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| Sister Kells - Church of the Electric Life. Art Mostly By: Me |
Art Mostly By Me: I used a few lines from old
photographs to get the proportions right, then created shape and
details from the guide marks. All the photographs were either of me
or were public domain.
This is the second part of my Random Theology Generator
(Part 1: LINK). As always, I am open to feedback!
Author's
Note: I truly love religion, it
is the ultimate expression of humanity's need to understand the
universe on its most intrinsic level. I will occasionally reference
real world religions, both active and inactive, in terms of
mythology. I am using the term 'mythology' not as a way of
discrediting the truth of the religion or the truth it sought to
explain, rather the term is used refer to set of religious
explanations and beliefs. To further underscore my intention behind
my use of 'mythology', I will leave you with this quote:
After all, I believe that legends and myths are
largely made of 'truth', and indeed present aspects of it that can
only be received in this mode... - J.R.R. Tolkien
Form of
Worship
How the institution(s) of a religion effect the worship
by individual(s) varies by the religion itself. Some religions may
require direct interaction with a religious institution for
'official' worship to occur, while other religions may not require
any interaction at all with the religion's institutions.
- Religious Institution Required
- Personal Worship Sufficient
- Both Personal and Institutional Worship Required
- No Worship is Required/Wanted
Religious
Institution Required: Worshipers
may be required to be at a particular location, or in a specific
building, for the worship to be considered 'official'. Worshipers may
also be required to take part in certain rituals or religious
gatherings as well.
Personal
Worship Sufficient: While they
may be encouraged to be engaged with the more organized aspects of
the religion, the individual is just required to engage in worship as
they see fit. How the worship takes form may vary from person to
person, or it's form may have guidelines set by holy writ/teachings.
Whatever the case may be, only the individual and their activities
are needed for worship to be 'official'.
Both
Personal and Institutional Worship is Required: Here
the worshiper is required to engage with the institutions of the
religion as part of their worship, as well as engage in more personal
worship as well. This modality of worship usually takes of the form
of the worshiper attending regular worship events as well as engaging
in prayer and other minor rituals individually.
No
Worship Required/Wanted: The
religion does not require any form of worship, or the deity does not
want to be worshiped. Certain behavior may only be required, or the
religion may have other priorities besides the worship of a
deity/concept. While worship may not be required, usually is required
to do something outside of their normal routine. How often this
'something' must occur is determined using the Time
of Worship table.
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| Member of the Oculus Ex Deus Cult. Art Mostly By: Me |
Worshiper
Involvement
The level of involvement a worshiper has in a religion's
ceremonies and rituals will effect the form they take and the
importance of clergy in the religion. You may roll on this table once
for all ceremonies and rituals of a religion or roll individually for
specific ceremonies/rituals you may have in mind.
- Worshiper Observation Only
- Worshiper Observation and Involvement
- Worshiper Involvement Alone
Worshiper
Observation Only: The worshiper
is required to observe during rituals/ceremonies, but is not
required/wanted to participate. Members of the religion might be
required to respond verbally, or required to engage in simple actions
(kneeling, standing, or other physical movements) but their presence
is not required for the ceremony/ritual to occur.
Worshiper
Observation and Involvement: Ceremonies
and rituals require the presence and the direct involvement of the
religion's members. For the ceremony/ritual to be considered valid
both the clergy and the members must be present and engage in certain
required actions.
Worshiper
Involvement Alone: Here the
members of the religion are the prime actors of the ceremony/ritual.
If the clergy are involved at all, they are merely there to guide the
members and to ensure the ceremony/ritual is carried out correctly.
Time of
Worship
For those religions that require some form of worship,
the religion usually places a minimum on how often an individual must
engage in a form worship or certain behavior to stay in good standing
with the religion/deity/reality. The less often the behavior/worship
is required, the more involved/complex/time-consuming it is.
