Table of Contents
Definition of Belief System
(noun) A set of beliefs held by a particular society, culture, or individual.
Examples of Belief System
Belief System Pronunciation
Syllabification: be·lief sys·tem
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /buh-lEEf sIs-tuhm/
- British English – /bi-lEEf sIs-tim/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /bɪˈlif ˈsɪstəm/
- British English – /bɪˈliːf ˈsɪstɪm/
Usage Notes
- Plural: belief systems
- A belief system can refer to political and scientific perspectives, but typically describes the religious views or the values of a group.
Related Quotation
- “Violation of taboos is punishable by the group or even, according to certain belief system, by a supernatural force. The incest taboo which prohibits sexual or marital relations between certain categories of kin, is an example of a nearly universal taboo” (Kendall 2006:56).
Additional Information
- Religion Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Word origin of “belief” and “system” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
- Borhek, James T., and Richard F. Curtis. 1975. A Sociology of Belief. New York: Wiley & Sons.
- Hicks, David, ed. 2010. Ritual and Belief Readings in the Anthropology of Religion. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press.
- Law, John, ed. 1986. Power, Action and Belief: A New Sociology of Knowledge? London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Related Terms
- atheism
- belief
- established sect
- megachurch
- monotheism
- mores
- prayer
- priest
- secularization
- value
- worldview
Reference
Kendall, Diana. 2006. Sociology in Our Times: The Essentials. 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Works Consulted
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Cite the Definition of Belief System
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “belief system.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved December 14, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/belief-system/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
belief system. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/belief-system/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “belief system.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed December 14, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/belief-system/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“belief system.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 14 Dec. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/belief-system/>.