Glossary of religious terms
(Starting with "A")
By
B.A. Robinson,
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance,
Canada
http://www.religioustolerance.org/glossary.htm
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Use the search bar to look for terms in all glossaries, dictionaries, articles and other resources simultaneously
Note:
Conservative Christian faith groups often define terms
very differently than other faith groups and secular
movements. The former are shown in italics
in the below lists of words.
| Abba:
An Aramaic word for father, typically used by
a child when addressing their own parent. Jesus
used the term when addressing God. "Papa"
might be the best translation in English. Not
to be confused with a really neat Swedish singing
quartet. |
Abortifacient:
| - |
General
medical definition: A drug which causes
the interruption
of a pregnancy and the death
of an embryo or fetus. (Pregnancy begins
when the pre-embryo attaches to the wall
of the uterus.) |
| - |
Common
pro-life definition: A drug which causes
the death of any form of human life after
conception. |
| - |
The
difference in definitions makes dialog concerning
emergency
contraception (a.k.a. the morning
after pill) very difficult. More
info. |
|
| Abrahamic:
(a.k.a. Abramic) A group of religions that recognize
Abraham as a patriarch. This includes Judaism,
Christianity
and Islam.
Sometimes, the Baha'i
World Faith is included in the list.
Many smaller non-Jewish groups such as Samaritans,
Falashas, Karaits, etc, also trace their spiritual
roots back to Abraham, but are not often cited
as Abrahamic religions. |
| Absolution:
In legal terms, it is the act of a judge or
jury declaring a person innocent of a crime. In
a religious sense, it involves a person being
freed from guilt or sin. In the Roman Catholic
Church, a priest can declare the sins of a penitent
person to be forgiven if they sincerely plan to
avoid such behavior in the future. |
| Acolyte:
(From a Greek word for "follower")
A layperson who performs minor duties during a
religious service. |
| Activism:
Promoting social change. In a religious sense,
the term is often used by Fundamentalist and other
Evangelical Christians to refer to the expression
of the gospel in various ways, including missionary
outreach and social reform. |
| Adhan:
The Muslim call to prayer, typically from the
minaret at a mosque. |
| Adoptionism:
A belief, universally held within the earliest
Christian movement, and still active in the 2nd
and 3rd century CE, that Jesus was a normal human
being, a prophet, who was born as any other human,
and is not a deity. God later gave him supernatural
powers at his baptism when God chose Jesus as
his "adopted" son. Adoptionism
was declared a heresy b a number of early church
councils. |
| Advent:
From the Latin word "adventus" or
coming: A period of time before Christmas,
beginning on the Sunday closest to NOV-30 when
the birth of Jesus is recalled. Advent candles
are often lit. |
| African
Independent Churches (AICs; a.k.a. African
Indigenous Churches): African-based Christian
faith groups which range from variations of Western
denominations to syncretistic tribal groups which
combine selective elements of Christianity with
local existing traditions. |
| Agape:
A Greek word for love that is found frequently
in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) in
noun form as "agape" and in verb
form as "agapao." 1
It is different from erotic love. It is supposed
to be the characteristic attitude of Christians
toward one another, (John 13:34), and toward all
humanity, 1 Thessalonians. 3:12; 1 Corinthians
16:14; 2 Peter 1:7. |
| Agnostic:
a person who believes that, at our present level
of knowledge, we cannot know whether or not a
God exists. Some Agnostics believe that we
can never know whether a deity exists. |
| Alexandrian
School: One of the two great schools of biblical
interpretation in the early Church. They incorporated
Greek Pagan philosophical beliefs from Plato's
teachings into Christianity. They interpreted
much of the Bible allegorically. It was established
in Alexandria, Egypt in the late second century
CE. |
| Alim
(single), Ulama (plural): Islamic scholar(s). |
| Aliyah:
A Jewish term which means an immigration of Jews
to Israel. An "oleh" is a single Jew
immigrating into Israel. (Plural is "olim"). |
| Allah:
This is an Arabic word which means "the
One True God." Most Muslims in the West
use Allah and God interchangeably.
|
| Al-Hijra:
An Islamic holy day that recalls the trek
by Mohammed and his followers to Medina. |
| Al-Sajdah:
This is the the act of prostration by a Muslim
during which seven parts of the body are to touch
the ground: the forehead, palms, knees and big
toes. |
| All
Saints Day: A Christian day of remembrance
of the saints of the faith- both recognized and
unknown. It has been observed since 609 CE.