- Yearly
- Monthly
- Weekly
- Daily
- Hourly
- No Set Time
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| Religious Mask. Art Mostly By: Me |
Holy Days
Most religions have holy days where certain
actions/events occur across across a region that are spurred on by
the believers of a particular faith. Usually work does not occur on
these days with the members of a religion be freed from many normal
responsibilities, and occasionally from societal norms. The English
word Holiday has its origins
in the Old English word Haligdaeg,
which literally means 'holy day'. While special ceremonies and
rituals are almost always involved in Holy Days, this table is more
concerned with broader actions and behaviors of its members on this
day. It is recommended that you roll at least twice on this table for
each Holy Day, since most have more than one set of
behaviors/actions. While the terminology suggests only a single day,
observances can last as long as a year in the case of Jubilee Years
with Christianity and Judaism.
- Somber / Contemplation
- Giving of Gifts
- Fasting / Abstaining
- Festivals / Feasting
- Sacrifices
- Certain Societal/Religious Mores Lifted
Somber
/ Contemplation: The general
level of behavior among the religious observers tends to be muted,
with little in the way of celebration. Worshipers may be required to
meditate on a specific concepts while quietly going about their
lives. This type of behavior may only be required for a limited
period of time, or throughout the entirety of the Holy Day
observance.
Giving
of Gifts: Worshipers are
required to give gifts during the observance of the Holy Day, as to
who the gifts are given to depends on the religion. Some religions
may only require gifts to be given to relatives of friends, while
others may require gifts to be given to any stranger or certain
classes of strangers (children, the infirm, prisoners, etc...). If
the observance of a Holy Day lasts longer than a single day, gift
giving may be limited to a single day (Christian Advent), during each
day of the observance (Jewish Hanukkah), or during specific days of a
multiple day observance (Hindu Diwali / Deepavali).
Fasting
/ Abstaining: Observers are
required to fast or abstain from certain behaviors. Fasting can take
many forms:
Dry
Fasting: Cannot
consume food or water.
Water
Fasting: May
consume water but not food.
Partial
Fasting: Depending
on the observance and the religion, the individual may be barred from
certain foods/drinks or the amount of food/drink may be limited.
The
the kind of fasting / abstaining as well as its duration may vary
depending on the observance in question. During Lent in the Catholic
and Byzantine rites of Christianity, observers are asked to engage in
partial fasting as
long as it is medically safe for them to do so for the entirety of
the observance. While during the month of Ramadan in Islam, observers
are asked to engage in Dry
Fasting from
dawn until dusk as long as it is medically safe for them to do so.
Festivals
/ Feasting: Observers
engage in feasting among small or large groups, and/or festivals
involving any number of people. While this type of behavior is not
usually required by a religion, it is often encouraged by the
religion itself.
Sacrifices:
While
fasting/abstaining is considered as a form of sacrifice by many
religions, here the term Sacrifice
is
being used to denote the ritualistic destruction of an object of the
death of a living being in the name of the religion's prime focus, be
it a deity or concept. If these sacrifices are plants or animals,
usually, but not always, there is a prohibition against consuming
said sacrifices after the ceremony/ritual.
Certain
Societal/Religious Mores Lifted: This
aspect of Holy Day observances is usually used as a release valve for
a group or society to ease tensions within it. A lifting of mores may
be conditional (ex: if the individual did not engage in the
prohibited behavior), or may be completely open no matter the actions
of the individual. The more lifted may be as minor as the consumption
of certain foods, or as great as unrestricted promiscuity. Whatever
the case may be, the individual who engages in the particular more is
rarely, if ever, held responsible for the side effects/results of the
behavior in question.
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| Masks must be worn to preserve sanity during services at the Court of the Pit. Art Mostly By: Me |
Holy Day
Basis
Just as important as the Holy Day itself is the reason
for its celebration. The reason can vary between religions as well as
between particular Holy Days in the same religion.
- Celebration of a Religious Figure
- Celebration of a Particular Event
- Borrowed Celebration of Another Religion
- Prescribed Time for a Particular Ritual or Activity
Celebration
of a Religious Figure: This can
the take the form of the celebration of a figure's birth (Hindu –
Rama Navami: The birth of Lord Rama) or the celebration of a
particular action of a figure (Islam – Eid al-Adha: Honoring the
willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, as an act of submission
to Allah’s command.).
