AQA GCSE Religious Studies A key terms

A major Hindu pilgrimage gathering associated especially with bathing in sacred waters; at Prayag, the full festival is held every twelve years.

The revealed holy books through which Allah has given guidance to humanity.

The goddess of wealth, prosperity and beauty, and the consort of Vishnu.

The free community kitchen and meal associated with a gurdwara, open to everyone.

An action taken only when reasonable peaceful ways of resolving a conflict have failed.

The final meal Jesus shared with his disciples before his arrest and crucifixion, presented in Mark’s Gospel as a Passover meal.

The sacred laws and teachings associated with Moses, which guide Jewish life and belief.

The belief that God provides commandments guiding how people should live.

A description of a regular pattern in how the natural world behaves.

A recognised governing authority with the responsibility to decide whether a country should go to war.

The period of preparation for Easter, traditionally involving prayer, repentance and fasting, recalling Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness.

A biblical term covering various skin diseases, not only the condition now called Hansen’s disease.

An outward struggle to defend Islam and the Muslim community, which may include armed defence under strict conditions.

An action judged to be less harmful than the other available options, even though it is not considered good in itself.

An approach that understands biblical texts in their context and may read creation accounts symbolically, as expressing religious truths rather than a literal sequence of events.

The view that an account describes events that happened as narrated, rather than functioning only as symbolism.

A person who understands a scriptural creation account as a factual description of what happened, including its stated sequence and timescale.

Christian worship that follows an established order, often using set prayers and congregational responses.

A world or realm of existence in Hindu cosmology.

Support intended to produce lasting improvements, such as education, training and tools that help communities support themselves.

Work that helps communities improve their living conditions and ability to support themselves over time.

The prayer Jesus taught his followers, also called the Our Father, which praises God and asks for his provision, forgiveness and protection.

Care and concern for others; in Hindu devotion, love can also be directed towards a deity.

Uncontrolled sexual desire that dominates a person's choices; also called kaam.

The return to Allah through resurrection and judgement; one of the five roots of Shi'a belief.

The path leading to the cessation of suffering; the Fourth Noble Truth identifies this as the Eightfold Path.

A Buddhist tradition whose name means ‘Greater Vehicle’. Its teaching on human personality emphasises emptiness and the potential of all beings to attain Buddhahood.