A List of All Religions and Belief

Systems
By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Comments:
FB, LJ

81 entries are listed here. It is simply impossible to list all varieties of religion 1 as we as a
species have created an almost infinite variety of religious and transcendental ideas.
Items in lower case italics are classes of religion and not actual religions. For
example, "theism" is any religion that contains god(s), and "polytheism" is a form of
theism.

What data do you want in the table?

Options
Icons
Compact Layout

Origins & Background

Heritage
Area of Origin
Founded
Founder

Description
Description
God(s)?
Afterlife
Holy Texts
 God(s) Afterl Holy
Description
? ife? Texts?
agnosti A form of belief, rather than a specific system. Belief that Atheist/ Not None
cism (1) God, if it exists, is by nature unknowable and will monoth define
always be unknowable, or, (2) that the individual being eist d
asked cannot conclude if god exists or not for lack of
evidence one way or the other
Amish Monoth Heave The Bible
eist n or
hell

Peaceful Christian fundamentalist group

famous for its rejection of technology and strict
adherence to OT and NT laws
ancest A form of belief, rather than a specific system. Belief that Not Yes None
or good relations need to be kept with tribal ancestor spirits. defined
worship Often a form of Shamanism
animis A form of belief, rather than a specific system. The belief Not Not None
m that all objects contain spirits. More a traditional form of defined define
belief than a "religion" in the Western sense d
Asatrú A modern uptake of Nordic religion Polythei Other None
st
atheis A form of belief, rather than a specific system. Either (1) Atheist Not None
m the active and extrinsic disbelief that God exists, or (2) an define
intrinsic lack of belief due to lack of knowledge about d
god(s) in local culture
Aum Dangerous and violent religious community responsible Theist Yes The
Shinrik for the 1995 Sarin gas attack on Tokyo's subway and Bibleand
yo other crimes. Eventually they apologized, stopped using other
the Bible, and formed the more prosaic group called
Aleph
Bahá'í Monoth Yes Writings of
Faith eist Baha'u'llah
and Abdul
Baha

A world religion2,3. Belief that a series

of prophets have come from God, and that Bahá'í is the
latest religion founded by God. A liberal offshoot of Islam,
but persecuted in Iran
 God(s) Afterl Holy
Description
? ife? Texts?
Brahm This group are preparing to rule the world after a coming Monoth Writings of
a apocalypse, and embrace many practices which are now eist founder
Kumari called New Age and
leaders
Branch Theist Heave The Bible
Davidia n or
ns hell

Apocalyptic suicide cult famed for its

dramatic armed fight against authorities in the town of
Waco, USA, in 1993
Buddhi Atheist Reinc Multifacete
sm arnati d
on
until
escap
e

A world religion2,3,5. The

belief that meditation and good living can break the cycle
of reincarnation and result in enlightenment
Celtic Modern reconstructions of Celtic paganism form part of Not None
Pagani the neo-pagan range of religions known
sm
Chen A series of civilisations on Earth have arisen but Theist Yes
Tao destroyed themselves in nuclear war. Each time, some
faithful believers were rescued by flying saucers and put
back on Earth
Chines A varied cultural religion practiced traditionally on a town- Atheist Reinc None
e by-town and region-by-region basis arnati
Religio on
n until
escap
e
 God(s) Afterl Holy
Description
? ife? Texts?
Christa Monoth Heave The Bible
delphia eist n or
ns hell

Bible-based Christianity
Christia Theist Heave The Bible
n n or
Apostol hell
ic
Church
In Zion

Fundamentalist Anti-science flat-earth

Christian cult, who also predicted the End of the World
would occur 4 different times
Christia Monoth Heave The Bible
nity eist n or
hell

A world religion6,3. Belief that a single

creator god had a son, Jesus Christ, born to a human
mother, and that Jesus' crucifixion by the Romans brings
salvation
Concer Theist Heave The Bible
ned n or
Christia hell
ns

Fundamentalist Christians active in USA,

Israel and Greece who expected the end of the world in
 God(s) Afterl Holy
Description
? ife? Texts?
year 2000, starting with a nuclear attack on the USA,
which they appeared to be trying to instigate themselves
Confuci Atheist None
anism

