Study of Religion — Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, terms, and figures from the lecture notes on studying religion.

Academic Disciplines

Fields used to study religion: History, Politics, Culture (customs, diet, dress), Literature/Film, Music/Dance, Art & Architecture, Ethics.

Moral Virtues (Religious Studies)

Understanding, Empathy, Open-mindedness, Tolerance, Respect, and Solidarity; aim to diminish ignorance, fear, hatred, stereotypes and build human connection.

Self-understanding

Personal reason for studying religion; seeking self-definition through engaging with others’ religious worlds.

CK Definition of Religion

A notion of sacred reality made manifest in human experience, producing long-lasting patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting about existence.

The Sacred

That which is set apart or wholly other; beyond the profane; saturated with meaning, truth; ultimate reality and absolute authority.

Hierophany

Manifestation of the Sacred.

Sacred Space

A place that marks the boundary between sacred and profane, a portal to the sacred, and a site for transformation and grounding.

Indus Valley Civilization

Bronze Age civilization (c. 2600–1900 BCE); mature Harappan phase with urban planning and standardized measures.

Mature Harappan Phase

The urban-era period (c. 2600–1900 BCE) of the Indus Valley Civilization with major cities and organized networks.

Mohenjo-Daro

One of the great Indus Valley cities; known for planned streets and standardized weights/measures.

Harappa

Major Indus Valley city; key site within the Indus Valley Civilization.

Aryans

Indo-European migrants (c. 2000 BCE) who brought Vedic culture, Sanskrit, and later Hindu traditions; merged with local cultures.

Vedas

Ancient Indian sacred scriptures; source of early Hindu ideas; foundational for Vedic religion.

Rig Veda

Oldest Vedic collection; hymns to gods (e.g., Indra, Agni, Soma); core text of early Hinduism.

Sanskrit

Classical language of the Vedas and later Hindu scriptures.

Rta

Cosmic order in early Vedic thought; precursor to dharma.

Dharma

Cosmic order and duty; evolves from Rta; basis for proper conduct and social obligations.

Upanishads

Late Vedic texts (6th–7th BCE) exploring self, Brahman, and ultimate reality; ‘end of the Vedas’ with principal texts.

Moksha

Liberation; direct experience of truth; release from ignorance and the cycle of rebirth.

Brahman

Impersonal, ultimate reality; source of the cosmos; pure being/consciousness/bliss.

Atman

The true self or inner essence; the individual consciousness often seen as identical with Brahman in non-dual views.

Brahman–Atman (non-dual unity)

Idea that the individual self (Atman) and universal reality (Brahman) are ultimately one.

Samskara (Rites of Passage)

Life-cycle rituals that refine the individual and bind them to their social group.

Upanayana

Initiation ceremony for students; includes the Gayatri mantra and sacred thread; marks entry into Brahmacharya.

Gayatri Mantra

Sacred mantra invoking the Sun as the light of knowledge; originates in the Rig Veda.

Samskara List

Common life-cycle rites: pre-birth, birth, naming, first solid food, thread ceremony, marriage, death, etc.

Bhakti

Path of devotion emphasizing a direct, intense experience of God; egalitarian and often vernacular.

Bhakti Movement

From the 6th century CE; direct devotion transcending caste and gender; regional and vernacular often Tamil origin.

Nirguna vs Saguna

Bhakti concepts: Nirguna (God without qualities) vs Saguna (God with qualities).

Bhakti Moods

Shanta (peaceful), Dasya (servant), Sakhya (friend), Vatsalya (parental), Madhurya/Shringara (romantic).

Gita's Three Yogas (Margas)

Karma Yoga (action), Jnana Yoga (knowledge), Bhakti Yoga (devotion) as paths to dharma and moksha.

Soteriology

The study of salvation mechanisms—how one is saved or liberated.

Mahabharata

World’s longest epic (~100,000 verses); central conflict Pandavas vs Kauravas; 18-day war; Krishna as counselor.

Darshan

Experience of seeing or being seen by the sacred; via temple images, pilgrimage, sant/sadhu, or guru.

Ritual

Ceremonial act or stylized gesture used for specific occasions; a language of body and action encoding beliefs and shaping community.

Garbha Griha

The inner sanctum or 'womb-house' of a Hindu temple; central shrine housing the image.

Devalaya / Mandir

Hindu temple; abode of God; architectural space including garbha griha and shikhara.

Shikhara

The temple’s summit or peak; a key architectural feature.

Meenakshi Temple

Meenakshi Temple, Madurai, Tamil Nadu—a celebrated example of Hindu temple tradition.

Sun Temple (Konark)

13th-century temple in Odisha dedicated to Surya; renowned for its distinctive architecture.

Kandariya Mahadeva Temple

Khajuraho temple (c. 1030 CE) illustrating classical temple architecture and iconography.

Brihadeshvara Temple

Brihadeshvara (Gangaikonda Cholapuram) temple in Thanjavur; renowned Chola-era temple (1010 CE).

Darshan (temple experience)

In practice, seeing and being seen by the divine in temple settings and iconography.

Bhagavad Gita

The Divine Song of God; c. 200 BCE–200 CE; influential text with wide translations and interpretations.

Gita’s Appeal

Engages human issues of greed, violence, and moral conflict; discusses salvation and dharma through dharmic action.

Phenomenological Method

Religious Studies approach focusing on description and interpretation of beliefs from the believer’s and outsider’s perspective; objective and descriptive.

Comparative Religions / Phenomenological Approach

Alternative name for the phenomenological method; analyzes religions comparatively without reducing them to one system.

Insider/Outsider Perspective

Balancing the believer’s viewpoint with scholarly analysis to understand religion from multiple angles.

Non-reductive

An approach that avoids reducing religion to a single explanation or dimension; retains complexity and nuance.

Empathy in Religious Studies

Engaging with beliefs with genuine openness to the other while studying religious traditions.