World Religions Flashcards
Reincarnation
(rebirth), an individual soul or spirit is born again and again until a
state of perfect understanding about existence is achieved.
Karma:
good or bad deeds that follows from one reincarnation to another. Karma
influences specific life circumstances, such as the caste one is born into, one’s state
of health, wealth or poverty, and so on.
Castes:
The social groups of India. Hindus believe that your caste is determined by
your Karma.
Jainism:
religion that believes that everything in the universe has a soul and so
should not be harmed.
Siddhartha Gautama
Also known as the Buddha, Siddhartha is the founder of Buddhism.
Enlightenment
a state of wisdom and understanding about life that allows an
individual to break free from the pattern of birth, life, death, and rebirth.
Nirvana
release from selfishness and pain.
Brahma
the creator of the world in Hinduism.
Vedas:
four collections of prayers, magical spells, and instructions for performing
rituals.
Vishnu
the preserver of the world in Hinduism.
Shiva
The destroyer of the world in Hinduism.
Palestine
A region on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea where the Phoenicians lived.
Canaan
A region on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea that is the ancient home of the Hebrews, also known as the Jews.
Torah
The first five books of the Hebrew bible.
Abraham
The founder of Judaism. According to Judaism, Abraham formed a covenant with God, or an agreement to follow and worship him.
Monotheism
a belief in a single god.
Covenant:
a mutual promise between God and the founder of the Hebrew people.
Moses
According to the Torah, he was the man who led the Hebrews out of slavery
in Egypt.
Israel
The kingdom of the Jews.
Jesus
The central figure in Christianity, Jesus is believed by Christians to be the
son of God.
Apostle
The name given to the original followers of Jesus.
Paul
Paul was a Jew who had never met Jesus and at first was an enemy of
Christianity. While traveling to Damascus in Syria, he reportedly had a vision of
Christ. He spent the rest of his life spreading and interpreting Christ’s teachings.
Diaspora
The exile of the Jews from their homeland.
Constantine:
The emperor of Rome who converted to Christianity. This conversion
led to immense growth for the religion.
Bishop:
a priest who supervised several local churches.
Peter
an apostle who would later become the original leader of the Christian faith.
Pope
The leader, or father, of all catholic religion.
Islam (chapter 10)
Allah
the word for God in Islam.
Muhammad
The founder and prophet of Islam.
Islam:
meaning “submission to the will of Islam,” this is the name of the faith
founded by Muhammad.
Muslim:
meaning “one who has submitted,” these are the followers of
Islam.
Hijrah
The migration of Muhammad and his followers to Yathrib, later known as
Medina.
Mosque:
An Islamic place of worship.
Hajj
a pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims are expected to make at least once
during their lifetime.
Qur’an
The holy book of Islam.
Sunna
also known as Muhammad’s example, is the best model for proper living
according to Muslims.