Celebration
of a Particular Event: This can
take the form of the celebration of a physical event (Judaism –
Purim: The saving of the Jews by Mordecai and his cousin and adopted
daughter Esther, who had risen to become Queen of Persia, from
extermination by Haman the royal vizier to the Persian king), or it
can take the form of the celebration of a metaphysical event
(Buddhism – Bodhi Day: The celebration of the Siddhartha Buddha
attaining Enlightenment).
Borrowed
Celebration from Another Religion: Either
the timing of the celebration, rituals, and/or reason for the
celebration was borrowed from another religion. The reason for the
borrowing is usually a way to ease the conversion of a people, people
are often more attached to a celebration than its reason/basis.
Though the celebration could have also been borrowed from the
parent-religion, in the case of a separate religion branching off
from another.
Prescribed
Time for a Particular Ritual/Activity: With
this form, the basis comes from the need to engage in a certain
ritual or activity. For agrarian religions this might be the
planting/harvesting time, or for a metaphysically relevant act
(Judaism – Yom Kippur: The day in which Jews atone for their sins
against HaShem/G_D).
Form of
Clergy
The term Clergy,
while normally used in reference to priests, is not restricted to the
priesthood in the academic sense. Many religions have a strong
monastic tradition, with some religions, such as certain forms of
Buddhism, only has a monastic tradition without a priesthood.
- Priesthood Only
- Monasticism Only
- Priesthood and Monasticism
- No Formal Clergy
Priesthood
Only: The religion only has a
priesthood. This does not mean that the religion is without a
priestly hierarchy, such as that found in the Catholic rite: Priest,
Monsignor, Bishop, Cardinal, and Pope.
Monasticism
Only: The religion only has a
monastic tradition, without a formal priesthood. Just as with the
priesthood, a hierarchy with individual titles can exist in this form
of clergy, but all fulfill the position of monk/nun.
Priesthood
and Monasticism: The religion
possesses a priestly and monastic tradition. In this form of clergy
setup, the priesthood and monasticism tend to have their own
hierarchies, and operate separately from one another.
No
Formal Clergy: The religion
does not have any formal clergy, meaning that the members of the
religion are also those who oversee all of the religious
practices/ceremonies/rituals. The ritualism of religions with this
setup tends to be simpler than religions with the previous setups,
since they need to be overseen with little formal training. (Skip
Clergy Membership)
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| In the Cult of the Insensate all clergy members must remove their sensory organs. Art Mostly By: Me |
Clergy
Membership
Who may become a member of the official clergy varies
between religions, and membership requirements can even change over
time in the same religion.
- Limited to a Single Sex
- Open to Any Sex
- Relinquishment of Sexual Identity
Limited
to a Single Sex: Religions with
this setup only allow a specific sex to become a member of the
clergy. This form of limitation tends to fall along the lines of the
identified sex/gender of the deity or concept being revered (e.g. men
only for male deities and women only for female deities.).
Open
to Any Sex: Religions with this
setup allow any sex to join the clergy. In the case of a religion
with monasticism and a priesthood, membership may be limited to one
clerical form but not the other.
Relinquishment
of Sexual Identity: This rare
form of limitation requires the individual to give up all aspects of
their sexual identity. The religion may only require the removal of
outward identifiers (ex: style of clothing, hairstyle, waste
excretion habits, etc...) or the removal can be more drastic, such as
castration. In worlds with sufficient magic, an individual's
physicality can be made truly androgynous, or their memories could be
altered so they cannot accurately remember their original sex.
Clergy
Hierarchy
As with any organization, the questions of authority and
hierarchy must be addressed in order to understand the extent and the
form the organization may take. These concerns are no less relevant
in the case of a religion.
- Strict Hierarchy w/ Single Head
- Strict Hierarchy w/ Ruling Council
- Loose Hierarchy w/ Single Advising Authority
- Loose Hierarchy w/ Advising Council
Strict
Hierarchy w/ Single Head: Religions
with this form of hierarchy have a clearly defined hierarchy the
requires obedience from its lower levels to its higher levels. At the
top of the hierarchy is a single head whose authority is complete
within the confines of the religion's laws/rules.
Strict
Hierarchy w/ Ruling Council: Religions
with this form of hierarchy have a clearly defined hierarchy the
requires obedience from its lower levels to its higher levels. At the
top of the hierarchy is a group of clergy members who possess equal
authority. Any major decision/act must be agreed upon by at least a
simple majority, though complete agreement may be required, in order
for anything to occur.
