Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies A key terms

In Tibetan Buddhism, an intermediate state between death and the next rebirth, which may last up to 49 days.

‘Son of the commandments’: the status of a Jewish boy who has reached religious responsibility at 13, and the celebration marking it.

The intermediate state between death and resurrection, in which the dead await the Day of Judgement.

‘Daughter of the commandments’: the status of a Jewish girl who has reached religious responsibility, traditionally at 12, and the celebration marking it.

Baptism following a person’s own profession of Christian faith, usually involving full immersion in water.

Baptism of someone who can personally profess Christian faith, rather than baptism as an infant.

Kindness and generosity towards creation.

Goodness and loving concern for others; Christians understand God as caring for humanity.

Loving and good; a quality Christians attribute to God.

The experience of losing someone through death.

A Hindu scripture presenting a dialogue in which Krishna teaches Arjuna about spiritual life, duty and yoga.

The divine understood as a personal, loving God beyond the material world, with whom a person can have a relationship.

A devotional song expressing praise, love or longing for God.

Devotion to a personal deity, expressed through practices such as worship, prayer and singing.

The path of loving devotion to God, expressed through practices such as prayer, chanting and worship.

The Christian scriptures, used as a source of beliefs and moral guidance.

The recognised power of the Bible to shape Christian beliefs and guide conduct.

The process of explaining a biblical passage’s meaning, taking account of matters such as its language, literary form and context.

A raised platform with a reading desk from which the Torah is read during synagogue worship.

An ordained Christian leader with oversight of churches and ministers in an area; Catholic and Orthodox Christians understand bishops as successors of the apostles.

Speech or behaviour considered insulting or disrespectful towards God or something sacred.

A family formed when partners bring together children from one or both partners’ previous relationships; also called a reconstituted family.

A being committed to attaining enlightenment for the benefit of others; bodhisattvas are important objects of devotion in Mahayana Buddhism.

The tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya; a descendant of the original tree is venerated there today.

A biblical description of the Church in which Christians belong together in Christ, like different parts belonging to one body.

An Anglican book containing orders of worship and set prayers, many of which quote or draw on the Bible.

The ultimate divine reality; many Hindus understand the atman as part of Brahman.

The Jewish ritual of male circumcision, normally performed on the eighth day after birth, as a sign of the covenant.