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Areligious symbol is an iconic representation intended to represent a specificreligion, or a specific concept within a given religion.^[1]

Religious symbols have been used in the military in many countries, such as theUnited States military chaplain symbols. Similarly, theUnited States Department of Veterans Affairs emblems for headstones and markers recognize 57 symbols (including a number of symbols expressing non-religiosity).

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Symbolic representation of a specific religious tradition is useful in a society withreligious pluralism, as was the case in theRoman Empire, and again in modernmulticulturalism.

Religion	Name of Religious symbol	Religious symbol	Origin	Notes and references
Christianity	Cross		32 AD	TheChristian cross has traditionally been a symbol representingChristianity orChristendom as a whole,[2] and is the best-knownsymbol of Christianity.[2] The Christian cross was in use from the time ofearly Christianity, but it remained less prominent than competing symbols (Ichthys,Staurogram,Alpha and Omega,Christogram,Labarum, etc.) until the medievalCrusades. Early Christianity had use for such symbols due to thepersecution of Christians in the Roman Empire, as the symbol allowed inconspicuous identification of one Christian to another.
	Ichthys		2nd Century AD	At first, the sign of Christianity was the image of a fish. Fish in Old Greek -ἰχθύς ("ichthys (ichthus)"), corresponds to the abbreviation of the Christian postulate "Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ" (ΙΧΘΥΣ) - "Jesus Christ,God's Son,Savior".
Islam	Star and crescent		1900s	Thestar and crescent symbol was used as theflag of the Ottoman Empire from 1844. It was only gradually associated with Islam, in particular due to its ubiquitous use in the decorations of Ottoman mosques in the late 19th century. It was only occasionally adopted as an emblem of Islamic organisations, such as theAll-India Muslim League in 1940 (later becoming theFlag of Pakistan), and the US AmericanNation of Islam in the 1970s.
	Islamic calligraphy			The strong tradition ofaniconism in Islam prevented the development of symbols for the religion until recently (other than single-coloured flags, seeGreen in Islam,Black Standard). The lack of a symbol representing Islam as a religion paired with the desire to come up withnational flags for the newly formedIslamist states of the 1970s led to the adoption of written text expressing core concepts in such flags: theshahada in theflag of Saudi Arabia (1973). TheFlag of Iraq (2008) and theFlag of Iran (1979) has thetakbir.
Buddhism	Wheel of Dharma			TheWheel has been used as a symbol for the concept ofDharma since at least the 3rd century BC. It represents Gautama Buddha's teaching of the path to Nirvana. It is incorporated in the emblems of Buddhist organizations in India, Sri Lanka and Mongolia. It has been defined as representingBuddhism as a religious tradition as one of theUnited States military chaplain symbols in 1990.[3][4] However, in most countries where Mahayana Buddhism is prevalent such as China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan, theSwastika is traditionally used as the symbol of Buddhism instead of the Dharma Wheel.
Baháʼí	Nine-pointed star			According to theAbjad system ofIsopsephy, the word Bahá' has a numerical equivalence of9, and thus there is frequent use of the number 9 in Baháʼí symbols.[5] It was recognized as a grave marker by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in 2005.
Dievturība	Krustu krusts			Krustu krusts, known ascross crosslet in English, a sigil used in Latvia for more than 1000 years, is the religious symbol ofDievturība, theethnic religion of theLatvians since 1925.[6]
Druidism	Triskelion			As a Celtic symbol, it is used by various eclectic or syncretic traditions such asNeopaganism.
Druze	Druze star			TheDruze strictly avoidiconography, but use five colors ("Five Limits") on theirDruze star andDruze flag as a religious symbol:[7][8][9] green, red, yellow, blue, and white. Each color pertains to a metaphysical power calledḥadd, literally "a limit", as in the distinctions that separate humans from animals, or the powers that make human the animalistic body. Eachḥadd is color-coded in the following manner: Green forʻAql "the Universal Mind/Intelligence/Nous", Red forNafs "the Universal Soul/Anima mundi", Yellow forKalima "the Word/Logos", Blue forSabiq "the Potentiality/Cause/Precedent", and White forTali "the Future/Effect/Immanence".