The Western church celebrates it on NOV-1; Eastern
Orthodox churches celebrate All Saints Day
in the springtime -- on the Sunday after Pentecost. |
| All
Souls' Day (a.k.a. the Day of the Dead),
is celebrated yearly on NOV-2. This is a day for
prayer and almsgiving in memory of ancestors who
have died. Believers pray for the souls of the
dead, in an effort to hasten their transition
from Purgatory
to Heaven.
It is primarily observed by Roman Catholics. |
| Amen:
The word is related to "Emunah"
in Hebrew, which means faith and/or belief. Adding
"Amen" at the end of "...a blessing
or a prayer demonstrates a statement of affirmation
that the blessing is true and hope that the prayer
will be answered." "Amen"
is also a near acronym; its four letters stand
for the three Hebrew words: "Aiy'l Melech
Ne-eman" which mean that God is a true
and faithful king. 2 |
| Amillennialism:
(a.k.a Nonmillennialism) A belief taught by Roman
Catholicism, and some Reformed Protestantism and
Baptist churches concerning the end of the world.
We are currently in the "millennium."
End time events described in the book of Revelation
and elsewhere in the New Testament have mostly
taken place. The Antichrist is viewed figuratively
and not as a real person. This was the universal
belief of Christianity up until the 19th century. |
| Amish:
A very conservative Christian group which
broke away from the larger Anabaptist movement
in the Alsace region in France during the late
17th century. Most Amish now live in the U.S.
and Canada -- largely in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
They isolate themselves from the larger American/Canadian
culture. Most are farmers. More
details. |
| Anabaptists:
A European Christian movement at the time of the
Protestant reformation, whose origins are a matter
of debate. They believed in adult baptism, freedom
of belief, separation of church and state, the
rejection of war, and other beliefs that were
rather advanced for their time. They were terrible
persecuted, both by Roman Catholicism and Protestant
churches. The Amish
and Mennonites trace their origins to the Anabaptists.
Some theologians and historians include the Society
of Friends (Quakers)
and Moravians among the Anabaptist denominations. |
| Anagogy:
From the Greek word "anago" - to lead.
Interpreting the scriptures, or other writings,
mystically, in order to uncover a hidden meanings. |
| Ancestor
worship: The veneration or worship of deceased
people by their living kin. It exists, sometimes
integrated as part of a world religion, in about
60% of the world's cultures. |
| Angel:
The English word comes from the Greek "angelos"
(messenger). In the Bible they were described
as an intelligent and immortal species, usually
presented as being visually indistinguishable
from humans -- i.e. with a human body and without
wings. They delivered messages from God, and either
harmed or helped humans. Satan is described in
the Bible as an evil angel. Because the Bible's
cosmology asserts that the earth was flat, that
it was covered by a metal firmament or dome, and
that God resided in Heaven above the dome, angels
have often been portrayed as having wings so that
they could fly from Heaven to earth and back. |
| Angelology:
The theological study of angels. This is primarily
found in Christianity. |
| Anglicanism:
The beliefs and organization of the Church
of England and the national churches that
together form the Anglican Communion. The
Communion includes the Episcopal Church in the
U.S. and the Anglican Church of Canada. The denomination
is theologically diverse, having members whose
beliefs range from Fundamentalism to liberal Christianity.
