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139 Cards in this Set
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Agnosticism |
agnosticism is the position of believing that knowledge of the existence or non-existence of god is impossible. It is often put forth as a middle ground between theism and atheism. Understood this way, agnosticism is skepticism regarding all things theological. The agnostic holds that human knowledge is limited to the natural world, that the mind is incapable of knowledge of the supernatural. The term 'agnostic' was created by T. H. Huxley (1825-1895). |
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Animism |
Animism is the doctrine that things, even inanimate things, have souls. (Animus is the Latin word for soul.) It is an ancient belief that may have been offered as an explanation for the difference between a thing that is alive and that thing when it is dead. It may have been offered also as an explanation for appearances of people in hallucinations or dreams. Animus, spirit, or energy exists independently of the thing, whether that thing is dead or alive. Some people believe that the souls of humans exist before or after the body dies. Some believe that the souls of animals and plants are never extinguished. Some think that inanimate objects have souls. The term was coined by Edward Burnett Tylor in Primitive Culture (1871). |
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Anno Domini |
The term anno Domini is Medieval Latin, which means in the year of the Lord[1] but is often translated as in the year of our Lord.[2][3]:782 It is occasionally set out more fully as anno Domini nostri Iesu (or Jesu) Christi ("in the year of Our Lord Jesus Christ"). The terms anno Domini[4][5][6] (AD or A.D.) and before Christ[7][8][9][10] (BC or B.C.) are used to label or number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. This calendar era is based on the traditionally reckoned year of the conception of birth of Jesus of Nazareth, with AD counting years from the start of this epoch, and BC denoting years before the start of the era. There is no year zero in this scheme, so the year AD 1 immediately follows the year 1 BC. This dating system was devised in 525, but was not widely used until after 800.[11] |
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Atheism |
Atheism is traditionally defined as disbelief in the existence of a god. As such, atheism involves active rejection of belief in the existence of at least one god. This definition does not capture the atheism of many atheists, which is based on an indifference to the issue of the existence of gods. There are 17 kinds of atheism, organized into 7 sets. Some kinds of atheism can be combined in a person, and some cannot. For example, it is perfectly consistent to be an agnostic, narrow, friendly atheist. But one cannot simultaneously be both a passive atheist and a militant atheist.4 |
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ADC |
ADC (after-death communication) - After-death communication is an alleged experience that occurs when a person is contacted directly and spontaneously by a family member or friend who has died. After death communication is a pseudoscience.Which areclear events of information exchange with no detectible channel ofphysical contact. |
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BC |
BC denotes years before the start of the era. There is no year zero in this scheme, so the year AD 1 immediately follows the year 1 BC. This dating system was devised in 525, but was not widely used until after 800.[11] |
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Belief |
Belief, a mental attitude of acceptance or assent toward a proposition without the full intellectual knowledge required to guarantee its truth. Believing is either an intellectual judgment or, as the 18th-century Scottish Skeptic David Hume maintained, a special sort of feeling with overtones that differ from those of disbelief. Beliefs have been distinguished according to their degree of certainty: a surmise or suspicion, an opinion, or a conviction. Belief becomes knowledge only when the truth of a proposition becomes evident to the believer. Belief in someone or something is basically different from belief that a proposition is true. |
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Biblical, Scriptural, “Primitive”/Tribal Religions |
Biblical, Scriptural, “Primitive”/Tribal Religionsare those religions which are based on a holy script and their rituals and manifestations are held as described in the holy book. Examples of scriptural religions are: Islam, Christianity. |
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Charisma, Charismatic cult, Charismatic leader, etc. |
The sociologist Max Weber defined the term charisma to "a certain quality of an individual personality, by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities. These are not accessible to the ordinary person, but are regarded as of divine origin or as exemplary, and on the basis of them the individual concerned is treated as a leader. How the quality in question would be ultimately judged from an ethical, aesthetic, or other such point of view is naturally indifferent for the purpose of definition." Charismatic authority is 'power legitimized on the basis of a leader's exceptional personal qualities or the demonstration of extraordinary insight and accomplishment, which inspire loyalty and obedience from followers'. As such, it rests almost entirely on the leader; the absence of that leader for any reason can lead to the authority's power dissolving. However, due to its idiosyncratic nature and lack of formal organization, charismatic authority depends much more strongly on the perceived legitimacy of the authority than |
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Church (in its generic terminological usage) |
In the Christian religion, a church building is a building or structure whose primary purpose is to facilitate the meeting of a Christian Church. Originally, Jewish Christians met in synagogues. Traditional church buildings are often in the shape of a cross and frequently have a tower or dome. More modern church buildings have a variety of architectural styles and layouts; many buildings that were designed for other purposes have now been converted for church use, and, similarly, many original church buildings have been put to other uses. |
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Cleric |
a priest or religious leader, esp. a Christian or Muslim one. |
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Comparative study of religions, Religious Studies |
Religious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives. While theology attempts to understand the nature and intentions of supernatural forces (such as deities), religious studies tries to study religious behavior and belief from outside any particular religious viewpoint. Religious studies draw upon multiple disciplines and their methodologies including anthropology, sociology, psychology, philosophy, and history of religion. Religious studies originated in the nineteenth century, when scholarly and historical analysis of the Bible had flourished, and Hindu and Buddhist texts were first being translated into European languages. |
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Creationism |
Creationism is the religious belief that humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic God. As the creation–evolution controversy developed, the term "anti-evolutionists" became more common, then in 1929 in the United States the term "creationism" first became specifically associated with Christian fundamentalist disbelief in human evolution and belief in a young Earth, though its usage was contested by other groups, such as old earth creationists and evolutionary creationists, who believed in various concepts of creation. |
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Cult (all meanings) |
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a new religious movement or other group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. They have been criticized by mainstream Christians for their unorthodox beliefs. In the 1970s the ant cult movement arose, partly motivated by acts of violence and other crimes committed by members of some cults (notably the Manson Family and People's Temple). Cults have also been featured in popular culture. |
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Deism |
Deism is a religious philosophy which holds that reason and observation of the natural world, without the need for organized, can determine that the universe is the product of an all-powerful creator. According to deists, the creator rarely, if ever, either intervenes in human affairs or suspends the natural laws of the universe. Deists typically reject supernatural events such as prophecy and miracles, tending instead to assert that a god (or "the Supreme Architect") does not alter the universe by intervening in it. This idea is also known as the clockwork universe theory, in which a god designs and builds the universe, but steps aside to let it run on its own. Two main forms of deism currently exist: classical deism and modern deism. |
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Determinism |
