Religious Studies key terms

Ethical conduct involving self-discipline and restraint from actions that harm others; also called sila.

A commandment governing how people treat one another, such as not stealing or showing kindness.

A guiding belief about what is right or wrong and how people should behave.

The extent to which a person can fairly be held accountable for their choices and actions.

A communal place of worship for Muslims, also called a masjid.

A symbolic hand gesture associated with a Buddha or bodhisattva, expressing a teaching or spiritual quality.

The twelfth Imam in Twelver Shi’a Islam, believed to remain alive but hidden and destined to return to establish justice.

Spiritual liberation from the cycle of rebirth and union with Waheguru.

The deliberate, unlawful killing of another person.

A sacred image or statue of a deity through which Hindus may focus devotion and worship.

A situation in which opposing nuclear powers could each inflict devastating destruction on the other, even after being attacked. Fear of this retaliation is intended to discourage either side from attacking.

A truth about God that Christians believe is revealed by God but cannot be fully understood through human reason alone.

A person who seeks direct experience or awareness of God or ultimate reality, often through prayer or meditation.

The name of God; remembering Naam keeps a Sikh’s attention directed towards God.

Remembering and reciting God’s name as an expression of devotion.

The Sikh name-giving ceremony, which celebrates a child’s birth and welcomes the child into the religious community.

Remembrance of God through repeating or reflecting on the divine name; closely related to nam japna.

A religious street procession in which the Guru Granth Sahib is carried respectfully and participants sing sacred hymns.

The Shi'a obligatory act of discouraging others from doing what is wrong according to Islam.

The Muslim duty to discourage wrongdoing and bad actions; also written as Nahi Anil Munkar.

Remembering and meditating on God’s name.

Remembering and meditating on God’s name.

A costly aromatic substance used in the ointment that the woman poured on Jesus’ head at Bethany.

The legal minimum hourly wage for eligible workers aged 21 and over in the UK.

The birth of Jesus, especially as recounted in the Gospels and represented in Christmas plays or scenes.

Suffering caused by natural events or processes rather than deliberate human wrongdoing, such as earthquakes or disease.

Planning births by tracking fertility and avoiding sexual intercourse during fertile times, without artificial contraceptives.