Religious Studies key terms

God’s message, represented by the seed in the Parable of the Sower.

An international fellowship of Christian churches, founded in 1948, that works towards Christian unity, shared witness, justice and peace.

A British Jewish charity that supports vulnerable Jewish people and people beyond the Jewish community through emergency assistance, care and programmes supporting independence.

Clinging to people, possessions or status in a way that distracts from God and moral responsibilities; also called moh.

The community of Christians throughout the world, across different countries and denominations.

An expression of devotion, honour and praise to God, individually or with others.

Ritual washing carried out to attain the state of purity needed for prayer.

A pointer used to follow the words of a Torah scroll without touching the parchment.

The annual anniversary of a person’s death, marked through remembrance, prayers and traditionally a candle burning for 24 hours.

The Day of Judgement, when everyone will be resurrected and judged by Allah.

The inclination towards wrongdoing in Jewish teaching.

The inclination towards good actions in Jewish teaching.

A spiritual discipline directed towards union with the divine; in Hinduism, it is not limited to physical exercises.

The Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the Jewish year, devoted to repentance and seeking God's forgiveness.

An age within the repeating Hindu cycle of four ages.

Obligatory charitable giving by eligible Muslims, one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Charity given at the end of Ramadan, before the Id prayer, to help poorer people share in Id-ul-Fitr.

Seated meditation practised in Zen Buddhism to develop awareness and insight into the nature of existence.

An Islamic term for unlawful sexual intercourse, including sex before marriage and adultery.