A world religion9,10. A collection

of ethical and moral teachings
Dami A millenarian cult based on the belief that Jesus would Theist Yes
Xuanjia return to judge survivors in 1999. Suspected of being on
o the verge of mass suicide after predictions of the end of
the world failed in year 2000
deism A form of belief, rather than a specific system. Belief in a Monoth Not None
single creator god who is not "personal" and does not eist define
have human emotions, and which many believers say d
does not interact with the world
Divine A self-help religious group involving meditation, with few Hard to None
Lightmi fixed beliefs tell
ssion
Druidis Celtic religion in prehistoric England. Modern Not Reinc None
m reconstructed Druidism is part of the neo-pagan range of known/p arnati
religions olytheist on
Druze A semi-secretive esoteric religion with features of a Monoth Qur'an,
Mystery Religion eist Rasa'il al-
hikma
(Epistles of
Wisdom)
dualism A form of belief, rather than a specific system. Belief that Dualist Not Multifacete
either (1) There is a good and evil god of equal, or define d
almost-equal power, or (2) there are two gods, such as a d
male and female one
Ebionit 1st century Jewish Christians, possibly the earliest form Monoth Early
es of Christianity to exist eist version of
the Gospel
of Matthew
 God(s) Afterl Holy
Description
? ife? Texts?
Eckank Monoth Reinc Shariyat-
ar eist arnati Ki-
on Sugmad11
until
escap
e

New Age religion, a mix of

Sant Mat, Theosophy and Scientology
Gnostic The belief that we must escape from this world, which Polythei Multifacete
ism was created and is ruled by an inferior and unworthy god, st d
and reunite with the true god
Hare The embracing of Krishna through correct living, honesty, Polythei Reinc Various In
Krishna spiritual life and austerity st arnati dianscriptu
on res
until
escap
e
Heathe Modern uptake of Nordic religion. Part of the neo-pagan Polythei None
nism range of religions st
Heaven Theist Yes
's Gate

Apocalyptic suicide cult who combined

Biblical eschatology with New Age and ideas about
UFOs. All 39 members committed suicide in San Diego,
USA in 1997
Hinduis Polythei Reinc Multifacete
m st arnati d
on
until
escap
e

A world religion2,10. Cultural religion

of India which was historically decentralized and
disparate and not a single belief system. Western
 God(s) Afterl Holy
Description
? ife? Texts?
influence made it into a single religion, an identity which
Hindus now accept
Hooker Theist Heave The Bible
s For n or
Jesus / hell
The
Family
Of God

Sexually promiscuous group who fell foul

of police suspicion. As is often the case, increasing
pressure from outside resulted in the group retreating
even further into insanity, and they became The Family,
predicting the end of the world
Humani An organized form of atheism where moral and ethical Atheist None None
sm goodness is emphasized
Islam Monoth Heave Qur'an and
eist n or Hadiths
hell

A world religion2,3. Strict monotheism

taught by Muhammad, the world's 2nd largest religion
Jainism Atheist Reinc Jain
arnati Agamas
on
until
escap
e

A world religion2,10. Beliefs include non-

violence and equality of all living things
Jedi A campaign saw many put this down as their religion on Animist Select None
Knights the UK census in 2001. Midichlorians exist in all living few
beings, which create a 'living force' that can be interacted
with
 God(s) Afterl Holy
Description
? ife? Texts?
Jehova Monoth Other The Bible
h's eist
Witnes
ses

A 140-year-old Christian
fundamentalist/literalist organisation famous for
preaching that the world is about to end (nowadays -
because of the existence of the United Nations)
Judais Monoth Yes Tanakh
m eist and
Talmud

A world religion2,3. Organized Judaism

emerged from Babylonian writings. Belief that God has a
special contract with a Hebrew tribe, involving many
specific rules of behaviour
Menno Monoth Heave The Bible
nite eist n or
hell

A Protestant Christian denomination

Mithrai Roman mystery religion that believed that the Son of the Monoth Yes Not known
sm Sun was a saviour who was sacrificed for the good of all eist
monoth A form of belief, rather than a specific system. Belief in a Theist Not Multifacete
eism single creator god define d
d
Mystici The belief that God is unknowable but accessible, and Not Not Multifacete
sm that doctrinal religion hampers spiritual growth defined define d
d
Native Beliefs vary from tribe to tribe and are sometimes Monoth None
Americ noticeably Christian eist
 God(s) Afterl Holy
Description
? ife? Texts?
an
Church
New A disparate and diverse collection of popular beliefs and Not Other None
Age practices defined
no A form of belief, rather than a specific system. The rise Not Not None
religion secularisation has seen public and private religion decline defined define
throughout the developed world d
occultis A form of belief, rather than a specific system. Normally Not Not Multifacete
m existing within other belief systems, occult systems defined define d
concentrate on esoteric meanings in texts, often with d
magical undertones
Order Apocalyptic suicide cult, with mass suicides in Theist Yes The
Of The Switzerland, France and Quebec, in preparation for Bibleand
Solar Jesus' second coming other
Temple
Pagani Polythei Yes None
sm st

Part of the neo-pagan range of

religions
panthei A form of belief, rather than a specific system. God is Monoth None
sm everywhere, and everything, but is not transcendent and eist
may have no distinct consciousness
Pastafa A parody religion based on worship of the Flying Monoth Heave Gospel of
rianism Spaghetti Monster eist n or the Flying
hell Spaghetti
Monster
People' Theist Heave The Bible
s n or
Temple hell

