Historical Vedic religion Historical Vedic religion The historical Vedic religion (also known as Vedism, Brahmanism, Vedic Brahmanism, and ancient Hinduism) refers to the religious ideas and practices among Indo-Aryan-speaking peoples of ancient India after about 1500 BCE. These ideas and practices are found in the Vedic texts, and they were one of the major influences that shaped contemporary Hinduism. According to the "Encyclopædia Britannica", in the Hindu tradition and particularly in India, the Vedic religion is considered to be a part of Hinduism. According to Heinrich von Stietencron, in the 19th century western publications, the Vedic religion was believed to be different from
Religion in New Zealand Religion in New Zealand Religion in New Zealand encompasses a wide range of groups and beliefs. Christianity is the most common religion with almost half (48 percent) of the population at the 2013 New Zealand census declaring an affiliation. Around six percent of the population affiliated with non-Christian religions, with Hinduism being the largest at over two percent, while 42 percent of New Zealanders stated they had no religion in the most recent census and 4 percent made no declaration. New Zealand has no state religion or established church, although Anglicanism is required to be the religion of the Monarch