Religion Study Guide

Front 1

Witchcraft

Back 1

Alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. In Europe people were persecuted for Witchcraft. Pretty prevalent in Africa

Front 2

Qur’an

Back 2

the religious text of Islam and Muslims believe the Qur’an to be the verbal divine guidance and moral direction for mankind. Muslims also consider the original Arabic verbal text to be the final revelation of God.

Front 3

Mana

Back 3

an indigenous Pacific Islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and debatably inanimate objects.

Front 4

Myth

Back 4

sacred narrative that validates a religious system. Myth transpires outside or before human time.

Front 5

Diaspora

Back 5

The movement or migration of a people away from an established or ancestral homeland (example: Jews)

Front 6

Asceticism

Back 6

Describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals

Front 7

Shaman

Back 7

A practitioner of Shamanism, which references a range beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world

Front 8

Sufi

Back 8

A practitioner of Sufism, which studies the inner, mystical dimension of Islam.

Front 9

Ten Commandments

Back 9

According to the Hebrew Bible, a list of religious and moral imperatives that were spoken by God to the people of Israel. God told them to Moses (in the form of two stone tablets). They are recognized as a moral foundation in Judaism and Christianity and a little bit of Islam.

Front 10

Kosher

Back 10

a set of Jewish dietary laws, “never bath a kid (lamb) in its mother’s milk”

Front 11

Torah

Back 11

the five books of Moses – the entirety of Judaism’s founding legal and ethical religious texts.

Front 12

Hadith

Back 12

are narrations concerning the words and deeds of the Islamic prophet Muhammad

Front 13

Gospels

Back 13

a writing that describes the life, misery, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. (The Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Luke and Gospel of John) Also refers to the overall message of the four gospels or of the entire New Testament

Front 14

Knight of Faith

Back 14

An individual who has placed complete faith in himself and in God and can act freely and independently from the World. (Kierkegaard)

Front 15

Apocalypse

Back 15

a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, usually leads to end of the world.

Front 16

Divination

Back 16

The attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of standardized process or ritual, often attempts to tell the future and reading the message of the higher beings and spirits.

Front 17

Indigenous

Back 17

Religions which are native to indigenous peoples all around the world.

Front 18

Predestination

Back 18

a religious concept, which involves the relationship between God and God’s creation. Belief that before creation God determined the fate of the Universe

Front 19

Ritual

Back 19

a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value.

Front 20

Five Pillars of Islam

Back 20

the term given to the five duties incumbent on every Muslim. They are Shahada (profession of faith), Salah (prayers), Sawm (Fasting), Zakat (giving of alms), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)

Front 21

Messiah

Back 21

a term used in Judaism, Christianity and Islam for the redeemer figure expected in form or another in each religion. The Messiah is known to bring an improvement of the state of humanity or the world.

Front 22

Calvinism

Back 22

(started by John Calvin) a theological system and an approach to Christian life. The religion is often summarized in the Five Points of Calvinism and is best known for its doctrines of predestination and total depravity, stressing the absolute sovereignty of God.

Front 23

Syncretism

Back 23

is the attempt to reconcile disparate or contrary beliefs often while melding practices of various schools of thought. When two religions get blended

Front 24

Tragic Hero

Back 24

The main character in a tragedy. His misfortune is brought on by some error in judgment.

Front 25

Passover

Back 25

A Jewish holiday that celebrates when the ancient Israelites escaped from Ancient Egypt. Involves the ten plagues on the Egyptian people

Front 26

Shari’ah

Back 26

The sacred law of Islam. They believe it sources from the sayings of Muhammad and divine revelations form the Qur’an.

Front 27

Shi’ah

Back 27

The second largest denomination of Islam after Sunni Islam

Front 28

Puritanism

Back 28

a stern enforcement of religious code , characterized by intransigency and strict observation rules. The Puritans were a significant sect of Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries

Front 29

Covenant

Back 29

a formal alliance or agreement made by God with that religious community or humanity in general. Jews made a covenant with God that Abram’s descendants would be blessed making them more numerous than the stars. Christians made a covenant in which Jesus would sacrifice himself on the cross and that would atone all the sins of those who believe in him.