Loose
Hierarchy w/ Single Advising Authority: Religions
with this form of hierarchy only possess a single rank of clergy, or
the ranks are merely honorifics without any real authority. Obedience
from the lower ranks to the higher ranks is not required, though the
lower ranks/younger clergy may be required to seek out the advice of
higher ranks/older clergy before making important decisions. While
there is usually no 'top' to this hierarchy structure, there is an
individual who is considered to be the most wise/well-informed. This
individual is usually sought out to settle disputes or offer advice
concerning major issues/decisions. No one is required to follow
through on this individual's advice, but they may be required to at
least listen to what the individual has to say before acting.
Loose
Hierarchy w/ Advising Council: Religions
with this form of hierarchy only possess a single rank of clergy, or
the ranks are merely honorifics without any real authority. Obedience
from the lower ranks to the higher ranks is not required, though the
lower ranks/younger clergy may be required to seek out the advice of
higher ranks/older clergy before making important decisions. While
there is usually no 'top' to this hierarchy structure, there is a
group of individuals who are considered to be very
wise/well-informed. This council is usually sought out to settle
disputes or offer advice concerning major issues/decisions. No one is
required to follow through on their advice, but they may be required
to at least listen to what the council has to say before acting.
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| Insensate Cult Clergy remove their hands and replace them with enchanted stone prosthetics. Art Mostly By: Me |
Clergy
Authority
Throughout history, clergy members have held varying
levels of authority over members of their religion as well citizens
of a particular region. How clergy present themselves in private and
public can depend largely on the level of authority they possess.
- No Authority / Disregarded
- Minor Social / Cultural Authority
- Major Social / Cultural Authority
- Minor Governmental / Legal Authority
- Major Governmental / Legal Authority
- Social / Cultural Servants
No
Authority / Disregarded: The
clergy are without any form of authority and could be largely
disregarded. This option would work best for religions that are
tolerated, but not accepted, by a culture. This differs from option
#6 (Social / Cultural Servants) in that there are no expectations of
service from them.
Minor
Social / Cultural Authority: The
clergy are given a general level of respect by both members of the
religion as well as non-member citizens of the church/temple's
region. They may even be differed to when making certain decisions.
However, their approval or disapproval does not have a significant
impact on an individual while outside the religion's environs.
Major
Social / Cultural Authority: The
clergy are given high degree of respect by both members of the
religion as well as non-member citizens of the church/temple's
region. They are often differed to when making most major decisions.
Their approval or disapproval has a significant impact on an
individual's life in both their religious and secular lives. Their
testimony/word may be considered of more value than that of the
average citizen.
Minor
Governmental / Legal Authority: The
clergy are given a degree of legal authority over not just the
members of their temple/church, but anyone in their region. They can
levy fines, or minor punishments against citizens, possibly even
being allowed to arrest individuals. However, they are not judges,
and cannot hand down extend periods of incarceration or even death.
Injuring a clergy member with this level of authority almost always
carries a heavier penalty than injuring a normal citizen. Their
testimony/word will be considered of more value than that of the
average citizen.
Major
Governmental / Legal Authority: The
clergy are given a great degree of legal authority over not just the
members of their temple/church, but anyone in their region. They
could possess the ability to arrest individuals, levy fines, have
individuals imprisoned for extended periods of time, act as judges,
or even put people to death. Any injury done to them will carry a
much heavier penalty than injuring a normal citizen. Their very word
could be all the evidence needed to find an individual guilty of a
crime during a trial.
Social
/ Cultural Servant: The clergy
are expected to provide some sort of service to not only their
church/temple, but to a community at large. If they are found to be
shirking their responsibilities to the community, they could be
subject to legal penalties. The clergy are only given certain
responsibilities without any real authority. Other levels of clerical
authority may possess certain responsibilities, but they also possess
some level of authority over others.
Religion's
Level of Prosperity
A religion's level of monetary prosperity can greatly
effect its ability to enact its will on the world at large.
Throughout history highly organized religions have been able to hire
its own armies to become a political power, or bribe government
officials to rule in the religion's favor.
