Home›Devotional Practices›Scholarly Standing›A standard analytic category in the study of religionBrowse ByA standard analytic category in the study of religionThis page groups practices by how settled their scholarly classification is. Wikipedia notes that "starting about 1920, 'cult' acquired an additional six or more positive and negative definitions," a term whose meaning has shifted considerably. Browsing this way lets a visitor see which practices scholars describe consistently and which remain genuinely contested.FactsLearn MoreA standard analytic category in the study of religionSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsOverviewWhat Defines This GroupingWell-attestedThe sustained acts by which adherents attend to a deity, ancestor or holy figure - prayer at fixed hours, recitation and chant, offerings at a shrine or home altar, veneration of saints and images, pilgrimage. It is the widest and loosest of these groupings and holds acts that are obligatory in one tradition and freely optional in another. 2StatusStanding as a Comparative CategoryWell-attestedA standard analytic category in the study of religion 2DirectoryCategoryWell-attestedPractices 1ComparisonPrimary Academic DisciplineWell-attestedComparative Religion 3Learn MoreThe Devotional Practices This group gathers devotional practices, the acts by which the faithful express love, reverence and dependence toward the divine: prayer, worship, praise, offering, the reciting of names and the observance of daily and seasonal devotion. It is the largest practice grouping in the atlas, reflecting how central devotion is to religious life. The browser will find devotional practices from across the world's traditions. The entries describe each practice's form, purpose and setting, noting the tradition to which it belongs and how it is performed.A standard analytic category in the study of religionFilter Results156 entriesOrigin Period Start YearAll-3000 (1)-1500 (3)-1000 (7)-800 (1)-650 (1)-500 (5)-400 (3)-300 (3)-200 (2)-195 (1)30 (2)70 (4)100 (1)142 (1)150 (1)375 (1)600 (2)610 (12)634 (1)680 (1)700 (3)850 (1)874 (1)900 (2)1100 (4)1150 (1)1195 (1)1200 (2)1253 (1)1400 (3)1499 (1)1549 (1)1550 (1)1600 (1)1604 (1)1652 (1)1699 (1)1700 (1)1800 (1)1840 (1)1870 (2)1894 (1)1901 (1)1920 (1)1946 (1)1965 (1)1966 (1)1970 (1)1971 (2)1985 (1)Unesco StatusAllInscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (2)Solitary or CommunalAllPerformed alone (28)Performed alone or together (61)Performed by a gathered group (41)Performed by an officiant for a recipient (14)TraditionAllAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church (5)African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (5)Ahmadiyya (1)Aladura (2)Alevism (2)Alexandrian Wicca (2)Amish (1)Anabaptism (1)Anglican Communion (11)Anglicanism (11)Armenian Apostolic Church (11)Assyrian Church of the East (1)Baptist (3)Beta Israel (2)Breslov Hasidism (16)Calvinism (Reformed) (3)Chabad-Lubavitch (16)Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (5)Christian Science (2)Church of Cyprus (18)Church of England (11)Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) (2)Church of Greece (18)Church of Ireland (11)Church of Satan (1)Church of Scotland (3)Church of Sweden (9)Church of the Nazarene (5)Conservative Judaism (7)Coptic Orthodoxy (12)Dianic Wicca (2)Disciples of Christ (1)Dutch Reformed Church (3)Eastern Orthodoxy (21)Eclectic Solitary Wicca (2)Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (18)Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church (12)Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (12)Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (9)Evangelicalism (1)Feri Tradition (1)Free Methodist Church (5)Gardnerian Wicca (2)Georgian Orthodox Church (18)Global Methodist Church (5)Greek Orthodox Church (18)Haredi Judaism (16)Hasidic Judaism (16)Humanistic Judaism (2)Ibadism (1)Irani Zoroastrianism (1)Jehovah's Witnesses (1)Karaite Judaism (2)Khalsa (1)Kimbanguist Church (1)Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) (3)Lutheranism (9)Mahayana (1)Maronite Church (2)Mennonites (1)Methodism (5)Modern Orthodox Judaism (16)Moravian Church (2)National Baptist Convention of America (3)Nichiren (1)Old Believers (2)Oriental Orthodoxy (12)Orthodox Judaism (16)Parsi Zoroastrianism (1)Pentecostalism (2)Presbyterianism (3)Progressive National Baptist Convention (3)Pure Land (1)Quakerism (Religious Society of Friends) (2)Quanzhen (Complete Reality) (1)Reclaiming (1)Reconstructionist Judaism (4)Reform Judaism (7)Roman Catholicism (27)Romanian Orthodox Church (18)Russian Orthodox Church (18)Saint Thomas Christians (2)Seax-Wica (1)Sect Shinto (1)Serbian Orthodox Church (18)Seventh-day Adventism (2)Shaivism (2)Shaktism (1)Shangqing (Highest Clarity) (1)Shia (Twelver) (6)Shrine Shinto (2)Smartism (1)Sufism (5)Sunni (2)The Episcopal Church (11)The United Methodist Church (5)Theravada (1)Tibetan Buddhism (3)Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (4)Ukrainian Orthodox Church (18)Vaishnavism (3)Vajrayana (2)Wesleyan Church (5)Zaidiyyah (1)Zen (1)Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) (2)Zion Christian Church (3)Category of PracticeAllArtistic and literary (1)Devotional (36)Devotional, addressed to the worshipper's own inner head (1)Devotional, and divinatory in the same act (1)Who Performs ItAllAll adherents of the tradition (85)Clergy or ordained officiants (18)Householders, those living in the world (3)Initiates only (5)Lay people (8)Monastics: monks and nuns (2)Trained or authorised specialists (22)Women only (2)Practice StatusAllHistorical; not practised continuously (7)Living tradition, practised today (126)Revived or reconstructed in the modern era (1)CadenceAllAnnual (11)As the occasion requires (26)Continuous: a standing discipline, not an event (5)Daily (42)Monthly (3)Once, or at a turning point in a life (4)Seasonal, at set points in the year (4)Several times a day (2)Weekly (10)ObligationAllObligatory (33)Obligatory on those who meet its conditions (10)Optional and voluntary (8)Recommended and meritorious, not required (13)Undertaken only with authorisation or transmission (3)Offered ToAllExu (1)Pomba Gira (1)The Orishas (1)In GroupAllAncient and Historical Religious Practices (6)Buddhist Devotional Practices (11)Christian Devotional Practices (34)East Asian Devotional Practices (5)Hindu Devotional Practices (12)Indigenous and Folk Devotional Practices (2)Islamic Devotional Practices (38)Jewish Devotional Practices (14)New Religious Movement Practices (6)Sikh Devotional Practices (6)Traditional African and Diaspora Practices (3)Zoroastrian Devotional Practices (6)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 156Aboriginal Dot PaintingA standard analytic category in the study of religionAgpeyaA standard analytic category in the study of religionAiwisruthrem GahA standard analytic category in the study of religionAkhand PathA standard analytic category in the study of religionAltar callA standard analytic category in the study of religionAncestor tablet venerationA standard analytic category in the study of religionAncestor venerationA standard analytic category in the study of religionAparche (First Fruits Offering)A standard analytic category in the study of religionAsrA standard analytic category in the study of religionBadhaiA standard analytic category in the study of religionBaptism for the deadA standard analytic category in the study of religionBaptismal lifeA standard analytic category in the study of religionBhajanA standard analytic category in the study of religionBhakti (devotion)A standard analytic category in the study of religionBharatanatyamA standard analytic category in the study of religionBlessingA standard analytic category in the study of religionCandle and lamp lightingA standard analytic category in the study of religionChaand RaatA standard analytic category in the study of religionChanting / MantraA standard analytic category in the study of religionChanting HUA standard analytic category in the study of religionChanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyoA standard analytic category in the study of religionChristian MissionA standard analytic category in the study of religionComplineA standard analytic category in the study of religionConsecrationA standard analytic category in the study of religionCoven-based initiatory worshipA standard analytic category in the study of religionDaily Temple Ritual (Cult Image Service)A standard analytic category in the study of religionDarshanA standard analytic category in the study of religionDhikr (remembrance of God)A standard analytic category in the study of religionDhuhrA standard analytic category in the study of religionDivine healingA standard analytic category in the study of religionDoor-to-door evangelismA standard analytic category in the study of religionEthiopian Church PaintingA standard analytic category in the study of religionEucharistic adorationA standard analytic category in the study of religionFajrA standard analytic category in