In 2005 Wikipedia's first sentence called it “called " folk christianity "”. Today it says “distinct from the doctrines and practices of organized religion”.
Measured, not asserted. Every count, date and revision on this page was taken from Wikipedia's own history and checked against the live article. The words quoted are theirs.
Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
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The opening as it read in 2005
Folk religion consists of beliefs , superstitions and cultural practices transmitted from generation to generation, in addition to the formally stated creeds and beliefs of a codified major religion . The term is also applied to the blending of folk practices with those of major religions, so that folk practices amongst people in Christian countries are called " Folk Christianity ", in Islamic countries " Folk Islam ", and so on.1 The term is also used, especially by the clergy of the faiths involved, to describe the desire of people who otherwise infrequently attend religious worship , do not belong to a church or similar religious society, and who have not made a formal profession of faith in a particular creed , to have religious weddings or funerals , or (among Christians) to have their children baptised . Folk religion also can be thought of the practice of religion by lay people outside of the control of clergy or the supervision of theologians .2There is occasionally tension between the practice of folk religion and the formally taught doctrines and teachings of a faith.3Folk religion answers human needs for reassurance in times of trouble, and many of its rituals are aimed at mundane goals like seeking healing or averting misfortune. Many elements of folk religion stem from animistic or fetishistic practices, which is almost inevitable given its mundane goals and ritualistic nature. Folk religion also often aims at divination to foresee the future. The line is often blurry between the practice of folk religion and the practice of magic : see magic and religion . In general, believers in these folk versions of a religion are usually not aware of any distinction between their folk practices and their official religion. No one consciously practices a folk religion or calls their own religious practices a folk religion. When awareness of the tension between folk religion and the formal creed of an institutional religion rises to conscious levels, and the folk religion successfully resists that tension, it is well on its way to becoming an institutional religion in its own right, and develops a body of doctrine of its own to justify its continued practice against the institutional opposition. The folk religion with the largest number of adherents is the Chinese folk religion .4
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 15987912.
The opening as it stood in 2010 11 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Folk religion consists of ethnic or regional religious customs under the umbrella of an organized religion , but outside of official doctrine and practices.Don Yoder has defined "folk religion" as "the totality of all those views and practices of religion that exist among the people apart from and alongside the strictly theological and liturgical forms of the official religion." Folk Christianity , Folk Hinduism , and Folk Islam are examples of folk religion associated with major religions. There is sometimes tension between the practice of folk religion and the formally taught doctrines and teachings of a faith. In other cases, practices that originated in folk religion are adopted as part of the official religion. The term is also used, especially by the clergy of the faiths involved, to describe the desire of people who otherwise infrequently attend religious worship , do not belong to a church or similar religious society, and who have not made a formal profession of faith in a particular creed , to have religious weddings or funerals , or (among Christians) to have their children baptised . In Sutcliffe, Steven (ed.).Western Folklore . 33 (1): 1– 15. : Unknown parameter |month= ignored ( help )
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The opening as it stood in 2015 4 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Folk religion , sometimes also termed popular belief , consists of ethnic or regional religious customs under the umbrella of a religion , but outside of official doctrine and practices.Folk religion has been defined as "the totality of all those views and practices of religion that exist among the people apart from and alongside the strictly theological and liturgical forms of the official religion." The term "folk religion" is generally held to encompass two related but separate subjects.The first is the religious dimension of folk culture , or the folk-cultural dimensions of religion.The second refers to the study of syncretisms between two cultures with different stages of formal expression, such as the melange of African folk beliefs and Roman Catholicism that led to the development of Vodun and Santería , and similar mixtures of formal religions with folk cultures. Chinese folk religion , Folk Christianity, Folk Hinduism, and Folk Islam are examples of folk religion associated with major religions. The term is also used, especially by the clergy of the faiths involved, to describe the desire of people who otherwise infrequently attend religious worship , do not belong to a church or similar religious society, and who have not made a formal profession of faith in a particular creed , to have religious weddings or funerals, or (among Christians) to have their children baptised . Aspects of many, but not all, folk religions include: popular theophanies , and similar phenomena like Marian apparitions , originating outside the formal liturgy and hierarchy of the faiths in question. magical thinking protective qualities ascribed to religious objects like a particular copy of the Bible , Voodoo pouches , a crucifix , stones, crystals, eagle feathers , or any other "power" object. belief in traditional systems of magic ( hoodoo , voodoo , pow-wow , Benedicaria , Palo Monte , Anito , Santería and Catimbó ) rituals to ward off the Evil Eye , curses , demons , witchcraft , etc.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 662610531.
