Eduqas GCSE Religious Studies (Short Course) key terms

An annual initiative held in June that encourages Buddhists and others inspired by Buddhist teachings to put their practice into social action.

A person who leads the congregation in sung or chanted prayers, also called a hazzan.

A hereditary social group associated with status. Sikh teachings reject the idea that caste determines a person's spiritual worth.

A person who prepares and leads a ceremony, such as a personalised Humanist funeral.

Choosing not to marry or have sexual relationships, often for religious reasons.

An official population survey that collects information about people and households.

Describing Christian worship which emphasises the present-day gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as tongues, prophecy and healing.

Living according to a religious tradition's teaching about appropriate sexual behaviour; this does not necessarily mean abstaining from sex within marriage.

A Jewish group that prepares the dead for burial with dignity and respect; its name means ‘sacred society’.

The canopy under which a Jewish wedding takes place, symbolising the couple's new home.

Living together in a sexual relationship without being married or in a civil partnership.

Dedication and a sense of obligation to a person or undertaking.

The part of a funeral in which the body is committed to burial or cremation.

A person's sense of moral right and wrong, used to guide decisions.

A divine partner or spouse, such as Lakshmi as the consort of Vishnu.

Understanding a text by considering the society, customs and circumstances in which it was written.

Methods used to prevent pregnancy during or following sexual intercourse.

Alteration from an original divine revelation, so that a text no longer preserves that revelation accurately.

Ancient radiation observed throughout the universe, understood as the cooled afterglow of its hot early state and evidence supporting the Big Bang.

Beliefs about the origin, structure and destiny of the universe.

A binding promise or agreement. In Judaism, it describes the relationship between God and the Jewish people, involving responsibilities such as following God’s laws.

Bringing the universe and life into existence; Christians believe that God is their ultimate Creator.

In this context, the belief that God created life directly as described in Genesis, rather than through evolution.

A divine being believed to have brought the universe into existence.

Execution by fastening a person to a cross; the method by which Jesus was killed.

An understanding of the universe as passing through repeated phases of creation, preservation and dissolution, rather than having only one creation followed by a permanent end.

The Sikh practice of contributing one-tenth of earnings towards the community's religious institutions and welfare work; also spelt dasvandh.