Adonism — A polytheistic worldview revolving around a belief that there are five principal gods: Belus, Biltis, Adonis, Dido and Molchos. Nature worship, system of religion based on the veneration of natural phenomenon, such as celestial objects or terrestrial objects. Pantheon based Paganism is exactly what it sounds like. Hierarchical relationships, if they exist, tend to be temporary (for a particular event or season, perhaps) and/or a consequence of experience or age. Those systems known as nature religions are often considered among the most primitive of religious beliefs. Everything that is in the universe and which is not created by humans is believed to be connected by an intricate web of energy or life-force — and that includes humans as well. Generally speaking, however, sacred space is found in the natural environment rather than constructed with bricks and mortar. [4], In April 1996, the University of Lancaster in North West England held a conference on contemporary Paganism entitled "Nature Religion Today: Western Paganism, Shamanism and Esotericism in the 1990s[5]", and ultimately led to the publication of an academic anthology of the same name two years later. Furthermore, Beyer noted, nature religionists often held a "concomitant distrust of and even eschewing of politically orientated power". Following on from Albanese's development of the term it has since been used by other academics working in the discipline. Nevertheless, it is still common in such decentralized religious systems to have shamans or other religious guides who serve the community. Nature religions also do not usually erect any permanent sacred buildings dedicated to religious purposes. Wicca is the best known one, but the religions of most indigenous cultures are also based on an intimate connection to Nature. Animism and pantheism are descriptions of religious concepts but not actually religions - Wicca can be both, Native American and other indigenous groups are both. Examples of nature religions can be found in modern neo-pagan beliefs, traditional beliefs of many native tribes around the world, and the traditions of ancient polytheistic faiths. Branches of Religions The three basic categories of religion branch out from Polytheism (belief that there are many gods), Monotheism (beliefs that there is only one God) and Atheism (belief that there is no God). It also includes contemporary Pagan faiths which are primarily concentrated in Europe and North America. Items in lower case italics are classes of religion and not actual religions. Include traditional ways of various native peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia, Polynesia, Europe, and elsewhere; religions of ancient Pagan cultures, such as Egyptian, Greek, … May be pre-modern, modern, or post-modern in philosophical orientation. Nature religions include indigenous religions practiced in various parts of the world by cultures who consider the environment to be imbued with spirits and other sacred entities. Belief in the literal existence of deities is common, but not required — it isn’t unusual for deities to be treated as metaphorical. Instead, it is a reference to the idea that nature religions were probably the earliest sort of religious system developed by human beings. However, all religions agree that the creation is an act of God and should be treated as such. Whichever is the case, there is always a plurality; monotheism is not normally found in nature religions. Less apologetic descriptions of nature religions sometimes argue that an important feature of these systems is not in harmony with nature as is often claimed but instead a mastery and control over the forces of nature. I need a list of nature based religions, and please leave out wicca. [4] Instead of this, he felt that among nature religious communities, there was "a valuing of community as non-hierarchical" and a "conditional optimism with regard to human capacity and the future. 81 entries are listed here. Austin Cline, a former regional director for the Council for Secular Humanism, writes and lectures extensively about atheism and agnosticism. If you would be so kind, thank you It also includes contemporary Pagan faiths which are primarily concentrated in Europe and North America. Usually polytheistic, animistic, and pantheistic. They may at times build temporary structures for special purposes, like a sweat lodge, and they may also use existing buildings like a person’s home for their religious activities. Paganism and Wicca are very nature-based. The main god of the religion was Ukko, the sky and thunder god, and his feast day, held on April 4, was one of the most important dates in their calendar. [9], Religious movement that believes nature and the natural world is an embodiment of divinity, sacredness or spiritual power, "[I]ncluded under the heading of nature religion would be modern witchcraft/, sfn error: no target: CITEREFAlbanese1991 (, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nature_religion&oldid=975519831, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 29 August 2020, at 00:07. There does seem to be an inclination towards mastery over nature and other humans which can, though it need not, find harsh expression — Nazism, and Odinism, for example. "[3], Peter Beyer noted the existence of a series of common characteristics which he believed were shared by different nature religions. Nature religions are generally focused on the idea that gods and other supernatural powers can be found through the direct experience of natural events and natural objects. In many ancient religions, deities are associated with forces of nature. Religious events are often held in the open air in parks, on beaches, or in the forest. Nature religions tend to be relatively egalitarian in terms of leadership positions and relationships between members. An Atheist's View of the Christian Right's Agenda and Beliefs, The Relationship Between Technology and Religion, One or Many Gods: The Varieties of Theism, Religion Is a Belief in Supernatural Beings, Religious References on the Definition of Religion, Roman Heliopolis & Temple Site at Baalbek in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley. Contemporary nature religions in the West tend to be very “eclectic,” in that they may borrow from a variety of other, more ancient traditions. In the history of religions and cultures, the concept of nature worship has not been well documented and is limited primarily to scholars in the modern (mostly Western) study of religion. A nature religion is a religious movement that believes nature and the natural world is an embodiment of divinity, sacredness or spiritual power. Learn Religions uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Even if Albanese’s analysis of nature religions in America is not an entirely accurate description of nature religions generally, it must be conceded that such religious systems do indeed include a “dark side” behind the pleasant rhetoric. Both men and women can be found in leadership positions, with women often serving as leaders of ritual events. ...and then just like Christianity, there are a whole bunch of sects of Wicca or Paganism--Gardenerian, Alexandrian, Druidism, … The term "nature religion" was first coined by the American religious studies scholar Catherine Albanese, who used it in her work Nature Religion in America: From the Algonkian Indians to the New Age (1991) and later went on to use it in other studies.