Religion

Saraswati: Hindu goddess of knowledge, music and speech Saraswati Saraswati is the Hindu goddess associated with learning, the arts, speech and wisdom. Venerated since the Vedic period, she is depicted with a vina, book and swan and is celebrated…

Sasamuta-jinja (Sasamuta Shrine) — Ōita, Kyushu Sasamuta-jinja Sasamuta-jinja is a Shinto shrine in Ōita city on Kyushu. This article outlines its location, typical shrine features, cultural role, festivals, architecture, and visitor guidance.

Satan: origins, roles, and cultural interpretations Satan An overview of Satan — names and meanings, development in Jewish, Christian and Islamic texts, modern Satanism, and cultural influence across literature and art.

Satanic Verses (reported episode in early Islamic history) Satanic verses A contested episode recorded in some early Islamic histories in which Muhammad is said to have uttered and later retracted phrases praising Meccan goddesses; scholars and Muslim tr…

Satanism: Beliefs, History, and Common Misunderstandings Satanism Concise overview of Satanism: its main forms (symbolic/LaVeyan and theistic), history, practices, and how diverse groups have been mischaracterized or accused over time.

Satguru: Meaning, Role, and Traditions of the 'True Teacher' Satguru Satguru (or sadguru) denotes a spiritually realized teacher in Indian religious traditions who guides disciples toward liberation, inner peace, or enlightenment. Roles and practice…

Savior (Saviour): Concept, Roles, and Religious Variations Savior A clear overview of the term 'savior': its meanings, historical development, roles in major religions, cultural uses, and distinctions such as messiah and redeemer.

Sayyid: honorific title and claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad Sayyid Sayyid (also spelled Syed, Sayed, Seyed) is an Arabic honorific meaning 'master' and is used across the Muslim world to denote respect and, often, claimed descent from the Prophet…

Schism (religion): causes, history, and distinctions Schism (religion) A religious schism is a formal split that breaks institutional or communal unity within a faith. This article outlines its meaning, forms, historical examples, causes, and how it d…

Scientology: beliefs, practices, organization, and controversies Scientology Overview of Scientology, its core beliefs and practices, organizational structure, social programs and controversies, with context on history and public reception.

Scripture: Sacred Writings, Authority, and Religious Tradition Scripture An overview of scripture as written texts regarded as authoritative in religious traditions, including origins, types, canonization, interpretation, and examples such as the Bible…

Second Coming (Christian belief) Second Coming The Second Coming is the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ will return to complete God's plan: judgement, the defeat of evil and the fulfillment of God's kingdom, interpreted in…

2 John: Johannine Letter on Love, Truth, Hospitality, and Warnings Against False Teachers Second Epistle of John Overview of 2 John: a concise Johannine letter urging love and adherence to truth, offering hospitality guidance and warnings against false teachers, with discussion of authorship…

Second Epistle of Peter (2 Peter) Second Epistle of Peter A concise guide to the Second Epistle of Peter: its content, debated authorship, principal themes, place in the New Testament canon, and its historical and theological significance…

Second Epistle to the Thessalonians A concise encyclopedia article on the New Testament book 2 Thessalonians: its setting, authorship debates, main themes (eschatology, perseverance), structure, and historical influe…

Second Epistle to Timothy A short New Testament letter traditionally attributed to Paul, offering pastoral instruction to Timothy on ministry, perseverance, false teaching, and the authority of Scripture.

Second Great Awakening (United States religious revival, c. 1790s–1830s) Second Great Awakening A widespread Protestant revival movement in the United States that emphasized revival meetings, personal conversion, and spurred social reforms such as temperance and abolitionism.

Second Temple (Herod's Temple) — Jerusalem's central sanctuary, 516 BCE–70 CE Second Temple The Second Temple was Jerusalem's rebuilt sanctuary from the return from exile until its destruction in 70 CE. A center of Jewish ritual, politics and culture, it shaped Judaism's…

Sect (religious and political groups) Sect A sect is a smaller group that breaks away from a larger religious or political community, retaining many common elements but emphasizing distinctive doctrines, practices, or organ…

Secularism (secularity) — separation of religion and public authority Secularism Secularism holds that government and public institutions should be neutral toward religion, keeping church and state separate. It appears in different legal models and shapes debat…

Sedevacantism Sedevacantism is a Traditionalist Catholic position that the papal office has been vacant since the mid‑20th century; this article explains its beliefs, origins, varieties, and how…

Seiðr — Old Norse ritual sorcery, prophecy and social role Seiðr Seiðr was an Old Norse ritual practice of prophecy, trance and magical manipulation recorded in the sagas and Eddas. It involved specialists, contested gender roles, and a modern r…

Sephardi Jews (Sephardim) Sephardi Jews Sephardi Jews are the Jewish communities originating on the Iberian Peninsula whose culture, liturgy and language spread across the Mediterranean and beyond after the late-15th-cen…

Septuagint (LXX): the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures Septuagint The Septuagint (LXX) is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, begun in Alexandria in the Hellenistic period. It shaped Jewish and Christian scripture, includes additio…