Apocalyptic suicide cult that imploded,

resulting in the deaths of over 600 adults and 276
children
 God(s) Afterl Holy
Description
? ife? Texts?
polythei A form of belief, rather than a specific system. Belief in Theist Not Multifacete
sm multiple gods, often in some form of hierarchy define d
d
Raja An astika school of Hindu philosophy based around Polythei The Yoga
Yoga mastering and quieting the mind, involving meditation st Sutras of
Patanjali
Rastafa Monoth The
rian eist Bible(gene
rally)

God (called Jah) fathered a black Jesus;

marijuana use in rituals
Ravida Souls are part of the divine and proper living allows us to Monoth Amritbani
ssia realize God eist Guru
Ravidass
Ji
Salvati Monoth Heave The Bible
on eist n or
Army hell

Christian organisation of evangelists

organised along military lines, famous for charity work
Santerí A combination of West African, Caribbean beliefs with Monoth None
a some elements of Roman Catholicism eist
Satanis Atheist None Writings of
m founder
and
leaders

An atheist religion that uses

dark and evil symbology for self-development and anti-
 God(s) Afterl Holy
Description
? ife? Texts?
religious purposes - Satan itself is not a real being, just a
symbol
Sciento Derived from the writings of science fiction author L. Ron Atheist Reinc Writings of
logy Hubbard, a series of practices called Dianetics is used to arnati founder
clear minds of alien influences and attain a state of on and
mental perfection leaders
Shama Belief that Shamans need to keep good relations with Not Yes None
nism tribal ancestor spirits for the good fortune of the whole defined
tribe
Shinto Atheist Various

A world
religion2,10. Official collection of practices in Japan, more
cultural than religious
Sikhis Monoth Reinc Sri Guru
m eist arnati Granth
on Sahib and
until others
escap
e

A world religion2,10. Prayer,

meditation and self control to become a soldier of God
Spiritua The belief that the souls of the dead communicate with Not Yes None
lism the living, mostly through Mediums, but, suffered serious defined
credibility problems with the original founders admitted to
fraudulently inventing the 'rappings' that formed the
communications
sun Not Not None
worship defined define
d

A form of belief, rather than a specific

system. The basis of much symbology used in many
subsequent religions
 God(s) Afterl Holy
Description
? ife? Texts?
Taoism Atheist None Tao Te
Ching

A world religion2,3. A relaxed and peaceful religion based

on following and accepting the flow of life
theism A form of belief, rather than a specific system. The belief Multifacete
in god(s) d
Thelem A magical system of discerning True Will with inspiration Polythei Book of
a from a host of Egyptian gods st the Law
Theoso Mired in fraud arrests and exposés, the Spiritualism Yes
phy scene had soured, so Madame Blavatsky reinvented her
routine as a new religion, using an Indian theme
Traditio A range of Churches ranging from mostly Christian, to Monoth The Bible
nal those mostly encapsulating native African spirituality eist
 God(s) Afterl Holy
Description
? ife? Texts?
African
Church
Unificat Sun Myung Moon embodied the Second Coming of Monoth Heave The
ion Christ, and his commercialist church runs a media empire eist n or Bibleand
Church hell The
Exposition
of the
Divine
Principle
Unitaria A liberal and non-Trinitarian Christian church Monoth Heave The Bible
nism eist n
Unitaria Not Heave Multifacete
n- defined n d
univers
alism

A liberal and diverse

pluralist religion accepting of believers without needing
them to leave their current religions
Unitas Monoth Heave The Bible
Fratru eist n or
m hell

A Protestant Christian denomination

univers A form of belief, rather than a specific system. Belief that Theist Heave Multifacete
alism all people go to heaven n d
Voodoo A traditional religion from Haiti with an ethical focus on Deist None
combating greed and promoting honour
 God(s) Afterl Holy
Description
? ife? Texts?
Wicca Dualist Not None
define
d

Neo-pagan organisation based

around reconstructed elements of folklore
Witchcr A description of various cultural practices, which are often Not Not Multifacete
aft part of a parent belief system defined define d
d
Yezidis Monoth Reinc Yezidi
m eist arnati Book of
on Revelation
& Black
Book

An ancient religion. Malek Taus looks after the world with

6 other angels. Heavily persecuted by Muslims and
accused of Devil Worship
 God(s) Afterl Holy
Description
? ife? Texts?
Zhu As this group got more and more excited about Theist Yes
Shen establishing a Kingdom of God, in the approach to year
Jiao 2000, its leaders were arrested amid fears that it would
turn into a suicide cult
Zoroast Dualist Avesta
rianism

A world religion10. An ancient dualistic religion from Iran

with one good god (Ahura Mazda) and one evil one
(Ahriman)