pre-Christian
Ancient polytheistic era
Pre-Christian describes the time before Christianity existed or arrived in a particular place, or beliefs and practices from that era.
Pre-Christian religions in Europe included Norse and Celtic traditions.
Pre-Christian Rome worshipped a pantheon of gods.
The term often appears in discussions of how earlier customs were absorbed or suppressed by Christianity: Many Christmas traditions have pre-Christian origins.
Of ancient Italy's capital
- GreekOf Athenian origin
- EgyptianRelating to the pharaohs' land
- CelticOf Irish-Welsh descent
- NorseAncient Scandinavian civilization
Germanic · Sumerian · Babylonian · Persian · Phoenician · Etruscan · Hittite · Assyrian
Belief in multiple deities
- animismSpirits inhabit all things
- shamanismMediation between worlds
- ancestor worshipReligious honoring of forebears
- nature worshipSpiritual devotion to environment
fertility cults · totemism · pantheism · mystery cults · sun worship · sacred groves
Great age, ancient era
- classicalOf ancient Greece/Rome
- ancientVery old indeed
- Bronze AgeEarly metalworking civilization period
- Iron AgePost-bronze historical period
Neolithic · archaic · ancestral · primordial · prehistoric · primal · early · formative
All gods of a religion
- deitiesWorshipped supernatural beings
- godsSupernatural beings worshipped
- goddessesDivine feminine beings
- cosmogonyStudy of universal origins
underworld · afterlife · heroes · demigods · creation myths · epic · legend · sacred texts
Giving up something precious
- divinationForetelling through mystical means
- oracleAuthoritative wisdom source
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
- libationCeremonial drink offering
offering · augury · auspices · votive · incantation · purification · consecration · pilgrimage
Roman
Of ancient Italy's capital
Norse · Germanic · Sumerian · Babylonian · Persian · Phoenician · Etruscan · Hittite · Assyrian · Akkadian
polytheism
Belief in multiple deities
- animismSpirits inhabit all things
- shamanismMediation between worlds
- ancestor worshipReligious honoring of forebears
nature worship · fertility cults · totemism · pantheism · mystery cults · sun worship · sacred groves
antiquity
Great age, ancient era
- classicalOf ancient Greece/Rome
- ancientVery old indeed
- Bronze AgeEarly metalworking civilization period
Iron Age · Neolithic · archaic · ancestral · primordial · prehistoric · primal · early · formative
pantheon
All gods of a religion
- deitiesWorshipped supernatural beings
- godsSupernatural beings worshipped
- goddessesDivine feminine beings
cosmogony · underworld · afterlife · heroes · demigods · creation myths · epic · legend · sacred texts · prophecy
sacrifice
Giving up something precious
- divinationForetelling through mystical means
- oracleAuthoritative wisdom source
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
libation · offering · augury · auspices · votive · incantation · purification · consecration · pilgrimage · festival
pre-ChristianChristian
Adherent of the gospel
Anno Domini · medieval · Christianized · Common Era · modern
pre-ChristianChristian
Adherent of the gospel
Christianized · Christendom · baptized · converted · evangelized
Christ, Christian, Christianity, unchristian, Christendom, Christianization, Christology, Christianized, Christianize