Religion Terms Flashcards
Septuagint
From the Latin septuaginta, “seventy” - A translation of the Hebrew Bible into Koine Greek - The primary Greek translation of the Old Testament - Seventy refers to the legendary seventy Jewish scholars who solely translated the Five Books of Moses as early as the 3rd century BCE
Liturgy
The customary public worship performed by a religious group, according to its beliefs, customs and traditions; the basis for establishing a relationship with a divine agency, as well as with other participants in the liturgy
Kyrie Eleison
Greek for “Lord, have mercy” - A prayer, beginning with these words, that is part of the Christian liturgy - Usual response to a litany in Eastern Orthodox and Catholic services
Litany
A ritual liturgical prayer in which a series of prayers recited by a leader are alternated with responses from the congregation - Usually responded to by the congregation with the Kyrie Eleison
Eucharist
Aka Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper - Christian rite where bread and wine are consumed, representing the body and blood of Christ
Ecumenical
Pertaining to the universal Church, representing the entire Christian world; interdenominational; sometimes by extension, interreligious
Catechism (define)
A book, in question and answer form, summarizing the basic principles of Christianity - Summa Theologica (1274) by Thomas Aquinas is an example
Main schools of Buddhism
Theravada - “School of the elder monks” - Uses the Buddha’s teaching preserved in the Pāli Canon as its doctrinal core - Followed in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, y Thailand
Mahayana - “Great Vehicle” - Teaches that enlightenment can be attained in a single lifetime - Followed in China, Japan, Vietnam, y Korea
Vajrayana - “Diamond vehicle” - Uses Tantric techniques to achieve enlightenment - Followed in Tibet y Mongolia
Syncretism (define)
The reconciliation or fusion of different systems or beliefs - Religious examples include Shinto, Haitian Vodou, and the early Christian incorporation of pagan rituals y holidays - From Ancient Greek for “federation of Cretan cities”
Talmud (define)
A collection of Jewish writings related to the practical application of Judaic law y tradition - May refer to either the Babylonian Talmud or the shorter Jerusalem Talmud - Contains the teachings y opinions of thousands of rabbis on a variety of subjects, including Halakha (law), Jewish ethics, philosophy, customs, history, y lore
Torah (define)
Hebrew for “teaching” - Can mean either the whole Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh), the first 5 books of the Bible, or all of Jewish teaching in general - Reading the Torah publicly is one of the bases for Jewish communal life
