GCSE Religious Studies Key Terms & Vocabulary

Every key term and definition you need for GCSE Religious Studies, organised by topic. 600 definitions across 20 topics (AQA · Edexcel · Eduqas · OCR · WJEC), free to read and practise with spaced-repetition flashcards.

Sikhism — Practices Theme F — Religion, Human Rights and Social Justice Theme A — Relationships and Families Sikhism — Beliefs and Teachings Hinduism — Beliefs and Teachings Judaism — Practices Theme D — Religion, Peace and Conflict Theme B — Religion and Life Christianity — Beliefs and Teachings Judaism — Beliefs and Teachings Islam — Beliefs and Teachings Theme C — The Existence of God and Revelation Catholic Christianity — Practices Buddhism — Practices Islam — Practices Hinduism — Practices Theme E — Religion, Crime and Punishment Christianity — Practices Catholic Christianity — Beliefs and Teachings Buddhism — Beliefs and Teachings

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Sikhism — Practices

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Amrit Sanskar: open equally to men and women — Sikh initiation has been gender-egalitarian since its founding.
Initiated Sikhs: called Amritdhari or Khalsa.
Golden Temple: in the city of Amritsar.
Golden Temple: in Amritsar, Punjab.
Shoes: removed and feet washed before entering the diwan hall.
Five Ks: uncut hair, comb, bracelet, undergarment, and sword.
Sikh principle backing langar: free service.
Golden Temple: the most sacred Sikh gurdwara.
Heads: covered in the gurdwara as a sign of respect to the Guru Granth Sahib.
Naam Karan: held at the gurdwara.
Khalsa: founded by Guru Gobind Singh at Vaisakhi 1699 — the tenth and final human Sikh Guru.
Amrit Sanskar: also called khande di pahul — "initiation by the double-edged sword", after the khanda used to stir the amrit.
Another pillar: Kirat Karni — honest work.
Langar: open to everyone, regardless of religion.
Langar: an act of sewa — volunteers cook and serve for free.
Langar: vegetarian, to welcome all.
Sikh naming ceremony: called Naam Karan.
Nam Japna: often done quietly, repeating Waheguru while focused.
Name: chosen from the first letter of the first word on the page where the Guru Granth Sahib is opened at random.
Guru Nanak's birthday: one of the largest Sikh festivals.
Guru Nanak: best known for founding Sikhism and rejecting caste.
Guru Nanak's birthday: celebrated on the full-moon day in November (Kartik).
Guru Nanak: born in Nankana (now in Pakistan) in 1469.
Gurdwara: not only for worship — also a community centre.
Gurdwaras: open at all hours due to the Sikh ethic of welcome to all.
Gold cladding: added by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the 1830s.
Amrit Sanskar: called rebirth — old identity dies; new Khalsa identity begins.
Evening Nitnem prayer: called Rehras Sahib.
Sewa: at the heart of Sikh teaching and motivates community service.
Repetition alone: not enough — heart and life must reflect God's name.

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Theme A — Relationships and Families

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Adultery: voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone who is not their spouse.
Annulment: a Catholic Church process that declares a marriage was never validly contracted in the first place — it is the Catholic alternative to divorce.
Key ethical concern: the impact of divorce on children — research suggests divorce can harm children, but high-conflict intact families can be more harmful than separation.
Cohabitation: two people living together as a couple without being married.
Contraception: the use of deliberate methods to prevent pregnancy.
Discrimination: acting on prejudice in unfair ways — for example by denying someone a job or service.
Divorce: the legal ending of a marriage by court decree.
Ephesians: the Pauline letter most cited in Christian discussions of marriage roles (chapter 5).
Faith education: the religious upbringing of children within the family — teaching prayers, scripture, festivals, and moral values of the family's faith.
Family: a group of people related by blood, marriage, adoption, or strong commitment, often living together.
Feminism: the modern movement and philosophy advocating gender equality in social, political, and economic life.
Gender equality: treating men and women as equal in rights, opportunities, and worth.
Gender role: the set of behaviours and expectations a society assigns to people based on their gender.
Heterosexual: attraction to people of the opposite sex.
Homosexual: attraction to people of the same sex.
Ketubah: the Jewish wedding contract, signed before the ceremony, that sets out the husband's financial and emotional obligations toward his wife.
Christian marriage: described as a covenant — a binding, sacred promise made before God — modelled on God's covenant with humanity.
Marriage: the legally and (in many traditions) religiously recognised union of two people, typically involving public vows, witnesses, and a binding commitment.
Misogyny: hatred, contempt, or ingrained prejudice against women.
Monogamy: the practice of being married to only one person at a time, the legal form of marriage in the UK and the norm in mainstream Christianity, Judaism, and modern Hinduism.
Polyandry: the form of polygamy in which one woman has multiple husbands — historically rare.
Polygamy: marriage to more than one spouse at the same time.
Polygyny: the form of polygamy in which one man has multiple wives — the most common historical form.
Prejudice: a pre-formed unfair opinion about a person or group, not based on evidence.
Premarital sex: sexual activity between two people before they are married to each other.
Procreation: the having of children, continuing the family line.
Many Christians believe divorce: wrong in principle but sometimes the lesser evil — for example, when a marriage involves abuse, infidelity, or irretrievable breakdown.
Reconciliation: the act of restoring a broken relationship — in marriage, often through counselling, prayer, and the rebuilding of trust.
Same-sex marriage: marriage between two people of the same gender, legally recognised on equivalent terms to opposite-sex marriage.
Sexism: unfair treatment based on gender.

