Religious Studies key terms

A recognised governing authority with the responsibility to decide whether a country should go to war.

The period of preparation for Easter, traditionally involving prayer, repentance and fasting, recalling Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness.

A biblical term covering various skin diseases, not only the condition now called Hansen’s disease.

The outward struggle to defend Islam against threats; it can include fighting under restricted conditions.

An action judged to be less harmful than the other available options, even though it is not considered good in itself.

An approach that understands biblical texts in their context and may read creation accounts symbolically, as expressing religious truths rather than a literal sequence of events.

A sacred symbol of Shiva used as a focus for worship.

A reading of scripture that treats its descriptions of events as factually accurate accounts of what happened.

A person who understands a scriptural creation account as a factual description of what happened, including its stated sequence and timescale.

Christian worship that follows an established order, often using set prayers and congregational responses.

Greed: excessive desire for wealth, possessions or personal gain.

A world or realm of existence in Hindu cosmology.

Support over an extended period intended to address poverty through measures such as education, training, healthcare and access to tools.

Work that helps communities improve their living conditions and ability to support themselves over time.

The prayer Jesus taught his followers, also called the Our Father, which praises God and asks for his provision, forgiveness and protection.

The 26 Church of England bishops who sit in the House of Lords.

Care and concern for others; in Hindu devotion, love can also be directed towards a deity.

Uncontrolled sexual desire that dominates a person's choices; also called kaam.

The return to Allah through resurrection and judgement; one of the five roots of Shi'a belief.

The path leading to the cessation of suffering; the Fourth Noble Truth identifies this as the Eightfold Path.

The teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church, exercised by the Pope and bishops.

A Buddhist tradition whose name means ‘Greater Vehicle’. Its teaching on human personality emphasises emptiness and the potential of all beings to attain Buddhahood.

A mandatory gift from the groom to the bride agreed as part of an Islamic marriage contract; it belongs to the bride.

A string of prayer beads used to count repetitions of a mantra and support concentration.

Angels: beings who obey Allah and carry out his commands, including communicating revelation and recording human actions.

Mental service: using the mind, knowledge or emotional support to help others, and directing the mind towards God while serving.

An intricate circular pattern used in Buddhist practice that may represent Buddhist teachings, the universe or a Pure Land.