Glossary Flashcards
Aboriginal
A person of Aboriginal or Torres Straight Island descent
Adherent
A person who subscribes to a belief or group
Ancestor Spirits
Spirits or guardians of family groups
Anthropomorphism
attribution of human characteristics of behaviour to a God, animal or object
Atheist
does not believe in God or religion
BCE
Before the common Era - Gregorian calendar
CE
Common Era or Christian era - a year after the birth of Christ
Cosmology
Ancient practice of using the universe to explain earthly concepts
Creationism
Supernatural acts of divine creation
Culture
customs and social behaviour of people and society
Denomination
a branch of the Christian church
Divine
God
Dreaming
Creation stories in Aboriginal culture
Dynamic and Living
The way that religions reinvent themselves to stay relevant. Interpretations of the scripture dictate values and beliefs which dictate practice
Ethics
moral principles
Eco theology
relationship between nature and religion
Feminist theology
reaction to the exclusion of women from religion
Humanism
Rejects divine and supernatural and embraces the power of the human
Immanent
Think of inherent - an attitude that you are born with
Matrilineal
following the mother’s line
Monotheism
Belief in one God
Patriarchal
Male at the head of the unit
Polytheism
More than one God
Primal Religions
practices of prehistoric groups
Rite
solemn ceremony or act
Rites of passage
events that mark the passage from one stage to another
Ritual
a sequence of words and practices
Sacred
connected with God and serves a religious purpose
Spirituality
A belief in higher powers
Stewardship
an obligation of care
Supernatural
belief in ghosts, spirits and other worldly events
Totemism
a system of belief where humans believe intervention with the spirit world is possible via a plant, animal, object
Transcendent
beyond the range of physical experience
Variant
a variation in form
Worldview
a collection of attitudes and values that inform our actions
Worship
expression of reverence and admiration
