RS Christianity & Judaism Key Terms

Ascension

Jesus being taken up to heaven on the 40th day of easter

Atonement

the bridging of the gap (reconciliation) between god and mankind

Baptism

a sacrament (ceremony) which initiates someone into the church and brings them closer to God, it involves the use of water as a symbol of the washing away of sin

Believers' baptism

initiation into the church (by immersion in water) of people old enough to understand the ceremony/rite and willing to live a christian life

Bible

The Christian holy book, used during worship and ceremonies. It is believed to be the word of God, and different Christian denominations interpret it in different ways.

Catholic

a branch of Christianity based in Rome and led by the Pope

Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)

the official aid agency of the catholic church in england & wales, working to bring hope and compassion to people in africa, asia, south america, and the middle east

Christ

God's prescense on earth in human form - fully god and fully human. The second part of the trinity (the son). Christ means 'anointed one'

Christian Aid

a relief and development charity encouraging sustainable development, aiming to stop poverty, and providing emergency relief.

Christmas

the day celebrating the birth of Jesus (the Incarnation) on December 25th in most denominations. It is also the next 12 days ending with the Epiphany

Church

(1) the holy people of God, also called the body of Christ, among whom Christ is present and active, and (2) a building in which Christians worship

Creation

the act by which God brought the universe into being

Crucifixion

a roman punishment for non-romans involving nailing the criminal to a wooden cross

Easter

the religious season celebrating the resurrection of Jesus

Eucharist/Holy Communion

a service of thanksgiving in which the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus is celebrated using bread and wine

Evangelism

spreading the christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness

Evil

Immoral or wicked actions.

The Father

the creator and sustainer of all things, the first part of the trinity

Food banks

organised collections of essential items which have been donated to help those in need

Grace

the unconditional love that God has for everyone

Heaven

a state of eternal happiness in the presence of God, the place of eternal peace ruled over by God

Hell

the place of eternal suffering, or the state of being without God

Holy Spirit

the third person of the trinity, the inspiring presence of god in the world

Incarnation

the presence of God through Jesus - God becoming human. Incarnation literally means the taking on of flesh (god literally became flesh)

Infant baptism

the ritual through which babies/young children become members of the church. Promises are made on their behalf by adults, the infant is freed from sin and introduced to the saving love of God and the support of the christian community

Informal prayer

prayer that is made up by an individual using their own words

Iona

a scottish island that is said to be a 'thin place' where the veil between the spiritual and the physical is thin. a popular pilgrimage destination

Jesus

the son of god - god in human form, fully god and fully human, who god gave to humans to save them from their sins

Judgement

god deciding whether a person is worthy of his reward (heaven) or not (hell) based on what they did in their lives

Just

fair, morally right

Liturgical worship

a type of worship that is structured and communal

Law

god's teachings and expectations for humans

Lourdes

a french village where apparitions of the virgin mary appeared to a girl, now a major christian pilgrimage destination

Lord's Prayer

the prayer taught to the disciples by jesus

Mission

the calling of a religious organisation or individual to go out into the world to spread their faith

Non-liturgical worship/informal worship

a type of worship that is unstructured, personal, and more informal

Omnipotent

all-powerful

The Oneness of God

the christian belief in god as one being

Original sin

the first sin, when Adam & Eve ate the forbidden fruit

Orthodox

a branch of Christianity mainly practised in eastern europe

Persecution

ostility or ill treatment because of race, political or religious beliefs

Pilgrimage

a journey by a believer to a holy site for religious resons, and act of worship and devotion

Prayer

communication with god, either silently or through words of praise, confession, or thanksgiving, or requests for god's help/guidance

Private worship

praying by yourself - individual prayer

Protestant

a branch of Christianity that protested against some of the practises of Catholics and believe that the Bible is the only authority for Christians

Reconciliation

the restoring of harmony after relationships have broken down - the process of bringing together people who are opposed to one another

Resurrection

the belief that after death the body remains in the grave until the end of the world, before rising again when God will come to judge. Many Reform Jews reject this

Sacrament

a sacred ceremony performed in christian denominations involving outward signs of an inward spiritual grace

Salvation

being saved from your sins and getting eternal life through Jesus' sacrifice

Sin

an immoral act that goes against God's word and the bible

The Son

jesus, the second person of the treaty, who was given by god to humans to free them of their sins

