Teachings or doctrines designed for the outer circle or general public, as opposed to those reserved for initiates.
From Greek exōtereia, the feminine form related to exōterikos. This noun form emphasizes a system or collection of external teachings meant for broader audiences.
The word captures the idea that different people get different versions of the 'truth'—from religions with public sermons to science with 'public versions' versus technical papers, this pattern keeps showing up in human culture.
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