Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Bellah, Robert Neelly

(Encyclopedia)Bellah, Robert Neelly bĕlˈə [key],1927–2013, American sociologist and educator. He was educated at Harvard (Ph.D., 1955) and taught there before becoming Elliot professor of sociology at the Univ...

purification

(Encyclopedia)purification, in religion, the ceremonial removal of what the religion deems unclean. The usual agents of purification are water (as in baptism), bodily alteration (as in circumcision), and fire. The ...

Huguenot Wars

(Encyclopedia)Huguenot Wars: see Religion, Wars of. ...

Flora

(Encyclopedia)Flora, in Roman religion, goddess of flowers and fertility. Her festival, the Floralia, Apr. 28–May 1, was celebrated with great gaiety and licentiousness. ...

Saturnalia

(Encyclopedia)Saturnalia: see Saturn, in Roman religion. ...

Fauna

(Encyclopedia)Fauna, in Roman religion: see Bona Dea. ...

Apollo Belvedere

(Encyclopedia)Apollo Belvedere: see Apollo, in Greek religion. ...

Kramař, Charles

(Encyclopedia)Kramař, Charles or Karel käˈrĕl kräˈmärsh [key], 1860–1937, Czechoslovakian political leader. Elected (1891) to the Austrian parliament, Kramař soon became leader of the liberal nationalist ...

Francis, French prince, duke of Alençon and Anjou

(Encyclopedia)Francis, 1554–84, French prince, duke of Alençon and Anjou; youngest son of King Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici. Although ill-shapen, pockmarked, and endowed with a curiously formed no...

Buber, Martin

(Encyclopedia)Buber, Martin bo͞oˈbĕr [key], 1878–1965, Jewish philosopher, b. Vienna. Educated at German ...