The Communion is coordinated by the Lambeth Conference
which meets once every decade. |
| Anglo-Catholicism:
A movement within the Anglican Communion which
promotes a return to pre-Reformation beliefs and
rituals, including the mass, confession and monasticism. |
| Animism:
a type of religious belief that all components
of the universe, including humans, animals, plant
life, rocks, etc. contain some form of life force,
soul or spirit. Some are seen as friendly spirits;
others as tricksters. "While animists
can be found in almost all Asian countries, they
are more than 5% of the population only in Laos.
Animists are between 1% and 5% of the population
in Burma, India, Indonesia, Kampuchea, Malaysia,
and Vietnam." 3 |
Annihilationism:
(a.k.a. conditionalism and conditional immortality).
From the Latin word "nihil" --
which means nothing. This an umbrella term used
to refer to a group of beliefs about life after
death. They are:
| - |
After
death, unsaved
people will immediately cease
to exist in any form. This is taught by
most Adventist
groups, by the
Jehovah's Witnesses
and other Christian groups. This contrasts
with the historical Christian belief that
the unsaved will be tormented for all eternity
in Hell
without hope of mercy or cessation. Both
views can be supported by selected biblical
passages. |
| - |
The
belief that unsaved people spend an interval
of time in Hell. Their length of stay is
matched to the frequency and seriousness
of their evil deeds. They are then exterminated
and cease to exist. This view is also supported
by some biblical passages. |
| - |
The
belief -- common among Agnostics, Atheists,
Humanists, secularists and others -- that
after death everyone will automatically
cease to exist. After death, we live on
only in the DNA that we have passed on to
the next generation, and in the influences
that we have had on other people and society. |
|
| Annunciation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary: This is a Christian
holy day which recalls the Archangel's announcement
to Mary of her pregnancy. |
| Annunciation:
This refers to the announcement to Joseph (in
Matthew 1:20) and to Mary (Luke 1:26-35) of Jesus'
future birth. |
| Antedeluvian:
The interval of time preceding the great flood
of Noah, described in Genesis 2:6-8. Some Christians
believe that the climate was more uniform that
it is at the present, and that the earth was surrounded
by a gigantic vapor cloud. Essentially all geologists
reject these beliefs. |
| Anthem:
A Christian term for a hymn whose words come from
the Bible. |
| Anthropology:
The study of humanity and human cultures. |
| Anthropomorphism:
The representation of a non-human as a human.
God in the earlier parts of the Hebrew Scriptures
(Old Testament) is described in human terms, as
having a body. Sometimes anthropomorphism is extended
to animals who are assumed to have human feelings.
|
Antibaptists:
(not to be confused with
Anabaptists):
| - |
Christians
who deny the validity of baptism. Most believe
that water baptism has been replaced by
spirit baptism. |
| - |
Christians
who do not recognize earlier baptism that
convert's from other denominations had received.
|
|
| Antichrist:
An individual whose appearance is prophesized
in two books of the Christian Scriptures (1 John
and 2 John). He is expected by some Christians
to appear near the End
Time, when he will act as Satan's chief
representative. The pope, Ronald Reagan, Bill
Gates, Hitler, Stalin, and many other people have
been called the Antichrist. So has at least one
computer. |
| Anticult
Movement (ACM): A mainly secular movement
which opposes new religious movements (NRMs) because
of their perceived deceptive recruiting practices
and mind-control techniques which they believe
permeates new faith groups. Many small ACM groups
coalesced into several large ACM organizations
starting in the early 1970's. Their beliefs that
many NRMs drive their members to suicide and reduce
their followers to near-zombie status has been
widely accepted among the public. However, most
sociologists and other academics reject these
teachings. Counter-cult
organizations -- groups that oppose
NRMs on theological grounds -- are considered
by some to be part of the ACM. More
details. |
| Antidisestablishmentarianism:
Being opposed to the belief that there should
no longer be an official church a the country.
