Key Words Flashcards
symbol
something that represents, points towards or explains a more complex idea
symbolism
the use of symbols, it’s a representation of ideas through actions and images
imagery
similar to a symbol as it is something that represents or stands for something else eg. image of ‘God the Father’
revelation
comes from the word ‘reveal’ and it means ‘to show’
incarnation
God in flesh, when God came down to Earth in the form of Jesus
faith
a belief, confidence and trust in God that goes beyond what humans can understand
doubt
a feeling of uncertainty, being decided or unsure about something
agnostic/agnosticism
people are unsure if God exists, an agnostic is someone who believes it isn’t possible to know whether God exists or not
atheist
a person who believes there is no God or is convinced that God is not real
secular society
a society which is not religious
community
a group of people who share similar interests or have something in common or have common aims
miracle
when something extraordinary happens which cannot be explained with science and which goes against the laws of nature
awe
a sense of being completely overwhelmed or taken aback by God’s creation, to have great reverence and respect for God almost to the point of fear
worship
acknowledging God’s worth and praising him for it
prayer
when people lift their hearts and minds to God either to praise him or ask for something or ask for forgiveness
sacred texts
‘holy books’ eg. The Bible, also known as scriptures which means writings
vocation
a sense of calling people have to dedicate their lives in service to others eg. being a doctor, teacher, nurse etc. or becoming a priest or nun and joining a religious community
pilgrimage
a journey people make which has spiritual or religious significance, very traditional way of responding to God eg. Christians may go to Lourdes where St. Bernadette saw the Virgin Mary, Muslims would go on ‘Hajj’ to the holy city of Mecca as the pilgrimage is the last of the Five Pillars of Islam
afterlife
refers to another kind of existence that follows life with our human bodies
heaven
not a place but a state of utter and total bliss where people enjoy the presence of God for eternity as a reward for being faithful to God
hell
not a place but a state of tremendous suffering, coldness and darkness away from the light and love of God and therefore it’s a punishment, somewhere people who are willing to cut themselves from God go if they had refused God’s gift of forgiveness and love whilst on Earth
purgatory
place where people who have repented and died in god’s friendship go after they die to make up for their wrong doings in this life, comes from the word ‘purge’ which mean ‘to clean’
resurrection
when the body comes back to life
omnipotent
all-powerful, he can do anything