Determinism is a philosophy stating that for everything that happens there are conditions such that, given them, nothing else could happen. Deterministic theories throughout the history of philosophy have sprung from diverse motives and considerations, some of which overlap considerably. They can be understood in relation to their historical significance and alternative theories. Some forms of determinism can be tested empirically with ideas stemming from physics and the philosophy of physics. The opposite of determinism is some kind of indeterminism (otherwise called Nondeterminism). Determinism is often contrasted with free will. \",\^_N |
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Reductionism |
Reductionism can mean either (a) an approach to understanding the nature of complex things by reducing them to the interactions of their parts, or to simpler or more fundamental things or (b) a philosophical position that a complex system is nothing but the sum of its parts, and that an account of it can be reduced to accounts of individual constituents.[1] This can be said of objects, phenomena, explanations, theories, and meanings. Reductionism strongly reflects a certain perspective on causality. In a reductionist framework, phenomena that can be explained completely in terms of relations between other more fundamental phenomena, are called epiphenomena. Often there is an implication that the epiphenomenon exerts no causal agency on the fundamental phenomena that explain it. |
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Materialism |
In philosophy, the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter or energy; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena (including consciousness) are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance, and reality is identical with the actually occurring states of energy and matter. To many philosophers, 'materialism' is synonymous with 'physicalism'. However, materialists have historically held that everything is made of matter, but physics has shown that gravity, for example, is not made of matter in the traditional sense of "'an inert, senseless substance, in which extension, figure, and motion do actually subsist'… So it is tempting to use 'physicalism' to distance oneself from what seems a historically important but no longer scientifically relevant thesis of materialism, and related to this, to emphasize a connection to physics and the physical sciences." Therefore much of the generally philosophical discussion below on materialism may be relevant to physicalism. |
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Idealism |
Idealism is a term with several related meanings. It comes via idea from the Greek idein, meaning "to see". It generally suggests the priority of ideals, principles, values, and goals over concrete realities. Idealists are understood to represent the world as it might or should be, unlike pragmatists, who focus on the world as it presently is. In the arts, similarly, idealism affirms imagination and attempts to realize a mental conception of beauty, a standard of perfection, in opposition to aesthetic naturalism and realism |
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Doctrine |
Doctrine in theology (Latin doctrina; Greek didaskalia, didachē) is a generic term for the theoretical component of religious experience. It signifies the process of conceptualizing the primal—often experiential or intuitive—insights of the faith of a religious community in support of rationally understood belief. Doctrines seek to provide religion with intellectual systems for guidance in the processes of instruction, discipline, propaganda, and controversy. |
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Dogma |
Dogma (Latin decretum, Greekdogma) has come to have a more specific reference to the distillate of doctrines: those first (basic or axiomatic) principles at the heart of doctrinal reflection, professed as essential by all the faithful. |
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Dualism |
Dualism (from the Latin word duo meaning "two") denotes a state of two parts. Most religious systems have some form of moral dualism - in western religions, for instance, a conflict between good and evil. In theology, 'dualism' may also refer to 'bitheism' or 'ditheism'. Both 'bitheism' and 'ditheism' imply a belief in two equally powerful gods with complementary or antonymous properties. However, while bitheism implies harmony, ditheism implies rivalry and opposition, such as between Good and Evil. e]\Ir |
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Esotericism |
Esotericism, as an academic field, refers to the study of alternative or marginalized religious movements or philosophies whose proponents in general distinguish their own beliefs, practices, and experiences from public, institutionalized religious traditions. Among areas of investigation included in the field of esotericism are alchemy, astrology, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Kabbalah, magic, mysticism, Neoplatonism, new religious movements connected with these currents, nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first century occult movements, Rosicrucianism, secret societies, and Christian theosophy. |
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Evolutionism |
Evolutionism was a common 19th century belief that organisms inherently improve themselves through progressive inherited change over time, and increase in complexity through evolution. The belief went on to include cultural evolution and social evolution. |
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Theistic Evolution/evolutionism |
Theistic evolution or evolutionary creation is a concept that asserts that classical religious teachings about God are compatible with the modern scientific understanding about biological evolution. In short, theistic evolutionists believe that there is a God, that God is the creator of the material universe and (by consequence) all life within, and that biological evolution is simply a natural process within that creation. Evolution, according to this view, is simply a tool that God employed to develop human life.Theisticevolution is not a scientific theory, but a particular view abouthow the science of evolution relates to religious belief and interpretation.Theistic evolution supporters can be seen as one of the groups who rejectthe conflict thesis regarding the relationship between religion andscience – that is, they hold that religious teachings aboutcreation and scientific theories of evolution need not contradict. Proponentsof this view are sometimes described as Christian Darwinists. le\":\ _[NB |
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Faith |
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or entity. Depending on the religion, faith is belief in a single God or multiple gods or in the doctrines or teachings of the religion. Informal usage of faith can be quite broad, including trust or belief without proof, and "faith" is often used as a substitute for "hope", "trust" or "belief". Some critics of faith have argued that faith is opposed to reason. In contrast, some advocates of faith argue that the proper domain of faith concerns questions which cannot be settled by evidence. This is exemplified by attitudes about the future, which (by definition) has not yet occurred. Logical reasoning may proceed from any set of assumptions, positive or negative. In this view, faith is simply a positive assumption. z_NB |
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Festival |
Festival, day or period of time set aside to commemorate, ritually celebrate or reenact, or anticipate events or seasons Another term associated with the events and activities of days of sacred significance is “holy day,” from which is derived the word holiday. This term has come to mean a day or period of special significance not only in religious calendars (e.g., the ChristianChristmas and the Jewish Hanukkah) but also in the secular (e.g., May Day in Russia and Labor Day in the United States and Canada, both of which holidays celebrate especially the accomplishments of the working class). |
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Fetishism |
A fetish is an object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular, a man-made object that has power over others. Essentially, fetishism is the etic attribution of inherent value or powers to an object. Theoretically, fetishism is present in all religions, but the use of the concept in the study of religion derives from studies of traditional West African religious beliefs, as well as from Voodoo, which in turn derives from those beliefs.uc^Ij |
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God (in general, in all religions of the world as a generalized concept) |
- God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions (and other belief systems) who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism. God is most often conceived of as the supernatural creator and overseer of the universe. Theologians have ascribed a variety of attributes to the many different conceptions of God. The most common among these include omniscience (infinite knowledge), omnipotence (unlimited power), omnipresence(present everywhere), omnibenevolence (perfect goodness), divine simplicity, and eternal and necessary existence. God has also been conceived as being incorporeal (immaterial), a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent". These attributes were all supported to varying degrees by the early Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologian philosophers. m |