- Highly Prosperous
- Moderate Prosperity
- Low Prosperity
- Variable Prosperity
Highly
Prosperous: The religion is
capable of wielding considerable power in the secular world. They may
be able to hire mercenary armies, or provide financial support to
governments that are friendly towards the religion itself. A religion
with considerable amounts of capital may also be patrons of the arts,
possessing some of the finest art collections in the world. Their
churches/temples tend to be grand constructions, often involving the
work of the most talented artisans in the world. Highly prosperous
religions also tend to run the risk of corruption at the tops levels
of its authority structure. Their church/temple services tend to have
high attendance rates, and are frequented by rich/influential people.
Moderate
Prosperity: Religions with this
level of prosperity tend to be influential wherever their
temples/churches may be. While they may have a considerable amount of
capital, they are unable to ensure that they always get what they
want. Even with this level of prosperity, they can be sure that they
receive at least some form of protection from governments despite not
always getting what they want. Their temples are never in disrepair,
but they will lack grandeur that highly prosperous temples might
possess. Their church/temple services will always have attendees, but
perhaps not as many as other temples of the area have. These services
will usually have at least one rich/influential person frequenting
them.
Low
Prosperity: Religions with this
level of prosperity possess little if any influence over the
communities they are based in. Their religious services either have
low attendance rates, or are only attended by the poorest of the
region. Their temples will either be simple constructions, or once
fine constructions that have fallen into considerable disrepair. The
only protection these churches can hope for is that provided by its
members, as it lacks the capital to hire guards or bribe officials.
Variable
Prosperity: Religions with this
level of prosperity may possess any quality from the previous
categories. More than likely, this religion has a decentralized means
of gaining capital, so that a temple/church in one area might be
highly prosperous while another in a different area could be close to
destitute. It is recommended that you roll on this table for each
area the religion's temples/churches are to determine their level of
prosperity separately. A religions with this level of prosperity tend
to be on the rise from previously low levels of prosperity, or is
waning in power and influence.
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| Mother Bloom, a cult leader. Art Mostly By: Me |
Religious
Tolerance / Interaction
How a religion views and relates to other religions will
determine its members' behavior when out in the world at large. A
more open religion's members may be more willing to accept and
discuss different metaphysical concepts, while a more closed off
religion's members might be more argumentative or unwilling to accept
differing metaphysical views.
- A Member of a Religion Group
- Accepts Other Religions
- Tolerates Other Religions
- Intellectual / Doctrinal Conflict w/ Other Religions
- Passive Hostility w/ Other Religions
- Active Hostility w/ Other Religions
Member
of a Religion Group: This
religion is devoted to the worship/veneration of a deity/concept that
is a single part of a larger pantheon/conceptual-group. While they
may recognize the existence and authority of other deities/concepts,
they are focus on a single being/concept. If the worshiped/venerated
deity/concept is not part of a pantheon/conceptual-group, this
religion might be either syncratic or practices religious
inclusivism.
Syncratic
Religions: Have
integrated a number of different beliefs into a central ideological
structure. The modality of worship will remain largely fixed, but
different names and concepts will distinguish it greatly from the
roots of the modality. In essence it is a soup with a definable
stock, but with numerous ingredients added to it.
Inclusive
Religions: These
religions state that all, or most, religions are the same religion
but with different terminology and points of view. They recognize
that certain beliefs may be functional for a particular people in a
region, and use this as an explanation for varying ethical and moral
values. They will hold that other gods are their gods with different
names, or that there is an ever expanding universal pantheon, with
each area having its own regional pantheon. Whatever the case may be,
other religious concepts and practices largely remain intact, and are
not 'mixed' into a per-existing set of beliefs. The Romans usually,
but not always, used this modality.
Accepts Other Religions: This
religious modality uses what is called Religious
Pluralism. Usually this
modality takes on one or more of the following views:
- One's religion is not the sole and exclusive source of truth, and thus the acknowledgment that at least some truths and true values exist in other religions.
- The acceptance of the concept that two or more religions with mutually exclusive truth claims are equally valid.
- The belief that the exclusive claims of different religions turn out, upon closer examination, to be variations of universal truths that have been taught since time immemorial.
