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revelation transmission of the divine will or knowledge to human being, typically through myths or some form of religouse experience mysticism a category of religous experiences characterized by communting or uniting with the divine through inward contemplation transcendence the overcoming of the normal limitations imposed by the human condition, wether temporarily or abidingly polytheism belief in more than one god ethical how we are to act while living in the world ritual formal worship practice often based on the reenactment of a myth empathy The capacity for seeing things from another perspective and a important methodological approach fro studying religions pantheism belief that the divine reality exists in everything trickster figure a type of supernatural being who tends to disrupt the normal course of life found among many primal peoples Inktomi "spider" the lakota trickster figure taboo system of social ordering that dictates that specific objects and activities owing to their sacred nature Wakan Tanka Lakota name for the supreme reality often referring collectively to sixteen separate deities Olorun Yoruba believe that Olorun is the primary, original source of power in the universe; the supreme god totem natural entity such as an animal or a feature of the landscape, symbolizes an individual or group Quetzalcoatl feathered serpent; mesoamerican creator god worshipped by toltecs axis mundi common to many religions an entity such as a mountain, tree, or pole that is believed to connect heavens and earth diviners Ritual practitioners who specilize in the art of divination cave place of shelter Tenochtitlan capital city of the aztec empire orisha the many deities the Yoruba worship; they function as mediators karma marga (path of works) one of the three hindu path's to salvation, emphasizing performing right actions jnana marga (path of knowledge also) emphasizing knowing the true nature of reality through learning and meditation bhakti marga (path of devotion) most popular, emphasizing loving devotion to one's chosen God or goddess Vedanta (path of knowledge) holding that all reality is essentially brahman Yoga seeking to free the eternal self from the bondage of personhood culminating in the experience Sankhya asserting that reality comprises- two distinct categories; matter and eternal selves samsara the wheel of rebirth or reincarnation the this- worldly realm in which rebirth occurs dharma ethical duty based on the divine order of reality Rig Veda hinduism's oldest sacred text; collection of 1,017 sanskrit hyms composed about 1500 b.c. Atman Eternal self or soul of an individual that is reincarnated from one body to the next Bhagavad-Gita short section of the epic poem, Mahabharata moksha Liberation or release of the individual self (atman), from bondage of samsara salvation brahmin The highest of the four classes of the caste system; made up of priests avatar an incarnation or living embodiment, of a deity, usually vishnu, who is sent to earth to accomplish a divine purpose Upanishads a collection of over two hundred texts composed between 900-200 b.c; provide philosophical commentary on the vedas samadhi A trancelike state in which self consciousness is lost and the mind is absorbed into ultimate reality karma moral low of cause and effect of actions determines the nature of one's reincarnation maya Cosmic illusion brought by divine creative power shudra The lowest of the four classes made up of servants and laborers sati Traditional practice of burning a widow on her husband's funeral pyre the Untouchables ghandi's children Theravada (way of elders) prevalent form of buddhism in cambodia; focuses on the earliest texts and emphasizes monastic life style Mahayana largest of buddhisms three divisions; encompasses a variety of forms, including those that emphasize devotion and prayer to buddhas Vajrayana emphasizes the harnessing of sensual energies to attain nirvana sangha the buddhist community of monks and nuns, one of the three jewels of buddhism karma the moral law of cause and effect of actions; determines the nature of one's rebirth Buddha (awakened one) siddartha gautama and all others who have by their own insight attained perfect enlightenment nirvana ( blowing out) ultimate goal of all buddhists mantras phrases chanted to evoke a deity or to enhance mediation Dharma the teaching of buddha asceticism or wandering ascetic; stage for forest dweelers who are ready to return to society, but remain detached from the normal attractions and distractions of social life arhat one who has become enlightened mandalas patterned icons that visually entice Pali ancient language of india used in the earliest texts bodhisattva future buddhas mudras choregraphed hand movements tanha ( desire, thirst) 2nd of the 4 noble truths, selfish desire Dalai Lama spiritual leader Moses freed the Jew from Egypt Romans persecuted Jews Solomon king Jacob husband of rachel David star of david Muslims took part in the jewish dispersion Babylonians exile (587-538) b.c. Moses Maimonides Spanish philosopher considered the greatest Jewish scholar of the Middle Ages who codified Jewish law in the Talmud (1135-1204) Abraham husband of sarah Assyrians dispersed jews kaddish liturgical prayer, consisting of three or six verses, recited at specified points during each of the three daily services and on certain other occasions. Pentateuch the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, numbers, and Deuteronomy. repentance deep sorrow, compunction, or contrition for a past sin, wrongdoing, or the like. the Holocaust mass killing of jews caused by adolph hitler synagogue jewish place of worship Kabbalah mysticism; god can be best known through the heart Seder ceremonial dinner that commemorates the Exodus from Egypt and includes the reading of the Haggadah and the eating of symbolic foods, generally held on the first night of Passover by Reform Jews and Jews in Israel and on both the first and second nights by Orthodox and Conservative Jews outside of Israel. Ten Commandments the precepts spoken by god to Israel, delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai; the Decalogue. Ex. 20; 24:12,34; Deut. 5. circumcision spiritual purification.; cutting off of the fore skin Talmud the collection of Jewish law and tradition consisting of the Mishnah and the Gemara and being either the edition produced in Palestine a.d. c400 or the larger, more important one produced in Babylonia a.d. c500. Zohar incorporates rich symbolism based on numbers and esoteric language Hasidism strict jews fallow the torah/ talmud to the tea, have the long sideburns(curly Diaspora the dispersal of the jews rabbi a teacher of torah and leader of Jewish worship Zionism originally the movement arising in the late 19th century that sought to re-establish a jewish home land Torah generally the revelation of gods will to the people, the divine law Mishnah contains collected teachings of the rabbis of the preceding four centuries; along with the talmud, is the most important text of the oral torah prophet a person who spreads gods will bat mitzvah ritual celebration marking the coming of age in jewish child grace God's presence freely given; a key doctrine for Paul and for Christianity Galilee where jesus did most of his miracles Apostle early follower of Jesus Incarnation core doctrine of Christianity stating that in Jesus Christ, god became fully human pope title conferred on the bishop of rome, leader of catholicism ecumenism promotion of the world wide Christian unity fundamentalists people who follow what the bible says word for word ; very strict Christians Church community of all Christian believers heresies opinions or doctrines at variances with accepted doctrine parables stories that Jesus told to cast important moral lessons predestination states that god has already chosen those who will be saved from sin martyr those who choose to die rather than violate their religious beliefs Council of Nicaea council aimed to reflect church's teachings Eucharist central sacrament and ritual of Christianity Gospel referring generally to the saving power to life orthodox major division of chirstianity original sin state of moral and spiritual corruption inheirted from adam and eve indulgences pardons for sins Catholic the largest of the 3 major divisions of Christianity Catholic Reformation an effort begun in 1545, initiated partly by the protestant Reformation, to clarify church doctrines and clean up corrupt practices Ramadan the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. Compare Muslim calendar.the daily fast that is rigidly enjoined from dawn until sunset during this month. Umma the Islamic community. qur'an the sacred text of Islam, divided into 114 chapters, or suras: revered as the word of god, dictated to Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel, and accepted as the foundation of Islamic law, religion, culture, and politics. Shahada Islam . the Islamic profession of faith, "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger": the first of the Pillars of Islam. Shari'a law, seen as deriving from the Koran al-fana the extinction of one's sense of separate existence before achieving union with Allah; the aim of sufi mystics Hijra the flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution a.d. 622: regarded as the beginning of the Muslim Era. imam the officiating priest of a mosque. Sunna the traditional portion of Muslim law, based on the words and acts of Muhammad, and preserved in the traditional literature. caliphs spiritual leader of Islam, claiming succession from Muhammad. mosque place of worship for muslims Ka'ba a small, cubical building in the courtyard of the Great Mosque at Mecca containing a sacred black stone: regarded by Muslims as the House of god and the objective of their pilgrimages. shaykh a teacher and master in Islam jihad religous struggle hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, which every adult Muslim is supposed to make at least once in his or her lifetime: the fifth of the Pillars of Islam.