THE ABC'S OF WORLD RELIGION VOCABULARY LIST
Terms
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- what is agnosticism?
- The belief that there can be no proof either that God exists or that God does not exist.
- what is alms?
- Money or goods given as charity to the poor.
- what is anti-semitism?
- Discrimination against Jews.
- what is atheism?
- Disbelief in or denial of the existence of God or gods.
- what is bar mitzvah?
- A 13-year-old Jewish boy, considered an adult and responsible for his moral and religious duties.
- what is bat mitzvah?
- In Conservative and Reform Judaism, a Jewish girl of 12 to 14 years of age, considered an adult and responsible for her moral and religious duties.
- what is blaspheme?
- To speak of (God or a sacred entity) in an irreverent, impious manner.
- what is brahman?
- The holy or sacred power that is the source and sustainer of the universe.
- what is caliph?
- A leader of an Islamic polity, regarded as a successor of Muhammad and by tradition always male.
- what is canonize?
- To declare (a deceased person) to be a saint and entitled to be fully honored as such.
- what is chanting?
- To sing or intone to a chant: chant a prayer.
- what is charity?
- often Charity Christianity. The theological virtue defined as love directed first toward God but also toward oneself and one's neighbors as objects of God's love.
- what is conversion?
- A change in which one adopts a new religion, faith, or belief.
- what is covenant?
- Bible) an agreement between God and his people in which God makes certain promises and requires certain behavior from them in return (formal agreement)
- what is cult?
- A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
- what is dharma?
- that which is established or firm, steadfast decree, statute, ordinance, law; usage, practice, customary observance or prescribed conduct, duty; right, justice (often as a synonym of punishment); virtue, morality, religion, religious merit, good works,
- what is diaspora?
- The dispersion of Jews outside of Israel from the sixth century B.C., when they were exiled to Babylonia, until the present time.
- what is dogma?
- A doctrine or a corpus of doctrines relating to matters such as morality and faith, set forth in an authoritative manner by a church.
- what is enlightenment?
- A blessed state in which the individual transcends desire and suffering and attains Nirvana
- what is faith?
- The theological virtue defined as secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will.
- what is hajj?
- the fifth pillar of Islam is a pilgrimage to Mecca during the month of Dhu al-Qadah; at least once in a lifetime a Muslim is expected to make a religious journey to Mecca and the Kaaba; "for a Muslim the hajj is the ultimate act of worship
- what is henotheistic?
- Belief in one god without denying the existence of others.
- what is heresy?
- An opinion or a doctrine at variance with established religious beliefs, especially dissension from or denial of Roman Catholic dogma by a professed believer or baptized church member.
- what is holy see?
- the smallest sovereign state in the world; the see of the Pope (as the Bishop of Rome); home of the Pope and the central administration of the Roman Catholic Church; achieved independence from Italy in 1929
- what is icon?
- A representation or picture of a sacred or sanctified Christian personage, traditionally used and venerated in the Eastern Church.
- what is idol?
- An image used as an object of worship.
- what is imam?
- (Islam) the man who leads prayers in a mosque; for Shiites an imam is a recognized authority on Islamic theology and law and a spiritual guide
- what is immanent?
- Existing or remaining within; inherent: believed in a God immanent in humans.
- what is jihad?
- a holy war waged by Muslims against infidels
- what is karma?
- (Hinduism and Buddhism) the effects of a person's actions that determine his destiny in his next incarnation
- what is kibbutz?
- a collective farm or settlement owned by its members in modern Israel; children are reared collectively
- what is monistic?
-
The view in metaphysics that reality is a unified whole and that all existing things can be ascribed to or described by a single concept or system.
The doctrine that mind and matter are formed from, or reducible to, the same ultimate substance or principle of being. - what is monotheism?
- belief in a single God
- what is moralistic?
- Marked by a narrow-minded morality.
- what is mystic?
- Of or relating to religious mysteries or occult rites and practices.
- what is nirvana?
- An ideal condition of rest, harmony, stability, or joy.
- what is orthodox?
- Adhering to the accepted or traditional and established faith, especially in religion
- what is polytheism?
- The worship of or belief in more than one god.
- what is parable?
- A simple story illustrating a moral or religious lesson.
- what is philosophic?
- Of, relating to, or based on a system of philosophy
- what is pilgrimige?
- A long journey or search, especially one of exalted purpose or moral significance.
- what is purgatory?
- in Roman Catholic theology the place where those who have died in a state of grace undergo limited torment to expiate their sins
- what is prophet?
- A person who speaks by divine inspiration or as the interpreter through whom the will of a god is expressed.
- what is reincarnation?
- Rebirth of the soul in another body.
- what is sect?
- A religious body, especially one that has separated from a larger denomination
- what is secularization?
- the activity of changing something (art or education or society or morality etc.) so it is no longer under the control or influence of religion
- what is shrine?
- place of worship hallowed by association with some sacred thing or person
- what is syncretism?
- Reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief, as in philosophy or religion, especially when success is partial or the result is heterogeneous
- what is synod?
- A council or an assembly of church officials or churches
- what is talmud?
- The collection of ancient Rabbinic writings consisting of the Mishnah and the Gemara, constituting the basis of religious authority in Orthodox Judaism.
- what is tenet?
- An opinion, doctrine, or principle held as being true by a person or especially by an organization
- what is transcendent?
- beyond and outside the ordinary range of human experience or understanding
- what is transubstantion?
- In many Christian churches, the doctrine holding that the bread and wine of the Eucharist are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus, although their appearances remain the same.
- what is untouchables?
- A member of the class that is excluded from and considered unclean and defiling by the four Hindu castes.