Whatever the case may
be, religions with this modality tend to be the least problematic in
cultures with multiple religions present within them.
Tolerates Other Religions: Religions
with this modality believe that they exclusively possess the Truth
about metaphysical reality. However, either due to a religious
prohibition against major conflict or a general wish for peace, they
do not actively pursue the destruction/nullification/dispersal of
other religions. If asked directly about their beliefs, they will
state them, however, they will not seek out platforms to denounce
other religions.
Passive Hostility w/ Other Religions: Religions
with this modality will actively speak out and denounce other
religions, using conversion and rhetoric as their tools of battle.
However, religions with this modality will also be hesitant to speak
out against those who engage in violent action on its behalf.
Officially the religion will engage in non-violent conflict, while
unofficially allowing its members to use violence against other
religions.
Active Hostility w/ Other Religions: Religions
with this modality actively promote violence against other religions
as a means of removing said religions from the world. It's clergy
will clearly endorse violence, and with even act violently
themselves. Such a religion will see itself being at war with all
other religions, and will use any means necessary to win.
Holy
Teachings / Holy Text
Most religions have some form of teachings or
requirements that it passes on to its members. These teachings may be
specific, such as dietary restrictions, or general, such as 'be
good'. As varied as religions are throughout the world, so are their
approaches to their teachings and texts.
- Set Text / Teachings
- Continuous Expansion
- Periodic Expansion
- Periodic Reduction
- Continuous Reduction
- No Official / Specific Teachings
Set
Text / Teachings: The religion
has a set text or group of teachings that does not change despite the
passage of time or situational changes. Such an approach often
requires scholars or religious authorities to scour the set
text/teachings as a whole to make decisions about subjects/situations
that are not explicitly covered in the teachings/text itself. This
approach can have the unintended consequence of leading to schisms
within the religion when an agreement cannot be reached about a
particular subject/situation that was not covered in the
texts/teachings.
Continuous
Expansion: The holy text or
teachings are constantly being expanded upon to adapt to time and
changes in the world. Rules are continuously altered to fit new
situations, however, they are never removed or disregarded.
Responsibilities placed upon members are never removed, but they may
be altered, or new responsibilities may be added. Whatever the case
may be, it is a never ending process as the world changes with time
and situation.
Periodic
Expansion: The holy text or
teachings may be changed or added to when a major event occurs, or
when the world has changed to a point that certain teachings or
beliefs are no longer functional in their current state. This form of
expansion usually requires a convocation of the religion's authority
figures, with the final changes taking months if not years to reach.
These changes will then take an extended period of time to implement,
since the religion is largely unused to change. While such religions
will not outright deny change, they will attempt to avoid it for as
long as possible. As with Continuous
Expansion,
teachings and texts are never removed, but they may be added to or
altered.
Periodic
Reduction: Here, the holy text
or teachings are periodically pared down for any number of reasons.
With this requirements, laws, and rules may be removed or the set of
beliefs may be simplified. Religions using Periodic
Reduction may
be going through some form of reformation, or may reduce its set of
beliefs and rules as a society/culture advances. While such
religions will not outright deny these reductions, they will attempt
to avoid it for as long as possible. As with Continuous
Reduction
teachings and texts are being removed, not added to or altered.
Continuous Reduction: With
this form of reduction, texts and teachings are continuously being
removed as they no longer apply, or are no longer functional to the
situations the religion and its members are experiencing. Little
fanfare is made about such reductions, and are a common occurrence
within the religion itself. The religion will never add to or expand
upon a teaching, rather it will remove or simplify them.
Theoretically, such a religion may one day purposely render itself
obsolete or irrelevant.
No Official / Specific Teachings: Here
the religion will either leave all decisions to its members'
judgment, or it will only present general teachings and allow each
member to interpret them as they see fit. Such religions tend to lack
a clearly defined hierarchy and membership, however, this is not
always the case.
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| A crown of candles, one of many religious implements found in the Infinite City. Art Mostly By: Me |
Authority
of Teachings
The authority behind a religion's teachings can be just
as important as the teachings themselves. One religion might hold its
teachings to be suggestions for leading a good life, while another
might hold that its teachings a require obedience in order for a
person to be 'good' or receive the ideal afterlife. Certain texts and
teachings might be considered of absolute authority, while other
might be considered suggestions and advice. If a religion has
multiple texts or sets of teachings, you may wish to roll on this
chart for each one.
