Pagan, Paganism...What?

[aiyanna]

Define Pagan

A person who follows a polytheistic or pre-Christian religion (not a Christian or Muslim or Jew)

A practitioner of an Earth Religion

Generic term for a number of pre-Christian faiths – druids, witches. Pagan faith is linked to locality and to the Earth

One who follows or practices an earth-based or nature religion

Paganism (from Latin paganus) and heathenry are blanket terms used by Christians, which have come to connote a broad set of spiritual or religious beliefs and practices of natural religions, as opposed to the Abrahamic religions. "Pagan" is the usual translation of the Islamic kafir. Ethnologists do not use the term for these beliefs, which are not necessarily compatible with each other: more useful categories are: shamanism, polytheism and animism

Pagan classifications
Pagan subdivisions coined by Isaac Bonewits

Paleo-Paganism: A retronym coined to contrast with "neopaganism", denoting a pagan culture that has not been disrupted by other cultures. The term applies to Hinduism, Shinto, pre-Migration period Germanic paganism as described by Tacitus, Celtic Polytheism as described by Julius Ceasar, and the Greek and Roman religion.

Meso-Paganism: A group, which is, or has been, significantly influenced by monotheistic, dualistic, or nontheistic worldviews, but has been able to maintain an independence of religious practices. This includes Native Americans and Australian Aborigine Bushmen, Viking Age Norse paganism, Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, Theosophy, Spiritualism, as well as Sikhism, and the many Afro-Diasporatic faiths like Haitian Vodou, and Santería.

Neo-Paganism: An attempt by modern people to reconnect with nature, pre-Christian religions, or other nature-based spiritual paths. This definition includes such religions as Slavianstvo, Ásatrú, Neo-Druidism, and Wicca.

Religions:
Germanic paganism

Norse paganism

Asatru

Heathenry

Paganism in the Eastern Alps

Celtic polytheism

Ancient Greek religion

Religion in ancient Rome

Finnish paganism

Ancient Near East Paganism

Neopaganism (including Wicca)

[Marius Morningstar]

Nice thread. ^_^

Most Hindus and Buddhists that I've met, though their religions are pre-Christian, prefer not to be called Pagan. Instead, they prefer to refer to their religion as Dharmic instead of Pagan.

[aiyanna]

yes, and that would also fall into the "more useful categories" section.