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In the study of religion,orthopraxy is correct conduct, bothethical andliturgical, as opposed tofaith orgrace.[1][2][3] Orthopraxy is in contrast withorthodoxy, which emphasizes correct belief.[citation needed] The word is aneoclassical compound—ὀρθοπραξία (orthopraxia) meaning 'right practice'.
Whileorthodoxies make use of codified beliefs – in the form ofcreeds – andritualism more narrowly centers on the strict adherence to prescribed rites orrituals, orthopraxy is focused onissues of family,cultural integrity, the transmission oftradition,sacrificial offerings,concerns of purity,ethical system, and the enforcement thereof.[4][5]
InHinduism, orthopraxy and ritualism are often interconnected.Judaism andChristianity are also considered both religions and orthopraxies, as they guide adherents in both practice and belief.[6][7]
The termorthopraxy comes from the Greekorthos, meaning "straight", andpraxis, meaning "action". First used in 1851,[8] there are two versions of the term:orthopraxis andorthopraxy.[9]Orthopraxy is the older and more common term.
Although traditionally Christianity is seen as primarily orthodoxical (as in theNicene Creed's "I believe in ..."), someChristian denominations and leaders today, fromCatholic toEvangelical Christians, have started to describe their religions as both orthodoxical and orthopraxic. The premise is correct belief compels correct action, and incorrect action is caused by incorrect beliefs.[10][11]
Taking this combination of "correct belief" and "correct action" a step further,prosperity theology, found in charismatic and Pentecostal traditions, teaches correct religious belief and behavior receives material reward and physical healing, in addition to being a necessary component for accepting God'sgrace. Prosperity theology is a concept known as reciprocity when discussing traditional or ethnic religions such as that inAncient Greece, but is limited to correct behavior over any one theological idea.[12]
The applicability ofbiblical law in Christianity is disputed. Most Christians believe that some or all of theTen Commandments are still binding or have been reinstituted in thelaw of Christ. A minority of Christians areTorah-observant and at the other extreme areantinomian andChristian anarchistic views.
Praxis is a key to understanding theByzantine tradition, which is observed by theEastern Orthodox Church and someEastern Catholic Churches. This is because praxis is the basis of the understanding of faith and works as conjoint, without separating the two. The importance of praxis, in the sense of action, is indicated in the dictum of SaintMaximus the Confessor: "Theology without action is the theology of demons."[13][14][15]
Union withGod, to which Christians hold thatJesus invited man, requires not justfaith, but correct practice of faith. This idea is found in theScriptures (1 Corinthians 11:2,[16]2 Thessalonians 2:14)[17] and theChurch Fathers, and is linked with the termpraxis in Byzantinetheology and vocabulary.[18] In the context of Orthodoxy, praxis is mentioned opposite theology, in the sense of 'theory and practice'.[19] Rather, it is a word that means, globally, all that Orthodox do.[20] Praxis is 'living Orthodoxy'.[21]
Praxis is perhaps most strongly associated withworship. "Orthopraxis" is said to mean "right glory" or "right worship";[22] only correct (or proper) practice, particularly correct worship, is understood as establishing the fulness glory given to God. This is one of the primary purposes ofliturgy (divine labor), the work of the people. Some Byzantine sources maintain that in theWest, Christianity has been reduced "to intellectual, ethical or social categories," whereas right worship is fundamentally important in our relationship to God, forming the faithful into theBody of Christ and providing the path to "true religious education".[23] A "symbiosis of worship and work" is considered to be inherent in Byzantine praxis.[24]
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Hinduism places an emphasis on orthopraxy in that it is concerned with sanātana dharma (everlasting dharma, with dharma meaning, roughly, appropriate ways to live).[25][26]
In the case ofHinduism orthopraxy and ritualism are conflated. Emphasis on ritual vs. personal salvation (moksha) was a major division in classicalHindu philosophy, epitomized byPurva Mimamsa vs.Uttara Mimamsa (Vedanta).
Ritual (puja) continues to play a central role in contemporaryHinduism, but the enormous complexity of ancient ritual (yajna) only survives in a tiny minority ofShrauta practitioners. Even Hindus who diligently practice a subset of prescribed rituals are called orthoprax, to contrast them with other Hindus who insist on the importance of correct belief or understanding. The correctness of one's interpretation of the scripture is then considered less important than following traditions. For example,Srinivasa Ramanujan was a well-known example of an orthoprax Hindu.
