Jaatunism

Jaatunism (from Middle Menneferian jtn, ‘celestial disk, ’), known as Zhoosrut in Remunmenni, is a Mauthinic religious system from Mennefer teaching that the God of Light, Jaatun, commonly represented as a solar disk with protruding handed rays, is the upholder of life and Supreme Being. Various Jaatunism traditions span a range of theologies, mainly and. It is one of the world’s major religions with over 500 million followers, known as Jaatunists or Zhoos (‘illuminated’).

Orthodox Jaatunism divides the universe into two dualistic halves, the free reality and the unfree reality. These realities are independent of each other, but also incomplete. Jaatun inhabits both realities, the only Being to do so, and is almighty, eternal, always existing, everlasting, all-knowing, and compassionate. The purpose of Jaatunist practice is to liberate the body and soul from their separation and become one with the Supreme Being. The applied by Zhoos carry considerable influence from the, and Jaatunist philosophy typically considers the faith a reformed continuation of Mennefer's ancient traditions.

The gradual emergence of Jaatunism as a separate belief system dates back to Maithun, a man of low birth who lived in Mennefer around 1100 BCE; he is considered an important prophet by all of Jaatunism, Sabbatarianism, and several other religions. Maithun did not assign any special importance to Jaatun, but by the time his teachings officially replaced the traditional religion as Mennefer’s state religion in 191 BCE, Maithun’s message of a Divine Light upon mankind had come to be associated with the disk of the sun, Jaatun’s physical representation. The adoption of Jaatunism was a turning point in Menneferian history as it is a universal religion to be followed by all, very much unlike the traditional religion’s Menneferian exclusivity. This would factor into the later Takhuit dynasty's campaign of conquests into Napsal and Central Yoju, which to some extent were religiously motivated, creating Jaatunist communities across the continent.

Jaatunism is primarily found in Yoju; Napsal and Central Yoju in particular, being the most common religion in Mennefer, Etelkoz, and Nesh. Immigration and cultural exchanges have brought Zhoos to all corners of the world, and Jaatunist philosophy and art have significantly influenced those of the surrounding region and beyond.

Etymology
The term Jaatunism means “worship of Jaatun”, a word originally covering any celestial disk (like the sun or the moon) visible in the sky. It is a common moniker for the faith in many languages, but has not been used in Remunmenni for centuries, which prefers Zhoosrut instead. Zhoosrut is a contraction of zhoos n rut, literally ”illumination's gate" (written šsp n rwt).

History
The prophet Maithun was born around 1142 BCE during the X dynasty in the rural locality of Par-Sak, now the city of Par-Maithun, in modern Bampu Province. According to the Jaatunist biography of his life, he was a religious preacher who advocated reforming the, and was banished from his home at age 44, settling in what is now known as Par-Jaatun. While some details on his life such as the circumstances of his death around 1089 BCE are not entirely clear, the mainstream narrative tells that his disciples went on to found the Temple of Wisdom, where they wrote his teachings into the Ishaafdu ("the scroll"), the first holy scripture of the Jaatunist canon. The religious movement remained rooted in Par-Jaatun for several centuries from this relatively unknown monastery, patronized by the local rulers but never achieving widespread acceptance. It was during this time, the Great Waiting, that most of the principal Jaatunist theology was established, including the Solar Scripture commonly used today.

The Jaatunist rite eventually spread out across Mennefer, and it became established in the Toowan Valley region around 600 BCE. In 550 BCE, it had spread to the Great Temple of Bampu. By 400 BCE, Jaatunism had split into the Unified and Heterodox branches; the former maintained a dominant position for over 1000 years, while the Heterodox movements were divided into many separate rites with wildly different theologies. The Unified branch would eventually become Orthodox Jaatunism, a grouping of various Orders that strive to closely emulate Maithun's teachings. Between 360 BCE and 100 BCE, Jaatunism replaced the traditional Menneferian pantheon as the dominant religion in the country.

Denominations
The closest equivalent to a central doctrinal authority found in Jaatunism are the various Jaatunist Orders, which are federations of the different local belief communities found around the world. Jaatunist Orders are headed by a High Priesthood and are very often associated with a particular, , and shared system of ritual practice. Orders are broadly grouped into philosophical niches such as henotheism, monotheism, polytheism,, , , and so forth, with a great diversity in proper belief and practice. Relations between Orders range from extensive cooperation to complete separation, often affected by wider conflicts between personalities or even entire states and political ideologies.

Jaatunism once derived its doctrinal power from the authority of the Ouro, an arrangement disturbed by the Takhuit dynasty's propagation of the faith into foreign, independent countries. The collapse of the Takhuits ended the Ouro's religious authority for hundreds of years until the establishment of the Northern Dynasty, whose rulers were unable to reinforce religious authority outside of Mennefer.

The influences of increased during the era of Sinjuan ; although Mennefer was not directly colonized, Sinjuan powers held significant economic and cultural influence in the country for over a century. Later scholars have derided Buddhist influence as imperialist subjugation and "centerization", leading to frequent purges in the 20th century, especially after the communist Menneferian Revolution. Other countries with Jaatunist populations were colonized and experienced differing levels of religious interference from colonial authorities.

The Menneferian People's Party's Revolutionary Jaatunism, a interpretation of Jaatunist teaching, has played a significant role since the Menneferian Revolution of 1955. The MPP's stance on non-complicit Orders has varied from and persecution to tacit approval since the revolution, and Revolutionary Jaatunism has in recent decades blended with both reformist and traditionalist movements to create contemporary Jaatunism. Given the co-occurring socialist revolutions in Etelkoz and Nesh, the most historically significant majority-Jaatunist countries are now also communist states. These developments have seen a move away from the rites of the ancient religious hierarchy towards a focus on individual redemption and inner peace, a shift derided by some scholars.