A religious symbol is an iconic representation intended to represent a specific
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
, or a specific concept within a given religion.
Religious symbols have been used in the military in many countries, such as the
United States military chaplain symbols
Religious symbolism in the United States military includes the use of religious symbols for military chaplain insignia, uniforms, emblems, flags, and chapels; symbolic gestures, actions, and words used in military rituals and ceremonies; and reli ...
. Similarly, the
recognize 57 symbols (including a number of symbols expressing non-religiosity).
Symbols representing a specific religion
Symbolic representation of a specific religious tradition is useful in a society with
religious pluralism
Religious pluralism is an attitude or policy regarding the diversity of religious belief systems co-existing in society. It can indicate one or more of the following:
* Recognizing and tolerating the religious diversity of a society or countr ...
, as was the case in the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
, and again in modern
multiculturalism
The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for "Pluralism (political theory), ethnic pluralism", with the tw ...
.
Religious symbolism
African Indigenous religions
In some African Indigenous religions, there are graphical and pictorial symbols representing the actual religion or faith just like the
Abrahamic
The Abrahamic religions are a group of religions centered around worship of the God of Abraham. Abraham, a Hebrew patriarch, is extensively mentioned throughout Abrahamic religious scriptures such as the Bible and the Quran.
Jewish tradition ...
faith. Each indigenous religion however, has symbolisms which are religious or spiritual in nature. Some of these may be graphical, numerological (as in Serer numerology - see
Serer creation myth
The Serer creation myth is the traditional creation myth of the Serer people of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania. Many Serers who adhere to the tenets of the Serer religion believe these narratives to be sacred. Some aspects of Serer religious a ...
) or a combination of both. However, these graphical images represent the actual religion practice and elements within the faith.
The Ìṣẹ̀ṣe religion of the
yoruba
The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...
people indigenous religion as an example has it graphical and pictorial symbol representing the religion, the symbol explained the philosophical concept of the four cardinal point of the earth.
The very nature of
African art
African art describes the modern and historical paintings, sculptures, installations, and other visual culture from native or indigenous Africans and the African continent. The definition may also include the art of the African diasporas, su ...
stem from "their themes of symbolism, functionalism and utilitarianism" hence why African art is multi-functional. In the African Indigenous belief system, Africans draw from their various artistic traditions as sources of inspiration.
Other examples of religious symbolism
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Ayyavazhi symbolism
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Buddhist symbolism
Buddhism, Buddhist symbolism is the use of Symbol, symbols (Sanskrit: ''pratīka'') to represent certain aspects of the Gautama Buddha, Buddha's Dharma (teaching). Early Buddhist symbols which remain important today include the Dharmachakra, Dharm ...
*
Christian symbolism
*
Jewish symbolism
The Hebrew word for 'symbol' is , which, in early Judaism, denoted not only a sign, but also a visible religious token of the relation between God and human.
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Common iconography
Shabbat
Shabbat, the day of rest, is described in the T ...
*
Symbolism in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
See also
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Allegory
As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory th ...
*
Religious and political symbols in Unicode
Unicode contains a number of characters that represent various cultural, political, and religious symbols.
Most, but not all, of these symbols are in the Miscellaneous Symbols block.
The majority of them are treated as graphic symbols that are ...
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Baháʼí symbols
There are several symbols used to express identification with the Baháʼí Faith: the nine-pointed star, a calligraphy known as the "Greatest Name", the Ringstone Symbol, or a five-pointed star.
Nine-pointed star
According to the Abjad system ...
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Religion in national symbols
Religion in national symbols can often be found in national anthems or flags. This has led to controversy in some secular states in regard to the separation of church and state, when the national symbol is officially sanctioned by a government.
Fl ...
*
Sigil
A sigil () is a type of symbol used in magic. The term has usually referred to a pictorial signature of a deity or spirit. In modern usage, especially in the context of chaos magic, sigil refers to a symbolic representation of the practitioner ...
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Symbols of Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion teaching that there is only one God (Allah) and that Muhammad is the last messenger of God. It is the world's second-largest religion, with over 1.9 billion followers, and Muslims form 24.4% of the w ...
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Religious symbolism in the United States military
Religious symbolism in the United States military includes the use of religious symbols for military chaplain insignia, uniforms, emblems, flags, and chapels; symbolic gestures, actions, and words used in military rituals and ceremonies; and reli ...
References
Bibliography
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External links
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Religious symbols and their meaningsUnited States Veteran's Administration approved religious symbols for graves
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Religious
Religion is usually defined as a social system, social-cultural system of designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morality, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sacred site, sanctified places, prophecy, prophecie ...