Smartipedia

Bread and circuses

Bread and circuses describes the political strategy of maintaining power by providing free food and entertainment to pacify the masses, originating in ancient Rome but remaining relevant to modern discussions of government policy and social control.

Freedom of religion

Freedom of religion is the fundamental right to believe, practice, change, or reject religious beliefs without government interference, serving as a cornerstone of human rights and democratic governance worldwide.

Constitutional references to God

Constitutional references to God are explicit mentions of divine authority in national governing documents that reflect historical religious influences while creating ongoing tensions with principles of religious neutrality and minority rights.

Religious Zionism

Religious Zionism is a Jewish ideological movement that combines Orthodox religious observance with political support for Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel, viewing the establishment and expansion of the Jewish state as both a political necessity and a religious obligation.

Kollel

A kollel is a Jewish institution where married men engage in full-time Torah and Talmud study, representing the highest level of traditional Jewish religious education and playing a central role in contemporary Orthodox communities worldwide.

Yeshiva

A yeshiva is a traditional Jewish educational institution dedicated to the intensive study of religious texts, particularly the Talmud, serving as the primary means of preserving and transmitting Jewish scholarship across generations.

Mormon Pioneer History

Mormon Pioneer History encompasses the organized westward migration of approximately 70,000 Latter-day Saints from 1846 to 1869, who fled religious persecution to establish a distinctive society in the Great Basin region under the leadership of Brigham Young.

Provo, Utah

Provo is Utah's third-largest city, known for hosting Brigham Young University and serving as a major technology center in the Silicon Slopes region, combining educational excellence with economic innovation in a mountain valley setting.

Private religious universities in America

Private religious universities in America are faith-based institutions of higher education that integrate religious perspectives with academic programs while serving diverse student populations and maintaining accreditation standards comparable to secular universities.

Brigham Young University

Brigham Young University is a large private research university in Utah that combines academic excellence with LDS Church principles, known for its honor code, strong athletic programs, and distinctive campus culture that integrates faith and learning.

Mysticism in World Religions

Mysticism represents the universal human quest for direct, experiential knowledge of ultimate reality through contemplative practices that transcend ordinary consciousness and seek union with the divine.

Indian saint traditions

Indian saint traditions represent diverse lineages of spiritually realized individuals who have guided seekers toward enlightenment through various paths of devotion, knowledge, and practice across multiple religious traditions for over three millennia.