Brazil, Brazil - History, Brazil - Politics, Brazil - States, Brazil - Geography, Brazil - Economy, Brazil - Demographics, Brazil - Ethnicity and race, Brazil - Languages, Brazil - Religion, Brazil - Poverty illiteracy and income concentration, Brazil - International rankings, Brazil - Culture, Brazil - Flora and fauna, Brazil - Sports, Brazil - Notes

Read more here: » Brazil: Encyclopedia II - Brazil - Religion

Many ethnic Yoruba were taken as slaves to Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Brazil and the rest of the New World (chiefly in the 19th century, after the Oyo empire collapsed and the region plunged into civil war), and carried their religious beliefs with them. These concepts were combined with preexisting African-based cults, Christianity, Native American mythology, and Kardecist Spiritism into various New World lineages: Santería (Cuba) Oyotunji (USA)] Idigene (Nigeria) Anago (Nigeria) Candombl ...

See also:

Yoruba mythology, Yoruba mythology - Deities, Yoruba mythology - The Orisha, Yoruba mythology - Other concepts, Yoruba mythology - Yoruba mythology in the New World, Yoruba mythology - External link

Read more here: » Yoruba mythology: Encyclopedia II - Yoruba mythology - Yoruba mythology in the New World

Possession

1)    A ritual trance state, learned through extensive training and achieved in religious ceremonies, during which individuals are said to experience the indwelling presence of powerful spirits. Possession may be an involuntary condition or one deliberately sought. It may be a peripheral experience, judged negatively by the culture, for which an expert in curing (exorcism) is required. It may be the central experience of a religious group, highly valued and desired, for which an expert guide sometimes serves as an enabler. Possession is a relatively widespread phenomenon found in religions ranging from Shinto to Santeria, but the experience of or belief in possession occurs only under specific conditions. Possession trance cannot occur unless the religious community acknowledges both the independent existence of spirits and the reality of possession. Other factors supportive of possession include a high degree of rigidity and differentiation in social roles outside the religion, the acceptance of psychological vulnerability for the sake of wisdom, and a religious worldview including multiple spirit worlds.

2)    The traditional Christian and popular Western view of possession limits it to the unwanted presence of demons and evil spirits who maltreat the human host, although glossolalia, or speaking in tongues, and the experience of being "moved by the Spirit" are related phenomena. Other religions, with more flexible understanding of the varieties of spiritual experience, encourage the direct communication with them that possession rituals allow; possession is thus an important element in many indigenous religions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas, as well as in the African-influenced new religions of Umbanda, Santeria, and Voodoo. In those communities, greater and lesser spirits are worshiped directly when they descend into the bodies of devotees or specially trained mediums; once among their followers, the spirits transform the behavior and appearance of the one possessed and offer transcendent advice for the spiritual and material problems of their congregations.

(See also: Possession, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Yoruba deities are called Orishas. The primordial, first-existing, Orishas are called Obatala and Odùduwà, brother and sister respectively, and their father Olorun. Obatala created humanity and Olorun gave life to the hollow shells Obatala had made. Obatala and Odùduwà later had a son, Aganyu, and a daughter, Yemaja, who was a mother goddess. Her son, Ogun, raped her twice; the second time, her body exploded and fifteen Orishas came out. They included Oshun, Olukun, Shakpana, Shango. Shango is perhaps the most important Orisha; god of thunder and an ancestor of the Yorùbá. He was the fourth king o ...

See also:

Yoruba mythology, Yoruba mythology - Deities, Yoruba mythology - The Orisha, Yoruba mythology - Other concepts, Yoruba mythology - Yoruba mythology in the New World, Yoruba mythology - External link

Read more here: » Yoruba mythology: Encyclopedia II - Yoruba mythology - Deities

Possession

1)    A ritual trance state, learned through extensive training and achieved in religious ceremonies, during which individuals are said to experience the indwelling presence of powerful spirits. Possession may be an involuntary condition or one deliberately sought. It may be a peripheral experience, judged negatively by the culture, for which an expert in curing (exorcism) is required. It may be the central experience of a religious group, highly valued and desired, for which an expert guide sometimes serves as an enabler. Possession is a relatively widespread phenomenon found in religions ranging from Shinto to Santeria, but the experience of or belief in possession occurs only under specific conditions. Possession trance cannot occur unless the religious community acknowledges both the independent existence of spirits and the reality of possession. Other factors supportive of possession include a high degree of rigidity and differentiation in social roles outside the religion, the acceptance of psychological vulnerability for the sake of wisdom, and a religious worldview including multiple spirit worlds.

2)    The traditional Christian and popular Western view of possession limits it to the unwanted presence of demons and evil spirits who maltreat the human host, although glossolalia, or speaking in tongues, and the experience of being "moved by the Spirit" are related phenomena. Other religions, with more flexible understanding of the varieties of spiritual experience, encourage the direct communication with them that possession rituals allow; possession is thus an important element in many indigenous religions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas, as well as in the African-influenced new religions of Umbanda, Santeria, and Voodoo. In those communities, greater and lesser spirits are worshiped directly when they descend into the bodies of devotees or specially trained mediums; once among their followers, the spirits transform the behavior and appearance of the one possessed and offer transcendent advice for the spiritual and material problems of their congregations.

(See also: Possession, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)