← Back to catalogue
Research draft

ethnic religion

vr.tr.ethnic-religion · SOC.ORG

Let an agent explain the scholarly category of ethnic religion and its contrast with universalising religions, describe traditions classified this way in their own terms with attribution, present debates about the category, and support respectful study.

Thing Registry Society, people and institutions

Research draft, second pass

A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.

written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify

Researched by: Claude

Purpose and description

Let an agent explain the scholarly category of ethnic religion and its contrast with universalising religions, describe traditions classified this way in their own terms with attribution, present debates about the category, and support respectful study.

A religion associated with a particular ethnic group or people and generally not seeking converts from outside, including many Indigenous religions such as Native American and Pueblo religions, historical religions such as Hurrian and Germanic religion, and traditions such as Judaism, Shinto and Hinduism that are sometimes classified as ethnic religions, in contrast to universalising religions such as Christianity, Islam and Buddhism; the category is a scholarly classification, is debated, and traditions are described here in their own terms with attribution.

What it is for: Religions tied to particular peoples.

It can be explain the category; describe traditions with attribution; present debates; support respectful study.

Distinguishing features

Tied to a people

Usually non-proselytising

Scholarly classification

Contested boundaries

What it looks like

Not physical; religious traditions.

How it is recognised

Religion bound to an ethnic group

Indigenous, historical and some major religions

Universalising religions seek converts across peoples; folk religion is a related category

Related models

is a kind of - category

religion

is related to - a related category

folk religion

is related to - peoples with Indigenous religions

Indigenous peoples

is related to - traditions sometimes classified as ethnic

Indian religions

In practice

Families and kinds

Indigenous religions of the Americas

African traditional religions

historical religions such as Hurrian and Germanic

East Asian traditions such as Shinto

traditions sometimes classified as ethnic such as Judaism and Hinduism

Standards and regulation

Academic standards in religious studies

Indigenous rights to religious practice

Respectful representation guidelines

Failure modes and hazards

Imposing the category on communities that reject it

Conflating traditions

Colonial-era framings

Also called

Hurrian religionNative American religionsGermanic religionindigenous religionNative American religion in North AmericaPueblo religionCree religion

Where this came from

wikidata · CC0 1.0

Source repository Registry entry point

Drafted structure

Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.

Understand What ethnic religions are.

Attribution.

Concept

The category.

Concept

Concept.

  1. What is an ethnic religion as a scholarly category, and how does it contrast with universalising religions? definition
  2. Is the presentation attributed and respectful? boundary

Debates

Debates about the category.

Debates

Debates.

  1. What criticisms of the category exist, and how do communities view the label, with positions attributed? provenance
  2. Is the presentation neutral? boundary
Traditions Traditions.

Attribution.

Indigenous

Indigenous religions.

Indigenous

Indigenous.

  1. How do Indigenous religions such as Native American and Pueblo traditions describe themselves, and what protocols govern discussing them? provenance
  2. Which entry fits a specific tradition? action

Historical

Historical religions.

Historical

Historical.

  1. What is known of historical religions such as Hurrian and Germanic religion from sources and archaeology? provenance
  2. Which findings are contested? boundary
Society Rights and revival.

Attribution.

Rights

Rights and protection.

Rights

Rights.

  1. How are Indigenous and ethnic religious practices protected in law and international frameworks? provenance
  2. Which entry fits religious freedom? action

Revival

Revival movements.

Revival

Revival.

  1. How have historical ethnic religions been revived in modern movements, described in their own terms? provenance
  2. Which entry fits a specific revival movement? action
Learn Study and teaching.

Education.

Scholarship

Scholarship.

Scholarship

Scholarship.

  1. Which scholarly works and community sources are standard for studying ethnic religions? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Teach

Teaching.

Teach

Teaching.

  1. How can ethnic and Indigenous religions be taught respectfully? action
  2. Which misconceptions arise? provenance

What the second pass must settle

  • Should Indigenous religions be a separate entry?
  • How should community sources be prioritised?
  • How should debates be attributed?
Draft as JSON