This article discusses cult in the original sense of "religious practice." It does not discuss religious or sociological
cultist groups or uses in the sense of "cultural sub-group," as in
cult film, etc. In traditional usage, the cult of a
religion, quite apart from its sacred writings ("
scriptures"), its
theology or
myths, or the personal faith of its believers, is the totality of external religious practice and observance, the neglect of which is the definition of
impiety.
Cult is literally the "care" owed to the god and the shrine. The term "cult" first appeared in
English in
1617, derived from the French culte, meaning "
worship" or "a particular form of worship" which in turn originated from the
Latin word cultus meaning "care, cultivation, worship," originally "tended, cultivated," also the past participle of colere "to till". Thus in French, for example, sections in newspapers giving the schedule of worship at
Catholic churches are headed Culte Catholique; the section giving the schedule of protestant churches is headed culte réformé.
See more at Wikipedia.org...
Free Download Now!