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	Angel Moroni		1844	TheAngel Moroni is an important figure in the theology of the Latter Day Saint movement, and is featured prominently in Mormon architecture and art. An angel with trumpet motif was first used as the weather vane for the 1844Nauvoo Temple, and starting with the 1892Salt Lake Temple, mostLDS temples feature an Angel Moroni statue, including the rebuilt 2002Nauvoo Illinois Temple. As of April 4, 2020 Russell M. Nelson the president of the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints changed the symbol to an image that is a representation of the "Christus" statue at its center, placed within a rectangular cornerstone with the Church's name above it.
Community of Christ	A child withthe lamb and lion		1874	The lamb and lion have been used informally inCommunity of Christ since theLatter Day Saints' "Kirtland" period. Its original formal iteration, prominently featuring the lion, the lamb, and child, along with the mottoPeace, was designed byJoseph Smith III,Jason W. Briggs, and Elijah Banta, and approved in the denomination's General Conference in 1874.
Hinduism	Om			The syllable "om" or "aum" is first described as all-encompassing mystical entity in theUpanishads. Hindus believe that as creation began, the divine, all-encompassing consciousness took the form of the first and original vibration manifesting as sound Om.[10] Before creation began there was shunyākāsha, the emptiness, or the void. The vibration of Om symbolises the manifestation of God in form (sāguna brahman). Om is the reflection of the absolute reality, it is said to be "Adi Anadi", without beginning or the end and embracing all that exists.[10] The mantra Om is thename of God, the vibration of the Supreme. When taken letter by letter, A-U-M represents the divine energy (shakti) united in its three elementary aspects: Brahma Shakti (creation), Vishnu Shakti (preservation) and Shiva Shakti (liberation, and/or destruction).[10]
Hellenism	Gorgoneion			TheGorgoneion symbol was used as a form ofapotropaic magic forHellenists for much or all of theHellenic period and maybe even theMycenaean period. AGorgoneion is a depiction of a decapitatedgorgon's head.
Jainism	Jain emblem		1974	An emblem representing Jainism was introduced in 1974. The hand with a wheel on the palm symbolisesAhimsa.
Javanism	Chakra Bhuwana			Chakra (meaning "wheel, circle") is psychic-energy centers, an Bhuwana (meaning "earth, universe"). Since prehistoric times the tribes of the Indonesian Archipelago often revered earth and nature spirits as a life giving mother, a female deity of nature. Chakra Bhuwana is form representing anearth, centers of earth, and four mountain. in Javanism: earth is the mother and sky is the father.
	Hyang			The Javanism CalligraphyHyang is an unseen spiritual entity that has supernatural power in ancient Indonesian mythology. This spirit can be either divine or ancestral. The reverence for this spiritual entity can be found in Sunda Wiwitan, Kejawen, and Balinese Hinduism. In the modern Indonesian this term tends to be associated with gods, devata, or God.
Judaism	Star of David		17th century CE	Jewish flags featuring hexagrams alongside other devices appear from as early as the 14th or 15th century CE. Use of the Star of David as representing the Jewish community is first recorded in Vienna in the 17th century CE.[11]
	Menorah		4th century CE[12]	The Menorah, originally a symbol from theTemple in Jerusalem, became a symbol of Jewish communities after the destruction and exile. Eventually it was overtaken in popularity by the Star of David, but is still used to this day.[12]
Kemetism	Eye of Horus			A symbol fromAncient Egyptian religion symbolizing protection, royal power, and good health, as well as the godHorus.
	Ankh			A symbol fromAncient Egyptian religion symbolizing life
Mithraic mysteries	Tauroctony		2nd century CE	Mithraism is notable for its extensive use of graphical symbols, mostly associated withastrological interpretations. The central symbol is the scene of Mithras slaying the bull; Mithras could also be symbolized in simplified form by representing aPhrygian cap.
Norse polytheism	Mjölnir		9th century CE	During the gradualChristianization of Scandinavia, from roughly 900 to 1100 CE, there was a fashion of wearing Thor's Hammer pendants, apparently in imitation of the Cross pendants worn by Christians. These pendants have been revived since the 1970s inGermanic Neopaganism.
Pythagoreanism	Tetractys		6th century BCE	Thetetractys is a triangular figure of four rows adding up to the number ten, which ancient Pythagoreans regarded as the "perfect number".[13] Pythagoras himself was credited with having devised the tetractys[13] and it was regarded as being of utmost holiness.[13][14]Iamblichus, in hisLife of Pythagoras, states that the tetractys was "so admirable, and so divinised by those who understood [it]," that Pythagoras's students would swear oaths by it.[15][14][13]