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Holy |
Holiness, or sanctity, is in general the state of being holy (perceived by religious individuals as associated with the divine) or sacred (considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspiring awe or reverence among believers in a given set of spiritual ideas). In other contexts, objects are often considered 'holy' or 'sacred' if used for spiritual purposes, such as the worship or service of gods. These terms can also be used in a non-spiritual or semi-spiritual context ("sacred truths" in a constitution). It is often ascribed to people ("a holy man" of religious occupation, "holy prophet" who is venerated by his followers), objects ("sacred artifact" that is venerated and blessed), times ("holy days" of spiritual introspection, such as during winter holidays), or places ("sacred ground", "holy place").:{\"^`HNj |
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Ideology |
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitute one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things, or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to all members of this society. The main purpose behind an ideology is to offer either change in society, or adherence to a set of ideals where conformity already exists, through a normative thought process. Ideologies are systems of abstract thought applied to public matters and thus make this concept central to politics. Implicitly every political or economic tendency entails an ideology whether or not it is propounded as an explicit system of thought. It is how society sees things. |
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Idealism |
Idealism is a term with several related meanings. It comes via idea from the Greek idein, meaning "to see". It generally suggests the priority of ideals, principles, values, and goals over concrete realities. Idealists are understood to represent the world as it might or should be, unlike pragmatists, who focus on the world as it presently is. In the arts, similarly, idealism affirms imagination and attempts to realize a mental conception of beauty, a standard of perfection, in opposition to aesthetic naturalism and realism. |
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Imperial (state) religion |
A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state. A state with an official religion, while not secular, is not necessarily a theocracy. The term state church is associated with Christianity, historically the state church of the Roman Empire, and is sometimes used to denote a specific modern national branch of Christianity. State religions are official or government-sanctioned establishments of a religion, but neither does the state need be under the control of the church (as in a theocracy), nor is the state-sanctioned church necessarily under the control of the state. _s=O |
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Intelligent design |
Intelligent design (ID) is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for the existence of God.e\":\""^5Ij |
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Judgment |
the ability to judge, make a decision, or form an opinion objectively,authoritatively, and wisely, especially in matters affecting action; goodsense; discretion: |
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Karma |
means action, work or deed; it also refers to the spiritual principle of cause and effect where intent and actions of an individual (cause) influence the future of that individual (effect). Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect (i.e., the cycle called saṃsāra) originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies. A concept of karma (along with samsara and moksha) may originate in the shramana tradition of which Buddhism and Jainism are continuations. |
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Legend |
A legend (Latin, legenda, "things to be read") is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude. Legend, for its active and passive participants includes no happenings that are outside the realm of "possibility", defined by a highly flexible set of parameters, which may include miracles that are perceived as actually having happened, within the specific tradition of indoctrination where the legend arises, and within which it may be transformed over time, in order to keep it fresh and vital, and realistic. The Brothers Grimm defined legend as folktale historically grounded. A modern folklorist's professional definition of legend was proposed by Timothy R. Tangherlini in 1990: KLlzE^&O\ |
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Magic |
Magicalthinking in various forms is a cultural universal and an importantaspect of religion. In many cases it becomes difficult or impossible to draw anymeaningful line between beliefs and practices that are magical versus thosethat are religious, but in general the term religion is reserved for anorganized cult witha priesthood and dedicated sites of worship or sacrifice, while magic isprevalent in all societies, regardless of whether they have organized religionor more general systems of animism or shamanism.Religion and magic became conceptually separated with the development ofwestern monotheism, where the distinction arose between supernaturalevents sanctioned by mainstream religious doctrine ("miracles")and mere magic rooted in folk belief or occult speculation. In pre-monotheisticreligious traditions, there is no fundamental distinction between religiouspractice and magic; tutelary deities concerned with magic are sometimes called"hermetic deities" or "spirit guides."ea_3I[ |
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Mana |
Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian.In anthropological discourse, mana as a generalizedconcept is often understood as a precursor to formal religion. It has commonly been interpreted as"the stuff of which magic is formed," aswell as the substance of which souls are made. Modern fantasy fiction, computer and role-playing games have adopted mana as a term for magicpoints, an expendable(and most often rechargeable) resource out of which magic users form their magicalspells.o2GTTdX_XL\ |
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Materialism (“healthy” scientific one); Reductionist/Determinist Materialism (pseudo-skepticism) |
In philosophy, the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter or energy; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena (including consciousness) are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance, and reality is identical with the actually occurring states of energy and matter. To many philosophers, 'materialism' is synonymous with 'physicalism'. However, materialists have historically held that everything is made of matter, but physics has shown that gravity, for example, is not made of matter in the traditional sense of "'an inert, senseless substance, in which extension, figure, and motion do actually subsist'… So it is tempting to use 'physicalism' to distance oneself from what seems a historically important but no longer scientifically relevant thesis of materialism, and related to this, to emphasize a connection to physics and the physical sciences." Therefore much of the generally philosophical discussion below on materialism may be relevant to physicalism.bottom |
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Minimum of religion |
minimal set of features a certain psychological/social phenomenon to be labeled “religion” or “non-religion”The upper border is inexistent => all variations of typesof religion and/or its subsets:From spiritual religions with vast definition of what is“acceptable”, and to religions with a firmly prescribed set of rules, wherefollowers and non-followers alike are forcefully made to comply by totalitarianmethods…Politically correct name: “fundamentalist” (religious groupsand/or individuals)A fundamentalist/blind/(self)destructive religious devotionto an idea+ embodied in the person of a certain “reverend” charismaticleader |
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Monotheism |
Monotheism is the belief in the existence of one god or in the oneness of God. Monotheism is traditionally characteristic of Judaism, Christianity, Islam; while also being a recognizable component of numerous other religions. Judaism and Islam adamantly reject various distinctions, particularly that the God of Israel, whom Muslims identify as Allah, can be associated with the Christian notion of a triune Godhead and the doctrine of Jesus as God incarnate.tڼ|]O |
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Myth, Mythology, Mythological religion |
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece. In the field of folkloristics, a mythis defined as a sacred narrative explaining how the world and humankind came to be in their present form. Many scholars in other fields use the term "myth" in somewhat different ways. In a very broad sense, the word can refer to any story originating within traditions. The main characters in myths are usually gods, supernatural heroes and humans. As sacred stories, myths are often endorsed by rulers and priests and closely linked to religion or spirituality. In the society in which it is told, a myth is usually regarded as a true account of the remote past. In fact, many societies have two categories of traditional narrative, "true stories" or myths, and "false stories" or fables. Creation myths generally take place in a primordial age, when the world had not yet achieved its current form, and explain how the world gained its current form and how customs, institutions and taboos were established]^q[s-1_J#M |
