Enthusiasm (Greek: enthousiasmos) originally meant inspiration or possession by a divine afflatus or by the presence of a God. Today it simply means intense enjoyment, interest or approval. There are several meanings of the word inspiration: The stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions leading to creativity. ... Spiritual possession is a concept of many religions and tales, where it is believed that a demon, or disincarnate being, may take temporary control of a human body, resulting in noticeable changes in behaviour. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... This article is about an emotion. ... In finance, interest has three general definitions. ... This article or section should include material from Majority Choice Approval Approval voting is a voting system used for elections, in which each voter can vote for as many or as few candidates as the voter chooses. ...

Historical usage

Originally an enthusiast is a person possessed by a God. Applied by the Greeks to manifestations of divine possession, by Apollo, as in the case of the Pythia, or by Dionysus, as in the case of the Bacchantes and Maenads, the term enthusiasm was also used in a transferred or figurative sense. Thus Socrates speaks of the inspiration of poets as a form of enthusiasm. Medical Meaning The symptoms or observable conditions which are seen as a result of some disease. ... Lycian Apollo, early Imperial Roman copy of a fourth century Greek original (Louvre Museum) In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo (Greek: Απόλλων, Apóllōn; or Απελλων, Apellōn), the ideal of the kouros,[1] was the archer-god of medicine and healing and also a bringer of death-dealing plague; as... The Pythia was the priestess presiding over the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi, located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. ... Dionysus with a panther and satyr, in the Palazzo Altemps (Rome, Italy) Dionysus or Dionysos (Ancient Greek: Διώνυσος or Διόνυσος; also known as Bacchus in both Greek and Roman mythology and associated with the Italic Liber), the Thracian god of wine, represents not only the intoxicating power of wine, but also its... In Greek mythology, Maenads [MEE-nads] were female worshippers of Dionysus, the Greek god of mystery, wine and intoxication. ... In Greek mythology, Maenads [MEE-nads] were female worshippers of Dionysus, the Greek god of mystery, wine and intoxication. ... Socrates (Greek: , invariably anglicized assɔkɹətiːz, Sǒcratēs; 470?–399 BCE) was a ancient Greek philosopher who is widely credited for laying the foundation for Western philosophy. ... A poet is some one who writes poetry. ...

Its uses, in a religious sense, are confined to an exaggerated or wrongful belief in religious inspiration, or to intense religious fervour or emotion. Thus a Syrian sect of the 4th century was known as the Enthusiasts. They believed that by perpetual prayer, ascetic practices and contemplation, man could become inspired by the Holy Spirit, in spite of the ruling evil spirit, which the fall had given to him. From their belief in the efficacy of prayer, they were also known as Euchites. Several protestant sects of the 16th and 17th centuries were called enthusiastic. During the 18th century, popular Methodists such as John Wesley or George Whitefield were accused of blind enthusiasm (i.e. fanaticism). It has been suggested that Feeling be merged into this article or section. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 4th century was that century which lasted from 301 to 400. ... Maria Magdalene in prayer. ... Contemplation comes from the latin root for temple, and means to enter an open or consecrated place. ... In various religions, most notably Trinitarian Christianity, the Holy Spirit (also called the Holy Ghost; in Hebrew רוח הקודש Ruah haqodesh) is the third Person of the Holy Trinity. ... The Euchites were a sect that separated from the Christian Eastern (Orthodox) Church in Mesopotamia, and then extended by Asia Minor and Thrace. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... A sect is generally a small religious or political group that has branched off from a larger established group. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... John Wesley (June 17, 1703–March 2, 1791) was an 18th-century Anglican clergyman and Christian theologian who was an early leader in the Methodist movement. ... George Whitefield (December 16, 1714 - September 30, 1770), was a minister in the Church of England and one of the leaders of the Methodist movement. ...

Modern Usage

In modern ordinary usage, enthusiasm has lost its peculiar religious significance, and means a whole-hearted devotion to an ideal, cause, study or pursuit. Sometimes, in a depreciatory sense, it implies a devotion which is partisan and is blind to difficulties and objections. A Devotion in Christianity has come to mean time spent alone or in a small group of people reading and studying the Bible in a way as it relates to ones spiritual health and wellbeing. ... In mathematics, the term ideal has multiple meanings. ...

Science-fiction writer Thomas M. Disch once suggested that the mystical experiences of writer Philip K. Dick might be described as a form of enthousiasmos. Thomas M. Disch Thomas M. Disch (February 2, 1940 – ) is an American science fiction author. ... Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 – March 2, 1982) was an American science fiction writer. ...

One might be said in modern terms to be enthusiastic if they are excited about what they might be engaged in.

See also

• ecstasy
• fanaticism
• fan
• zeal

ecstasy (drug) and religious ecstasy Ecstasy, from the Greek ekstasis, to be outside oneself, is a category of trance or trancelike states in which an individual transcends ordinary consciousness and as a result has a heightened capacity for exceptional thought or experience. ... Fanaticism, from French fanatique or Latin fanaticus of a temple, inspired by a god is an emotion of being filled with excessive, uncritical zeal, particularly for an extreme religious or political cause, or with an obsessive enthusiasm for a pastime or hobby. ... Fans of Janet Jackson, at Much Music in Toronto The word fan refers to someone who has an intense, occasionally overwhelming liking of a person, group of persons, work of art, idea, or trend. ... Zeal is a volunteer-built web directory, first appearing in 1999, and then acquired by LookSmart in October 2000 for $20 million. ...

External links

• David Hume, Of Superstition and Enthusiasm
• The Ronald Knox Society of North America
• The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: enthusiasm
• John Wesley, The Nature of Enthusiasm