Front 30

Reformation: (Protestant Reformation)

Back 30

The Christian reform movement that established Protestantism as a major branch of Christianity. It began when Martin Luther wrote the 95 theses that and it ended with the Treaty of Westphalia that ended the European religious wars.

Front 31

Mysticism

Back 31

A revelation that indicates a direct contact with God. Often they are hard to describe when the people try to explain their experience.

Front 32

Trinity

Back 32

The Christian doctrine, teaches the unity of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead

Front 33

Heresy

Back 33

A controversial change to a system of beliefs that conflicts with an established dogma (established belief).

Front 34

Sunni

Back 34

The largest branch of Islam (90%). Known as Orthodox Islam and they accept the first four Caliphs as the successors of Muhammad.

Front 35

Particular

Back 35

Concrete entities existing in space and time as opposed to abstractions. Example: Socrates is a particular in that there is only one Socrates and he cannot be replicated, there is only one of him. Redness on the other hand is not a particular because it is abstract multiply-instantiated (my bicycle, this apple, and that woman's hair are all red).

Front 36

Sin

Back 36

The concept of acts that violate a known moral rule.

Front 37

Oral Traditions

Back 37

cultural material and traditions transmitted orally fro/m one generation to another. It may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants.

Front 38

Julian of Norwich

Back 38

A famous English mystic. Believed she had intense visions of Jesus Christ (when she was sick), and she wrote a book based on these visions called Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love. She mentioned that she didn’t see herself as a theorists but just a messenger of God’s message.

Front 39

Muhammad

Back 39

Founder of the religion of Islam and regarded as a messenger and prophet of God. He was the founder of Islamic Law and many other important aspects of Islamic culture.

Front 40

Martin Luther

Back 40

A German priest who initiated the Protestant Reformation. Strongly disagreed that freedom from God’s sin could be purchased with money. He wrote the famous Ninety Five Theses. Also argued that all believers in Christ could communicate with God (not just priests)

Front 41

Jesus

Back 41

The central figure of Christianity. He is known as the messiah in the Christian community and also as the son of God, the Jews reject him as the messiah. In Christianity he sacrificed his life for sin redemption for his followers.

Front 42

Ibn Rushd

Back 42

Known as one of the founding fathers of secular thought (Secular thought is the idea that Government and Religion should be separated when running a country).

Front 43

Abraham

Back 43

The founder of the Jews (according to the book of the Genesis), known in Judaism, Christianity and Islam as the father of the people of Israel. He is the father of Isaac. See Story of Abraham

Front 44

Paul

Back 44

A follower of Jesus and he wrote passages in the bible.

Front 45

Soren Kierkegaard

Back 45

Danish philosopher, theologian and religious writer (Fear and Trembling). Fear and Trembling discusses the story of Abraham when he was commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. In the end he labels Abraham a Knight of Faith; also he believes faith is founded on the belief of the absurd (the absurd being that which is contradictory to reason itself). He also thinks that people shouldn’t need to look for factual reasons to believe in God because then the person would belief in the reasons and not in God himself.

Front 46

Plato

Back 46

A classical Greek philosopher. Not sure his significance for class

Front 47

Moses

Back 47

Mentioned in the book of Exodus; he was born in Ancient Egypt (mother ditched him and he was adopted by Egyptian royalty). He kills an Egyptian slave-master and flees. When the ten plagues hit Egypt, he led the Jews out of Egypt and received the Ten Commandments from God.

Front 48

Jonathan Edwards

Back 48

A preacher, theologian and missionary to the Native Americans. He was a Puritan and a strong contributor to The Great Awakening.

Front 49

Gabriel

Back 49

In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) he is the archangel who serves a messenger from God. In Christianity, he foretold the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. In Islam, they believe Gabriel was the medium through whom God revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad and he also sent messages to most prophets, revealing their obligations.