IB World Religions

Introductory Vocab

Agnostic

Agnostic

someone who believes we cannot prove that existence or nonexistence of a God

Apostate

person who renounces a religious (or political) belief

Atheist

disbelief or denial of the existence of God(s)

Atonement

compensation for a wrong; making amends; making reparation

Canon

authoritative collection of writings, works, etc. Applying to a particular religion

Deity

God or Goddess

Denomination

large group of religious congregations united under a common faith and name

Divine

having the nature of or being a deity

Doctrine

framework, set of rules, procedural steps; the body of teachings of a religion

Dogma

a religious doctrine that is proclaimed as ture without proof

Dualism

belief that reality is made up of two different principles (spirit and matter) or that there are two sides or gods (good and evil) in conflict

Eschatology

having to do with or relating to the end of the world

Evangelize

to preach or spread the word of God

Exegesis

critical examination of a religious text

fundamentalism

movement or attitude stressing strict and literal adherence to set of basic principles

hagiography

blending of history and legend usually in the form of biography

henotheistic

belief in or worship of one God without denying the existence of others

Heresy

belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (especially Christian) doctrine

Incarnation

physical embodiment of the divine

Martyr

one who suffers for the sake of principle (usually religious)

Messiah

an expected deliverer of the people; “chosen” or “anointed” one

Monotheistic

belief that there is one god and the denial of all other gods

Myth

story expressing the ideals about reality or spiritual history, usually at a different time. Myth in this sense does not denote untrue.

Nontheistic

absence of deities within a religion

Orthodox

following traditional doctrine; sound or correct in opinion or doctrine

Pantheistic

belief that everything in the universe is divine or has divine principles

Parable

allegorical story, usually illustrating a religious moral or point

Poytheistic

belief in or worship of more than one god

Prophet

one who speaks by divine inspiration

Rites

established, ceremonious (and usually religious) acts

Sacred

things and actions set apart as religious or spiritual which are entitled to reverence

Sect

religious body, especially one that has separated from a large denomination

Secular

of or relating to the wordly or temporal (not the religious or divine)

Syncretism

blending of two or more religions, their faiths, ideas or practices, into a new or exisiting religion

Theology

study of religious faith, practice or experience

Transcendent

exisiting outside the material universe