The systematic study and written description of cultures, peoples, and their customs, beliefs, and social practices. In religious studies, it involves documenting and analyzing how communities practice their faith in real-world contexts.
From Greek 'ethnos' (people, nation) and 'graphia' (writing, description). The term emerged in the 19th century as anthropologists began systematically documenting non-Western cultures and their religious practices.
Ethnography revolutionized our understanding of religion by showing that what people actually do often differs dramatically from official doctrine—like discovering that ancient Greek 'atheists' weren't rejecting gods but practicing folk religion that priests didn't recognize!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.