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Sikhism — Beliefs and Teachings

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Thieves: countered by practising the corresponding Sikh virtues.
Creation: seen as good — a gift from God.
Mukti: achieved through devotion, service and remembrance of God.
Sikh equality: radical in 1500s Punjab because it challenged Hindu caste and Muslim hierarchies.
Five thieves: kam, krodh, lobh, moh, ahankar.
Sikh God: beyond gender — described in masculine, feminine, and neutral terms across the Guru Granth Sahib.
Mool Mantra: God as without fear, without hate, beyond time.
Good karma: created by honest work and selfless service (sewa).
Gurmukh: the ideal — God-centred.
Gurmukh's life: guided by the teaching of the Guru, not personal whim.
Haumai: the root of the five thieves.
Haumai: called a sickness because it distorts perception and traps the soul.
Universe: sustained by the continuous hukam of God.
Human birth: precious as a chance for spiritual liberation.
Human role: steward and partner with God.
Sikhs: taught to respect all religions — the Guru Granth Sahib itself contains writings by Hindu and Muslim saints.
Justice: valued because all are equal before the one God.
There: five khands (realms / stages) in Sikhism.
Mool Mantra teaches God: for all without exception.
Mool Mantra: recited daily to centre the believer on God's nature.
Mool Mantra: twelve words in the original Punjabi.
Nam Japna: the daily call to remembrance.
Haumai: reduced by service, humility and remembrance of God.
Sangat: sometimes called the Guru's body — together they embody the Guru's teaching.
Sewa: considered a form of worship — dissolving the ego (haumai) by serving others without expectation of reward.
Sewa: central to Sikh life because it reduces haumai and serves God in others.
Sewa: often performed at the gurdwara langar and in the community.
Sewa: voluntary, not compulsory.
Two key Sikh virtues: wisdom and humility.
Grace: the gift of Waheguru.

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Hinduism — Beliefs and Teachings

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Ahimsa: foundational to the Jain and Hindu ethic.
Each aim: emphasised at the appropriate ashrama — kama in the householder stage, moksha in retirement and renunciation.
Aims: meant to cooperate, not conflict — artha and kama should serve dharma and ultimately moksha.
Antaryamin: experienced as the inner guide and conscience.
Artha: the appropriate pursuit of the householder — the second of the four life stages — not of the student or renunciant stages.
Atman: Brahman within the individual.
Atman: the eternal individual self.
Atman: the imperishable inner self.
Atman: experienced through meditation and self-realisation.
Atman: not the body — it is beyond birth and death.
Brahma: the creator god in the Trimurti.
Although Brahma: the creator in the Trimurti, temples dedicated to him are exceedingly rare today — the best-known active one is at Pushkar, Rajasthan.
Brahman: beyond human description (the Upanishadic "neti, neti" — "not this, not that").
Brahman: beyond form but can also be experienced as personal.
Brahman: both transcendent (beyond the world) and immanent (present within everything).
Brahman: the ultimate, formless reality in Hindu thought.
Hindu cosmology: cyclical: creation, preservation, destruction.
Dharma: the foundation for legitimate pursuit of the other aims.
Dharma: lived through ethical action, ritual, social responsibilities, and spiritual practice — not just abstract belief.
Mahabharata: sometimes called a dharma-text — it explores ethical duty across many real moral dilemmas.
Dharma: religious duty and right order.
Empathy: valued because it recognises the suffering of others.
Four ashramas: student, householder, hermit and renunciant.
Bhagavad Gita: the atman as never born and never dying.
Hindu gods: manifestations of one ultimate reality, Brahman.
Humility: valued because it reduces ego and opens the heart to truth.
Karma: the law of action and consequence.
Karma: not fate or pre-destination — it is the consequence of intention and action; future choices can change future karma.
Krishna: the avatar of Vishnu who teaches the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield.
Moksha: liberation from rebirth.

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Judaism — Practices

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Amidah: recited at every Jewish daily prayer service.
Amidah: the central Jewish standing prayer.
Amidah: recited silently and while standing.
Inside the Aron Hakodesh: kept the Torah scrolls.
Aron Hakodesh: the synagogue's Torah-holding ark — the holiest place in the synagogue.
Bar Mitzvah: at age thirteen for boys.
Bar Mitzvah literally: "son of the commandment".
Bar Mitzvah: the coming-of-age ceremony for Jewish boys.
Bat Mitzvah: at age twelve in Orthodox practice (or thirteen in Reform/Conservative).
Bat Mitzvah: the coming-of-age ceremony for Jewish girls.
Bimah: the synagogue's raised reading platform from which the Torah is read aloud.
Bimah: used for reading the Torah aloud during services and (in many synagogues) for leading prayer.
Jewish boy: eight days old at his Brit Milah.
Brit Milah: important because it marks the covenant given to Abraham and the boy's incorporation into the Jewish people.
Brit Milah literally: "covenant of circumcision".
Brit Milah: the Jewish circumcision ceremony.
Jewish dead: traditionally buried as soon as possible — ideally within 24 hours.
Synagogue: central to Jewish life as a place of communal prayer and learning.
Challah: the special braided bread eaten on Shabbat.
Cheder: the Hebrew school often attached to a synagogue — for teaching Jewish children Torah and Hebrew.
Chuppah: the canopy under which Jewish couples marry.
Gemara: the rabbinic commentary on the Mishnah, completed around 500 CE.
Glass: broken at the end of the ceremony, recalling the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
Haggadah: the book recounting the Exodus story used at the Seder.
Havdalah: the ceremony marking the end of Shabbat — uses wine, spices, and a braided candle.
Kaddish: the Jewish prayer recited by mourners.
Jewish dietary law system: called kashrut.
Kashrut: the Jewish dietary law system.
Ketubah: the Jewish marriage contract.
Kiddush: the wine blessing recited at Shabbat (and festival) meals.

