sect, religious sect, religious order

a subdivision of a larger religious group

• sisterhood — a religious society of sisters (especially an order of nuns)
• High Church, High Anglican Church — a group in the Anglican Church that emphasizes the Catholic tradition (especially in sacraments and rituals and obedience to church authority)
• Amish sect — an orthodox Anabaptist sect separated from the Mennonites in late 17th century; settled chiefly in SE Pennsylvania
• Shivaism, Sivaism — a Hindu sect worshiping Shiva
• Shaktism, Saktism — a Hindu sect worshiping Shakti
• Vaishnavism, Vaisnavism — Hindu sect worshiping of Vishnu
• Haredi — any of several Orthodox Jewish sects who reject modern secular culture and many of whom do not recognize the spiritual authority of the modern state of Israel
• Hare Krishna, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON — a religious sect founded in the United States in 1966; based on Vedic scriptures; groups engage in joyful chanting of `Hare Krishna' (`O Krishna!') and other mantras based on the name of the Hindu god Krishna; devotees usually wear saffron robes and practice vegetarianism and celibacy
• Jainism — sect founded in the 6th century as a revolt against Hinduism
• Taoism — Chinese Taoist sect claiming to follow the teaching of Lao-tzu but also incorporating pantheism and sorcery
• Kokka Shinto, Kokka — the branch of Shinto recognized as the official state religion of Japan
• Shuha Shinto, Shua — any branch of Shinto other than Kokka
• brethren — the members of a male religious order
• Religious Society of Friends, Society of Friends, Quakers — a Christian sect founded by George Fox about 1660; commonly called Quakers
• Shakers, United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing — a celibate and communistic Christian sect in the United States
• Society of Jesus — the Jesuits: a Roman Catholic religious order

• religion, faith — institution to express belief in a divine power

• convent — a community of people in a religious order (especially nuns) living together