Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B key terms

A Catholic devotion combining repeated prayers with meditation on events in the lives of Jesus and Mary; also the beads used to count these prayers.

A religious celebration of the Jewish New Year, associated with judgement, reflection and repentance.

The principle that everyone, including those in authority, is subject to laws which should be applied fairly.

A sacred rite understood as an outward sign through which God gives inward grace.

The particular help God gives through a sacrament so that its recipient can fulfil the purpose of that sacrament.

The belief that the created world can reveal God's presence and love through physical things and human relationships.

Something holy or set apart for God.

A religious celebration that remembers a sacred event, honours a deity or holy person, or gives spiritual meaning to a seasonal custom.

A place regarded as holy because of its association with a deity, religious event or spiritual significance.

A sound treated as spiritually significant and used within a mantra; its importance need not depend only on its ordinary translated meaning.

Voluntary charity given to help others for the sake of Allah.

A complete reading of the Guru Granth Sahib carried out in separate sessions rather than without interruption.

Holy company: a gathering of people whose devotion and spiritual guidance help others remember God.

Brahman understood with qualities and form, allowing a personal approach to the divine.

The early scripture Muslims believe Allah revealed to Ibrahim (Abraham), known as the Scrolls of Ibrahim.

A Buddhist women’s organisation established in Bodhgaya in 1987 to connect Buddhist women and address their concerns, including educational opportunities. Its name means ‘Daughters of the Buddha’.

The obligatory ritual prayer performed five times daily by Muslims.

Deliverance from sin and its consequences, bringing people into a restored relationship with God.

A state of deep spiritual absorption; Guru Granth Sahib 1246 describes natural Samadhi within household and family life.

Calming meditation that develops a steady, concentrated mind by focusing attention on an object or process.

A family in which a child or children are raised by parents of the same sex.

Two parents of the same sex bringing up a child or children.

A sexual relationship between people of the same sex.

A sexual relationship between people of the same sex.

The continuing cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

A Hindu rite marking and giving religious significance to an important stage of life.

The arising or origin of suffering; the subject of the Second Noble Truth.