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Theme D — Religion, Peace and Conflict

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Just War Theory: developed by Thomas Aquinas.
Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC): the 1993 international treaty banning the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons; 193 states are party.
Christian Aid: a UK aid charity founded in 1945 to help refugees in post-war Europe; it now works in over 30 countries with war and disaster victims.
Conscientious objector: a person who refuses military service on grounds of conscience — religious, philosophical, or political.
Corrymeela: a Christian reconciliation community in Northern Ireland (founded 1965) working across the Catholic-Protestant divide.
First Crusade: launched in 1095/1096 — the 11th century — by Pope Urban II's call at Clermont.
Crusades: controversial today because they caused immense suffering — massacres of Jews, Muslims, and Christians — in God's name.
Crusades: a series of medieval Christian holy wars (1096-1291) to recover Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim rule.
Deradicalisation: the process of helping someone leave terrorist or extremist thinking — through education, mentorship, and social reintegration.
Deterrence: the strategy of keeping weapons in order to discourage an enemy from attacking — the threat of retaliation makes attack unattractive.
Forgiveness: letting go of resentment toward someone who has wronged you and choosing not to seek revenge.
Greed: excessive desire for wealth, power, or resources beyond what is needed.
Holy war: a war fought in the name of religion — typically claiming divine sanction or authorisation.
Interfaith dialogue: conversation and cooperation between religious traditions to build understanding and shared action.
Peace: central in Islam — the word Islam shares its root with salaam, "peace"; the Islamic greeting as-salamu alaykum means "peace be upon you".
Just War Theory: the Christian (now widely adopted secular) theory setting criteria for when war is morally justifiable.
Justice: fair treatment under law — giving each person their due.
Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD): the doctrine that, when both sides have second-strike nuclear capabilities, neither will attack because both would be destroyed.
Non-resistance: the most absolute pacifist position — refusing all violence even in self-defence.
Non-violent protest: demonstrating against injustice without using physical force — through marches, sit-ins, boycotts, and civil disobedience.
Nuclear proliferation: the spread of nuclear weapons to more states (e.g. India, Pakistan, North Korea).
Nuclear weapon: a weapon that uses atomic energy (fission or fusion) to cause massive destruction over a wide area.
Pacifism: the belief that all war and violence is morally wrong and must be opposed.
Peace: the absence of war and conflict — positive peace also includes harmony, well-being, and flourishing.
Peace-making: the active work of resolving conflict and building peaceful relationships.
Reconciliation: restoring a broken relationship — going beyond forgiveness to active repair.
Forgiveness: an internal act (letting go); reconciliation rebuilds the relationship — reconciliation requires both parties.
Religion: sometimes blamed for war when it is used to justify violence, dehumanise enemies, or claim divine sanction.
Religion: rarely the sole cause of war.
Religious extremism: the belief that religion justifies violence against those who disagree — usually distorts mainstream teaching.

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Theme B — Religion and Life

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Rocha: an international Christian environmental conservation organisation founded in 1983, widely cited in RS materials as a faith-led environmental NGO.
UK Abortion Act: passed in 1967.
Abortion: the deliberate ending of a pregnancy before the foetus is born.
Animal testing: the use of non-human animals in scientific research, drug development, and cosmetic safety testing.
Big Bang: the prevailing scientific theory of the origin of the universe — that it expanded from an extremely hot, dense initial state about 13.8 billion years ago.
Mainstream Catholic teaching: that human life begins at conception, when the soul is created and joined with the body.
Climate change: the long-term warming of the Earth's atmosphere caused mainly by greenhouse gas emissions.
Creationism: the belief that Genesis describes a literal six-day creation; young-Earth creationists hold the Earth is about 6,000-10,000 years old.
Deforestation: the large-scale clearing of forests, especially tropical rainforests, for agriculture, timber, or development.
Euthanasia: the deliberate ending of a life to relieve suffering, usually in cases of terminal illness.
Evolution: the scientific theory that living species change over generations through natural selection.
Farming: the breeding and raising of animals for food, fibre, and other products.
Genesis: the first book of the Bible; chapter 1 contains the seven-day creation account.
Involuntary euthanasia: ending someone's life without their consent — universally regarded as murder in most jurisdictions.
Islamic teaching: that after death humans are judged by Allah; the saved enter Jannah (paradise), the unsaved enter Jahannam (hell).
Nirvana: the Buddhist final liberation from the cycle of rebirth — the cessation of suffering and desire.
Palliative care: medical care focused on relieving pain and providing comfort for the dying — not ending life.
Central ethical question: when a foetus becomes a "person" with full moral rights — at conception, at viability, at birth, or later.
Pollution: the release of harmful substances into the natural world (air, water, soil) that causes adverse effects.
Pollution: harmful substances — chemicals, plastics, gases, noise — released into the environment.
Quality-of-life argument: that severe foetal disability or hardship (poverty, abuse, risk to mother) may justify abortion to spare suffering.
Recycling: the practice of reprocessing used materials so they can be used again, reducing waste and resource use.
Stewardship: the Christian duty to care responsibly for God's creation on God's behalf.
Stewardship: caring for God's creation responsibly, not exploiting it for selfish ends.
Theistic evolution: the view that God used evolution (and the Big Bang) as the means by which life and the universe came about.
Vegetarianism: the practice of not eating meat from animals; it may be motivated by religious, ethical, environmental, or health reasons.
Voluntary euthanasia: when the patient explicitly requests to have their life ended.; The 1967 Act permits abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy when two doctors agree that continuing would risk physical or mental harm — and beyond 24 weeks for serious foetal abnormality or grave risk to the woman.; The UK Abortion Act 1967 made abortion legal under specified conditions.; The ethics of abortion involves balancing the rights of the mother (autonomy, life, health) against the rights of the foetus (life, future).

