The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2214 page)
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Authors: John Bowker
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Shang Ch’ing
(writings revealed through Wei Hua-tsun):
(writings revealed through Wei Hua-tsun):
Shango
.
.
Yoruba god of thunder and focus of a cult mainly in Trinidad and Granada, which is primarily of 19th-cent. African origin, and resembles Jamaican
Pocomania
, Cuban
Santería
, and the
Afro-Brazilian
cults. Animal sacrifices may be made to the particular deity whose practical help is sought through possession of his devotee or through simple forms of divination or by dreams and prophecy; healing and
exorcism
of evil spirits are also prominent.
Pocomania
, Cuban
Santería
, and the
Afro-Brazilian
cults. Animal sacrifices may be made to the particular deity whose practical help is sought through possession of his devotee or through simple forms of divination or by dreams and prophecy; healing and
exorcism
of evil spirits are also prominent.
Shangri-la
.
.
A fictional hidden valley created by James Hilton in his novel
Lost Horizon
(1933). Hilton's image of Shangri-la has some parallels with the Tibetan myth of
Shambhala
, of which he had at least a little knowledge from sources such as the missionary Abbé Huc and possibly the author-explorer Nicholas Roerich.
Lost Horizon
(1933). Hilton's image of Shangri-la has some parallels with the Tibetan myth of
Shambhala
, of which he had at least a little knowledge from sources such as the missionary Abbé Huc and possibly the author-explorer Nicholas Roerich.
Shang-ti
(Lord of Heaven)
.
(Lord of Heaven)
.
In China, a collective name for gods, perhaps representing one supreme god or overlord. Ti were worshipped as deified ancestors of the Shang dynasty, and the Shang rulers worshipped Shang-ti—but the absence of a plural form makes it uncertain whether Shang-ti was one or many. He or they had overarching functions of control (e.g. over natural phenomena and plagues). Shang-ti was regarded as the Ancestor of the royal house of the Chou dynasty (
c.
1123–1221). In later history Shang-ti or
T’ien
(Heaven) became semi-monotheistic; the worship of him was primarily an imperial cult confined to the royal houses and their supporters—the
Confucian
official class.
Shang-ti in later times was often referred to, in abbreviation, as Ti (Lord). But Ti was also commonly used in later history to refer to an emperor; his origin is divine because his First Ancestor is Shang-ti. Christian missionaries adopted Shang-ti as the name of God, though T’ien-chu (Lord of Heaven) was also used.
c.
1123–1221). In later history Shang-ti or
T’ien
(Heaven) became semi-monotheistic; the worship of him was primarily an imperial cult confined to the royal houses and their supporters—the
Confucian
official class.
Shang-ti in later times was often referred to, in abbreviation, as Ti (Lord). But Ti was also commonly used in later history to refer to an emperor; his origin is divine because his First Ancestor is Shang-ti. Christian missionaries adopted Shang-ti as the name of God, though T’ien-chu (Lord of Heaven) was also used.
Shang-tso-pu
.
.
daShankara
(pre-eminent Indian philosopher):
(pre-eminent Indian philosopher):
A
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