- No Authority
- Partial / Situational Authority
- Complete Authority
No
Authority: Here the teachings
are considered suggestions, and do not require an individual to
follow them. Such religions do not punish its members for not
following them, or do not believe that they will be punished in this
life or the next.
Partial
/ Situational Authority: Teachings
with this authority may require the individual to follow them while
in certain settings or during certain situations (ex: while in
public, while in church/temple, etc...). At all other times, the
individual is free to use their judgment as they see fit. This type
of authority may require the individual to at least attempt to follow
the teachings, only straying if such teachings are not bringing about
a sought after goal.
Complete
Authority: This form of
authority requires that the individual follow the rules and teachings
of a the religion completely. Any action that does not coincide with
the teachings or rules is deemed wrong / sinful.
Holy Text
/ Holy Teaching Source
An aspect of a text's or teaching's authority is its
source. Certain texts and teachings might be considered of absolute
authority, while other might be considered suggestions and advice. If
a religion has multiple texts or sets of teachings, you may wish to
roll on this chart for each one.
- Divine Dictation
- Synthesis of Divine and Mortal Sources
- Mortal Sources
- No Source
Divine
Dictation: Here the text or
teaching was handed down directly from the religion's source of
authority. In the case of a religion that does not worship/venerate a
deity, its founder may have experienced a form of Enlightenment which
allowed them to completely understand the universe as it is. Whatever
the case may be, mortal experience plays no part in what is taught
to, or expected of, the individual.
Synthesis
of Divine and Mortal Sources: Here
the texts and teachings are created by both mortal and
divine/universal sources. While the divine/universal may still hand
down teachings and expectations, they are tempered by, or make
reference to, mortal experience. This approach allows for, or grants
excuses/forgiveness to, mortal struggles while still having a
divine/universal mandate.
Mortal
Sources: All teachings and
texts are given by, or are about, mortals without any form of
divine/universal mandate. The deity/universe may not be in contact
with mortals at all, or such contact is too vague/confusing to allow
for any definitive teaching/point of view. These mortal sources tend
to be seen as sages who have interacted with the divine/universal and
are giving their best interpretation as to the meaning of such
interactions.
No
Source: This is a very rare
belief concerning the source of a teaching or text. This form of
'source' holds that the text or teaching has always existed and is by
no means the byproduct of, or created by, an specific source be it a
deity or the universe itself. This outlook can be found in the
Mimamsa school of Hindu Philosophy, whose doctrine held that the
Vedas were Eternal and Uncreated.
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| Temple of the Maimed Sage. Art Mostly By: Me |
Membership
Who may join a religion will effect both how the
religion is perceived by the world, and what actions it is capable or
willing to undertake. Depending on the type of membership a religion
possesses, an individual may or may not be able to convert into a
religion.
- No Membership / Universal Membership
- Open
- Closed (Hereditary)
- Closed (Invitation)
No
Membership / Universal Membership: Here,
anyone may fully participate in the religion and its practices. An
individual may require special training in order to become a member
or the clergy, but no initiation rituals are required in order for a
person to engage in any of the religion's aspects open to the laity.
Open:
Here, anyone may become part of
the religion, however, certain aspects or rituals are only open to
'full members'. To convert, an individual may have to receive some
form of instruction and/or partake in an initiation ritual in order
to become a full member. After the initiation, the individual may
engage in any of the religion's aspects open to the laity.
Closed
(Hereditary): The religion may
allow outsiders to participate in certain aspects of it, but one must
be born into the religion in order to be considered a 'full member'.
No initiation ritual exists to allow for an outsider to become part
of the religious community.
Closed
(Invitation): This form of
membership allows for outsiders to convert, much like Open
Membership.
However, an individual may only be allowed to convert upon invitation
of a member of the religion, the required status/authority of this
member varies depending on the religion. Upon invitation, as well as
some form of instruction and/or initiation ritual, the outsider is
then allowed to fully participate in any aspect open to the laity.
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