World Religions

Torah

The most sacred text in Judaism, containing the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.

Synagogue

A Jewish house of worship.

Rabbi

A Jewish religious leader and teacher.

Sabbath

The weekly day of rest and worship in Judaism, beginning at sunset on Friday.

Kosher

Foods that are prepared according to Jewish dietary laws.

Covenant

An agreement made between God and Abraham, promising land and descendants.

Moses

Led the Israelites out of Egypt and received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.

Yom Kippur

The holiest day in Judaism, dedicated to atonement and repentance.

Passover

The Jewish holiday that commemorates the Exodus from Egypt.

Menorah

A nine-branched candelabrum lit during Hanukkah.

Talmud

A collection of teachings and commentary explaining Jewish laws and traditions.

Bar Mitzvah

A coming-of-age ceremony for a Jewish boy, typically at the age of 13.

Jerusalem

The capital city that holds religious significance for Judaism.

Christianity

Based on the life and teachings of Jesus.

Bible

The Christian holy book.

Old Testament

One of the two main parts of the Bible.

New Testament

One of the two main parts of the Bible.

Easter

The holiday when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.

Gospels

The first four books of the New Testament.

Fish

The symbol most commonly associated with Christianity.

Sunday

The typical day of worship for Christians.

Holy Spirit

According to trinity belief, the three persons are the Father, the Son, and the

Communion

The practice of eating bread and drinking wine in remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice.

Sermon on the Mount

One of Jesus' most famous teachings.

Christmas

The holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus.

Pope

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Lent

The Christian season of preparation before Easter.

Quran

The holy book of Islam.

Allah

The Arabic word for God.

Muhammad

The final prophet of Islam.

Mosque

The religious building where Muslims gather to worship.

Hajj

The pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims must try to make once in their lifetime.

Ramadan

The month of fasting when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset.

Five Pillars of Islam

The five basic acts of worship required of all Muslims.

Kaaba

The sacred black stone structure located in Mecca.

Imam

A religious leader in a mosque.

Moksha

The ultimate goal of Hinduism, liberation from the cycle of rebirth.

Karma

The belief that actions in this life will affect one's fate in the next life.

Vedas

The oldest sacred texts of Hinduism.

Reincarnation

In Hindu belief, the soul is reborn again and again.

Dharma

The cosmic law of right behavior and duty.

Brahman

The supreme universal spirit in Hinduism.

Vishnu

The Hindu god known as the preserver of the universe.

Shiva

The god known as the destroyer and transformer.

Ganges

This river is sacred to the Hindu Religion.

Caste system

A social hierarchy traditionally associated with Hinduism.

Siddhartha Gautama

The founder of Buddhism, originally a prince from Nepal.

Nirvana

In Buddhism, the ultimate goal of existence is to achieve a state of liberation from suffering.

Noble Truths

Central teachings about the nature of suffering and how to overcome it.

Karma

The law of moral cause and effect, where good actions bring good results and bad actions bring bad results.

Sangha

The community of monks, nuns, and lay followers in Buddhism.

Mindfulness

The practice of focusing attention and awareness on the present moment.

Eightfold Path

Outlines the steps to end suffering and reach enlightenment.

Samsara

The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

Buddha

The title given to Siddhartha Gautama after he attained enlightenment.

compassion

The quality of showing concern and empathy for the suffering of others.

Meditation

The act of deep contemplation and mental discipline used to develop concentration and insight.

Enlightenment

The state of perfect wisdom and understanding of the true nature of things.

4 Noble Truths

The core teachings on suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path leading to its cessation.

Laozi

The founder of Taoism.

Toa Te Ching

The primary text of Taoism.

Tao

The natural way of the universe.

Wu Wei

In Taoism, refers to effortless action or 'non-action.'

Inner peace

Taoists aim to achieve _______ by aligning themselves with the Tao.

simplicity

Seen as the ultimate goal, freeing oneself from worldly distractions.

Harmony

Seeks ___________ between opposing forces in life rather than favoring one over the other.

Confucius

The name of the Chinese philosopher who founded Confucianism.

Analects

The collected sayings and ideas of Confucius.

Filial piety

Showing devotion and duty to one's parents and elders.

Civil service

Confucius taught that __________ and good moral character were more important than wealth or power.

5 relationships

The core social bonds that Confucius emphasized to maintain order in society.

Education

Confucius believed that _____________ should be based on merit, not birth.

Ancestor worship

Honoring one's deceased family members through rituals and ceremonies.

Kami

In Shintoism, spirits or gods are known as ______

Animism

The Shinto religion places a strong emphasis on __________ believing that all living and non-living things have a spirit.

Torii

____________ are traditional gateways that mark the entrance to a sacred space.

Amaterasu

The most important deity in Shinto is _____________, the sun goddess.

Purification

Shinto followers perform _____________ rituals to cleanse themselves before approaching the gods.

Shrines

Sacred spaces where Kami are worshiped are called ___________

Ancestor Worship

The belief in respecting and honoring one's ancestors is central to Shinto practices.

Kojiki

The __________ is a collection of ancient myths and history, considered a sacred text in Shintoism.

Matsuri

Celebrations and festivals in Shinto, meant to honor the Kami, are called ____________

Yin and Yang

Interconnectedness of the opposites.

Filial Piety

Showing duty to one's parents.

Civil Service

More important than wealth and power.

Simplicity

Tao's ultimate goal.

5 Relationships

What maintains order in society.

Nature

Taoism emphasizes living close to.

Jesus

Founded Christianity.

Abraham

Father of all three monotheistic religions.

Veda

Oldest Sacred Text of Hinduism.

Compassion

Quality of concern, empathy.