Religious Categories Proposal

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

Contents 1 High-Level Category 2 Religious Topics 2.1 Religions, Faiths, and Traditions 2.2 Religious History 2.3 Religious Congregations

High-Level Category

The highest level category in the stream will be Category:Religion (currently Category:Religious Categories) and will contain all religious, spiritual, or philosophical religions, as well as religious topics.

Note: While the words "religion" and "religious" does not accurately reflect all possible belief systems, this word has been chosen since it the most recognizable to the majority of members.

Religious Topics

Religions, Faiths, and Traditions

Currently named 'Religions and Spiritual Traditions, this category will be renamed and serve as the high-level listing of the different world religions, categorized based on the study of comparative religions and geographical classifications based on origin; Middle Eastern, East Asian, Indian, African, American, and Oceanic Religions.

Note: The religions shown below are examples and not inclusive of all religions/faiths.

• Category:Religion
  • Category:Religions, Faiths, and Traditions
    • African Religions -- (indigenous religions of Africa, excluding ancient Egyptian religion - oral / folk rather than scriptural - may not have an official name so is appended by "Religion")
      • Abwoi
      • Serer
      • Juju
      • Yoruba
    • American Religions -- (indigenous religions of the two American continents - oral / folk rather than scriptural - may not have an official name so is appended by "Religion")
      • Aztec Religion
      • Ghost Dance
      • Inuit Religion
      • Mexicayotl
    • East Asian Religions -- (aka Taoic religions, typically share core concepts of spirituality, divinity and world order)
      • Taoism
      • Confucianism
      • Shinto
      • Buddhism
    • Indian Religions -- (aka Dharmic or Indic religions, originating from the Indian subcontinent)
      • Hinduism
      • Jainism
      • Buddhism
      • Sikhism
    • Middle Eastern Religions -- (Abrahamic monotheistic religions)
      • Judaism
      • Christianity
      • Islam
      • Baháʼí Faith
      • Druze Faith
      • Samaritanism
    • Oceanic Religions -- (indigenous religions of the Pacific islands, Australia, and New Zealand - oral / folk rather than scriptural - may not have an official name so is appended by "Religion")
      • Aboriginal Religion

Each religious faith can then be broken down into smaller classifications (branches / denominations) as needed. For example Buddhism could be broken down into Theravāda and Mahāyāna to identify the two major branches.

More complex religions may require multiple levels of categorization to distinguish between different orthodoxies, orders, and rites. For example, Protestantism may be broken down into Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterian, etc.

Religious History

Category:Religious History is used to group significant historical events with religious connections (e.g., Crusades, Diasporas, etc.).

• Category:Religion
  • Category:Religious History
    • Category:Crusades
    • Category:Religious Movements

Landing-level categories may cross-link / share parent categories in other streams.

Religious Congregations

Religious Congregations serves as the backbone of the religious stream, and is where profiles will be located.