Download Fundamentalism: a form of Christianity which insists that the Bible

Ninth Grade Religion glossary
Aaron: the brother of Moses
Abraham: often called the “father of Jewish faith”, Abraham lived about 1800 years before the
time of Christ. He received a promise from God that his descendants would be as numerous as
the stars. He is the first of the great patriarchs of Israel and a revered figure in three religions:
Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Adam: the name of the first man in the book of Genesis. The name comes from the Hebrew
word Adamah which means “earth creature”. Genesis says that God formed Adam from the clay
of the earth.
Agnostic: A person who believes that God’s existence is unknowable by human beings. Thus,
they reject human claims to know the mind and will of God.
Amos: a prophet of the 8th century BC, he condemned the people of the northern kingdom for
their greed and lack of concern for the poor and needy.
Ark of the Covenant : a chest or tabernacle which contained the ten commandments
Atheist: a person who does not believe in the existence of God.
Babylonian Exile (Captivity) : The exile refers to a period of time (587-536 BC), in which the
Jewish people were brought out of their land and take to Babylon. This was spiritually
devastating because god had promised the land to the people and they felt as if God had
abandoned them.
Bible: The sacred scriptures (writing) of both Christianity and Judaism. “Bible” literally means
“books”. For Catholics, there are 73 books in the Bible. Fifty six in the Old Testament; 27 in the
New Testament.
Birthright. In the Old Testament, the birthright refers to the right of the first born son to a
“double portion” of inheritance of the father and the right to be the head of the clan.
Canaan: an ancient land in the middle east, the “promised land” of the Jews, located roughly
where Israel is today.
Contextual interpretation a way of interpreting the Bible which insists that the words and
ideas must be understood in the context in which they were written. Thus, it is important to know
the history, culture, and language of the people who wrote the Bible.
Covenant: a covenant is a pact or an agreement between two parties. The word is used to
describe God’s relationship with Israel and it has many different applications in the Bible. The
covenant with Abraham is unconditional- God simply promises Abraham that he will be the
father of a great nation. Likewise the covenant with David is a promise for an eternal dynasty.
But the Sinai covenant is one that makes demands on the people of Israel. They are to obey
God’s law. The prophet Jeremiah looks forward to the day when the covenant will be written in
the heart. At the last supper, Jesus offers the cup of wine as his blood of the new and everlasting
covenant.
David: the second and greatest of the Jewish Kings. Famous for his victory over the Philistine
giant, Goliath, David was a great political and military leader. God promised David that his
throne would endure forever and through his descendents would come the anointed one, the
messiah. Many of the psalms were attributed to David.
Deborah: the only female judge mentioned in the Bible
Esau: the elder son of Isaac, the twin brother of Jacob
Exodus: Perhaps the key event in the Old Testament, it refers to God leading His people out
from slavery in Egypt through the leadership of Moses.
Eve: the name of the first woman in the book of Genesis. She is created from Adam’s rib
because Adam is without a “suitable partner” and “this one (Eve) at last is bone of my bone and
flesh of my flesh”.
Ezekiel: one of the great prophets of the era of the Babylonian Exile, he may be best known for
his vision of the dead dry bones brought back to life by God.
Fundamentalism: In Christianity, fundamentalism is form of Christianity which insists that the
Bible must be interpreted literally. Fundamentalists believe that “the Bible says what it means
and means what it says”. Thus, fundamentalists usually do not accept an evolutionary view of
creation, because the Bible says that the word was created in six days. The Catholic Church does
not accept this approach to the Bible.
Genesis: the first book of the Bible
Gideon: one of the judges, best known for his military victories over the Canaanites
Golden calf: the idol created by Aaron to appease the people in Moses’ absence
Hagar: the female servant of Sarah. When Sarah was unable to conceive, she allowed Hagar to
do so in her place. She had a child with Abraham who was named Ishmael.
Hosea: a prophet of the 8th century BC, he compared Israel to his unfaithful wife, Gomer.
Idolatry: the worship of “false gods” or the gods of the pagans, forbidden by the first
commandment.
Inspiration: The Bible is inspired by God and thus is called God’s word. This does not mean
that God literally dictated the words to the authors, but rather, God inspired the human authors to
use their own intelligence, faith and creativity. As the interaction between the human and the
divine the Bible reflects both God’s word and human limitations as well.
Isaac: The son of Abraham and Sarah and one of the great patriarchs of Israel.
Isaiah: the greatest of the prophetic books of the bible, the one book we call “Isaiah” describes
the ministry and message of at least three different prophets called by that name. The book
describes the “suffering servant of God” who Christians later identified with Jesus.