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Christianity — Beliefs and Teachings

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Baptism: the Christian rite that welcomes someone into the Church and symbolises washing away sin.
Creationist Christians believe Genesis: creation in six literal (24-hour) days.
God the Father: most often described as Creator of the universe and source of all life.
Christians believe Jesus: fully God and fully human at the same time.
Incarnation means Jesus: fully human while remaining fully divine.
Genesis: the book of the Bible that describes the creation of the world.
God's justice: central because God will judge every person fairly at the end of time.
Christians believe heaven: eternal life with God.
Holy Spirit: most often described as Sanctifier — guiding believers and the Church.
Christians believe God: both immanent (present in the world) and transcendent (beyond it).
Incarnation: important because it shows God's love by entering human experience directly.
Jesus: buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.
Jesus: the "Lamb of God" who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
Mary: the mother of Jesus according to the Gospels.
God's omniscience: he knows all past, present and future events.
Original Sin: important because it explains why humanity needs a saviour.
Jesus: crucified under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.
Christians believe prayer: a valid response to suffering.
Resurrection: central to Christianity because it shows Jesus is divine and brings salvation.
Mainstream Christians believe salvation: a free gift from God, not earned.
Genesis 1: God creating over six days with rest on the seventh.
God the Son: most often described as Saviour through incarnation and self-sacrifice.
Christian stewardship means humans: responsible for caring for the natural world.
Jesus: resurrected three days after his crucifixion.; Paul teaches the resurrection of the dead in 1 Corinthians 15.; The Bible verse stating "God is love" is 1 John 4:8.; Adam and Eve first sinned in Eden, leading to Original Sin (Genesis 3).; Christians believe Jesus ascended to heaven to be with God the Father.; The Christian feast marking Jesus' ascent to heaven is called the Ascension.; Jesus' atonement works, in Christian belief, because his death paid for sin.

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Judaism — Beliefs and Teachings

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613 mitzvot: traditionally divided into 248 positive (do) commands and 365 negative (do not) commands.
Abraham: regarded as the first to accept the one God — abandoning idolatry.
Abraham: the first Jewish patriarch — father of the Jewish people.
Chesed: God's loyal love and kindness — covenantal faithfulness.
Chesed: the Hebrew word for God's loving- kindness or loyal love.
Ten Commandments: the foundation of both Jewish and Christian morality.
Jewish focus regarding death: that living a good life now matters most — Judaism is "this-worldly".
Fourth Commandment: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."
Free will: the human ability to choose.
Gehinnom: the Jewish purgatory-like state of cleansing — typically taught to last up to twelve months.
Gemilut chasadim: valued because it benefits both giver and receiver — and surpasses tzedakah in the rabbinic ethic (it includes non-monetary care).
Gemilut chasadim: the Hebrew for acts of loving-kindness.
Jews believe God: Creator of the heavens, the earth, and all life.
God: Judge — holds humans accountable for their actions.
Jews believe God: both just and merciful — these attributes are held in balance.
God: called the Law-Giver because he gave the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai.
Human life: so valued in Judaism because each life is made in God's image (b'tselem Elohim).
Judaism: strictly monotheistic — one God only.
Mashiach: "anointed one" — chosen by God for a specific role (a usage applied historically to kings and high priests).
Mashiach: the Hebrew word for "the anointed one" — the Messiah.
God's mercy: important in Jewish prayer because worshippers ask for forgiveness and grace.
Messiah: expected to descend from King David.
Jewish expectation: that the Messiah is a future human leader who brings peace — not a divine being.
Mitzvah: the Hebrew word for commandment (plural: mitzvot).
Olam Ha-Ba: the Jewish concept of "the world to come" — the afterlife state.
Pikuach Nefesh: the Jewish principle of "saving a life [overrides other commandments]".
Pikuach Nefesh: derived from the Talmudic principle in Sanhedrin 74a.
Shavuot: the festival commemorating the giving of the Torah at Sinai.
Shekhinah: sometimes described with feminine imagery — particularly in Kabbalistic literature.
Shekhinah: the Jewish term for God's dwelling presence.

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Islam — Beliefs and Teachings