Son of God

a title used for jesus, denoting the special relationship between jesus and the father

Street pastors

people that go out onto the street and help/care for people in practical ways

Suffering

the bearing or undergoing of pain or distress

Tearfund

an organisation that responds to disasters and helps vulnrable communities to get out of poverty

Trinity

three persons in one god (father, son & holy spirit), they are separate but all one being. Each person is fully god

Word

a term used at the beginning of john's gospel to refer to god the son

Worship

an act of love & devotion e.g. prayer, reading the bible, going to church, taking part in ceremonies

Abraham

the founder of Judaism and the first to make a covenant with God

The Amidah

a prayer of blessings, praise, and thanksgiving to god

Aron hakodesh (ark)

where the torah is kept in a synagogue, the most important place in a synagogue

Bar Mitzvah

the celebration of a boy coming of age at 13

Bat Mitzvah

the celebration of a girl coming of age at 12 in reform synagogues

Bimah (reading platform)

a platorm in a synagogue from where the torah is read

Brit Milah

the removal of the foreskin from the penis (circumcision)

Charity

giving money to those in need, obligatory for jews

The Covenant

A special relationship/agreement between God & the Jewish people, initiated by one person acting on behalf of the jews

Creator

the one who makes things and brings things about

Dietary laws

rules that deal with food permitted to be eaten, food preparation, food combinations, and the utensils and dishes coming in contact with food

Divine presence (Shekhinah)

the belief that god is present on earth. it can help jews understand suffering and find strength

Free will

humans having the ability to make their own decisions and choices, which religious believers think was a gift from God to allow people to choose good or bad deeds

God as one

the jewish belief that there is only one god, and that he is the only being that should be worshipped

Healing the world

being involved in god's work to sustain the world e.g. working to increase social justice. known as tikkun olam to jews

Judge

the quality of god where he judges jews for how well they follow his laws. jews beleive that all people are judged based on their actions, behaviors, and beliefs

Justice

making the world better by challenging & changing the system. known as tzedek in judaism

Kosher

food that meets the requirements of jewish laws

Law-Giver

the quality of god describing how he gave the jews laws, and expects them to follow them

Liberal Judaism

a branch of judaism that is very similar to reform judaism, but have more radical practises. they believe that observing the mitzvot is up to personal choice

Merciful

the quality of God that shows compassion or forgiveness to humans, even though he has the power to punish them

Messiah

the ‘anointed one’, a leader of the Jews who is expected to live on earth at some time in the future

Mitzvot

Jewish rules or commandments, there are 613 in total

Moses

The man chosen by God to save the Jews from slavery and take them to the promised land.

Mourning rituals

rituals performed by jews around death

Ner tamid (ever-burning light)

a hanging lamp found in synagogues that represents the shekinah and the eternal light of God

Orthodox Judaism

a branch of judaism that emphasises the importance of following the laws & guidance of the Torah, and that it was given directly to Moses so should be followed as closely as possible

Pesach

The Jewish festival which remembers the redemption of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Also known as passover

Reform Judaism

a branch of judaism that believes that the laws & guidance in the Torah was inspired by God but written by men, so can be interpreted according to the times

Resurrection

the belief that after death the body remains in the grave until the end of the world, before rising again when God will come to judge. Many Reform Jews reject this

Rosh Hashanah

the jewish festival celebrating the new year

Sanctity of human life

the belief that all life is holy as it is created by God - human life should not be misused or abused

'Saving a life' (Pikuach Nefesh)

the obligation to save a life, even if doing so breaks Jewish law

Shabbat

the Jewish holy day of the week - a day of spiritual renewal. It starts shortly before sunset on Friday and continues until the night time on Saturday

Sinai

the mountain on which moses recieved the ten commandments (and therefore the 613 mitzvot)

Synagogue

the jewish place of worship

Talmud (oral law)

he compilation of the oral torah that was passed down through generations, discussed, debated, and eventually written down. It tries to explain the torah in a more detailed way

Tenakh (written law)

the whole of the Hebrew bible including the writings of the prophets, proverbs, Isaiah etc

The Ten Commandments

the ten laws given by God to Moses over 3000 years ago

Trefah

foods that are forbidden to eat for jews

Yom Kippur

The Day of Atonement in the Jewish calendar. This is the most sacred and solemn day of the year for Jews.