the study of religionFamily History ResearchA standard analytic category in the study of religionFoot washingA standard analytic category in the study of religionFriday prayerA standard analytic category in the study of religionFull-Time Missionary ServiceA standard analytic category in the study of religionGreater and Lesser MagicA standard analytic category in the study of religionHakafotA standard analytic category in the study of religionHatsumodeA standard analytic category in the study of religionHavan GahA standard analytic category in the study of religionHellenic Household WorshipA standard analytic category in the study of religionHetep Di Nesu (Offering Formula Recitation)A standard analytic category in the study of religionHifzA standard analytic category in the study of religionHindu Temple SculptureA standard analytic category in the study of religionHoshanotA standard analytic category in the study of religionHukamnamaA standard analytic category in the study of religionIcon PaintingA standard analytic category in the study of religionIncense offeringA standard analytic category in the study of religionIntinctionA standard analytic category in the study of religionIshaA standard analytic category in the study of religionIstikharaA standard analytic category in the study of religionIstisqaA standard analytic category in the study of religionJapaA standard analytic category in the study of religionKabbalat ShabbatA standard analytic category in the study of religionKever AvotA standard analytic category in the study of religionKhutbahA standard analytic category in the study of religionKirtanA standard analytic category in the study of religionKola Nut OfferingA standard analytic category in the study of religionKufic CalligraphyA standard analytic category in the study of religionLandtaking Observances (Landnam)A standard analytic category in the study of religionLaudsA standard analytic category in the study of religionLiturgical ColorsA standard analytic category in the study of religionLiturgy of the HoursA standard analytic category in the study of religionMaarivA standard analytic category in the study of religionMaghribA standard analytic category in the study of religionMandala offeringA standard analytic category in the study of religionMatinsA standard analytic category in the study of religionMehndiA standard analytic category in the study of religionMerit-making (punya)A standard analytic category in the study of religionMinchaA standard analytic category in the study of religionMourning of AshuraA standard analytic category in the study of religionMusafA standard analytic category in the study of religionMut'ah of HajjA standard analytic category in the study of religionNaskh CalligraphyA standard analytic category in the study of religionNastaliq CalligraphyA standard analytic category in the study of religionNembutsu (reciting Amitabha's name)A standard analytic category in the study of religionNew Moon observanceA standard analytic category in the study of religionNextlahualli (Debt Payment Offering)A standard analytic category in the study of religionNitnemA standard analytic category in the study of religionNiyyahA standard analytic category in the study of religionNone (Ninth Hour)A standard analytic category in the study of religionNorito recitationA standard analytic category in the study of religionNovenaA standard analytic category in the study of religionObserving the SabbathA standard analytic category in the study of religionOri VenerationA standard analytic category in the study of religionPersian MiniatureA standard analytic category in the study of religionPesukei DezimraA standard analytic category in the study of religionPilgrimageA standard analytic category in the study of religionPradakshinaA standard analytic category in the study of religionPrayerA standard analytic category in the study of religionPrayer compensationA standard analytic category in the study of religionPraying the RosaryA standard analytic category in the study of religionPrimeA standard analytic category in the study of religionProstrationsA standard analytic category in the study of religionPuja (daily worship)A standard analytic category in the study of religionQiyamA standard analytic category in the study of religionQiyam al-LaylA standard analytic category in the study of religionQuimbanda Offerings at the CrossroadsA standard analytic category in the study of religionRaf al-YadaynA standard analytic category in the study of religionRak'aA standard