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Adalah: belief in the divine justice of Allah — that Allah is perfectly just.
Adam: the first prophet in Islam.
Akhirah: the Islamic concept of life after death.
Al-Adl: "the Just" — Allah is perfectly just.
Al-Khaliq: "the Creator" — Allah as the originator of all creation.
Al-Qadr: the Islamic concept of Allah's foreknowledge and predestination.
Allah: eternal — has no beginning and no end (al-Awwal, al-Akhir).
Allah: eternal — has no beginning and no end (al-Awwal "the First", al-Akhir "the Last").
Islam teaches Allah: both transcendent and merciful — distant in essence yet near to those who call upon Him.
Muslims believe Allah: merciful and will forgive those who repent sincerely (Tawba).
Allah: utterly transcendent — beyond any human comparison; "there is nothing like unto Him" (Qur'an 42:11).
Ar-Rahim: "the Most Merciful" — an attribute of Allah.
Ar-Rahman: the Arabic for "the Most Compassionate" — an attribute of Allah.
Ar-Rahman: "the Most Compassionate" — an attribute of Allah.
As-Sirat: the bridge over hell on the Day of Judgement — the righteous cross safely, the wicked fall.
Ashura: the annual Shi'a observance commemorating Husayn's martyrdom at Karbala.
Barzakh: the state or barrier between death and resurrection — sometimes called the "intermediate state".
First Shi'a Imam: Ali ibn Abi Talib — cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad.
Shi'a Imam: regarded as an infallible spiritual guide for Muslims.
Imamah: the Shi'a belief in the divinely appointed leadership of the Imams after Muhammad.
Imamah: the Shi'a belief in divinely appointed leaders after Muhammad.
Imamah: a Shi'a-distinct doctrine — Sunni Islam does not accept the line of Imam succession.
Injil (Gospel): revealed to the prophet Isa (Jesus).
Izrail (Azra'il): the angel of death in Islam.
Jahannam: a place of fire and suffering for the wicked.
Jahannam: the Islamic name for hell — a place of fire and suffering for the wicked.
Jannah: described as gardens of paradise with rivers and joy.
Jannah: the Islamic name for paradise — gardens with rivers and joy.
Jibril: sometimes equated with the Christian/Jewish angel Gabriel — the same figure in all three traditions.
Each Muslim: accompanied by two recording angels (Kiraman Katibin) — one records good deeds, one records bad deeds.

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Theme C — The Existence of God and Revelation

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Buddha's enlightenment: the basis of Buddhist teaching about suffering and the path beyond it — the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.
First Cause argument: also called the Cosmological argument — from the Greek cosmos meaning "world" or "universe".
Enlightenment: the experience of sudden spiritual insight or awakening to ultimate truth — a key concept in Buddhism and Hinduism.
Enlightenment: important in some religions because it is the direct realisation of ultimate truth — the answer to suffering and the goal of practice.
Evolution: the scientific theory that explains species change by natural selection over time.
General revelation: revelation of God available to all people through nature and through sacred texts — as distinct from special revelation given to specific individuals.
General revelation: important because it gives everyone — across cultures and history — some access to the knowledge of God, supporting universal moral responsibility.
General revelation: the form of revelation available to everyone through nature and scripture.
General revelation: universally accessible — anyone (believer or not) can observe nature or read scripture.
General revelation: available to all people; special revelation is given to specific individuals or groups (visions, prophecy, scripture in some Protestant framings).
Immanent means God: present in and through creation — actively involved with the world.
Lourdes (France): a Catholic pilgrimage site where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to Bernadette in 1858; thousands of healings have been reported and a small number formally recognised by the Church.
Miracle: commonly defined (following Hume) as an event that violates or transcends the laws of nature, taken as evidence of God's action.
Common weakness: that many alleged miracles may have natural causes that were not yet understood (spontaneous remission, placebo, coincidence).
Moksha: the Hindu term for liberation from the cycle of rebirth (samsara) and union with Brahman.
Nirvana: the Buddhist final liberation from the cycle of rebirth — the cessation of suffering and craving.
Omnipotent: "all-powerful" — God is able to do anything possible / consistent with God's nature.
God being everywhere present: called omnipresent.
Omnipresent: "everywhere present" — God is present in every place at every time.
Omniscient: "all-knowing" — God knows everything past, present, and future.
Special revelation: direct divine communication to specific individuals — as distinct from general revelation that is available to everyone.
Special revelation: direct divine communication to specific people (visions, prophecy).
Tawhid: the Islamic doctrine of the absolute oneness of God, declared in the Qur'an ("Allah — there is no deity except Him"); it is the foundational belief about God's nature in Islam.
Design argument: also called the Teleological argument — from the Greek telos meaning "end" or "purpose".
Theodicy: a religious answer to the problem of evil — an attempt to justify God's permission of suffering.
Transcendent means God: beyond and outside the universe — not contained by space or time.
Vision: a religious experience in which a person sees or perceives the divine or a sacred figure.
Visions: a type of religious experience because they involve direct sensory or quasi-sensory contact with the divine.; Aquinas concluded that this First Cause "is what everyone understands to be God" — God is the uncaused cause.; Thomas Aquinas developed Five Ways (Latin: Quinque Viae) of proving God in Summa Theologica; three are forms of the First Cause argument.

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Catholic Christianity — Practices

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Both groups: shaped by the Beatitudes — "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Mt 5:9).
Corrymeela: founded in 1965 by Rev. Ray Davey.
Corrymeela: on the Antrim coast (Northern Ireland).
Corrymeela: in Northern Ireland (on the Antrim coast, near Ballycastle).
Catholic Social Teaching (CST): the body of Catholic Church teaching on social ethics.
Formal prayer: set prayer with traditional wording, used by the Catholic community.
Catholic funeral's purpose: to commend the soul to God and console the mourners.
Lord's Prayer: recorded in the Gospels of Matthew (ch. 6) and Luke (ch. 11).
Holy water: used to bless (sprinkle) the coffin during the funeral rite.
Incense: used at a funeral as a symbol of prayer rising to God (Psalm 141:2).
Informal prayer: speaking from the heart in one's own words.
Informal prayer: personal, spontaneous prayer in one's own words.
Intercession: praying for others' needs.
Lord's Prayer: said by all at Mass before Holy Communion.
Lourdes: important because Mary appeared there to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858.
Marian apparition: a reported appearance of the Virgin Mary.
Meditation: a meditative form of prayer that focuses on a scripture scene (often as imaginative prayer or lectio divina).
Each Rosary mystery: linked to a specific event in the life of Jesus or Mary.
Pax Christi: an international Catholic peace movement.
Pax Christi: an international Catholic peace organisation.
Pax Christi: founded after World War II (in 1945, France).
Pilgrimage: a religious journey to a holy place.
Prayer: the raising of mind and heart to God (St John Damascene, cited CCC §2559).
Catholic Church teaches prayer: a duty of every Christian.
Prayers: said for the deceased asking God's mercy and final purification (linked to purgatory).
Reconciliation: restoring broken relationships.
Requiem Mass: a Catholic Mass said for the deceased.
Funeral Mass: the Requiem (Latin for "rest", from the opening Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine).
Rosary: a Catholic beads prayer centred on Hail Marys.
Solidarity: firm commitment to the common good — standing with others, especially the poor.

