Religious cult (from Latin: cultus – honouring, worship) is religious worship of some objects, real or mythical creatures, provided with supernatural properties, including deities; and also totality of the ceremonies related to such honouring.
University students collecting relevant information on the topic have to understand that he concept of religious cult is most developed in paganism that actually consists of various cults.
There can be also distinguished various types of cults on objects:
- the cult of sky,
- the cult of sun,
- the cult of water,
- the cult of fire,
- the cult of plants,
- the cult of ancestors,
- the cult of animals, etc.
For every heathen deity there was a cult, for example, Baal Worship, Attar Worship and other.
You may as well use free sample research paper on religious cults to get the idea that the role of cult in any religion is exceptionally great, as it is considered one of the most powerful tools to ideologically affect its followers. By means of ceremonies, sermons, mysteries, religious organizations in an accessible, perceptibly-certain form put religious ideas into masses. The regular visit of services or prayers, absolute compliance with numerous regulations and prohibitions, is called not only to attach an adept to religion but also constantly to renew and strengthen religious attitude in him.
To these external actions and material belonging of cult, more or less differentiated systems of religious beliefs, feelings, and also corresponding social roles and relations (priestliness, church organization) are indissolubly related. In more narrow sense, religious cult implies those religious relations that are related to worshiping higher, supernatural creatures and does not include magic (conjuring) ceremonies and ceremonies of invocation of spirits (exorcism) in the concept of cult.
In addition, religious cult helps strengthening of religion unity of its followers. In the process
of communication, cult synergies between followers specific connections are established, increasing
sense of hostility towards unfaithful and non-believers.
Thus, a cult executes a number of associate functions with various forms of their realization in
different religions. We can say that Catholicism and Orthodoxy save loyalty to the role of
theatrical rite widely using art, ornate temples, music, singing to wake up and strengthen the
religious feelings of the believers.
In some directions of protestantism, ceremonies have more modest and strict nature: the list of mysteries and holidays is short, divine service is simplified. However, it is necessary to understand that cult there continues to play an important role. Protestantism, simplifying exteriority of cult, put the center of religion in the sphere of individual forms of communication between believer and God: prayers, confession, mystic revelations.
Religious cult is the most conservative element of religion. Repeatedly recurring, it acquires large stability, accretes with domestic and national traditions. The regular participating in cult actions conduces to forming of proof habits that lest long time.
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