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New Age (Movement), Age of Pisces//Aquarius- The New Age |
New Age (Movement), Age of Pisces//Aquarius- The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational psychology, holistic health, parapsychology, consciousness research and quantum physics". It aims to create "a spirituality without borders or confining dogmas" that is inclusive and pluralistic. Another of its primary traits is holding to "a holistic worldview," thereby emphasizing that the Mind, Body and Spirit are interrelated and that there is a form of Monism and unity throughout the universe. It further attempts to create "a worldview that includes both science and spirituality" and thereby embraces a number of forms of mainstream science as well as other forms of science that are considered fringe science. W_M |
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New Religious Movements |
A new religious movement (NRM) is a religious community or ethical, spiritual, or philosophical group of modern origin, which has a peripheral place within the dominant religious culture. NRMs may be novel in origin or they may be part of a wider religion, such as Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism, in which case they will be distinct from pre-existing denominations. Scholars studying thesociology of religion have almost unanimously adopted this term as a neutral alternative to the word cult. They continue to try to reach definitions and define boundaries. An NRM may be one of a wide range of movements ranging from those with loose affiliations based on novel approaches to spirituality or religion to communitarian enterprises that demand a considerable amount of group conformity and a social identity that separates their adherents from mainstream society. NRMs do not necessarily share a set of particular attributes, but have been "assigned to the fringe of the dominant religious culture", and "exist in a relatively contested space within society as a whole" |
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Orthodox, Orthodoxy (all meanings) |
The word orthodox, from Greek is generally used to mean the adherence to accepted norms, more specifically to creeds, especially in religion. In the narrow sense the term means "conforming to the Christian faith as represented in the creeds of the early Church". The concept of orthodoxy is the most prevalent in many forms of organized monotheism, but orthodox belief is not usually overly emphasized in polytheistic oranimist religions. Often there is little to no concept of dogma, and varied interpretation of doctrine and theology is tolerated and sometimes even encouraged within certain contexts. Syncretism, for example, plays a much wider role in non-monotheistic (and particularly, non-scriptural) religion. The prevailing governing idea within polytheism is most often orthopraxy ("right practice") rather than "right belief".und:wh8]MO$ |
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Orthopraxy |
Orthopraxy is a term derived from Greek or an emphasis on conduct, both ethical and liturgical, as opposed to faith or grace etc. This contrasts with orthodoxy, which emphasizes correct belief, and ritualism, the use of rituals. While orthodoxies make use of codified beliefs, in the formof creeds, and ritualism more narrowly centers onthe strict adherence to prescribed rites or rituals, orthopraxy is focused on issuesof family, culturalintegrity, thetransmission of tradition, sacrificialofferings, concernsof purity, ethicalsystems, and theenforcement thereof. Typically, traditional or folkreligions (paganism, animism) are more concerned with orthopraxy thanorthodoxy, and some argue that equating the term "faith" with "religion" presents a Christian-biased notion of what theprimary characteristic of religion is. In the case of Hinduism orthopraxy andritualism are mixed to the point that they become a single identity. |
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Philosophy |
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational argument. The word "philosophy" comes from the Greek (philosophia), which literally means "love of wisdom" |
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Theology |
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary. |
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Polytheism |
Polytheism is the belief of multiple deities alsousually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses,along with their own mythologies and rituals. Polytheismwas the typical form of religion during the Bronze Age and Iron Age,up to the Axial Age and the gradual development of monotheism orpantheism, and atheism. Within theism, it contrasts with monotheism,the belief in a singular God.Polytheists do not always worship all the gods equally, but can be Henotheists,specializing in the worship of one particular deity. Other polytheists canbe Kathenotheists, worshipping different deities at differenttimes.es":[/ZN: |
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Reductionism |
A tendency to explain any complex phenomenon by reducing it to a set of relatively simple, small, easily digestible principles/parts/portions |
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Religion (all defenitions, discussed in class and in the course book) |
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe. They tend to derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature.The word religion is sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system, but religion differs fromprivate belief in that it has a public aspect. Most religions have organized behaviors, including clerical hierarchies,a definition of what constitutes adherence or membership, congregations of laity,regular meetings or services for the purposes of veneration of a deity or for prayer,holy places (either natural or architectural), and/or scriptures.The practice of a religion may also include sermons,commemoration of the activities of a god or gods, sacrifices, festivals, feasts,trance, initiations, funerary services, matrimonialservices, meditation, music, art, dance, public service,or other aspects of human culture.t |
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Religious projection |
Ascription of religiously defined meaning to any object, phenomenon, event, personage, etc. |
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Religiosity |
Religiosity, in its broadest sense, is a comprehensive sociological term used to refer to the numerous aspects of religious activity, dedication, and belief (religious doctrine). Another term that would work equally well, though is less often used, is religiousness. In its narrowest sense, religiosity deals more with how religious a person is, and less with how a person is religious (in practicing certain rituals, retelling certain stories, revering certain symbols, or accepting certain doctrines about deities and afterlife).tal\":{[*IF |
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Resurrection |
Resurrection, the rising from the dead of a divine or human being who still retains his own personhood, or individuality, though the body may or may not be changed. The belief in the resurrection of the body is usually associated with Christianity, because of the doctrine of the Resurrection of Christ, but it also is associated with later Judaism, which provided basic ideas that were expanded in Christianity and Islam. |
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Sacred texts |
Religious texts, also known as scripture,scriptures, holy writ, or holy books, are thetexts which various religious traditions consider to be sacred, or central to their religious tradition. Many religions and spiritual movements believe that their sacred texts are divinely or supernaturally revealed or inspired. |
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Scientism |
Scientism is belief in the universal applicability of the scientific method and approach, and the view that empirical science constitutes the most "authoritative" worldview or the most valuable part of human learning - to the exclusion of other viewpoints. |
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Shaman, Shamanism |
Shamanism is an anthropological term for a range of beliefs and practices relating to communication with the spirit world. A shaman is a person regarded as having access to, and influence in, the world of good and evil spirits, who typically enters a state during a ritual, and practices divination and healing. Mircea Eliade writes, "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = "technique of religious ecstasy". Shamanism encompasses the belief that shamans are intermediaries or messengers between the human world and the spirit worlds. Shamans are said to treat ailments/illness by mending the soul. Alleviating traumas affecting the soul/spirit restores the physical body of the individual to balance and wholeness. The shaman also enters supernatural realms or dimensions to obtain solutions to problems afflicting the community. Shamans may visit other worlds/dimensions to bring guidance to misguided souls and to ameliorate illnesses of the human soul caused by foreign elements. The shaman operates primarily within the spiritual world, which in turn affects the human world. The restoration of balance results in the elimination of the ailment.HhgYdUdkO |
