Cult

On the contrary, reading of his texts sacred or recitación of his myths, processing of his theology by rules of hermenéutica particular, like faith personal of his faithfuls (for the dogmatic religions, i.e whose practice needs the adhesion to a confession faith), belongs to the esoterismo.

They can be, according to the religions, the assembly of the item following or a selection between these:

• first of all, more or less symbolic sacrifices;
• prayers and psalms, hymns or cánticos;
• the creation of pious images icons or ídolos.

The peregrinations, alms, the religious tax (retaken or not by the State), the fasting are also aspects of the cult although it is not possible to be included to them in the liturgical aspect; they belong to the dominion of the religious law.

Like the opposition between religions of authority and religion of the law, the iconoclastic opposition between iconóforas religions (that include the adoration and the veneration of images) and religions are a estructurante criterion of religious sciences (like the anthropology of the religion and the sociology of the religion).

A cult plays an important role for solidarity in a group and also it represents an element of stability for a community. Acts like a transfer, a communicative ceremony (to embrace), a ritualizada food, symbolic objects (candles) create complicity. The property to the community is expressed and confirms by means of passage rites (birth, to arrive at adult, the marriage, the maternity, the death).

The modern form of the cultured term

In its modern form the cultured word was used originally by Ernst Troeltsch, that it classifies to the religious groups in Churches, sects, and cults. It described the sect like a small group, composed mainly by poor individuals that, resigning to the world, look for a personal and direct brotherhood; however, the cult grants more freedom of thought, is less systematic and strict in its practices and the attainment of its targets. That is to say, the certain cult gives to the individual religious liberties, that is to say, a capacity to choose between several alternatives.

The present analysts describe to the cult like something more similarity to a network that to an institution established with a assembly of fixed rules. In the cult the one is the individual that finally decides what constitutes the truth, in what to believe and what to practice, being based on the personal experience.

Thus we can see that in mass media constant becomes reference to terms like “cult to the body”, “cult the money”, etc. Seems therefore that nowadays the cultured term with a personal belief is identified, in contrast with the doctrine, that is solicited or sustained by a person or group. This belief can be more or less extended and can be shared by a more or less big group of people, but a leader or institution will not be guided by. In addition the cult would not concentrate in a assembly of principles unquestionable morale or dogmas, nor would count either on a sacred book like source of its beliefs.

When speaking of cult Mayer it says that it is:

the result of an innovation, more than of a separation and designates a group that is net outside the dominant religious current. Defined from the Christian perspective, cult will be distinguished by the appeal to authorities outside Scriptures. (...) Some sociologists appeal nevertheless to the concept of cult in a nondoctrinal sense, to designate a group of recent origin (a new religion in its initial stage), small in volume, little structured, reunited around a charismatic leader

Homonymy

• The cultured word can designate a part of the religious observances. It is seen cultured of the saints.
• The cultured word designates the dominical office in the Protestantism.
• Cult is called to the almost absolute admiration (and generally irrational) that the hooked ones, they fan (attic) s and other enthusiastic ones direct to stars of cinema or some objects.
• The ministry of the Cults designates the organ of the executive of a government who regulates the reports of this one with or the religions. In France, under the Third Republic, before 1905 and the separation of the Churches and the State, a ministry of the public Instruction existed, Cultured and Beautiful Arts. From the separation, the ministry of Interior, that is to say the police, is also in charge of the cults, understood like public expression of the religions, suceptible to cloud the public order. “minister of the cult” sometimes used for one or the other clergy does not have to be confused with the use of the expression.
• English cult designates a sect.

Fashionable expression and subculture

Some youth cultures have cult character and it is called to them thus because of his ideological or pararreligiosos contents and of the form in which they are lived. In the common language “cult” designates something interesting, exotic, avanguardista (“hip”). Some advertizing strategies use as it.

It is also seen

• misa, office, oration of Friday
• chariá, straight canon, Talmud
• cult of the saints, liturgy
• religious sciences

Sources

• “Religious sects and fundamentalisms Glossary of terms” published under license Creative Commons in

External Links

Wikcionario

• Wikcionario has an entrance on cult.

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