Perendism

Perendism is a henotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Saint Perende and his successors. At its core, Perendism holds that the world is the physical manifestation of God, and that the nature of man is inextricably linked to the nature of the earth. Perendists believe that the soul may access the afterlife by maintaining a constant connection to God, with its practices comprising various forms of nature worship and introspection. There is no single religious text in Perendism, with each of the main branches maintaining its own scriptures and values: traditionally, Apostolics depend on the numerous creeds of the Dicerate for the formulation of their beliefs; individual Classical denominations may adhere to their own theological perceptions, or rely solely on the records of Perende's ministry for their liturgy.

Perendist theology, common to both branches, dictates that Perende received a series of revelations in the early years of the first millennium, and thereafter embarked on the Pilgrimage. In subsequent decades, Perendism and its growing popularity came to challenge the principles and hierarchy of the Sabarine pantheon, and Perendists were subject to persecution throughout much of Late Antiquity. During this period, the popularisation of a centralised ecclesiastical authority would lead to the legalisation of Perendism and, later, the foundation of the Apostolic Church. Most early Perendist churches would accede to Apostolic jurisdiction, with the Dicerate emerging as the foremost political authority in the Occident following the collapse of the First Sabarine Empire. Apostolicism was also a major motivating factor in the creation of the Second Sabarine Empire.

Perendism constitutes one of the world’s largest organised religions, registering over 1.7 billion adherents within the Apostolic and Classical branches. The faith has had a profound impact on world history, having spread to every continent due to Auressian colonisation and missionary work.

Etymology

The individual identifier of “Perendist” predates "Perendism", referring to the greater school of Perende’s teachings, by several decades. The accounts of Proculus Polybius, written concurrently with Perende’s pilgrimage, indicate that followers of Perende were referred to as Perendists as early as the Tribulation.

It is generally accepted — though was once viewed as heresy — that “Perende” was actually a pseudonym used by the Prophet during his pilgrimage; contemporary accounts indicate that Perende's birth name was never recorded, or has otherwise been lost. Etymologically, “Perende” is believed to derive from the Proto-Auressian *perkwunos, meaning “striker” or “master of oak”.

Rites

The Perendist rites, sometimes called the sacraments, are physical acts that aim to strengthen the spiritual connection to God.

Rite of Grounding

Grounding is the practice of coming into physical and spiritual contact with the earth. Traditionally performed on soil and uncovered, it takes the form of meditation while seated. Most active Perendists will perform this rite several times a month while more conservative groups insist that grounding is an essential, daily activity. Churches and monasteries often maintain a wooded space on their grounds for individuals to ground themselves. Occasionally religious buildings are constructed around a particularly well-grounded place and these locations are the objectives of pilgrimages.

On some holy days, an entire congregation might perform grounding together, either by holding meetings in a large open space or, more commonly, by sprinkling the floor of the church with a layer of soil.

Symbols

The bisignum (from Sabarine bīnus signum, lit. “symbol of two”) is the most recognisable and widely-used sign of Perendism, and lacks connotations with any particular denomination. The upper circle (filled) represents the earth, while the lower circle (transparent) signifies the human race.

The cross represents the Sword of Perende, and — by extension — condemnation of violence as a means of dispute resolution. While it is still used in clerical contexts, its religious significance and connection to the church has decreased over time; today, it appears most commonly on the flags, coats of arms and seals of secular and non-secular nations alike. Despite its significance as a symbol of peace, it has also been used to represent combative zealotry and has represented religious extremists within the Perendist community, in spite of widespread condemnation.

History

Rise of Perende

Historians traditionally believe that Perende served as a soldier during the Sabarine conquest of Calinisia (circa 5 BCE–10 CE).

• Revelations
• Attracting followers in Transalpine and Cisalpine Vervillia
• Pilgrimage to Sabaria
• Tribulation at Micantium

A statue of Saint Perende, depicting the Tribulation at Micantium.

• Acceptance by the Sabarine Emperor

Perendism in the Sabarine Empire

A 6th-century Classical church in the eastern Hemetrian.

Denominations

Apostolic Church

The Apostolic Church (officially the Sabarine Apostolic Church) is the largest extant sect of Perendism, comprising over 70% of Perendist adherents. It is led by the dicere (derived from the Sabarine “dīcō”, meaning “I speak”), who is considered to be the foremost authority on Perendist theology within the Apostolic Church. The dicere is selected from members of the Apostolic community across the world, based on the perceived strength of their connection to the earth.

The Apostolic Church maintains that Perende was the first Apostle (“messenger”) of God, and that the officeholder of the dicere is a successor of Perende; therefore, Perende can be termed as the first Apostle, but was not a dicere. Similarly, a particular dicere is both a dicere and an Apostle — there is a distinct difference between the ecclesiastical office of Dicere and the theological state of being “an Apostle”.

The Dicerate in Sabaria.

Classical Perendism

Classical Perendism refers to Perendist churches that do not recognise the ecclesiastical authority of the Dicerate, and acts as a hypernym for several small Perendist denomination. Classical Perendists have suffered persecution at the hands of the Apostolic Church, often fleeing to colonial domains to escape religious persecution.