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Buddhism — Practices

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Avalokiteshvara: the Buddha (or bodhisattva) of compassion in Mahayana.
Six Perfections: practised by bodhisattvas.
Buddhist bodies: usually cremated, sometimes buried.
Generosity: the first Perfection because it loosens craving and develops compassion.
Right Speech: the third step of the Noble Eightfold Path.
Fourth precept: to refrain from false or incorrect speech (Pali: musavada) — lying, deceit and harmful talk.
Good kamma: produced by skilful, compassionate action free of greed and hate.
Home shrines: usually placed in a quiet area with a Buddha image at the focus.
Incense (fragrant smoke): a traditional offering before the Buddha.
Karuna: shown in daily life by helping those who suffer without judgement.
Six Perfections: emphasised in the Mahayana tradition.
Meditation: traditionally practised seated cross-legged with a straight back, often on a cushion or mat.
Metta: typically cultivated by wishing happiness first for self, then loved ones, then neutral, then enemies, then all beings.
Mindfulness: considered ethical because it reduces craving and reactive harm.
Parinirvana Day: observed on February 15 (some traditions Feb 8).
Parinirvana Day: a Mahayana festival marking the Buddha's death.
Lay Buddhists: expected to keep the Five Precepts.
Precepts: voluntary training rules, not divine commands.
Rebirth: continued existence after death, shaped by kamma.
Samatha: often used as preparation for vipassana.
Shoes: removed before entering a Buddhist temple as a sign of respect.
There: six realms of rebirth in Buddhist cosmology.
Sutras: chanted to remind mourners of impermanence and to share merit.
Lit lanterns: a common Wesak symbol in many traditions.
Wesak: observed on the full-moon day in May.
Zen: the Japanese tradition centred on seated meditation (zazen).; The largest UK Buddhist temple (Theravada) is Amaravati in Hertfordshire.; Anapanasati is mindfulness of breathing meditation.; The Buddhist greeting of folded hands is called anjali (Añjali Mudrā).; Tibetan tradition observes a 49-day period of bardo prayers after death.

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Islam — Practices

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Adhan: the call to prayer in Islam.
Shahadah: part of the Adhan whispered into a newborn's ear. [Wikipedia, Adhan]
Amr bil Maroof: the Shi'a duty to command what is good.
Ashura: the Shi'a observance commemorating Husayn ibn Ali's death at Karbala.
Eid al-Adha: the Festival of Sacrifice marking the end of Hajj.
Eid al-Fitr (Id-ul-Fitr): the festival ending the month of Ramadan.
Fajr: the pre-dawn prayer — first of the day.
Five Pillars: the five core duties of every Sunni Muslim.
Greater Jihad: the inner struggle for moral self-discipline.
Hajj: the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca — the fifth Pillar.
Hajj: the Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah — the fifth Pillar; performed at least once if able.
Hajj: important to Muslims as a Pillar offering spiritual renewal and forgiveness of past sins.
Id-ul-Adha (Eid al-Adha): the festival marking the end of Hajj.
Id-ul-Fitr (Eid al-Fitr): the festival ending the month of Ramadan.
Iftar: the meal breaking the daily fast at sunset.
Ihram: the simple white clothing worn during Hajj (also the sacred state itself).
Jihad: commonly misunderstood in Western media as being equivalent to terrorism — but its core meaning is "striving" and includes spiritual struggle.
Jihad: the Arabic word meaning "striving" in Islam.
Jihad: NOT one of the Five Pillars. (Some Kharijite traditions counted it, but mainstream Sunni Islam does not.)
Jumu'ah: the Friday congregational prayer held at the mosque around midday.
Kaaba: the cubic structure at the centre of the Great Mosque (al-Masjid al-Haram) in Mecca.
Khums: the Shi'a obligation to give one-fifth (20%) of certain gains.
Khums: the Shi'a Islamic tax of one-fifth (20%) on certain gains.
Khutbah: the Friday sermon at the mosque delivered before Jumu'ah prayer.
Laylat al-Qadr: the night in Ramadan commemorating the Qur'an's first revelation to Muhammad — the "Night of Power".
Lesser Jihad: the military defence of Islam under strict conditions.
Mihrab: the prayer niche in the mosque wall pointing to Mecca.
Minaret: the tower from which the adhan is traditionally called.
Mosque: the Islamic place of worship.
Five Pillars: the foundations of Muslim life — practiced by Sunnis worldwide.

