The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1876 page)

(from Gk.). Jewish legal formula for reclaiming debts after the
Sabbatical Year
. A prosbul was signed by witnesses before a
bet din
and would entitle the creditor to collect his debts despite the intervention of the Sabbatical Year (
Shev
. 10. 2).

 
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Proselytes
.

Converts to a religion, and especially (because formally defined and controlled) to Judaism. Proselytism was widespread in the second
Temple
period. Once converted, the proselyte is given a new name and is described as ‘Ben’ or ‘Bat’ Avraham (son or daughter of
Abraham
). He is cut off from his previous family and must observe all the precepts which bind Jews. A female proselyte may not marry a
priest
(
B.Yev
. 60b), but may marry a
mamzer
(
B.Kid
. 4. 7); and a male proselyte may not be appointed to any Jewish public office (
B.Yev
. 45b). However, once the canons of the Christian Church had forbidden ‘Judaizing’, proselytism became increasingly rare.

 
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Prostitution, sacred
.

The sense of union in the sexual act became in many religions a powerful expression of religious union. This is most familiar in Indian practice (see
DEVD
S
), but it was clearly a common practice elsewhere.

 
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see
WEBER, MAX
.

 
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Protestantism
.

Generic term for manifestations or expressions of Christianity arising from the
Reformation
. Although the Lat.,
protestari
, means ‘to protest’ (sc., against the errors of Roman Catholicism), it also means ‘to avow’ or ‘to affirm’. Thus Protestants were, and are, not simply negative, but seek to return to a faith and order based on scripture, and in continuity from the early apostolic Church. They stress the sovereign majesty of God, who as Father entrusts Lordship over creation to his Son. They hold strongly to
justification
by faith and the
priesthood
of all believers. They reject the claims of papal supremacy, at least as so far practised and expressed, and also the seven
sacraments
of Catholicism, adhering to the two which have dominical (i.e. from the Lord) warrant,
baptism
and the
Lord's Supper
. Protestantism has proved highly fissiparous, and embraces extremes of conservatism and radicalism. There are, in extremely approximate terms, about 500 million Protestants in the world.

 
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