Ravidassia	Nishaan		1940s
Roman imperial cult	Radiant crown		2nd century CE	Long used as symbol forSun gods, the crown became the symbol of the divine status of the Roman Emperor, identified withSol Invictus, around the 2nd century CE. The concept gave rise to theroyal crowns familiar throughout the European Middle Ages.
Satanism	Sigil of Baphomet		1960s	The Sigil of Baphomet is the official insignium ofLaVeyan Satanism and theChurch of Satan. The Sigil was derived from an older symbol that appeared in the 1897 book "La Clef de la Magie Noire". This symbol was for a time used by the Church of Satan during its formative years. During the writing ofThe Satanic Bible, it was decided that a unique version of the symbol should be rendered to be identified exclusively with the Church of Satan. The complete graphic now known as theSigil of Baphomet, named such for the first time in Anton LaVey'sThe Satanic Rituals, first appeared on the cover ofThe Satanic Mass LP in 1968 and later on the cover ofThe Satanic Bible in 1969.[16] The symbol is copyrighted by the Church.[17]
Shinto	Torii			A traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within aShinto shrine,[18] where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to sacred; two uprights and two crossbars denoting the separation. Their first appearance in Japan can be reliably pinpointed to at least the mid-Heian period. However, the idea of having a single Shinto symbol is foreign to most Japanese people.[18] Only non-Shintoist Westerners perceive Torii as a symbol of the religion, possibly as a result of analogizing the relationships between Torii and Shinto from that of the Cross and Christianity. Generally speaking, Japanese people associated with Shinto do not treat Torii as a religious symbol, but rather as a gate that symbolizes the entrance to a sacred realm. However, the symbol can be used to indicate the location of Shinto shrines in Japanese maps.
Sikhism	Khanda		1920	A graphical representation of the Sikh sloganDeg Tegh Fateh (1765), adopted by theShiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in 1920.
Taoism	Taijitu		1800s	The modern "yin and yang symbol" develops into its current shape in the 17th century, based on earlier (Song era) diagrams. It is occasionally used as representing Taoism in Western literature by the late 19th century.
Thelema	Unicursal hexagram		1904	InAleister Crowley'sThelema, the hexagram is usually depicted with a five-petalled flower in the centre which symbolizes a pentacle. The symbol itself is the equivalent of theancient EgyptianAnkh, or theRosicrucian'sRosy Cross; which represents the microcosmic forces (the pentacle, representation of the pentagram with five elements, thePentagrammaton, YHSVH orYahshuah) interweave with the macro-cosmic forces (the hexagram, the representation of the planetary or heavenly cosmic forces, the divine).
Unitarian Universalism	Flaming chalice		1960s	Originates as a logo drawn for theUnitarian Universalist Service Committee in 1940; adapted to represent Unitarian Universalism in 1962; recognized by the US Department for Veteran Affairs in 2006.
Various, includingBuddhism,Hinduism, andJainism	Swastika			Swastika comes fromSanskrit (Devanagari:स्वस्तिक), and denotes "conducive to well being or auspicious". In Hinduism, the clockwise symbol is calledswastika symbolizingsurya (sun), prosperity, and good luck, while the counterclockwise symbol is calledsauvastika symbolizing night ortantric aspects ofKali. In Jainism, a swastika is the symbol forSuparshvanatha – the 7th of 24 Tirthankaras (spiritual teachers and saviours), while in Buddhism it symbolizes the auspicious footprints of theBuddha.
Wicca	Pentacle		1960	Thepentacle or pentagram has a long history as a symbol used inalchemy and westernoccultism; it was adopted as a symbol in Wicca inc. the 1960s. There was a campaign to recognize it as a symbol representing Wicca as a religion on US veteran headstones since the late 1990s, and the symbol was recognized for use on such headstones in 2007.[19]
Zoroastrianism	Faravahar			The symbol is currently thought to represent aFravashi (approximately aguardian angel). It is regarded as a national icon inIran, as well as a symbol among Zoroastrians.[20][21][22] There are various interpretations of what the faravahar symbolizes, and there is no universal consensus except to note that it does not represent thefravashi.[23][24] It symbolizes good thoughts, good words, and good deeds - the basic tenets and principles of Zoroastrianism.