The word is sometimes quoted as the longest word
in the English language. The longest word in any
language may well be the Welsh name of a town
in Wales:
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. |
Antinomianism:
| - |
The
belief that once a believer is
saved,
they are not bound to follow moral laws. |
| - |
The
belief that a saved believer can freely
sin because he is forgiven of past and future
transgressions. |
|
| Antiochan
School: One of the two great schools of biblical
interpretation in the early Church. They incorporated
Greek Pagan beliefs from Aristotle's teachings
into Christianity. |
| Anti-semitism:
Hatred, prejudice, oppression, or discrimination
against Jews or Judaism. Actually, the term is
usually spelled with a capital "S" in
"Semitic." Semites originally
meant the descendents of Shem, which include both
Jews and Muslims in the Middle East. Now, the
term is used mainly to refer to Jews. Alan Dershowitz,
in his book "The Case for Israel"
defines anti-semitism as "taking a trait
or an action that is widespread if not universal,
and blaming only the Jews for it." |
| Antitrinitarians:
Christians who deny the Trinity. |
| Apocalypse,
apocalyptic: A style of mainly Jewish and
Christian writing that was common from about 200
BCE
to 200 CE.
The writings prophesized the destruction of evil
and triumph of good. Sometimes narrowly used to
refer to the Book
of Revelation in the Bible. |
| Apocatastasis:
The belief that all living entities will eventually
attain Heaven, including individuals sent to Hell,
Satan, demons, etc. Hell will thus eventually
be cleared of all of its inhabitants. This is
considered a heresy by most Christian denominations.
One meaning of the term "universalism"
is similar to "Apocatastasis," and is
a lot easier to pronounce. |
| Apocrypha:
A collection of fourteen books written after the
last book of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament)
and before the first book of the Christian Scriptures
(New Testament). It is accepted by the Roman Catholic
Church as part of the inspired cannon of the Bible,
but is rejected by most Protestant denominations. |
Apologetics:
A systematic defense of a belief system. It is
derived from the Greek "apologia"
which means to create a defense. See 1 Peter 3:15.
Most apologetics texts are directed to members
of another religion, or to secularists. However
they tend to be read in practice by the faith
group whose beliefs are defended. See Polemics.
In Christianity:
| - |
Classical
Apologetics: uses rational arguments
to prove that God exists, and relies on
evidence to support biblical claims and
miracles. |
| - |
Presuppositional
Apologetics: starts with the assumption
that God exists and that the Bible is true.
They argue from this that their particular
belief of the Trinity, salvation, Heaven,
Hell, etc. is valid. |
| - |
Evidential
Apologetics: uses evidences such as
miracles, fulfilled prophecies, etc. to
prove that God exists and that the biblical
account of Christ and his message are valid
and trustworthy. 4 |
|
| Apologist:
A Christian who gives an intellectual defense
of their religion. |
| Apostate:
From the Greek apo - histanai ("depart
from a stand.") A person who was once
affiliated with a faith group, but has since "fallen
away" and left the group. One group's apostate
is generally another group's convert. Very severe
penalties exist in some countries of the world
against individuals who abandon the state religion
in favor of another faith. It can theoretically
mean execution in some Islamic
countries. The Roman Catholic church
stopped burning European apostates at the stake
in 1792 CE. |
| Apostle:
A Christian term to refer to Jesus' immediate
followers. An apostle must generally a man was
personally chosen by Jesus, and to have seen him.
Sometimes, the term is used to refer only to the
twelve disciples, or to the twelve disciples and
Paul. Other times, it has been used to refer to
the 70 disciples selected by Jesus. In Romans
16:7, Paul refers to a female
apostle, Junia, as "outstanding
among the apostles." (NIV) |
| Apostle's
Creed: A summary of Christian beliefs. Many
Christians believe that the Apostles personally
wrote the creed so that they could coordinate
their missionary efforts as they spread out through
the known world. However, there is evidence that
the creed was written near the end of the second
century CE,
about a century after the time of the apostles. |
| Apostolic
succession: The Catholic belief that the twelve
apostles ordained bishops who ordained their successors
in an unbroken sequence up until the present day.
|
| Apparition:
From the Latin word "apparere:"
to appear). A paranormal incident involving the
appearance of a non-existent entity or object.
