Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies A key terms

The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, a Catholic aid agency in England and Wales that works alongside poor communities and campaigns for justice.

A successor to Muhammad as leader of the Muslim community, not as a prophet. Sunni Muslims recognise Ali as the fourth Rightly-Guided Caliph.

The art of beautiful or carefully designed writing. In Islamic art, it can communicate sacred words as well as non-religious texts.

The collection of books recognised by a religious community as authoritative Scripture.

Meat from an animal that has died rather than being lawfully slaughtered, for example through disease or an accident.

A hereditary social group within a system that ranks people by birth. Sikh teachings reject caste as a basis for superiority or inferiority.

A system of inherited social divisions that has been used to rank people and restrict social interaction.

Education in the Christian faith that helps people understand Christian teaching and live it out.

The Catholic Church’s authoritative summary of its beliefs and moral teachings.

A statement of Catholic teaching; paragraph 2501 explains the relationship between artistic creativity, God-given talent, human effort and truth.

Universal or whole: describing the Church’s fullness of faith and its mission to all peoples.

Catholic teaching, grounded in Scripture and developed through Church teaching, about human dignity and how society should be organised for the good of everyone.

The cup used to hold wine which is consecrated as Christ’s blood during the Eucharist.

A loaf of bread, often plaited, eaten at Shabbat meals; two loaves recall God's provision of food for the Israelites in the wilderness.

Leavened products made from specified grains, removed and avoided during Pesach. This does not mean that all grain foods are forbidden: matzah itself is made from grain.

The canopy above the Guru Granth Sahib, used as a sign of honour and reverence.

Rhythmic recitation of words, sounds or religious texts.

A gift of the Holy Spirit given to benefit others and build up the Church.

A movement in which Christians within existing denominations, and some independent church networks, practise spiritual gifts associated with Pentecostalism.

Worship which emphasises the activity and gifts of the Holy Spirit, potentially including speaking in tongues, prophecy and healing.

Love expressed through practical care for others, including giving money, time or assistance to people in need.

Living according to religious standards of sexual behaviour; in Roman Catholic teaching, this requires abstaining from sex outside marriage.

A ceremonial whisk waved above the Guru Granth Sahib as a sign of respect.

A Christian symbol combining Χ and Ρ, the first two letters of ‘Christ’ in Greek.

The Greek equivalent of Messiah, meaning ‘anointed one’. In ‘Jesus Christ’, Christ is a title rather than a surname.

A Christian charity that works with local partners to tackle poverty and injustice and helps people of all religions and none.

Writing that expresses or explores Christian teachings, beliefs, values or experiences.