Eduqas GCSE Religious Studies (Short Course) key terms

The Guru’s sacred word or teaching, which guides Sikhs towards God.

The Jewish weekly day of rest and holiness, remembering God's rest after creation; also called the Sabbath.

A Hindu tradition which regards Shiva as supreme.

Divine energy or power, personified as the Goddess and worshipped in forms including Parvati, Durga and Kali.

The dwelling or divine presence of God, often represented by a cloud in the Torah.

A Jewish prayer declaring belief in one God and reinforcing devotion to God.

The realm of the dead referred to in the Hebrew Bible, rather than simply a place of punishment for the wicked.

The Seven Blessings recited over wine at a Jewish wedding, praising God and celebrating creation, marriage and the couple's joy.

Associating partners with Allah or treating something as equal to him, contrary to Tawhid.

The Hindu deity associated with destruction within the cycle of creation and renewal, regarded as supreme in Shaivism.

A Buddhist discourse in which the Buddha teaches Sigala, a young householder, about reciprocal responsibilities, including the five duties of husbands and wives.

An action, thought or attitude that goes against God’s will and damages the relationship between humanity and God.

An approach to moral decisions that asks what would be the most loving action in the particular circumstances.

Six virtues cultivated particularly in Mahayana Buddhism to develop the compassion and wisdom needed for buddhahood: generosity, morality, patience, energy, meditation and wisdom.

The five changing aggregates that together make up a person: form, sensation, perception, mental formations and consciousness. Also called khandhas.

The five changing aspects that make up a person: form, sensations, perception, mental formations and consciousness.

The spiritual aspect of a person, which many Christians believe continues to exist after physical death.

God making himself known in particular ways, such as through Jesus Christ, scripture or religious experiences.

Giving beings different moral consideration simply because they belong to different species, especially favouring humans over other animals.

An understanding of life beyond death in which the person’s spiritual existence is restored without the physical body being raised.

The responsibility to care for the world on God’s behalf.

Emptiness: the teaching that things lack an independent, permanent essence.

Using resources and living in ways that meet present needs without undermining future generations’ ability to meet theirs.

An understanding of a passage in which its images and narrative communicate religious meanings without every detail needing to be a factual description of events.

A collection of rabbinic discussions of Jewish law and teaching.

The quality of material nature associated with darkness, ignorance, inertia and confusion.

Craving: the desire to possess, keep or experience things in a way that produces attachment and suffering.

Buddha-nature: the mainly Mahayana belief that all beings have the potential to achieve enlightenment and become a Buddha.