Devotion to a deity, person or thing
This article discusses the original meaning of the word
cult, not the term in the sociology of religion, new religious movements called
cults,
cults of personality, or popular
cult followings. For specific treatment of the cults of the saints in Christianity, see
Veneration.
Cult is the care (Latin: cultus) owed to deities and temples, shrines, or churches. Cult is embodied in ritual and ceremony. Its presence or former presence is made concrete in temples, shrines and churches, and cult images, including votive offerings at votive sites.