Properties of the Religion Type

The Religion type is the main type of the /religion domain - most of the other types are expected types of properties of this type. The properties are:

• Founding Figure (expected type: Founding Figure): person or persons who were key to the formulation of the religion. Examples: Muhammed (Islam), John Calvin (Calvinism)

• Branched From/Branched Into (expected type: Religion): used when a group takes some of elements of a particular religion and forms a new one. This property should used when the branch represents a significant idealogical split, and the adherents of the new religion no longer identify themselves as members of the older religions. (For denominations within a particular religion use the "Is Part Of/Includes" properties described below.) Example: Christianity branched from Judaisim. "Branched Into" is the reverse property of "Branched From" - in our example, adding Judaism to the "Branched From" property of Christianity automatically results in Christianity being added to the "Branched Into" property of Judaism, and vice versa.

• Is Part Of/Includes (expected type: Religion): used for denominations or schools within a particular religion, when the adherents still consider themselves members of the parent religion. (In cases where a deeper idealogical split occurred, use the "Branched From/Branched Into" properties described above.) Example: Shaktism is part of Hinduism. "Includes" is the reverse property of "Is Part Of" - in our example, adding Hinduism to the "Is Part Of" property of Shaktism automatically results in Shaktism being added to the "Includes" property of Hinduism, and vice versa.

• Number Of Adherents (expected type: Dated Integer): the Dated Integer type includes a number, a date and a source, so this can be used to describe the number of adherents of a particular religion at a particular point in time according to a particular source. This is a non-unique property, so it can capture how the numbers changed over time.

• Texts (expected type: Religious Text): the core texts or collections of texts associated with particular religion. Examples: the Bible, the Qur'an, the Analects of Confucius.

• Beliefs (expected type: Belief): the ideas or creeds shared by adherents of a religion. Examples: monotheism, atheism, reincarnation.

• Practices (expected type: Religious Practice): the rituals or actions regularly performed by adherents of a religion. Examples: prayer, meditation, ritual purification

• Deity Or Deities (expected type: Deity): the sacred beings (such as gods or goddesses) revered by adherents of a religion. Examples: Shiva, Allah, The Three Pure Ones

• Sacred Sites (expected type: Location): a place held to be holy by adherents of a religion. Examples: Jerusalem, Calvary, Itsukushima Shrine

• Holidays (expected type: Holiday): calendar days of particular significance to adherents of a religion. Examples: Christmas, Yom Kippur, Eid ul-Fitr

• Notable Figures (expected type: Person): this should be used for individuals who were notable for the role they played in the development or practice of a particular religion (media celebrities who also happen to be adherents of the religion should not be included here). Examples: Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama.

• Organizations (expected type: Religious Organization): administrative bodies, charities, houses of worship, congregations, etc. associated with a particular religion. See the Religious Organization type description for more detail. Examples: the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Bialystoker Synagogue, Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition