Download Glossary - Year 11-12 Studies of Religion 2Unit 2013-4

The Religious Dimension in Human History
Glossary
Animism
Doctrine of souls used by Sir Edward Burnett Tylor to posit the notion that all natural
objects, whether they are animate or inanimate have a spirit or a soul that exists separately of
its physical being. These spirits are believed to be responsible for the activities of the natural
world.
Caliph
The male successor of the Prophet Muhammad, who leads the Islamic community.
Crusades
Religious military expeditions undertaken by European Christians, which took place
between the 11 th and 13 th century CE. It began as a campaign to claim back the Holy Land
from the Muslims.
Deism
A form of monotheism that affirms the belief in the oneness of god but rejects the notion that
god is an active agent in human history.
Gentile
A non-Jewish person .
Great Schism
The event which separated Christianity in 1054, into Western Christianity and Eastern
Orthodoxy.
Hard
polytheism
Doctrine which conceptualizes the idea that each individual god is a distinct and separate
entity from other gods. This doctrine can be contrasted with soft polytheism, which is the
notion that whilst there are many gods, all these gods represent different facets of a single
god or unitary reality.
Jesus
movement
Period within the early Christian community lasting from approximately 30 to 60 CE that
saw itself as a sect within Judaism and is characterised by its eschatological vision, lack of
infrastructure and gender inclusive nature.
Jewish
Diaspora
The community of Jews that live outside of Israel.
Mahayana
Buddhism
One of the major strands of Buddhism , distinguishable by its belief in universalism,
compassion, enlightened wisdom and liberation (salvation). Found mainly in Japan, Korea,
Mongolia, Tibet, Vietnam, and in some parts of India and Russia. Mahayana Buddhism can
be contrasted to Theravada Buddhism, which is a more conservative form of Buddhism.
Monotheism
Belief that there is only one god.
Original
monotheism
Term coined by Wilhelm Schmidt as a proposed theory of religion . Schmidt used this term
to describe the idea of monotheism as being the first form of religion, which over time was
replaced by polytheism. Schmidt argues that i t was only later that monotheism was revived.
Ottoman
Empire
Turkish Empire which existed from the end of the 13 th century to the end of World War 1.
At the peak of its power, the Ottoman Empire stretched from Anatolia, to North Africa, to
the Middle East and to south Eastern Europe.
Pantheism
A particular variant of monotheism which states that the universe is equivalent to god.
Pantheon
The gods of a particular religion or people.
Polytheism
Belief in and worship of multiple gods or deities.
Reformation
16th century European movement which resulted in the split of Western Christianity, into
two major camps, Catholicism and Protestantism. the Reformation was the result of attempts
to reform the Roman Catholic Church.
Renaissance
Cultural movement which began in 14th century Europe which witnessed the rediscovery
of the writings of philosophers from classical antiquity , and resulted in a revival o f
learning, art and science.
Shaman
Priests who possess great spiritual powers and are given the task of undertaking rituals in
animistic cultures.
Shiite Muslim
A major branch of Islam which affirms the belief in Ali and his descendants as the
legitimate heirs of Muhammad. They reject the legitimacy of the first three caliphs as the
successors of Muhammad.
Smartha
philosophy
Philosophy upheld by a particular strand of Hinduism, that upholds the supremacy of the
Vedas. One of the beliefs of Smartism is that the different deities, are in essence, one
dimension or facet of a greater unitary reality, known as Brahman.
Soft polytheism
Doctrine that asserts the belief in many gods, but r ejects the hard polytheistic notion that
these gods are separate and distinct entities. S oft polytheists believe that these different
gods represent facets of a single god or unitary reality.
Sunni Muslim
A major branch of Islam which accepts the first four caliphs as the rightful and legitimate
heirs of Muhammad.
Theravada
Buddhism
A more conservative strand of Buddhism , compared to Mahayana Buddhism which
attempt s to teach the Buddha’s original and authentic ideas. The major centres of
Theravada Buddhism are Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Ur-monotheism
also known as original monotheism (see above).
Zionism
Political movement and philosophy which is aimed at achieving the establishment of a
Jewish home state in Israel. The land of Israel is important because the Jewish kingdom
and nation grew out of the land of Israel, originally known as Canaan.
Zoroastrianism
An ancient Persian religion founded by Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra) . It is one of
the earliest known monotheistic religions. Followers worship the god, Ahura Mazda who
is involved in a constant cosmic struggle with an evil spirit.
New Religious Expression &
Non-Religious Worldviews
Glossary
Astrology
I s based on the principal that the reading of the stars in conjunction with the time of
birth to predict a person’s individual traits and anticipate the future course of their lives.
The instrument used to determine these predictions is called a horoscope.
Crystals
The belief that the mystical properties of crystals have a healing or energising power.
Feng shui
I s the belief that the strategic placement of furniture and possessions can lead to greater
harmony and well being in life. It originated in Taoism.
Magnetic field
therapy
Belief that magnets can invigorate and re-establish energy levels in the human body by
utilising the meridians and poles of magnetic energy.
New age religion
An umbrella term to cover a wide range of spiritual beliefs and practices aiming to foster
individual fulfilment in the form of personal happiness, health and meaning in life.
Numerology
Is the belief that certain numbers and patterns of numbers hold the key to understanding
human existence.
Palmistry
The belief that the study of the individual patterns of lines on a person’s hand can reveal
that person’s future.
Secularism
The belief that religion should not interfere with or be integrated into the public affairs of
a society. The increasing pluralism and materialism of society alongside society’s
increasing individualism and dissatisfaction with traditional religions are major reasons
for secularisation.
Tai chi
Is used by people as forms of gentle exercise, meditation and relaxation. It is believed
that such use of tai chi will lead to a healthier more peaceful life. T ai chi however, in its
pure form is part of the Tao religion; many people however practice it without reference
to its broader religious context.
Tarot cards
A fortune teller uses a set of cards to reveal deaths, misfortunes, virtues and vices about
a particular individual.
Transcendental
meditation
is a technique of mediation that is believed to enable a person to move beyond or
transcend their present existence to make contact with another plane of existence.
Yoga
Is used by people as forms of gentle exercise, meditation and relaxation. It is believed
that use of yoga will lead to a healthier more peaceful life. Yoga however, in its pure
form is part of the Hindu r eligion; many people however practice it without reference to
its broader religious context.
The Difference between Religious & Non-Religious
Worldviews
Glossary
Fundamentalist A member of a religious movement that is characterised by a literal, rigid interpretation of
the sacred text.
Transcendent
Belief that a divine power/s or being/s beyond the human.
Utilitarianism
Consequensialist form of ethical theory, which asserts the notion that what is good, is what
brings the greatest happiness for the greatest number.