Definition of paganism in English:

noun

• 1A religion other than one of the main world religions, specifically a non-Christian or pre-Christian religion.

  ‘converts from paganism to Christianity’

  More example sentences

  • ‘They built paganism into something comprehensible to their Christian audiences, complete with temples where idols were worshipped under the aegis of powerful priests.’
  • ‘Orientalism inspired him in his adulthood the way Italian renaissance and Greek paganism inspired him as a youth.’
  • ‘These definitions of paganism came from missionaries, not from the pagans themselves.’
  • ‘The old notion of urban Christianity and rural paganism certainly cannot be sustained.’
  • ‘In Athens, paganism took a long time dying.’
  • ‘There is plenty of archaeological evidence for the persistence of paganism in nominally Christian Britain.’
  • ‘The empire was founded on a shared faith more fundamental than any division between Christianity and paganism.’
  • ‘A brief revival in paganism was introduced by Julian, cousin to Constantius, who was proclaimed Emperor in 360.’
  • ‘Archaeology does not yield reliable information about paganism.’
  • ‘As converts, these leaders would be enjoined to enforce their followers to renounce paganism.’

  1. 1.1 A modern religious movement incorporating beliefs or practices from outside the main world religions, especially nature worship.
     ‘modern paganism includes a respect for mother earth’

     More example sentences

     • ‘They begin to define themselves and their paganism in terms of their personal obsessions, losing sight of the larger picture.’
     • ‘I have heard it said that if you cling to Christianity, then perhaps paganism is not for you.’
     • ‘Paganism appealed to me because of the freedom to follow my heart.’
     • ‘I feel that paganism is about choosing your own beliefs and ethics.’
     • ‘There is an illusion that paganism continues to follow its agricultural roots, where prolific sexual practices meant survival.’
     • ‘Many of those who come to paganism have felt like outcasts in the larger world.’
     • ‘It has been argued that paganism focuses more on the female aspect of deity rather than the male.’
     • ‘It is glorious that paganism faces the reality that we are sexual creatures, without applying a stigma to our earth-based bodies and desires.’
     • ‘Newcomers to paganism often feel free to indulge obsessions they've had to hide for years.’
     • ‘Paganism generally isn't a religion that one is born or forced into, it's a conscious choice.’