The opening as it stood in 2020 2 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
In religious studies and folkloristics , folk religion , popular religion , or vernacular religion comprises various forms and expressions of religion that are distinct from the official doctrines and practices of organized religion .The precise definition of folk religion varies among scholars.Sometimes also termed popular belief , it consists of ethnic or regional religious customs under the umbrella of a religion , but outside official doctrine and practices. The term "folk religion" is generally held to encompass two related but separate subjects. The first is the religious dimension of folk culture , or the folk-cultural dimensions of religion. The second refers to the study of syncretisms between two cultures with different stages of formal expression, such as the melange of African folk beliefs and Roman Catholicism that led to the development of Vodun and Santería , and similar mixtures of formal religions with folk cultures. Chinese folk religion , folk Christianity, folk Hinduism, and folk Islam are examples of folk religion associated with major religions. The term is also used, especially by the clergy of the faiths involved, to describe the desire of people who otherwise infrequently attend religious worship , do not belong to a church or similar religious society, and who have not made a formal profession of faith in a particular creed , to have religious weddings or funerals, or (among Christians) to have their children baptised .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 962654821.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023
Expressions of religion distinct from the official doctrines of organized religion For religions sometimes described as "folk religions" or "ethnic religions", see Ethnic religion . In religious studies and folkloristics , folk religion , popular religion , traditional religion or vernacular religion comprises various forms and expressions of religion that are distinct from the official doctrines and practices of organized religion . The precise definition of folk religion varies among scholars. Sometimes also termed popular belief , it consists of ethnic or regional religious customs under the umbrella of a religion , but outside official doctrine and practices. The term "folk religion" is generally held to encompass two related but separate subjects. The first is the religious dimension of folk culture , or the folk-cultural dimensions of religion. The second refers to the study of syncretisms between two cultures with different stages of formal expression, such as the melange of African folk beliefs and Roman Catholicism that led to the development of Vodun and Santería , and similar mixtures of formal religions with folk cultures. In China, folk Protestantism had its origins with the Taiping Rebellion. Chinese folk religion , folk Christianity, folk Hinduism , and folk Islam are examples of folk religion associated with major religions . The term is also used, especially by the clergy of the faiths involved, to describe the desire of people who otherwise infrequently attend religious worship , do not belong to a church or similar religious society, and who have not made a formal profession of faith in a particular creed , to have religious weddings or funerals, or (among Christians) to have their children baptised .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1178639632.
The opening as it stood in 2025
Expressions of religion distinct from the official doctrines of organized religion For religions sometimes described as "folk religions" or "ethnic religions", see Ethnic religion . Shrine of Bixia at Mount Tai , Shandong , associated with Chinese folk religion Folk religion , traditional religion , or vernacular religion comprises, according to religious studies and folkloristics , various forms and expressions of religion that are distinct from the official doctrines and practices of organized religion . The precise definition of folk religion varies among scholars. Sometimes also termed popular belief , it consists of ethnic or regional religious customs under the umbrella of a religion ; but outside official doctrine and practices. The term "folk religion" is generally held to encompass two related but separate subjects. The first is the religious dimension of folk culture ( folklore ), or the folk-cultural dimensions of religion. The second refers to the study of religious syncretism between two cultures with different stages of formal expression, such as the melange of African folk beliefs and Roman Catholicism that led to the development of Vodun and Santería , and similar mixtures of formal religions with folk cultures. In China, folk Protestantism had its origins with the Taiping Rebellion. Chinese folk religion , folk Hinduism , folk Christianity , and folk Islam are examples of folk religion associated with major religions . The term is also used, especially by the clergy of the faiths involved, to describe the desire of people who otherwise infrequently attend religious worship , do not belong to a church or similar religious society, and who have not made a formal profession of faith in a particular creed , to have religious weddings or funerals, or (among Christians) to have their children baptised .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1292518483. This is our newest snapshot; the live article may have moved again since.
Today
In 2005 Wikipedia's first sentence called it “called " folk christianity "”. Today it says “distinct from the doctrines and practices of organized religion”. Read the current article and compare.
2005
2010
2015
2020
Oct '23
2025
Counts in the opening at each snapshot. Green: the word gained ground. Red: it was cut. Grey: no change.
What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2005, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
called " folk christianity "
Now
distinct from the doctrines and practices of organized religion
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.