Religion

Wong Tai Sin Temple (Hong Kong) Prominent Taoist temple in Kowloon, Hong Kong, dedicated to Wong Tai Sin (Huang Chuping); known for wish-making, kau chim divination, ornate Chinese architecture and large public f…

Wordless Book A Wordless Book uses colored pages or panels to present core Christian teachings without text. It is a common evangelistic and teaching aid in Sunday schools, missions, and childre…

Worship: Forms, Meaning, and Social Role Worship Worship denotes expressions of reverence and devotion — religious and secular — encompassing prayer, ritual, music, offerings, and communal services across cultures.

Wudu: Islamic Ritual Ablution and Its Practice Wudu Wudu is the Islamic ritual of washing specific body parts with water before prayer. This article explains its purpose, typical steps, when it is required, variants like tayammum, a…

Xenu — figure in Scientology cosmology Xenu Xenu is a figure in Scientology's advanced teachings: a purported galactic ruler whose alleged actions are said to explain the origin of harmful spiritual entities called body thet…

Yajurveda: Vedic Manual of Ritual and Sacred Formulae Yajurveda The Yajurveda is one of the four Vedas of ancient India, a collection of ritual prose and sacrificial formulas used by priests in Vedic rites and a source for several Upanishads.

Yazidis: identity, beliefs, history and contemporary issues Yazidis Yazidis are a Kurdish‑speaking ethno‑religious minority originating in northern Mesopotamia. Their syncretic monotheistic faith, strict endogamy and recent mass persecution make th…

YHWH: the Tetragrammaton and the Holy Name in Judaism and Christianity YHWH YHWH (the Tetragrammaton) is the four-letter biblical name of God in Hebrew. This article explains its script, vocalization debates, historical development, religious practice, and…

Yodohime Jinja (Kawakami Jinja) — Shinto shrine in Saga Prefecture Yodohime jinja Yodohime Jinja, also known as Kawakami Jinja, is a Shinto shrine in Saga city, Saga Prefecture. It venerates a local kami and functions as a focal point for community rites, archit…

Yogi: practitioner of Yoga and contemplative disciplines Yogi A yogi is someone committed to the discipline of Yoga—historically an Indian spiritual practitioner who cultivates discipline, meditation, and self-transcendence; usage ranges from…

Yoruba religion: beliefs, practices, and diaspora traditions Yoruba religion Traditional spiritual system of the Yoruba people of West Africa, centered on a pantheon of deities (Orishas), ancestor veneration, Ifá divination and widespread diasporic forms su…

Young Earth creationism: beliefs, history, and public controversies Young Earth creationism An overview of Young Earth creationism: its central claims, historical development, relationship with science, and public and educational controversies.

Yuga (Hindu ages): cyclical eras of virtue and decline Yuga Yuga refers to the four large ages in Hindu cosmology — Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali — which form a repeating cycle describing moral, social and cosmic change across long periods…

Zaidiyyah (Zaidi Islam): history, beliefs and contemporary presence Zaidiyyah Zaidiyyah is a branch of Shia Islam followed mainly in Yemen. It traces its authority to Zaid ibn Ali and differs doctrinally and legally from Twelver and Isma'ili Shia schools.

Zakat: Islamic obligatory almsgiving and social welfare Zakat Zakat is the compulsory charitable giving in Islam. It requires eligible Muslims to redistribute a portion of accumulated wealth to specified categories of recipients to reduce pov…

Zayin (ז) — Seventh Letter of the Hebrew Alphabet Zayin Zayin (ז) is the seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet, pronounced /z/. It represents the number seven in gematria, has no final form, and is an ancestor of Greek, Latin and Cyrill…

Zealot (1st-century Jewish movement and modern usage) Zealot A summary of the Zealots: a 1st‑century Jewish political movement opposed to Roman rule, its methods and history, key figures, and how the term evolved into modern usage.

Zen (Chan): Mahayana Buddhist School Emphasizing Meditation and Direct Insight Zen Zen (Chinese: Chán) is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition emphasizing seated meditation, direct insight (satori/kenshō), and a minimalist, practice-centered approach developed in China…

Zhangzhung: the pre-Tibetan kingdom and its Bon cultural legacy Zhangzhung Zhangzhung was an ancient polity in western Tibet and adjacent regions, associated with the Bon religion and a cultural substratum that influenced early Tibetan history and religio…

Zion: name, place, and religious-symbolic concept associated with Jerusalem Zion Zion is an ancient name for a district and hill of Jerusalem that became a broad religious, cultural and political symbol in Judaism, Christianity and other traditions.

Zionism: origins, varieties, and historical impact Zionism Zionism is a political and cultural movement advocating a Jewish homeland in the historic Land of Israel. It emerged in the late 19th century and took diverse forms; it shaped mode…

Zoroastrianism: Origins, Beliefs, Rituals, and Modern Community Zoroastrianism Ancient Iranian religion founded by Zoroaster: core beliefs, sacred texts, historical development, rituals such as fire worship, and the contemporary communities known as Parsis an…

Zuhr prayer (noon prayer in Islam) Zuhr prayer Zuhr, the midday prayer in Islam, is the second of five daily prayers. This article explains its timing, structure, communal form on Friday, and practical variations across Muslim…