Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Druze

(Encyclopedia)Druze or Druse dro͞oz [key], religious community of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, with important overseas branches in the Americas and Australia. The religious leadership prefers the name Muwah...

Islam in Africa

(Encyclopedia)Islam in Africa, the development of the Muslim religion on the African continent. During Muhammad's lifetime a group of Muslims escaped Meccan persecution (615) by fleeing to Ethiopia, where the Negus...

Knox, John

(Encyclopedia)Knox, John, 1514?–1572, Scottish religious reformer, founder of Scottish Presbyterianism. In 1557 the Scottish Protestant nobles signed their First Covenant, banding together to form the group kn...

Huguenots

(Encyclopedia)Huguenots hyo͞oˈgənŏts [key], French Protestants, followers of John Calvin. The term is derived from the German Eidgenossen, meaning sworn companions or confederates. In the reign of King Louis ...

Austin, John

(Encyclopedia)Austin, John, 1790–1859, English jurist. He served (1826–32) as professor of jurisprudence at the Univ. of London, and his lectures were published (with additional material) as The Province of Jur...

Magi

(Encyclopedia)Magi māˈjī [key], priestly caste of ancient Persia. Probably Median in origin, they were, according to Herodotus, a tribe rather than a priestly family. Zoroaster is thought to have been a Magus. S...

Kohler, Kaufmann

(Encyclopedia)Kohler, Kaufmann koufˈmən kōˈlər [key], 1843–1926, American rabbi, scholar, and leader in Reform Judaism, b. Bavaria. He emigrated to the United States in 1869 and served with congregations in ...

Kronos

(Encyclopedia)Kronos or Cronus both: krōˈnəs [key], in Greek religion and mythology, the youngest Titan, son of Uranus and Gaea. With the help of his mother, he led the Titans in the revolt against Uranus and ru...

Saint-Évremond, Charles de Marguetel de Saint-Denis de

(Encyclopedia)Saint-Évremond, Charles de Marguetel de Saint-Denis de shärl də märgətĕlˈ də săN-dənēˈ də săNtāvrəmôNˈ [key], 1616?–1703, French critic, writer, and soldier. He served under Condé...

Thomasius, Christian

(Encyclopedia)Thomasius, Christian krĭsˈtyän tōmäˈzyo͝os [key], 1655–1728, German jurist and philosopher. A lawyer, he lectured on natural law at Leipzig; he broke with the traditional custom of lecturing ...