Perendism
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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”.
Beliefs
God
The Fields
The Perendist afterlife can be commonly referred to as "heaven", but in orthodox theology is more correctly known as "the Fields". Perendists believe that the world is, at least in part, the physical body or manifestation of God. The essence of God (also referred to as soul, spirit, or ego) is held to be separate from the body of God, which constitutes the world. All Apostolic creeds opine that God's creation of humanity split essence from body, since human imperfection was irreconcilable with the inherent perfection of god. The degree to which the essence of God can intercede in the mortal world after this split is disputed. The dualistic nature of God is also part of one interpretation of the bisignum, in which the filled circle is the body of God and the empty circle is the essence of God.
Perendism strives to maintain spiritual harmony in its adherents. Maintenance of spiritual harmony is also linked to the maintenance of the body of God. Upon death, the souls of the deceased are weighed before God. Souls that are too "heavy" (those that have led sinful lives and contributed to spiritual imbalance) may not be able to transcend their physical form, which ultimately returns to the earth. Souls that are too "light" (those who have removed themselves from the spiritual community, whether by isolation or heretical practice) could be so weightless as to float away beyond the reach of God. Perendists that lead balanced lives will be allowed into the Fields, the eternal afterlife where God's essence resides.
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.
Another version, called the Antaean Rite, involves prostration and is used when the practitioner is seeking healing. Historically, the terminally ill would seek out a church grounding grove as a last resort and occasionally die on site. For this reason, it is considered extremely unlucky to speak to anyone else in the groves as you might be speaking to the dead, which is forbidden by Perendism. It is also considered polite to keep a lit candle, if the candle burns out then the priests will know a person has died.
While it is generally an individual activity, on some holy days, an entire congregation might perform grounding together. This is achieved by holding meetings in a large open space or, more commonly, by sprinkling the floor of the church with a layer of soil.
Rite of Anointment
Anointment is a rite of initiation and bonding in Perendism, used in multiple other ceremonies. It consists of the use of oils derived from plants to bless an individual; usually, an individual sacrifices a drop of their own blood in return in order to represent a fair trade between earth and the individual. Anointment is popularly used in traditional Perendist weddings, inaugurations and other oath-taking ceremonies.
Essential oils are often produced for religious purposes in Perendist nations and are sometimes marketed for supposed medical properties as well as traditional uses. Especially traditional communities may have a designated apothecarist who would have been a kind of local nurse, but more recently maintains the temple's collection of oils. The lay clergy generally also specialized in the production of these implements.
Rite of Masking
Masking is a life-long process in which--for certain milestones--a different type of soil is applied to a spiritual mask. Each type of soil added represents a principle of Perende’s teachings. During first spring after birth, parents or a priest will coat the infant's cheeks with loam soil to symbolise growth and the foundation for all things to come. In the winter of a child's first year of adulthood (or the age of Perende during his lowest point) clay is placed upon the chin to symbolise strength and resilience of the past hardships, and those to come. At old age, now typically understood to be professional retirement, chalk soil is spread along the t-zone to represent peace and wisdom. At death, the forehead is covered in silt to symbolise the fulfilment of life and rebirth. Perendists only wear these masks on a few occasions — the day they receive each layer, in death, and occasionally spiritual events. When wearing these masks for symbolic dates, Perendists don’t actually re-apply dirt: instead, they use face paint and/or makeup to represent it.
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
Background
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
- Acceptance by the Sabarine Emperor
Perendism in the Sabarine Empire
Middle Ages and the Enlightenment
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”.
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.