A visual apparition is generally called a ghost. |
| Appollinarianism:
An early Christian belief promoted by Apollinarius
(b 310) who lived in Syria. He believed that Jesus
was entirely divine and had no human nature. The
belief was declared a heresy, first at the Council
of Alexandria (378 CE) and later at two subsequent
Councils. |
| Archangel:
a member of the highest rank of angels. Only two
are mentioned in the Bible: Gabriel and Michael. |
| Archbishop:
(Derived from a Greek word for "chief overseer").
A bishop who has administrative responsibilities
over an archdiocese. |
| Archdiocese:
A diocese -- a geographical area -- that is particularly
large or has an important past. Its priests are
under the direction of a single archbishop. The
term is used by the Roman Catholic church,
the Greek Orthodox churches, and the Anglican
Communion. |
| Archon:
A Gnostic
term which refers to the Demiurge
-- the creator of the material world -- and his
angels. |
| Arhat:
A Buddhist saint who has liberated themselves
from samsara: the endless cycle of life, death
and rebirth into the world. They typically lead
a monastic live. |
| Arianism:
An early Christian heresy named after Arius (250-336
CE). He taught that Jesus was not in existence
for all time, but was created by God near the
end of the first century BCE.
He also taught a form of monotheism in which there
is only one person in the Godhead -- the Father
-- and not a Trinity. The church at the time was
evenly divided over whether Arianism was truth
or a heresy. Constantine's vote swayed the balance,
and it became a heresy. |
| Armageddon:
A battle that is prophesized to occur in the plain
of Megiddo, Israel. Jesus and Satan, and their
armies, will fight a final battle (as stated in
the biblical Book
of Revelation). |
Arminianism:
A set of Christian beliefs suggested by Arminius,
a theologian from the Netherlands, in reaction
to Calvin's
five points. He maintained that
| - |
Everyone
has free will and can chose to be saved;
|
| - |
God
selected some individuals to be saved on
the basis of his foreknowledge of who would
respond; |
| - |
Jesus
died for all; |
| - |
People
can resist the call of God. |
| - |
One
cannot lose one's salvation unless they
abandon it. |
Calvinists
regard these as a heresy. The controversy continues
to the present time, because both Calvinists
and Arminians can justify their positions through
reference to biblical passages. |
| Aryan:
A term used by the German Nazi government to refer
to Caucasians of the Nordic type. Originally,
the term referred to persons who speak an Indo-European
language. |
| Asa,
Š‘s. Š–sir: The name for the Gods in Norse Heathenism,
either as individuals or as a collective. |
| Ascended
Masters: A New Age
belief that there are spiritual, non-physical,
entities who live on an astral plane and can communicate
spiritual truths to humans through channeling.
|
| Ascension:
This refers to the Christian belief that Jesus
ascended to heaven to sit at God's right hand.
According to two gospels, Mark and Luke, Jesus
ascended to heaven on the same day as his resurrection.
Acts explained that it occurred 40 days later. |
| Ascension,
feast of: A Christian holy day celebrating
Jesus' ascension up to heaven. It is celebrated
on a Thursday, 39 days after Easter Sunday. |
| Ascension
of Abdul Baha: A celebration by the Baha'i
world faith of Abdul Baha's spirit rising to heaven. |
| Ascension
of Baha'u'llah: A remembrance by the Baha'i
world faith of the death of its founder,
Mirza Husayn Ali, and the ascension of his spirit
to heaven. |
| Asceticism:
The belief that a conflict exists between one's
body and spirit. By renouncing the needs and desires
of the body, one can attain a higher spirituality.
