Chapter 6 Flashcards
Autonomous religion
A religion that does not have a central authority but shares ideas and cooperates informally
Branch
A large and fundamental division within a religion
Caste
The class or distinct hereditary order into which Hindu is assigned according to religious law
Cosmogony
A set of religious beliefs concerning the origin of the universe
Denomination
A division of a branch that unites a number of local congregations into a single legal and administrative body
Ethnic religion
A religion with a relatively concentrated spatial distribution whose principles are likely to be based on the physical characteristics of the particular location in which it adherents are concentrated
Fundamentalism
Literal interpretation and strict adherence to basic principles of religion (or religious branch , denomination, or sect
Ghetto
During the Middle Ages a neighborhood in a city set up by law to be inhabited only by Jews; now used to denote a section of a city in which members in any minority group live because of social, legal, or economic pressure
Hierarchical religion
A religion in which a central authority exercises a high degree of control
Missionary
An individual who helps diffuse a universalizing religion
Monotheism
The doctrine or belief of the existence of only one God
Pagan
A follower of a polytheistic religion in ancient times
Sect
A relatively small group that has broken away from an established denomination
Solstice
Astronomical event happens twice a year, when the tilt of earths axis is most inclined toward or away from the sun, causing the Suns apparent position in the sky to reach utmost northernmost or southernmost extreme, and resulting in the shortest and longest days of the year.
Universalizing religion
A religion that attempts to appeal to all people, not just whose living in a particular location.