In terms of "proper conduct" and other ethical precepts within the Hindu framework, the core belief involves the divinity of each individual soul (jivatma). Each person harbors this "indwelling God (divinity)"; thus, conduct which unifies society and facilitates progress is emphasized. Self-centered existence is discouraged as a result of thisjivatma concept. The Uttara Mimamsa philosophical school explicates this concept eloquently. Moreover, within the context of Uttara Mimamsa the role ofpuja (ritual) also involves bringing the individualjivatma closer to theParamatma (the Transcendent Divinity or God). Individuals who have attained this merging then become the spiritual guides to the community. Later developments within the Hindu religious and philosophic tradition thus try to unify these concepts of ritual, proper conduct, and personal salvation instead of leaving them in mutually conflicting terms. The movement inspired byPandurang Shastri Athavale termedSwadhyaya seems to be one manifestation of this syncretism. However, other movements within the contemporary Hindu scene are also moving towards this union of external activity and internal development.
Islam generally stresses orthopraxy over orthodoxy. This can be seen in the fact that the account to be rendered on the day of judgement (yaum al-Din) is one of works.[25][26] However, since the practice is held to come from doctrine, this is essentially orthodoxy applied to practice.[citation needed]
Jain orthopraxy is based on two factors:Jain siddhanta (teachings of theTirthankara) andkriya (practices prevalent at the time of the Tirthankaras). According to Jains, the Tirthankaras based their teachings and philosophy after knowing the realities on this universe (likedravya andtattva). Based on these realities, they propounded true and eternal principles likeahimsa, truth, karma etc. that govern the universe. Jain rituals were codified on the basis of these principles to give effect to the teachings of the Tirthankaras.
Judaism is also considered both a religion and orthopraxy as it guides its adherents in both practice and belief.[6]
Judaism attaches primary importance to the practice of themitzvot, and that each act of daily life comply with the ethical and ritual teachings of theTorah. However, these gestures are intended to be motivated by the system of values and ethics of which they are a part, so that orthodoxy is not seen as simply a way of thinking according to established dogmas.[27]
Moreover,Maimonides codifies his13 principles of faith as a binding theological dogma, and according to Maimonides some laws of theTorah require the acceptance of certain basic beliefs, such as the first and second positive commandments in Maimonides'Sefer Hamitzvot, which mandate the belief in God and his indivisible unity, or the recitation of theShema. Maimonides' codification ofJewish law even contains a section entitledYesodei HaTorah, which delineates the required beliefs of Judaism.[28]
British Traditional Wicca is highly orthopraxic, with "traditions" (as denominations are called) being precisely that — defined by what is traditionally done, rather than shared beliefs.[29] OtherNeopagans may or may not share this quality, as noted byJames R. Lewis, who draws a distinction between "Religious Neo-Pagans" and "God/dess Celebrants." Lewis states the majority of the neopagan movement is strongly opposed to religionist traditions that incorporate any form of orthopraxy or orthodoxy.[30] In fact, many Neopagan organizations, when discussing orthopraxy, limit themselves solely to ritualism.[31]
Kemetism is the revival ofAncient Egyptian religious practices. They honor and follow their own selection ofneter (Ancient Egyptian Deities;Egyptian Language:nṯr,nTr). They may choose to incorporateAncient Egyptian philosophies in their daily lives.
Reconstructionist religions make full use of orthopraxy, defining their practices as a lifestyle, and identifying correct action as living life in accord with specific ideals and principles,[32][33][34][35][36] rather than focusing solely on ritual or promoting a single cosmology, metaphysical idea, or theological theory as absolute truth.[37]
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Taoism understands the right way of living as one that is in alignment with the Tao, "The Way", referring to the way of the universe - the patterns of existence around us, which are constantly being explored, understood, and re-interpreted. If you are living in accordance with the pattern of the Tao - the source, the universe, the pattern of everything - you are living rightly.
(1)the study of religious or magical rites and ceremonies; (2)exaggerated emphasis on the importance of rites or ritualistic forms in worship[dead link]
{{cite web}}:Cite uses generic title (help)The pagan religion was about orthopraxy, doing the customs correctly. Your "believerhood" at a temple had more to do with entering the temple and walking three times about the idol and making your image and reciting the inscription on the wall, which was how they did it in the Roman temples.
Proper behavior in Asatru consists of maximizing one's virtues and minimizing one's vices.
(Celtic Reconstructionism is) grounded in traditional Celtic virtues which should be embraced, adopted, and integrated into one's daily life.
We have included the ancient Roman Virtues as an accompaniment to spiritual practice as we feel that they are conducive to the fulfillment of one's higher self.
We do not just strive for a superficial return to the 'ancient ways', but on the contrary, for the return of a different kind of person, Hellenic Man, who will be governed by humanistic values, as were first expressed and exhibited by our ancestors. A type of man who will journey on the path of Virtue.
Practicing Kemetic Orthodoxy requires a commitment to preserving the cultural heritage established in the past which Kemetic Orthodoxy continues to represent, even in places and times well removed from its original practice.
Our concern is with humanity and the natural world, and we leave open questions relating to the absolute nature of the Gods, Absolute Reality, and Divine Truth to individual personal interpretation.
