Religious Studies key terms

The opening expression of the Mool Mantra, meaning that there is one God.

The Christian belief that humans are created in God's likeness and therefore possess dignity and value.

The Christian teaching that humans are made in God’s image and have a distinctive relationship with God.

A Muslim prayer leader; the term can also refer to other forms of religious leadership in Islam.

The Shi’a belief in the authority of divinely appointed Imams who guide the Muslim community after Muhammad.

The presence of the divine within the world or within living beings.

Present and active within the world.

Living for ever rather than being subject to death.

The belief that the soul does not die when the body dies.

The Buddhist teaching that everything changes and nothing lasts forever; also called anicca.

An understanding of the divine as a reality or power without personal characteristics, rather than a being who enters relationships with individuals.

The Christian belief that God became human in the person of Jesus Christ.

Welcoming people and allowing them to share in a community’s care and benefits rather than excluding them because of their background.

Three claims argued to be incompatible: God is all-powerful, God is all-loving, and evil exists.

Angry at something regarded as wrong or unjust; Mark uses this to describe Jesus’s response when the disciples turn people away.

Worship carried out by a person alone, such as private prayer, Bible reading or meditation.

Unable to be divided into separate parts. In Judaism, God is one unified being.

The belief that scripture is without error.

Freedom from error. Shi’a belief in the Imams’ infallibility includes their freedom from sin and their reliable interpretation of Islam.

Free from error; in Shi'a belief, this describes the Imams' authoritative religious guidance.

The baptism of a baby or young child, with parents and godparents making promises on the child’s behalf.

The killing of a baby after birth.

A chain of causes extending backwards without a first cause.

Prayer expressed in a believer’s own words rather than using an established text; sometimes called extempore prayer.

Christian worship with a spontaneous or less formal style, allowing worshippers to express their faith freely.

Unfair treatment, including the denial or violation of people’s rights.

The belief that God, through the Holy Spirit, guided the human writers of the Bible.