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Hinduism — Practices

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Largest UK mandir: the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London.
Bathing at the Kumbh: believed to cleanse karma from past lives.
Bhakti yoga: open to all, regardless of class.
Cows: sacred as a symbol of life and ahimsa.
At home Diwali: celebrated by lighting diya lamps and sharing sweets.
Diwali: not only a Hindu festival: Sikhs mark Guru Hargobind's return to Amritsar from captivity, and Jains celebrate Mahavira's enlightenment and liberation.
Ganges: revered as the goddess Ganga whose waters cleanse sin.
Ganges: a sacred Hindu river.
Gayatri Mantra: a Vedic prayer to the sun for wisdom.
Hindu Aid: a UK-based charity running food drives.
Holi: associated with throwing coloured powder.
Holi: also associated with the playful love of Krishna and Radha — Krishna started the tradition of throwing colours.
Home worship: important because daily devotion grounds family life in dharma.
Home shrines: kept in a quiet corner with murtis.
Kumbh Mela: one of the largest religious gatherings on Earth.
Main Kumbh: held every twelve years at each site.
Hindu temple: called a mandir.
Murtis: a focus for worship, not the god itself.
Hindu pilgrimage: a journey to a sacred site.
Murti: installed through the pranapratistha ceremony.
Prayagraj: at the confluence of three sacred rivers (Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati).
Rivers: revered as goddesses, which motivates their protection.
Sewa International: a major Hindu charity.; Agni (fire) carries offerings to the gods in havan.; Annadana means giving food to those in need.; Arati is the lamp-waving devotional ritual.; Arati ends puja by circling a lamp before the deity.; The Arya Samaj (founded 1875 by Dayananda Saraswati) rejects murti worship.; The Hindu reform movement Arya Samaj rejected murti worship.; Astanga literally means "eight limbs".

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Theme E — Religion, Crime and Punishment

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Capital punishment: the formal term for execution by the state as a legal penalty.
Community service: court-ordered unpaid work for the benefit of the community, used as an alternative to prison.
Corporal punishment: physical punishment of the body — caning, flogging, whipping — inflicted as a penalty.
Death penalty: execution as punishment for a crime.
Central debate: whether the death penalty deters future murders — proponents claim yes, opponents point to evidence it has no greater deterrent effect than life imprisonment.
Deterrence: punishment designed to discourage the offender (specific) and others (general) from committing crime.
Most academic studies: inconclusive about death-penalty deterrence — many find no significant effect compared with long imprisonment.
Evil: the moral quality of being wrong and harmful — causing suffering, injustice, or destruction.
Forgiveness: letting go of resentment and choosing not to seek revenge against someone who has wronged you.
Forgiveness: psychologically healing because it frees the forgiver from the burden of bitterness, reducing stress and improving wellbeing.
Good: the moral quality of being right and beneficial — promoting flourishing and acting in line with moral norms.
Greed: an excessive desire for wealth or possessions beyond what is needed.
Hate crime: a crime motivated by prejudice against a person's identity — race, religion, sexuality, disability, transgender status.
Hate: intense hostility, often directed at a person or group based on identity (race, religion, sexuality).
Intention: a person's reason or motive for an action — what they aim to bring about.
Murder: the unlawful killing of another person with malice aforethought.
Poverty: a serious shortage of money and resources needed for a basic standard of living.
Prison: detention as punishment for crime — confining the offender for a set period.
Reformation (rehabilitation): punishment aimed at changing the offender — through education, therapy, drug treatment, or work skills.
Theft: wrong in religious ethics because it violates property rights, breaks trust, and harms community.
Restorative justice: an approach that brings together victim and offender (where possible) to address harm, take responsibility, and seek repair — used as an alternative or supplement to traditional sentencing.
Punishment seeking just payback: called retribution.
Retribution: punishment as just payback for the wrong done — the offender deserves proportionate suffering.
Theft: taking what belongs to another with the intention of permanently depriving them of it.
Capital punishment: fully abolished in the UK in 1998.
Capital punishment: abolished in the UK in 1965 for murder (Murder Act 1965); the last legal grounds (treason, piracy with violence) ended in 1998.
Corporal punishment: illegal in the UK criminal justice system — abolished for adult offenders by the 1948 Criminal Justice Act and for juveniles in 1986.
Capital punishment: illegal in the UK today, and the UK is committed to abolition under the European Convention on Human Rights (Protocol 13).; Addiction can drive crime when people commit theft or other offences to fund their habit; UK Home Office estimates a significant share of acquisitive crime is drug-related.; Amnesty International campaigns against capital punishment worldwide — its 2023 report found 53 countries still retain it in law.

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Christianity — Practices

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Baptism: important to Christians because it marks entry into the Church family.
Baptist baptism: typically full immersion of a believing adult.
Christian Aid Week: held in May each year.
Holy Communion: central to Christian worship because it unites believers with Christ and with one another.
Desmond Tutu: the Anglican Christian leader who led peaceful reconciliation after South African apartheid (chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission).
Many early Christians: persecuted in the Roman Empire (e.g. under Nero, Diocletian).
Easter: the most important Christian festival because it celebrates Jesus' resurrection from the dead.
Sharing the Christian message: called evangelism.
Iona: significant as a historic Celtic Christian community in Scotland (monastery founded 563 CE; modern Iona Community founded 1938).
Last Supper: a Passover meal.
Liturgical worship: worship following a set order and structure (e.g. set readings, prayers, responses).
Lord's Prayer: the prayer Jesus taught his disciples.
Catholic Eucharistic service: also called the Mass.
Baptism: performed in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
Saint Columba: associated with the founding of Iona (his monastery, 563 CE).
Sunday: the main weekly Christian worship day.; Baptism symbolises washing away of sin and beginning new life in Christ.; Baptism is the Christian rite that involves washing with water.; In the Beatitudes Jesus taught "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9) — working for peace reflects God's nature and is valued by God.; CAFOD stands for Catholic Agency for Overseas Development.; Catholic baptism involves pouring or sprinkling water on the head.; Christian Aid, CAFOD and Tearfund all fight poverty, support development and respond to humanitarian crises.; Christian Aid is the UK Christian charity that works to end poverty and injustice globally.; Most Christians celebrate Christmas on 25 December (Orthodox Christmas in many traditions is 7 January).; Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem (Luke 2).; Christians often mark Christmas by attending church, exchanging gifts and sharing meals.; Christmas is the Christian feast that celebrates Jesus' birth.; The Church is the Christian community of believers.; Holy Communion commemorates Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples.; The Corrymeela Community is the Northern Ireland community that works for peace between traditions.