Jacob: Isaac’s son and Esau’s twin brother who gained the “birthright” from his father through
the use of deceit, aided by his mother, Rebekah. Jacob’s twelve sons are the basis for the twelve
tribes of Israel.
Jeptha: one of the judges, he vows to offer a sacrifice to God if he wins the battles. The
sacrifice will be the first thing he sees upon return. Unfortunately, it is his daughter, his only
child.
Jeremiah: one of the most important of the Jewish prophets, he warned the people of their
impending doom (Babylonian Exile) in punishment for their idolatry.
Joshua: one of Moses’s assistants. After the death of Moses, he led the Jewish people into the
promise land at the battle of Jericho
Joseph: Jacob’s favored son, sold into slavery by his brothers, he became powerful in Egypt
because of his ability to interpret dreams for the Pharoah.
Judge : the judges were the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel before they were united as one
nation under a king
Miriam: the sister of Moses
Monotheism: the belief that there is only one God. Christianity, Judaism and Islam are all
monotheistic religions.
Moses: the most important figure in the Old Testament, he encountered God’s presence in the
burning bush, led his people from slavery in Egypt, encountered God again on Mt. Sinai where
he was given the ten commandments and led his people on a forty year journey through the
desert to the promised land. He died before entering that land.
Mt. Sinai: the mountain on which Moses received the ten commandments from God.
Myth: In regard to religion, myths are stories that are intended to explore universal questions and
teach universal truths. It is a style of writing or a literary form. In the Bible, some of the stories
could be described as “myths”. The stories of creation, Noah and the flood and the tower of
Babel are all mythic stories. Their truth is found not in their historical details but in the meaning
of the stories- what they teach us about God and humanity. Biblical myths are not “just myths”;
they are divinely inspired stories meant to teach us core truths about God and His relationship to
us.
Noah: A righteous man, he and his family were spared by God when He brought a flood to
destroy all living things. He was commanded by God to put two of each animal on the ark, so the
world could be recreated again.
Passover: The Jewish feast that celebrates the Exodus from Egypt
Parable: a story with a moral or message, they were used occasionally in the Old Testament and
often by Jesus.
Pentateuch: another name for the written Torah as the first five books of the Bible. Torah is a
Hebrew word; Pentateuch is Greek.
Polytheism: the belief that there are many (poly) gods.
Prophet: In Israel, a prophet was a person who was God’s “mouthpiece”. It was the job of a
prophet to proclaim God’s truth, often to a people who were not interested in listening. “False
prophets” simply told the king what he wanted to hear. The true prophets were unafraid to speak
truth to those in power.
Proverbs : A book in the Old Testament which does not focus on Jewish history, but rather is a
collection of sayings and short lessons meant to impart wisdom.
Psalms: 150 prayer/poem/songs in the Old Testament. Many were attributed to King David, but
the dates of their composition remain unknown. The psalms are widely used in communal prayer
(liturgy) by both Jews and Christians.
Rebekah: the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. She helped Jacob gain the
birthright from his father.
Revelation: God’s self-communication and communication of His will for us.
Salvation history: the history of God’s saving relationship with Israel culminating in the person
of Jesus Christ.
Samson: the “judge” famous for his hair and strength, eventually taken down by Delilah.
Samuel: considered both a jusge and the first of the prophets, Samuel anointed the first two
Jewish kings, Saul and David.
Sarah: the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac. Because of her advanced age , she
“laughs” when told by a messenger angel that she will be a mother. Although she is sometimes
mistreated by Abraham, her strength and fidelity allow God’s promises to come true.
Saul: the first of the Jewish kings
Seder meal: the Passover meal that uses foods meant to recall the Exodus: lamb, unleavened
bread, bitter herbs
Solomon: the son of King David, famous for his wealth, power and wisdom, Solomon built the
first temple in Jerusalem.
Temple: the sacred dwelling place of God in Jerusalem. Built by King Solomon, the Temple was
destroyed by the Babylonians in 586. It was restored when the Exiles returned from Babylon.
During the life of Jesus, King Herod rebuilt this second Temple as an architectural triumph and
one of the great monuments in the world. Today, only a small part of this Temple has survived,
often referred to as “the western wall”. It is a sacred site for Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Ten commandments; the commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai, they represent the
heart and soul of Jewish moral law.
Torah: The word “torah” can have several different meanings. It can mean “teaching” or “law” ,
and it generally refers to the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
and Deuteronomy. These books are the written torah. These five books have had a special
authority and influence within the Old Testament as well as in Christian history. The “oral
torah” consists of the many opinions of the rabbis concerning the meaning of these books.
Yahweh: God’s “name” given to Moses at the burning bush; often translated as I AM or I AM
WHO I AM, it emphasizes God’s infinite and mysterious nature. The word is never to be spoken
by the Jewish people.