On Religion and Philosophy

The vast majority of sentient beings within the Manifold Sky adhere to one or more systems of religious belief. Because of the relative compactness of the Manifold and the presence of more pressing concerns in the public consciousness (namely the War of Reunification), acrimonious religious schisms are uncommon. Due to cultural admixture beginning in the Age of Exploration, all major religions have syncretic elements and branches which overlap with other religions, though the degree of this blending varies (i.e. core regions of a given nation will be more dogmatic in their beliefs than periphery regions). Despite these factors, inter-religious conflict occasionally occurs, especially in regions beyond the reach of state authority (i.e. the factions struggling for control over the Rhombic Obliques)
With the exception of the relatively neutral Knappist faith, religions in the Manifold can be categorized based on whether they adhere to Linearist or Epicyclist philosophy. These two strains of religious philosophy are generally regarded as diametrically opposed, and conflict between religions with different core philosophies is much more likely. In short:

• Linearism teaches that time travels in a set arc from the past into the future, with some differences in belief surrounding the question of free will. The Unexpector and Forgist Faiths are primarily Linearist in philosophy.
• Epicyclism teaches that all things exist in a constant cycle, with certain patterns repeating throughout history with or without sentient intervention. Rostran Esotericism and Biocosmism are both primarily Epicyclist in philosophy, while the Unnamed Ovinex Religion features some basic Epicyclist ideas.
• Knappism, being a fusion of Forgist and Rostran Esotericist beliefs, is equally comfortable with Linearist or Epicyclist philosophy.