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Soul |
Soul, in religion and philosophy, the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being, that which confers individuality and humanity, often considered to be synonymous with the mind or the self. Intheology, the soul is further defined as that part of the individual which partakes of divinity and often is considered to survive the death of the body. |
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Spirituality, Spiritual |
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop an individual's inner life; spiritual experience includes that of connectedness with a larger reality, yielding a more comprehensive self; with other individuals or the human community; with nature or the cosmos; or with the divine realm. Spirituality is often experienced as a source of inspiration or orientation in life. It can encompass belief in immaterial realities or experiences of the immanent or transcendent nature of the world.[qM |
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Symbol |
A symbol is something that represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for numbers. Personal names are symbols representing individuals. A red rose symbolizes love and compassion. Symbol from Greek language sunbolon that means a seal, signet ring, legal bond or warrant. From sunballein, to throw together, compare. A name used beginning in the fourth or fifth century, in the East and West, for the declaratory creeds, especially the Apostles' Creed, perhaps suggesting the pact made between the baptismal candidate and God, but more probably deriving from the baptismal confession if faith as a sign and symbol if belief in the Triune God |
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Symbolism (naturalistic, schematic, idiomatic), Symbolic (human) thinking |
Symbolism (naturalistic, schematic, idiomatic), Symbolic (human) thinking- Symbolism is the practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character. A symbol is an object, action, or idea that represents something other than itself, often of a more abstract nature. |
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Syncretism |
Syncretism is the combining of different (often contradictory) beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. Syncretism may involve the merger and analogizing of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thus asserting an underlying unity and allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths.Syncretismalso occurs commonly in expressions of arts and culture (known as eclecticism) as well as politics (syncretic politics).Religioussyncretism exhibits blending of two or more religious belief systems into a newsystem, or the incorporation into a religious tradition of beliefs fromunrelated traditions. This can occur for many reasons, and the latter scenariohappens quite commonly in areas where multiple religious traditions exist inproximity and function actively in the culture, or when a culture is conquered,and the conquerors bring their religious beliefs with them, but do not succeedin entirely eradicating the old beliefs or, especially, practices. |
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Taboo |
Taboo, also spelled tabu, Tongan tabu, Maori tapu, the prohibition of an action based on the belief that such behaviour is either too sacred and consecrated or too dangerous and accursed for ordinary individuals to undertake. |
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Totemism |
Totemism is a system of belief in which humans are said to have a connection or a kinship with a spirit-being, such as an animal or plant. The totem is thought to interact with a given kin group or an individual and to serve as their emblem or symbol. In English, the word 'totem' was introduced in 1791 by a British merchant and translator who gave it a false meaning in the belief that it designated theguardian spirit of an individual, who appeared in the form of an animal—an idea that the Ojibwa clans did indeed portray by their wearing of animal skins. It was reported at the end of the 18th century that the Ojibwa named their clans after those animals that live in the area in which they live and appear to be either friendly or fearful. The first accurate report about totemism in North America was written by a Methodist missionary, Peter Jones, himself an Ojibwa, who died in 1856 and whose report was published posthumously. According to Jones, the Great Spirit had given toodaims (“totems”) to the Ojibwa clans, and because of this act, it should never be forgotten that members of the group are related to one another and on this account may not marry among themselves.d-space_#I |
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World Religion//Religions of the world |
A religious belief system which has become generally recognized as having independent status from any other religion, but which nonetheless may have many, sometimes mutually antagonistic, sects or denominations. Christianity is a world religion consisting of Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestants. |
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Marga |
Marga, ( Sanskrit: “path”) in Indian religions, a path toward, or way of reaching, salvation. The epic Bhagavadgita (or Gita) describes jnana-marga, the way of knowledge (study of philosophical texts and contemplation); karma-marga, the way of action (proper performance of one’s religious and ethical duties); and bhakti-marga, the way of devotion and self-surrender to God. |
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Buddha |
Buddha(man Siddhartha Gautama; teaching) - was a sage onwhose teachings Buddhism was founded. Buddha means "awakenedone" or "the enlightened one." "Buddha" is also used as a titlefor the first awakened being in an era. In most Buddhisttraditions, Siddhartha Gautama is regarded as the Supreme BuddhaF_sI |
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Buddhism, |
Buddhism, religion and philosophy that developed from the teachings of the Buddha (Sanskrit: “awakened one”), a teacher who lived in northern India between the mid-6th and the mid-4th centuries bce (before the Common Era or Christian era). Spreading from India to Central and Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan, Buddhism has played a central role in the spiritual, cultural, and social life of Asia, and during the 20th century it spread to the West. |
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Dharma |
In Hinduism, dharma is the religious and moral law governing individual conduct and is one of the four ends of life. In addition to the dharma that applies to everyone (sadharana dharma)—consisting of truthfulness, non-injury, and generosity, among other virtues—there is also a specific dharma (svadharma) to be followed according to one’s class, status, and station in life. In Buddhism, dharma is the doctrine, the universal truth common to all individuals at all times, proclaimed by the Buddha. Dharma, the Buddha, and the sangha (community of believers) make up theTriratna, “Three Jewels,” to which Buddhists go for refuge. In Buddhist metaphysics the term in the plural (dharmas) is used to describe the interrelated elements that make up the empirical world. |
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Four Noble Truths |
Four Noble Truths refer not to the truths themselves but to those who understand them. First truth: suffering - is characteristic of existence in the realm of rebirth. In his final sermon, the Buddha identified as forms of suffering birth, aging, sickness, death, encountering the unpleasant, separation from the pleasant, and not gaining what one desires. The second truth is the origin or cause of suffering, which the Buddha associated with craving or attachment in his first sermon. The causes of suffering are understood as stemming from negative actions (e.g., killing, stealing, and lying) and the negative mental states that motivate negative actions (e.g., desire, hatred, and ignorance). The third truth is the cessation of suffering The fourth and final truth is the path to the cessation of suffering |
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Hinayana |
Alternative title: Lesser VehicleHīnayāna, ( Sanskrit: “Lesser Vehicle”) the more orthodox, conservative schools of Buddhism; the name Hīnayāna was applied to these schools by the followers of the Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition in ancient India. |
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Hinduism |
Hinduism, major world religion originating on the Indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. Although the name Hinduism is relatively new, having been coined by British writers in the first decades of the 19th century, it refers to a rich cumulative tradition of texts and practices, some of which date to the 2nd millennium bce or possibly earlier. If theIndus valley civilization (3rd–2nd millennium bce) was the earliest source of these traditions, as some scholars hold, then Hinduism is the oldest living religion on Earth. Its many sacred texts in Sanskrit and vernacular languages served as a vehicle for spreading the religion to other parts of the world, though ritual and the visual and performing arts also played a significant role in its transmission. From about the 4th century ce, Hinduism had a dominant presence in Southeast Asia, one that would last for more than 1,000 years. |
