ENCYCLOPEDIA RELIGIOSA

To deepen our faith in Christ, we must expand our reading beyond the works of our Christian leaders. To facilitate this, we have begun writing articles on various religious movements and ideas. Ultimately, these articles will form an encyclopedia of different religious beliefs.

N.B.

These articles often focus on non-Christian content. We offer them because we must wear the Armor of Faith to combat ignorance.

Why learn about other religions?

First and foremost, it helps us understand what people believe and why they think the way they do. Thus, we can better relate to others and even understand ourselves.

Second, it helps us understand religion and appreciate its positive role, abuses, corruption, and failures. It will reduce religious tensions and misunderstandings, fanaticism, superstitions, and prejudices that have caused much suffering and strife throughout history.

Third, studying different nations and cultures broadens our horizons and causes us to reassess ourselves and our beliefs. Just as learning another language can improve our mastery of our language, studying religions is an excellent way to test, process, and deepen our faith and understanding.

We believe it is presumptuous to assume that the religion one has chosen or was raised in is correct and all others are false. It is also presumptuous to think that our beliefs and understandings are objectively accurate, even if we firmly believe in our Christian faith.

Understanding Ourselves

First, it helps us understand what we believe and why we think the way they do.

Understanding Others

Second, it helps us understand other religions and appreciate context.

Master Your Faith

Third, studying different religions broadens our horizons.

Gnosticism

Gnosticism is the belief that human beings contain a piece of God (the highest good or a divine spark) within themselves, which has fallen from the immaterial world into the bodies of humans. All physical matter is subject to decay, rotting, and death.

Bahá'í Faith

The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the Middle East, where it has faced ongoing persecution since its inception.