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Catholic Christianity — Beliefs and Teachings

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Advent: the Christmas season that prepares Christians for the Incarnation.
Atonement (at-one-ment): reconciliation with God.
Beatific vision: seeing God face-to-face in heaven.
Chalice: the golden cup used to hold the consecrated wine.
Christ: called the "New Adam" because he reverses the disobedience and fall caused by the first Adam.
St Paul: Christ's sacrifice as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45; 1 Timothy 2:6); Paul develops the theme of Christ as offering pleasing to God.
Nicene Creed: written to affirm Christ's full divinity against Arianism, which taught the Son was a created being.
Cross: the sacrifice through which humanity is reconciled with God.
Eucharist: the sacrament of Christ's body and blood under the appearances of bread and wine.
Eucharist: instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper.
Eucharist: source and summit because it is both the origin and the goal of Christian living — all sacraments and ministries flow to and from it.
Genesis: God creating in six days, with rest on the seventh.
Grace: the spiritual gift the sacraments convey — God's free, unmerited self-giving.
Hypostatic union: one person (Christ) with two natures, human and divine.
Humans: made in the image and likeness of God (imago Dei) — Genesis 1:26–27.
Incarnation: celebrated at Christmas Day, 25 December.
Incarnation: the doctrine that God became human in Jesus Christ.
Jesus: the eternal Logos (Word) become flesh; Logos is Greek for "Word/Reason".
Matrimony: the lifelong covenant union of husband and wife as a sacramental bond.
Marriage (Matrimony): one of the seven sacraments.
Matrimony: the sacrament that unites a couple.
Original Nicene Creed: adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 CE (4th century); the revised Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed at Constantinople in 381 CE.
Nicene Creed: the Catholic creed that sets out the doctrine of the Trinity.
Particular judgement: judgement at the moment of death (each soul individually).
Paschal Mystery: Christ's passion, death and resurrection considered as one saving event.
Pilgrimage: a Catholic practice but is NOT one of the seven sacraments.
Purgatory: the state of final purification before entering heaven.
Purgatory: temporary purification; hell is eternal punishment.
Real Presence: the doctrine that Christ is truly, substantially present under the appearances of bread and wine.
Three sacraments: received only once: Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders.

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Buddhism — Beliefs and Teachings

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Amitabha: the Buddha of Pure Land Buddhism.
Bodhisattva path: characterised by compassion for all beings before personal liberation.
Siddhartha: born in Lumbini, in what is now modern Nepal, into the Shakya clan.
Buddhism: founded by Siddhartha Gautama (also spelled Siddhārtha) in northern India in the 5th–6th century BCE.
Buddha's reported final words: "Work out your salvation with diligence" (Pali appamadena sampadetha), urging his followers to strive on the path themselves.
First sermon: preached at the Deer Park in Isipatana (Sarnath), near Varanasi.
Dependent arising: traditionally analysed as a chain of twelve links (nidanas).
Dhamma: the Buddha's teachings — the truth that he discovered and taught.
Dhamma: the path that leads away from suffering toward liberation.
Dhamma: transmitted through teaching, scripture and personal practice — by monks and lay people.
There: five aggregates in the Theravada analysis of personality.
First Noble Truth: that life involves dukkha — suffering or unsatisfactoriness.
Fourth Noble Truth: magga: the Noble Eightfold Path leads to the cessation of suffering.
Second Noble Truth: that suffering arises from craving (tanha).
Third Noble Truth: nirodha: that suffering can cease.
Marks: interconnected: anicca (impermanence) means clinging to anything produces dukkha (suffering), and there is no fixed anatta (self) to do the clinging.
Four Noble Truths: sometimes presented as a medical formula: diagnosis (1st), cause (2nd), cure (3rd), and treatment plan (4th).
Pure Land: a Mahayana realm where rebirth greatly aids the path to enlightenment.
Samsara: the cycle of birth and rebirth the Dhamma describes and offers release from.
Theravada teaches the person: the five aggregates (skandhas) with no permanent self.
Dhamma: the second of the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha).
Three jewels: Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha (the community).
Truths: meant to be tested through practice (especially the Eightfold Path), not simply believed.; Rupa (form / body) is one of the five aggregates.; Buddhism analyses the human person as five khandhas (aggregates): form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness — no permanent self behind them.; Anatta means "no fixed self" — Buddhism denies a permanent, unchanging soul.; Buddhist anatta directly denies the Hindu concept of atman (permanent self).; All conditioned things constantly change; nothing in samsara is permanent.; Anicca means impermanence: all conditioned things are in constant change.; An arhat is one who has reached nibbana following the Buddha's teaching.

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