SPIRITUALISM

SPIRITUALISM
   a modern FORM of SPIRITISM dating from 1848, when two teen-age sisters, Margaretta and Katie Fox, of Hydesville, New York, reported "rappings" in their home. They interpreted these noises as messages from a peddler who had died in the house. Enthusiasm for spiritualism swept the North America spreading to Europe and Latin America. The teachings of SWEDENBORG and bitter rivalry between competing CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS and a growing awareness of the problems of BIBLICAL CRITICISM, as presented by FREE THINKERS like BRADLAUGH and PAINE, may be seen as a contributing factor to the growth of the spiritualist movement. After rapid growth in the 1850s, when by some estimates something like 75% of Americans visited spiritualists, enthusiasm declined. Spiritualist ideas have had an influence far greater than the number of committed spiritualists would suggest making an important contribution to the growth of NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS. In places like Brazil, spiritualism has encouraged the growth of SYNCRATISM between ROMAN CATHOLIC, TRADITIONAL AFRICAN and Native American religious TRADITIONS.

Concise dictionary of Religion. 2012.

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  • Spiritualism — • The term has been frequently used to denote the belief in the possibility of communication with disembodied spirits, and the various devices employed to realize this belief in practice Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Spiritualism… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • spiritualism — SPIRITUALÍSM s.n. Doctrină filozofică, opusă materialismului, care consideră că factorul de bază al Universului este spiritul (materia fiind un simplu produs al spiritului) sau că spiritul există independent de materie. v. idealism. [pr.: tu a ]… …   Dicționar Român

  • Spiritualism — Spir it*u*al*ism, n. 1. The quality or state of being spiritual. [1913 Webster] 2. (Physiol.) The doctrine, in opposition to the materialists, that all which exists is spirit, or soul that what is called the external world is either a succession… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • spiritualism — 1796, “advocacy of a spiritual view,” from SPIRITUAL (Cf. spiritual) + ISM (Cf. ism). Table rapping sense is from 1853 …   Etymology dictionary

  • spiritualism — ► NOUN ▪ a system of belief and practice based on supposed communication with the spirits of the dead, especially through mediums. DERIVATIVES spiritualist noun spiritualistic adjective …   English terms dictionary

  • spiritualism — [spir′icho͞o əliz΄əm] n. ☆ 1. a) the belief that the dead survive as spirits that can communicate with the living, esp. with the help of a third party (medium) b) any practice arising from this belief 2. the philosophical doctrine that all… …   English World dictionary

  • Spiritualism — Not to be confused with Spirituality. This article is about the religion. For other uses of spiritualism, see Spiritualism (disambiguation). By 1853, when the popular song Spirit Rappings was published, Spiritualism was an object of intense… …   Wikipedia

  • spiritualism — spiritualistic, adj. spiritualistically, adv. /spir i chooh euh liz euhm/, n. 1. the belief or doctrine that the spirits of the dead, surviving after the mortal life, can and do communicate with the living, esp. through a person (a medium)… …   Universalium

  • spiritualism — noun Date: 1796 1. the view that spirit is a prime element of reality 2. a. a belief that spirits of the dead communicate with the living usually through a medium b. capitalized a movement comprising religious organizations emphasizing… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • spiritualism — [[t]spɪ̱rɪtʃuəlɪzəm[/t]] N UNCOUNT Spiritualism is the belief that the spirits of people who are dead can communicate with people who are still alive. Derived words: spiritualist plural N COUNT He was a poet and an ardent spiritualist …   English dictionary

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