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World Religions

Terms in this set (55)

Animism
Belief that objects, such as plants and stones have a spirit and conscious life.
Brahma
A single spiritual power that Hindus believe lives in everything
Buddha
"Enlightened One"
Buddhism
A religion based on the teachings of the Buddha.
Caste System
A social structure in which classes are determined by heredity
Christianity
A monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior.
Daoism
A Philosophy based on the ideas of the Chinese thinker Laozi, Who taught that people should be guided by a universal force called the Dao
Dharma
In Hindu belief, a person's religious and moral duties
Diaspora
Communities of Judaism scattered all over the world
Eightfold Path
In Buddhism, the basic rules of behavior and belief leading to an end of suffering
Exodus
A large-scale departure or flight
Fasting
Nothing to eat or drink for at least 12 hours.
Filial Piety
In Confucian thought, one of the virtues to be cultivated, a love and respect for one's parents and ancestors.
Five Basic Relationships
ruler/subject; father/son; husband/wife; older brother/younger brother; friend/friend
Five Pillars
Declaration of faith, prayer, alms, fasting, and pilgrimage
Four Noble Truths
1) All life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow. 2) The cause of suffering is nonvirtue, or negative deeds and mindsets such as hated and desire. 3) The only cure for suffering is to overcome nonvirture. 4) The way to overcome nonvirtue is to follow the Eightfold Path
Golden Rule
"Do to others whatever you would have them do to you."
Hinduism
A religion and philosophy developed in ancient India, characterized by a belief in reincarnation and a supreme being who takes many forms
Islam
A monotheistic religion that developed in Arabia in 7th century, means "submission to the will of Allah"
Israel
A Jewish state on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, both in antiquity and again founded in 1948 after centuries of Jewish diaspora.
Karma
(Hinduism and Buddhism) the effects of a person's actions that determine his destiny in his next incarnation
Kosher
Conforming to Jewish ceremonial preparation of food
Lao-Tzu
Founder of Taoism
Legalism
A Chinese philosophy that was devoted to strengthen and expand the state through increased agricultural work and military service.
Meditation
A family of mental exercises in which a conscious attempt is made to focus attention in a nonanalytical way.
Messiah
A savior figure to be sent by God, awaited by the Judaism.
Moksha
Becoming liberated for the cycle of reincarnation in Hinduism.
Monotheism
Belief in a single God
New Testament
Christian Scriptures
Nirvana
(Hinduism and Buddhism) the beatitude that transcends the cycle of reincarnation
Palestine
A territory in the Middle East on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Disputed with Israel.
Polytheistic
Belief in many gods.
Prophet
A person who expresses and explains the will of god.
Rabbi
A teacher or ordained leader in the Jewish faith.
Reincarnation
In Hinduism and Buddhism, the process by which a soul is reborn continuously until it achieves perfect understanding
Roman Catholicism
A branch of Christianity that developed in the western Roman Empire and that recognized the Pope as its supreme head
Siddhartha Gautama
a prince who realized pain and suffering and went out on a spiritual journey looking for the cause and cure for suffering. He sat down for 48 days and meditated, and when he stopped was enlightened, and the 1st Buddha
Synagogue
A Jewish house of worship
Ten Commandments
A set of laws for responsible behavior, which, according to the Bible, were given to Moses by God.
The Analects
Collection of moral and social teachings of Confucius, including the concept of the Five Relationships.
Torah
"the law" of the Jewish faith; first five books of the Hebrew Bible
Untouchables
LOWEST LEVEL OF INDIAN SOCIETY; not considered a real part of the caste system; often given degrading jobs; their life was extremely difficult
Vedas
A Hindu holy book which is a collection of Aryan hymns that were transmitted orally before being written down in the 6th century BCE.
Yahweh
Hebrew name for God
Yin Yang
the two powers that govern the natural rhythms of life
Medina
the city of the prophet for followers of Islam
Allah
Arabic word for God
Mecca
City in western Arabia; birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, and ritual center of the Islamic religion.
Haaj
One who has made a pilgrimage to Mecca
Koran
The holy book of Islam
Taoism
A Chinese philosophy in which people live a simple life in harmony with nature.
Confucianism
Chinese belief system from 500s BCE that emphasized family loyalty, respecting elders, education, obedience, and ancestors.
Confucius
(551-479 BCE) A Chinese philosopher known also as Kong Fuzi and created one of the most influential philosophies in Chinese history.
Samasara
repeating cycle of birth, life, death, and reincarnation
Hinduism
Oldest major religion that has no founder.
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