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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.