Sermon: definition, purpose, history and common forms Sermon A sermon is a religious or moral address given during worship. This article outlines its purpose, common structures, historical development, varieties, and role in communities and…

Servant of God (religious title) Servant of God A religious honorific used across faiths. In Catholicism it denotes the initial stage of a canonization inquiry; in other traditions it can mean any devout believer or appear in pe…

Service of worship: forms, elements, history and variations Service of worship An overview of services of worship: what they are, common elements, historical development, denominational differences and roles in religious life across Christian and Jewish tradi…

Seven Commandments of the Children of Noah (Noahide Laws) Seven Commandments of the Children of Noah A summary of the seven universal laws in Jewish tradition for non-Jews—prohibitions against idolatry, blasphemy, murder, sexual immorality, theft, cruelty, and a mandate to establi…

Seventh-day Adventist Church A global Protestant denomination emphasizing Saturday Sabbath observance, Christ’s second coming, healthful living, and mission. Covers beliefs, history, organization, practices, a…

Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada Overview of the Seventh-day Adventist presence in Canada: history, beliefs, institutions, organization and public role, with membership and development notes.

Sexual abstinence: practice, types, motivations and history Sexual abstinence Deliberate avoidance of sexual activity, temporary or lifelong. Covers types, motivations, historical context, practices, and distinctions such as celibacy and voluntary celibacy.

Shabbat — the Jewish day of rest Shabbat Shabbat is the weekly day of rest and spiritual renewal in Judaism, observed from Friday evening to Saturday night with rituals, prohibitions on work, synagogue services, meals, an…

Shafiʿi school of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence Shafi`i One of the four major Sunni legal schools, founded by Imam al-Shafiʿi; noted for systematising usul al-fiqh, emphasizing hadith, regulated use of analogy (qiyas), and wide presence…

Shahada: The Islamic Declaration of Faith Shahada The Shahada is Islam's central declaration of faith—'There is no god but God; Muhammad is the messenger of God'—serving as the first pillar and a defining statement of Muslim belie…

Shaivism: Tradition, Beliefs, and Cultural Influence Shaivism Shaivism is a major tradition within Hinduism that reveres Shiva as supreme; this article outlines its beliefs, principal schools, practices, geographic spread, and historical deve…

Shaligram: sacred ammonite stone in Vaishnava Hindu tradition Shaligram Shaligram are naturally occurring ammonite fossils venerated in Vaishnava Hindu practice as aniconic manifestations of Vishnu. They are ritual objects, pilgrimage prizes from the G…

Shalom: Hebrew word for peace, greeting, and wholeness Shalom Shalom is a Hebrew term signifying peace, completeness and wellbeing. Used as a greeting, farewell and religious concept, it reflects social harmony, inner calm and ethical balance…

Shaykh al-Islām: title, roles, and historical development Shaykh al-Islām Shaykh al-Islām is an honorific for preeminent Islamic scholars and, in some eras, a formal office. This article explains its meaning, qualifications, historical uses, and institut…

Shia Islam Shia Islam is the second major branch of Islam, distinguished by beliefs about the succession to Muhammad, the role of the Imams, distinctive practices, and diverse historical deve…

Shiaphobia (Anti‑Shi'ism): origins, forms, and contemporary impact Shiaphobia Shiaphobia, or anti‑Shi'ism, denotes prejudice, discrimination, and violence against Shia Muslims; this article outlines its origins, common manifestations, historical background,…

Shinshūkyō (Japanese new religious movements) Shinshūkyō Shinshūkyō denotes the diverse new religious movements in Japan since the mid-19th century, often syncretic and socially active, shaped by Shinto, Buddhism and other traditions.

Shinto: Japan’s Indigenous Way of the Kami Shinto Shinto is Japan’s indigenous religion focused on kami—divine or spirit presences linked to nature, ancestors and places. It emphasizes rituals, shrines, festivals and the harmony b…

Shinto shrine (jinja): sacred places of Japan Shinto shrine Shinto shrines (jinja) are sacred sites in Japan where kami are venerated. They combine architectural elements, natural settings, rituals and festivals and play roles in community…

Shiogama Jinja: A coastal Shinto shrine of Miyagi Prefecture Shiogama Jinja Shiogama Jinja is a historic Shinto shrine in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture, long associated with salt-making, maritime safety and regional ritual life in northern Japan.

Shiva: Hindu deity of transformation, asceticism, and cosmic dance Shiva Overview of Shiva — major Hindu deity venerated as transformer and ascetic. Covers attributes, forms (Lingam, Nataraja), family, festivals, worship, historical development and cult…

Shree Shree Siddheswari Kalimandir A Hindu temple in Siddheswari, Dhaka, dedicated to the goddess Kali; a local religious, cultural, and community focal point in Bangladesh.

Shri Shail Temple — Shakti shrine near Sylhet, Bangladesh Shri Shail Shri Shail (শ্রীশৈল) is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Shakti in Joinpur village, Dakshin Surma, about 3 km northeast of Sylhet town. It functions as a local pilgrimage si…

Shrine: Sacred Sites, History, Forms, and Cultural Roles Shrine An overview of shrines: their meanings, architectural features, historical origins, religious roles, and common types found across cultures.