Paganism

The names pagan and paganism are said to be derived from the Latin name for rural dweller or villager, 'paganus'. With the rise of Christianity, the rural residents held on to their original religion the longest, to the dismay of the church, which then equated the name 'paganus' with 'pagan'. That is why pagan is often mentioned in the same sentence as paganism. Paganism is a colorful collection of spiritual traditions. There are clear characteristics in which pagans and pagans differ from other spiritual traditions.