Paynim

Paganism is a term that derives from Latin word paganus, which originally meant "rustic, rural" and later came to mean "nonparticipant, one excluded from a more distinguished, professional group" and thus "private, civilian" as opposed to "public, official, military". The Latin term paganismus was first used in the 4th century, by early Christian community, in reference to populations of the Roman world who worshipped many deities, either because they were increasingly rural and provincial relative to the Christian population or else because they were not milites Christi (soldiers of Christ).

The term competed with "polytheism" already in use in Judaism, by Philo in the 1st century. Pagans and paganism was a pejorative for the same polytheistic group, implying "inferiority". Paganism has broadly connoted "religion of the peasantry", and for much of its history was a derogatory term. Alternate terms in Christian texts for the same group was "hellene" and "gentile". In and after the Middle Ages, paganism was a pejorative that was applied to any non-Abrahamic or unfamiliar religion, and the term presumed a belief in false god(s).

There has been much scholarly debate as to the origin of the term paganism, especially since no one before the 20th century self-identified as a pagan. In the 19th century, paganism was re-adopted as a self-descriptor by members of various artistic groups inspired by the ancient world. In the 20th century, it came to be applied as a self-description by practitioners of contemporary pagan, or neopagan, religious movements who incorporate beliefs or practices different than those in the main world religions, such as nature worship.

Contemporary knowledge of old pagan religions comes from several sources, including anthropological field research records, the evidence of archaeological artefacts, and the historical accounts of ancient writers regarding cultures known to the classical world. Forms of these religions, influenced by various historical pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe, exist today and are known as contemporary or modern paganism, also referred to as Neopaganism.

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