In religious studies , an ethnic religion is a religion or belief associated with notions of heredity and a particular ethnicity . Ethnic religions are often distinguished from universal religions , such as Christianity or Islam , which are not limited in ethnic, national or racial scope.
5-446: Pemena is a tribal religion of Karo people of Indonesia. Pemena means the first or the beginning. Pemena is regarded as the first religion of Karo people . One of the doctrines of Pemena is the concept of Dibata . Tribal religion A number of alternative terms have been used instead of ethnic religion . Another term that is often used is folk religion . While ethnic religion and folk religion have overlapping uses,
10-537: A means of maintaining a distinct ethnic identity such as the role of African traditional religion and African diaspora religions among the African diaspora in the Americas . Some ancient ethnic religions, such as those historically found in pre-modern Europe, have found new vitality in neopaganism . Moreover, non-ethnic religions, such as Christianity , have been known to assume ethnic traits to an extent that they serve
15-651: The United States and Canada, a popular alternative term has been nature religion . Some neopagan movements, especially in Europe, have adopted ethnic religion as their preferred term, aligning themselves with ethnology . This notably includes the European Congress of Ethnic Religions , which chose its name after a day-long discussion in 1998, where the majority of the participants expressed that pagan contained too many negative connotations and ethnic better described
20-458: The latter term implies "the appropriation of religious beliefs and practices at a popular level." The term folk religion can therefore be used to speak of certain Chinese and African religions, but can also refer to popular expressions of more multi-national and institutionalized religions such as Folk Christianity or Folk Islam . In Western contexts, a variety of terms are also employed. In
25-460: The root of their traditions in particular nations. In the English-language popular and scholarly discourse Paganism , with a capital P, has become an accepted term. Ethnic religions are defined as religions which are related to a particular ethnic group, and often seen as a defining part of that ethnicity's culture, language, and customs. Diasporic groups often maintain ethnic religions as
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