analytic category in the study of religionRapithwin GahA standard analytic category in the study of religionRefuge in BuddhismA standard analytic category in the study of religionRetablo and SantosA standard analytic category in the study of religionSahaj PathA standard analytic category in the study of religionSai between Safa and MarwaA standard analytic category in the study of religionSalatul TasbihA standard analytic category in the study of religionSama (spiritual music and whirling)A standard analytic category in the study of religionSand MandalaA standard analytic category in the study of religionSandhyavandanamA standard analytic category in the study of religionSefirat HaOmerA standard analytic category in the study of religionSelichotA standard analytic category in the study of religionSermonA standard analytic category in the study of religionSeven SacramentsA standard analytic category in the study of religionSextA standard analytic category in the study of religionShacharitA standard analytic category in the study of religionShakyo (Devotional Sutra Copying)A standard analytic category in the study of religionShidianA standard analytic category in the study of religionShodo (Japanese Calligraphy)A standard analytic category in the study of religionShrine offerings and worshipA standard analytic category in the study of religionSitting in salahA standard analytic category in the study of religionSoferut (STaM Scribal Art)A standard analytic category in the study of religionSolitary self-directed practiceA standard analytic category in the study of religionSpeaking in tongues (glossolalia)A standard analytic category in the study of religionStations of the CrossA standard analytic category in the study of religionSujud SahwiA standard analytic category in the study of religionTahajjudA standard analytic category in the study of religionTalismanic and exorcistic ritualA standard analytic category in the study of religionTarawihA standard analytic category in the study of religionTawafA standard analytic category in the study of religionTending the sacred fireA standard analytic category in the study of religionTerceA standard analytic category in the study of religionThangka PaintingA standard analytic category in the study of religionThanksgiving (gratitude)A standard analytic category in the study of religionThe Cem ceremonyA standard analytic category in the study of religionThe Five PillarsA standard analytic category in the study of religionThuluth CalligraphyA standard analytic category in the study of religionTilakaA standard analytic category in the study of religionUchen CalligraphyA standard analytic category in the study of religionUnprogrammed silent worshipA standard analytic category in the study of religionUse of the Book of Common PrayerA standard analytic category in the study of religionUshahin GahA standard analytic category in the study of religionUzerin GahA standard analytic category in the study of religionVeneration of iconsA standard analytic category in the study of religionVeneration of saints and MaryA standard analytic category in the study of religionVeneration of saints and their shrinesA standard analytic category in the study of religionVespersA standard analytic category in the study of religionVotive Offering (Anathema)A standard analytic category in the study of religionVrataA standard analytic category in the study of religionWearing the Five KsA standard analytic category in the study of religionWitrA standard analytic category in the study of religionWomen-only covensA standard analytic category in the study of religionWomen's Mosque MovementA standard analytic category in the study of religionWorship of the lingamA standard analytic category in the study of religionYahrzeitA standard analytic category in the study of religionSources1. Divinity Atlas Directory Taxonomy, First Edition Category Treetier 12. Encyclopedia of Religiontier 1Mircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.), Macmillan Reference, 2005s.v. Worship and Devotional LifeView the Source3. Wikipedia: Comparative religiontier 2WikipediaComparative religion, opening definitionQuote, Comparative religion, opening definitionComparative religion is the branch of religious studies that systematically compares the doctrines, practices, themes and impacts (including migration) of the worlds religions.View the SourceDivinity Atlas Directory Prose, First Edition Category Descriptionstier 1Comments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.