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Mahabharata |
Mahabharata, ( Sanskrit: “Great Epic of the Bharata Dynasty”) one of the two Sanskrit epic poems of ancient India (the other being theRamayana). The Mahabharata is an important source of information on the development of Hinduism between 400 bce and 200 ce and is regarded by Hindus as both a text about dharma (Hindu moral law) and a history (itihasa, literally “that’s what happened”). Appearing in its present form about 400 ce, the Mahabharata consists of a mass of mythological and didactic material arranged around a central heroic narrative that tells of the struggle for sovereignty between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas (sons of Dhritarashtra, the descendant of Kuru) and the Pandavas (sons of Pandu). |
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Mahayana |
Mahayana - A major school of Buddhism teaching social concern and universal salvation. the Great Path/Vehicle. Buddha is already a “god”. Salvation is for all beings in the Universe. |
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Maya |
Maya, Mesoamerican Indians occupying a nearly continuous territory in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and northern Belize. In the early 21st century some 30 Mayan languages were spoken by more than five million people, most of whom were bilingual in Spanish. Before theSpanish conquest of Mexico and Central America, the Maya possessed one of the greatest civilizations of the Western Hemisphere |
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The Middle Path or Madhyamaka |
According to Madhyamaka all phenomena (dharmas) areempty (śūnya) of "nature,"[2] a "substance" or "essence" (svabhāva) which gives them "solid and independent existence,"[3] because they are dependently co-arisen. But this "emptiness" itself is also "empty": it does not have an existence on its own, nor does it refer to a transcendental reality beyond or above phenomenal reality |
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Nirvana |
in Indian religious thought, the supreme goal of certain meditation disciplines. Although it occurs in the literatures of a number of ancient Indian traditions, the Sanskrit term nirvana is most commonly associated with Buddhism, in which it is the oldest and most common designation for the goal of the Buddhist path. It is used to refer to the extinction of desire, hatred, and ignorance and, ultimately, of suffering and rebirth. Literally, it means “blowing out” or “becoming extinguished,” as when a flame is blown out or a fire burns out. |
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Ramayana |
Ramayana, ( Sanskrit: “Rama’s Journey”) shorter of the two great epic poems of India, the other being the Mahabharata The poem describes the royal birth of the god Rama in the kingdom ofAyodhya (Oudh), his tutelage under the sage Vishvamitra, and his success in bending Shiva’s mighty bow at the bridegroom tournament of Sita, the daughter of King Janaka, thus winning her for his wife. |
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Samsara |
in Indian philosophy, the central conception of metempsychosis: the soul, finding itself awash in the “sea of samsara,” strives to find release (moksha) from the bonds of its own past deeds (karma), which form part of the general web of which samsara is made. Buddhism, which does not assume the existence of a permanent soul, accepts a semipermanent personality core that goes through the process of samsara. |
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Sanatana Dharma |
in Hinduism, term used to denote the “eternal” or absolute set of duties or religiously ordained practices incumbent upon all Hindus, regardless of class, caste, or sect. Sanatana dharma consists of virtues such as honesty, refraining from injuring living beings, purity, goodwill, mercy, patience, forbearance, self-restraint, generosity, and asceticism. |
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Theravada |
is the oldest surviving branch of Buddhism. The word means "the Teaching of the Elders". It is relatively conservative, and it is closer to early Buddhism than other existing Buddhist traditions. |
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Trimurti |
Trimurti, ( Sanskrit: “three forms”) in Hinduism, triad of the three godsBrahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The concept was known at least by the time of Kalidasa’s poem Kumarasambhava (“Birth of the War God”; c. 4th–5th century ce). The trimurti collapses the three gods into a single form with three faces. Each god is in charge of one aspect of creation, with Brahma as creator,Vishnu as preserver, and Shiva as destroyer. |
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Tipitaka |
Tipitaka, ( Pali: “Triple Basket”) Sanskrit Tripitaka, often called the Pali Canon, the complete canon, composed in Pali, of the Theravada (“Way of the Elders”) branch of Buddhism. The books of this Pali canon were nearly all written in India within 500 years of the time of the Buddha (between about 500 bce and the beginning of the Common Era). |
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Veda |
Veda, ( Sanskrit: “Knowledge”) a collection of poems or hymns composed in archaic Sanskrit by Indo-European-speaking peoples who lived in northwest India during the 2nd millennium bce |
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Mitzvah |
Mitzvah, also spelled Mitsvah (Hebrew: “commandment”), plural Mitzvoth, Mitzvot, Mitzvahs, Mitsvoth, Mitsvot, or Mitsvahs, any commandment, ordinance, law, or statute contained in the Torah (first five books of the Bible) and, for that reason, to be observed by all practicing Jews. |
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The Abrahamic religions |
The Abrahamic religions are religions originating from the traditions of Iron Age proto-Judaism; the major ones are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, though there are others that are either offshoots of the main three (such as Bahá'í and Rastafari), early branches that are not directly related to the modern forms of any of the main three (such asMandaeism[wp] or, arguably, the faith of the Samaritans[wp]), as well as more syncretic[wp] faiths (e.g. the religion of the Druze[wp]). |
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Apocalypticism |
Apocalypticism, eschatological (end-time) views and movements that focus on cryptic revelations about a sudden, dramatic, and cataclysmic intervention of God in history; the judgment of all men; the salvation of the faithful elect; and the eventual rule of the elect with God in a renewed heaven and earth. |
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Apostle |
Apostle, (from Greek apostolos, “person sent”), any of the 12 disciples chosen by Jesus Christ; the term is sometimes also applied to others, especially Paul, who was converted to Christianity a few years after Jesus’ death. The privileges of the Twelve were to be in continual attendance on their master and to be the recipients of his special teaching and training. |
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Roman Catholicism |
Roman Catholicism, Christian church that has been the decisive spiritual force in the history of Western civilization. Along with Eastern Orthodoxy andProtestantism, it is one of the three major branches ofChristianity.The Roman Catholic Church traces its history to Jesus Christ and the Apostles. Over the course of centuries it developed a highly sophisticated theology and an elaborate organizational structure headed by the papacy, the oldest continuing absolute monarchy in the world. |
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Christ |
Jesus Christ, also called Jesus of Galilee or Jesus of Nazareth (born c. 6–4bc, Bethlehem—died c. ad 30, Jerusalem), religious leader revered inChristianity, one of the world’s major religions. He is regarded as the incarnation of God by most Christians. His teachings and deeds are recorded in the New Testament, which is essentially a theological document that makes discovery of the “historical Jesus” difficult. The basic outlines of his career and message, however, can be characterized when considered in the context of 1st-century Judaism and, especially, Jewish eschatology. The history of Christian reflection on the teachings and nature of Jesus is examined in the articleChristology. |
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Columbus Platform |
In 1937 several fundamental principles of earlier Reform Judaism were dramatically revised. In that year an important conference of Reform rabbis issued the Columbus (Ohio) Platform, supporting the use of traditional customs and ceremonies and the liturgical use of Hebrew. |
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Crucifixion |
Crucifixion, an important method of capital punishment particularly among the Persians, Seleucids, Carthaginians, and Romans from about the 6th century bce to the 4th century ce. Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor, abolished it in the Roman Empire in the early 4th century ce out of veneration for Jesus Christ, the most famous victim of crucifixion. |