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In some African Indigenous religions, there are graphical and pictorial symbols representing the actual religion or faith just like theAbrahamic faith. Each indigenous religion however, has symbolisms which are religious or spiritual in nature. Some of these may be graphical, numerological (as in Serer numerology - seeSerer creation myth) or a combination of both. However, these graphical images represent the actual religion practice and elements within the faith. The Ìṣẹ̀ṣe religion of theyoruba people indigenous religion as an example has it graphical and pictorial symbol representing the religion, the symbol explained the philosophical concept of the four cardinal point of the earth.

The very nature ofAfrican art stem from "their themes of symbolism, functionalism and utilitarianism" hence why African art is multi-functional. In the African Indigenous belief system, Africans draw from their various artistic traditions as sources of inspiration.^{[citation needed]}

Traditional African religions	Name	Symbol	Notes and references
Akan religion Main article:Adinkra symbols	Gye Nyame		TheAdinkra symbol representing the omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and immortality ofNyame (theAkan sky god).[25]
Serer religion (a ƭat Roog)	Yoonir		Yoonir is a religious symbolism in the traditional faith of theSerer people. It symbolizes the universe as well as the Serer people. In the Serer worldview, it represents good fortune and destiny and was used by Serer illiterates to sign their names. The peak of the star represents the DeityRoog. The other four points represent the cardinal points of the Universe. The crossing of the lines pinpoints the axis of the Universe, that all energies pass. The top point is "the point of departure and conclusion, the origin and the end".[26][27]
	Mbot		The mbot is the symbol of theNdut rite of passage (a circumcision rite) that every Serer male must go through. The female equivalent isNdom (thetattooing of the gums). It is in Ndut classical teachings where Serer boys get to learn about themselves, the importance of teamwork, good citizenship and the secrets and mysteries of the universe.[28][29]
Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Religion	Ìṣẹ̀ṣe		The Symbol of Ìṣẹ̀ṣe - Yorùbá indigenous Religion explained the Philosophical concept of the Four Cardinal Points (Igun Mẹ́rin Ayé) and its cosmological meanings as it was arranged and explained by Ọ̀rúnmìlà Baraà mi Àgbọnnìrègún through IFÁ - the esoteric language of OLÓDÙMARÈ, and which is the Centrality of the Existence of Humanity, Divinity, and the Cosmos. - Iwájú Ọpọ́n - Ẹ̀yìn Ọpọ́n - Olùmú Ọ̀tún - Olùkànràn Òsì - Àárín Ọpọ́n Ìta Ọ̀run

• Ayyavazhi symbolism
• Baháʼí symbols
• Buddhist symbolism
• Christian symbolism
• Jewish symbolism
• Symbolism in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Symbols of Islam

• Baer, Hans A. (1998). William H. Swatos Jr (ed.)."Symbols", in Encyclopedia of Religion and Society. Walnut Creek, CA, USA:Hartford Seminary, AltaMira Press. p. 504.ISBN 0761989560. Archived fromthe original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved31 October 2008.
• Boyce, Mary (2001). "Fravaši".Encyclopedia Iranica. Vol. 10. Costa Mesa: Mazda. pp. 195–199.
• Gilmore, Peter H. (2001)."Baphomet [Sigil of Baphomet]". In James R. Lewis (ed.).Satanism Today. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 20–21.ISBN 9781576072929.

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