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Bellah, Robert Neelly

(Encyclopedia)Bellah, Robert Neelly bĕlˈə [key],1927–2013, American sociologist and educator. He was educated at Harvard (Ph.D., 1955) and taught there before becoming Elliot professor of sociology at the Univ...

purification

(Encyclopedia)purification, in religion, the ceremonial removal of what the religion deems unclean. The usual agents of purification are water (as in baptism), bodily alteration (as in circumcision), and fire. The ...

Murray, Gilbert

(Encyclopedia)Murray, Gilbert (George Gilbert Aimé Murray), 1866–1957, British classical scholar, b. Sydney, Australia. In 1908 Murray was appointed regius professor of Greek at Oxford. He is best known as a Gre...

Athena

(Encyclopedia)Athena pălˈəs [key], in Greek religion and mythology, one of the most important Olympian deities. According to myth, after Zeus seduced Metis he learned that any son she bore would overthrow him, s...

Saturnalia

(Encyclopedia)Saturnalia: see Saturn, in Roman religion. ...

Flora

(Encyclopedia)Flora, in Roman religion, goddess of flowers and fertility. Her festival, the Floralia, Apr. 28–May 1, was celebrated with great gaiety and licentiousness. ...

Huguenot Wars

(Encyclopedia)Huguenot Wars: see Religion, Wars of. ...

symbol

(Encyclopedia)symbol, sign representing something that has an independent existence. The most important use of symbols is in language. To say so, however, does not solve the perennial philosophical questions as to ...

Fauna

(Encyclopedia)Fauna, in Roman religion: see Bona Dea. ...

Schleiermacher, Friedrich Daniel Ernst

(Encyclopedia)Schleiermacher, Friedrich Daniel Ernst frēˈdrĭkh däˈnyĕl ĕrnst shlīˈərmäkhˌər [key], 1768–1834, German Protestant theologian, b. Breslau. He broke away from the Moravian Church and stud...