Religious symbolism

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Religious symbolism is the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork, events, or natural phenomena, by a religion. Religions view religious texts, rituals, and works of art as symbols of compelling ideas or ideals. The usage of symbols helps create a resonant mythos that expresses the moral values of the society, the teachings of the religion, creates a sense of solidarity between religious adherents, or functions as a way to bring an adherent closer to God.

The study of religious symbols is either universalist, as a component of comparative religion and mythology, or in localized scope, within the confines of a religion's limits and boundaries.

Religion or philosophy	Symbol
Ayyavazhi	Lotus Carrying Namam Image:Ayyavazhi lotus.svg
Bahá'í Faith	Nine Pointed Star Image:Ninestar.gif
Buddhism	Dharma Circle Image:Wheel of life 1.svg
Christianity	Ichthys (fish) Christian cross Image:Christian cross.svg Patriarchal cross Image:OrthodoxCross.svg
Ethnic religions, Polytheistic reconstructionism Paganism, Neopaganism, Fetishism	Hands of God Image:HandsGod.svg Mjølner Image:Mjollnir.png Pentagram Image:Pentagram.ant.png Sun cross Image:Crossed circle.svg
Gnosticism	Sun cross (also a symbol of neopaganism) Ouroboros (also a symbol of Alchemy and Hermeticism) Image:Ouroboros-Zanaq.png
Humanism	Happy Human Image:Humanism.svg
Hinduism	Omkar (Aum) Image:Oum.svg
Islam	Kalima/Shahadah Star and crescent (Ottoman symbol) Image:Star and Crescent.svg
Jainism	Swastica Image:HinduSwastika.svg
Judaism	Star of David
Slavic neopaganism	Hands of God Image:Receboga.svg
Sikhism	Khanda Image:Khanda.svg
Shintō	Torii Image:Torii.svg
Daoism	Yin and yang (Taiji) Image:Yin yang.svg
Zoroastrianism	Faravahar Image:Faravahar.png