This is concept is found in many religions and
faith groups, from Christianity
to Native
American spirituality. |
| Ashoora:
A one-day fast in which Muslims recall the
death of Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet
of Islam. He sacrificed his life and the lives
of many of his family members and friends in Karbala
Iraq, in order to preserve the teachings of Islam.
6 |
| Ashram:
A Hindu term for a religious retreat center where
a student can learn under the guidance of a guru
(teacher). |
| Ash
Wednesday: This is the first day of Lent,
observed by Christians. It is held on the Wednesday
which is 40 days prior to Easter. |
Assumption
of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
| - |
A
Roman Catholic holy day which commemorates
the Virgin Mary's death and direct ascension
to heaven. |
| - |
The
declaration on 1950-NOV-1 that the Virgin
Mary's body and soul directly ascended to
heaven. This event does not appear
in the Bible. However, it has been argued
on the basis that Jesus would not have allowed
his mother's body to decay in the earth. |
|
| Astrology:
a belief that the positions of the planets affect
events and states of being on earth. It was developed
independently in Greece and India circa 300 BCE. |
Atheism:
| - |
According
to many Atheists: having no belief about
a deity. |
| - |
According
to most non-Atheists, actively denying that
a deity exists. |
|
| Atheist:
A person who believes in Atheism. |
| Atlantis:
An sunken island. generally believed to be in
the Atlantic ocean, which some people assert once
held an advanced civilization. |
| Atonement:
In general, an act that unites enemies as friends.
In Christianity, the doctrine that Christ's death
has the power of canceling the sins of those Christians
who are "saved." |
| Atonement,
limited: One of the five points of Calvinism:
Christ died to atone for certain sins of specific
individuals -- only those who are elected by God
to be saved. He did not die for the all sins of
all humanity. |
| Attributes
of God: God, as viewed by followers
of Judaism, Christianity and Islam is traditionally
thought to be omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient
(all knowing), omnipresent (present everywhere)
and omnibeneficient (all loving). The theodicy
paradox addresses the apparent impossibility
of God holding these four attributes simultaneously.
Other attributes include holy, good, wise, and
just. |
| Aura:
An energy field believed by some to surround humans
or objects. Some people believe that they can
detect an aura visually and determine an individual's
emotional and physical state from its color and
variation. 5 |
| Authority,
Bible: Biblical authority is the belief --
near universally held among conservative Christians
-- that: "the Bible, as the expression
of God's will to us, possesses the right supremely
to define what we are to believe and how we are
to conduct ourselves." 7
Steven Ibbotson states: "The Bible is
authoritative because it is God's inspired word
to humanity." 8 Religious
liberals commonly discount some sections of the
Bible as authoritative because they are judged
to be profoundly
immoral when compared to today's religious
and secular moral standards. |
| Authorized
Version: Synonym for the King James Version
of the Bible. |
| Autosoterism:
The belief that a person is responsible for their
own salvation which is attained through their
good works. |
| Avatar:
A Hindu concept of a God adopting a human or animal
form. A God-man Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu.
|
| Ayyam-I-Ha:
The first intercalary day, required to balance
the Baha'i calendar. Members of the Baha'i world
faith engage in acts of hospitality and charity
towards others on this day. |
References:
- "Bible
Love" at:
http://www.bibletruths.net/
- "Amen
- Meaning & Implication," at:
http://www.geocities.com/
- Joseph
Tamney, "Animism," at:
http://www.hartfordinstitute.org/
- "Apologetics,"
The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry,
at:
http://www.carm.org/
- If
you believe that you can detect auras, and would
be willing to prove it, then you may be eligible
to win an award of over one million dollars in U.S.
funds from a Florida group. Please contact
the author for details.
- "Learning
about Islam," at:
http://www.al-islam.org/
- Millard
J. Erickson, "Christian Theology," Baker,
(1985), Page 241.
- Steven
Ibbotson, "Biblical Authority,"
Prairie bible Institute, (2000), at:
http://instructor.pbi.ab.ca/
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