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Dar al-Islam |
Dār al-Islam, in Islamic political ideology, the region in which Islam has ascendance; traditionally it has been matched with the Dār al-Ḥarb (abode of war), the region into which Islam could and should expand. This mental division of the world into two regions persisted even after Muslim political expansion had ended. |
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The Ten Commandments (also known as the Decalogue) |
The Ten Commandments (also known as the Decalogue) are ten laws in the Bible that God gave to the nation of Israel shortly after the exodus from Egypt. The Ten Commandments are essentially a summary of the 613 commandments contained in the Old Testament Law. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God. The last six commandments deal with our relationships with one another. |
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5 Pillars of Islam |
Pillars of Islam, Arabic Arkān al-Islām , the five duties incumbent on every Muslim: shahādah, the Muslim profession of faith; ṣalāt, or ritual prayer, performed in a prescribed manner five times each day; zakāt, the alms tax levied to benefit the poor and the needy; ṣawm, fasting during the month of Ramadan; and hajj, the major pilgrimage to Mecca. |
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G-d |
Jews do not casually write any Name of God. This practice does not come from the commandment not to take the Lord's Name in vain, as many suppose. In Jewish thought, that commandment refers solely to oath-taking, and is a prohibition against swearing by God's Name falsely or frivolously (the word normally translated as "in vain" literally means "for falsehood"). Normally, we avoid writing the Name by substituting letters or syllables, for example, writing "G-d" instead of "God." |
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Gospel |
Gospel, any of four biblical narratives covering the life and death of Jesus Christ. Written, according to tradition, respectively by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (the four evangelists), they are placed at the beginning of the New Testament and make up about half the total text. The word gospel is derived from the Anglo-Saxon term god-spell, meaning “good story,” |
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Haji |
Hajji (sometimes spelled Hadji, Haji, Alhaji, Al hage, Al hag or El-Hajj) is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca. |
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Hegira |
Hijrah, also spelled Hejira or Hijra (“Flight” or “Emigration”), Latin Hegira, the Prophet Muhammad’s migration (622 ce) from Mecca to Medina in order to escape persecution. The date represents the starting point of the Muslim era. |
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Imam |
Imam, Arabic Imām, (“leader,” “pattern”), the head of the Muslim community; the title is used in the Qurʾān several times to refer to leaders and to Abraham. The origin and basis of the office of imam was conceived differently by various sections of the Muslim community, this difference providing part of the political and religious basis for the split into Sunnite and Shīʿite Islām |
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INRI |
INRI stems from the Latin phrase 'Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum' meaning 'Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews' |
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Jesus (etymology) |
Ancient Jews usually had only one name, and, when greater specificity was needed, it was customary to add the father’s name or the place of origin. Thus, in his lifetime Jesus was called Jesus son of Joseph (Luke 4:22; John 1:45; 6:42), Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 10:38), or Jesus the Nazarene (Mark 1:24; Luke 24:19). After his death, he came to be called Jesus Christ. Christ was not originally a name but a title derived from the Greek word christos, which translates the Hebrew term meshiah (Messiah), meaning “the anointed one.” |
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Jerusalem |
The name "Jerusalem" is variously etymologized to mean "foundation (Sumerian yeru, 'settlement'/Semitic yry' 'to found, to lay a cornerstone') of the god Shalem",[26][27] the god Shalem was thus the original tutelary deity of the Bronze Age. The form Yerushalem or Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) first appears in the Bible, in the Book of Joshua. According to a Midrash, the name is a combination of Yhwh Yir'eh ("God will see to it", the name given by Abraham to the place where he began to sacrifice his son) and the town "Shalem".[29] |
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Jewry: Ashkenazim (Ashkenazic Jews), Sephardim (Sephardic Jews) |
Two major branches of rabbinic civilization developed in Europe: the Ashkenazic, or Franco-German, and the Sephardic, or Andalusian-Spanish. Distinguished most conspicuously by their varying pronunciation of Hebrew, the numerous differences between them in religious orientation and practice derived, in the first instance, from the geographical fountainheads of their culture—the Ashkenazim (plural of Ashkenazi) tracing their cultural filiation to Italy and Palestine and the Sephardim (plural of Sephardi) to Babylonia—and from the influences of their respective immediate milieus. |
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Jihad |
Jihad, also spelled jehad , (“struggle,” or “battle”), a religious duty imposed on Muslims to spread Islam by waging war; jihad has come to denote any conflict waged for principle or belief and is often translated to mean “holy war.” |
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King James Version |
King James Version (KJV), also called Authorized Version or King James Bible, English translation of theBible published in 1611 under the auspices of King James I of England. The translation had a marked influence on English literary style and was generally accepted as the standard English Bible from the mid-17th to the early 20th century. |
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Ladino |
Ladino, Europeanized Central American person of predominantly Spanish origin. Despite regional variations, there is a cultural similarity among Ladinos stemming from their common Spanish origins and speech. Ladinos include urban classes, rural labourers, and peasantry. Although not always physically distinguishable from Indians, Ladinos may be recognized by their exclusive use of theSpanish language and by their Western dress. |
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Liturgy |
Liturgy (Greek: λειτουργία) is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular beliefs, customs and traditions. |
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Messiah |
A messiah (literally, "anointed one") has come to be seen as a saviour or liberator of a group of people, most commonly in the Abrahamic religions. In the Hebrew Bible, a Hebrew: מָשִׁיחַ, Modern mashiaẖ, Tiberian māšîăḥ ("messiah") is a king or High Priest traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil. |
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Muhammad |
Muhammad[n 1] (Arabic: محمد; c. 570 CE – 8 June 632 CE),[1] the Prophet of Islam,[2] is seen by most non-believers as its founder,[3] but by almost all Muslims[n 2] as its last prophet sent by God to mankind[4][n 3] to restore Islam, which they believe to be the unaltered hamonotheistic faith of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets.[5][6][7][8] He had united Arabia into a single Muslim polity and ensured that his teachings, practices, and the Quran, which Muslims believe was revealed to him by God, formed the basis of Islamic religious belief. |
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Moses |
Moses, Hebrew Moshe (flourished 14th–13th century bce), Hebrew prophet, teacher, and leader who, in the 13th century bce (before the Common Era, or bc), delivered his people from Egyptian slavery. In the Covenant ceremony at Mt. Sinai, where the Ten Commandments were promulgated, he founded the religious community known as Israel. As the interpreter of these Covenant stipulations, he was the organizer of the community’s religious and civil traditions. In the Judaic tradition, he is revered as the greatest prophet and teacher, and Judaism has sometimes loosely been called Mosaism, or the Mosaic faith, in Western Christendom. His influence continues to be felt in the religious life, moral concerns, and social ethics of Western civilization, and therein lies his undying significance. |
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Mosaic religion |
Mosaic (Moses-centric) religion would entail elements of the life of Moses as a venerated and God-chosen prophet as well as a clearly set out view of how to implement the Law handed down from Mt. Sinai to the people Israel |
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Mosque |
Mosque, Arabic masjid or jāmiʿ , any house or open area of prayer in Islam. The Arabic word masjid means “a place of prostration” to God, and the same word is used in Persian, Urdu, and Turkish. Two main types of mosques can be distinguished: the masjid jāmiʿ, or “collective mosque,” a large state-controlled mosque that is the centre of community worship and the site of Friday prayer services; and smaller mosques operated privately by various groups within society. |
