Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies A key terms

A Buddhist representation of the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, also called the Wheel of Becoming.

A person who sees an event; in Christianity, also someone who communicates their faith or testimony about Jesus.

A title for Jesus in John’s Gospel. The Word existed with God before Jesus’ human birth and ‘became flesh’ in the Incarnation.

Jesus understood as God's personal self-revelation: God made known through his Son, rather than merely through written words.

The worldwide community of Christians, including different denominations, rather than a single church building or organisation.

Acts through which a person expresses reverence, love or devotion towards the divine.

A song used to express devotion to God, often through praise, thanksgiving or prayer; contemporary examples frequently use verses and a repeated chorus.

Ritual washing performed before prayer when required.

A pointer used to follow the words when reading a Torah scroll without touching the parchment; its Hebrew name means ‘hand’.

The annual anniversary of a person’s death, marked by remembrance, often including a candle and Kaddish.

Sacrifice or offering; it can also be understood as unselfish action dedicated to the divine and the good of all.

Spiritual discipline directed towards union or connection with the divine; it is not simply physical exercise.

An age within the Hindu cycle of four ages.

The revelation given by Allah to Dawud, associated with the Psalms and containing prayers and songs of praise.

An obligatory contribution from qualifying wealth to specified recipients, especially people in need; one of the Five Pillars of Sunni Islam.

Obligatory charitable giving required of Muslims whose wealth meets the qualifying threshold.

Charitable giving associated with the end of Ramadan and Id-ul-Fitr, helping people in need share in the celebration.

The well associated in Islamic tradition with Allah providing water for Hajar and Ismail.

A member of a Shi’a tradition that requires an Imam to be a qualified descendant of Hasan or Husayn who actively challenges injustice, and rejects Twelver belief in a continuing Hidden Imam.

Seated meditation practised in Zen Buddhism; in Soto Zen, it involves upright sitting, natural breathing and allowing thoughts to come and go without pursuing them.