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Passover (festival) |
Festival of Unleavened Bread; Passover, Hebrew Pesaḥ, or Pesach, in Judaism, holiday commemorating the Hebrews’ liberation from slavery in Egypt and the “passing over” of the forces of destruction, or the sparing of the firstborn of the Israelites, when the Lord “smote the land of Egypt” on the eve of the Exodus. |
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Saul |
Saul, Hebrew Shaʾul (flourished 11th century bc, Israel), first king of Israel (c.1021–1000 bc). According to the biblical account found mainly in I Samuel, Saul was chosen king both by the judge Samuel and by public acclamation. Saul was similar to the charismatic judges who preceded him in the role of governing; his chief contribution, however, was to defend Israel against its many enemies, especially the Philistines. |
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People of the book |
People of the book are adherents of Abrahamic religions that predate Islam. In Islam, the Qur'an is taken to represent the completion of these scriptures, and to synthesize them as God's true, final, and eternal message to humanity. In Judaism the term "People of the Book" (Hebrew: עם הספר, Am HaSefer) was used to refer specifically to the Jewish people and theTorah, and to the Jewish people and the wider canon of written Jewish law (including the Mishnah and the Talmud) In Christianity, the Catholic Church rejects the similar expression "religion of the book" as a description of the Christian faith, preferring the term "religion of the Word of God",[3] since the faith of Christ, according to Catholic teaching, is not found solely in the Christian Scriptures, but also in the Sacred Tradition and Magisterium of the Church |
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Pontius Pilate |
Pontius Pilate, Latin Pontius Pilatus (died c. 36 ce), Roman prefect (governor) ofJudaea (26–36 ce) under the emperor Tiberius who presided at the trial of Jesusand gave the order for his crucifixion. |
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POPE |
Pope, (Latin papa, from Greek pappas, “father”), the title, since about the 9th century, of the bishop ofRome, the head of the Roman Catholic church. It was formerly given, especially from the 3rd to the 5th century, to any bishop and sometimes to simple priests as an ecclesiastical title expressing affectionate respect. It is still used in the East for the Orthodox patriarch of Alexandria and for Orthodox priests. (See also papacy.) |
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Pophet |
In religion, a prophet is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and to speak for them, serving as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people. The message that the prophet conveys is called a prophecy. |
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Proselyte |
a person who has changed from one opinion, religious belief, sect, orthe like, to another; convert. |
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Protestantism |
Protestantism is a form of Christian faith and practice which originated with the Protestant Reformation, [a] a movement against what its followers considered to be errors in the Roman Catholic Church. It is one of the three major divisions of Christendom, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. |
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Qumran |
The site of Qumran ruins (Khirbet Qumran) had been occupied at various times in antiquity. At a low level were found the remains of walls and pottery from Iron Age II (8-7th centuries BCE). A deep circular cistern also belongs to this period (centuries later it was incorporated in an elaborate system of aqueducts and reservoirs). Probably this was the site known as the Biblical "Ir ha-Melah" - City of Salt. |
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Rabbi |
Rabbi, (Hebrew: “my teacher,” or “my master”), in Judaism, a person qualified by academic studies of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud to act as spiritual leader and religious teacher of a Jewish community or congregation |
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Salaam |
A respectful ceremonial greeting performed mostly in Islamic countries. |
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Salaat |
Salat, also spelled salah, Arabic ṣalāt , the daily ritual prayer enjoined upon all Muslims as one of the five Pillars of Islam (arkān al-Islām). |
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Savior |
one who saves from any form or degree of evil. In its highest sense the word indicates the relation sustained by our Lord to his redeemed ones, he is their Saviour. The great message of the gospel is about salvation and the Saviour. It is the "gospel of salvation." Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ secures to the sinner a personal interest in the work of redemption. Salvation is redemption made effectual to the individual by the power of the Holy Spirit. |
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Shahadah |
Shahādah, (Arabic: “testimony”), the Muslim profession of faith: “There is no god but Allah; Muḥammad is the prophet of Allah.” The shahādah is the first of the five Pillars of Islām (arkān al-Islām). It must be recited by every Muslim at least once in a lifetime, aloud, correctly, and purposely, with a full understanding of its meaning and with an assent of the heart. |
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Six Articles of Faith |
In Islam, Muslim doctrine is often summarized in "Six Articles of Faith." Belief in God Belief in His Angels Belief in His Books Belief in His Prophets and MessengersBelief in the Day of Judgment Belief in God’s Divine Decree |
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Shari'a |
Sharīʿah, also spelled Sharia, the fundamental religious concept of Islam, namely its law, systematized during the 2nd and 3rd centuries of the Muslim era (8th–9th centuries ce).Total and unqualified submission to the will of Allah (God) is the fundamental tenet of Islam: Islamic law is therefore the expression of Allah’s command for Muslim society and, in application, constitutes a system of duties that are incumbent upon a Muslim by virtue of his religious belief. |
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Shiite |
Shīʿite, Arabic Shīʿī, collective Shīʿah, member of the smaller of the two major branches of Islam, distinguished from the majority Sunnis. Shia Islam is based on the Quran and the message of the Islamic prophet Muhammad attested in hadith recorded by the Shia, and certain books deemed sacred to the Shia (Nahj al-Balagha). Shia consider Ali to have been divinely appointed as the successor to Muhammad |
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Solomon |
was, according to the Bible, Qur'an, and Hidden Words[3] a king of Israel and a son of David. The conventional dates of Solomon's reign are circa 970 to 931 BC. He is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, which would break apart into the northern Kingdom of Israeland the southern Kingdom of Judah shortly after his death. Following the split, his patrilineal descendants ruled over Judah alone. |
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Sunnite |
Sunni Islam (/ˈsuːni/ or /ˈsʊni/) is a denomination of Islam which holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad's first Caliph was his father-in-law Abu Bakr. Sunni Islam primarily contrasts with Shi'a Islam, which holds that Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib, not Abu Bakr, was his first caliph. |
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Synagogue |
Synagogue, also spelled synagog , in Judaism, a community house of worship that serves as a place not only for liturgical services but also for assembly and study |
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Tetragrammaton |
Yahweh, the god of the Israelites, whose name was revealed to Moses as four Hebrew consonants (YHWH) called the tetragrammaton. |
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Torah |
Torah, in Judaism, in the broadest sense the substance of divinerevelation to Israel, the Jewish people: God’s revealed teaching or guidance for mankind. The meaning of “Torah” is often restricted to signify the first five books of the Old Testament, also called the Law or the Pentateuch. |
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Trinity |
Trinity, in Christian doctrine, the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. |
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Umma |
Ummah (Arabic: أمة) is an Arabic word meaning "nation" or "community". It is distinguished from Sha'b (Arabic: شعب) which means a nation with common ancestry or geography. Thus, it can be said to be a supra-national community with a common history. |
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Yiddish |
Yiddish language, one of the many Germanic languages that form a branch of the Indo-European language family. Yiddish is the language of the Ashkenazim, central and eastern European Jews and their descendants. Written in the Hebrew alphabet, it became one of the world’s most widespread languages, appearing in most countries with a Jewish population by the 19th century. Along with Hebrew and Aramaic, it is one of the three major literary languages of Jewish history. |
