World Religions and Cults Study Guide Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the basic tenets, history, and key figures of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, New Religious Movements, and Mormonism based on the lecture study guide.

The three Patriarchs of Judaism.

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel)

Genesis 12

The chapter of the Bible where the story of Abraham begins.

Abrahamic Covenant

Consists of three components: a Great Nation, a Glorious Land, and a Global Blessing.

Israel

The name given to Jacob in Genesis 32, meaning "wrestles with God."

Joseph

Jacob’s son with whom the book of Genesis ends, residing in Egypt with his family.

400 years

The approximate amount of time that transpires between the end of Genesis and the beginning of Exodus.

Passover

The event Jews celebrate to commemorate their release from Egypt; also a meal remembering Israel’s deliverance.

Death of the firstborn son

The final plague against Egypt before the exodus.

Torah (Law)

Guidelines and governance provided by the LORD to the Israelites to become the people they are meant to be; considered the most important writings of Judaism.

Solomon, David, and Saul

The three kings of Israel’s United Kingdom.

$$931 BC$$

The year King Solomon died.

Rehoboam

The king who took the throne after the death of Solomon.

Jeroboam

The leader who opposed Rehoboam.

$$722 BC$$

The year the Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria.

Judah

The name the southern kingdom took after the kingdom split.

$$586 BC$$

The year the first temple was destroyed and the Babylonian exile began.

$70$ years

The duration of the Babylonian exile.

August 6th, $70 AD$

The date the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem.

$15.2$ million

The approximate number of Jews worldwide.

TaNuK

The name of the Jewish Scriptures, consisting of the Torah (Law), Neviim (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings).

Talmud

A $6^{th}$ century rabbinical writing that interprets the oral law.

The Great Shema

The declaration: "Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one."

Star of David and Menorah

Two primary symbols of Judaism.

Phylactery

A bracelet with a box used to hold prayers.

Jewish Sabbath

Observed from Friday Sunset to Saturday Sunset.

Kosher identification

Food products identified by a "U" or "K" symbol in the grocery store.

Mt. Sinai

The location where the Torah was revealed to Moses.

Chosen People

A term for the Jews that serves as an expression of God’s love.

Synagogue

The Jewish house of worship.

Bar-mitzvah

The coming of age celebration for a $13$ year old Jewish boy.

Mezuzah

A decorative item placed near the door of a Jewish home.

Yarmulke

Head covering worn by Jewish men to cover themselves with the grace of God.

Yom Kippur

The most holy Jewish day of the year focused on the atonement of sins.

Hanukkah

Commemoration of the rededication of the Temple under Judas Maccabeus.

Rosh Hashanah

The celebration of the Jewish New Year.

Zionism

The movement began by Theodor Herzl to secure a homeland for the Jewish people.

$$1948$$

The year Israel once again became a nation state.

Shoah

The term Jews use today to refer to the Holocaust.

$2$ billion

The approximate global population of Muslims.

Muhammad

The founder of Islam, known by Muslims as "the prophet."

Muslim

The Arabic term for a follower of Islam, meaning "one who submits."

Qur’an

The Islamic scripture, meaning "Recitation" in Arabic.

$$570 AD$$

The year Muhammad was born.

Khadijah

Muhammad’s first wife.

Gabriel

The angel believed to have delivered messages from God to Muhammad.

$$622 AD$$

The year Muhammad and his followers migrated to Medina.

$$630 AD$$

The year Muhammad conquered Mecca.

$$632 AD$$

The year Muhammad died.

Abu Bakr

The successor to Muhammad and the first Caliph to collect written recitations of the Qur’an.

Caliph

The title given to the political and religious leader of Islam.

Battle of Tours ($732 AD$)

The battle where Charles Martel defeated Muslim forces.

Ali

The son-in-law of Muhammad.

Five Pillars of Islam

Prayer (5 times a day), Submission (to law), Almsgiving (2.5%), Fasting (Ramadan), and Pilgrimage (Hajj).

Jihad

The concept of inner struggle, striving, or holy war.

Islam

A word meaning "Submission."

Shirk

The unforgivable sin in Islam.

The Kaaba

The structure at the heart of the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

Uthman

The Caliph who standardized the Quran and ordered variant copies to be burned.

$1$ billion

The approximate number of Hindus worldwide.

Brahmans

The highest level of the Hindu caste system.

Veda

Ancient Hindu writings, meaning "Knowledge."

Mantras

Short verses, hymns, or sayings within the Veda.

Shruti

Hindus writings that are considered divinely inspired; literally "that which is heard."

Bhagavad Gita

The most popular writing for Hindus, featuring the main character Krishna.

Yoga

Practices aimed at spiritual development, self-realization, and higher consciousness.

Samsara

The perpetual cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

Dharma

Encompasses righteous living and moral duties prescribed in Hindu scriptures.

Atman

The Hindu term for our true selves.

Karma

The moral equivalent of a natural law of cause and effect.

Moksha

Liberation from Samsara and true enlightenment.

Brahman

The one supreme impersonal reality in Hinduism.

Siddhartha Guatama

The birth name of the Buddha.

The Buddha

A title meaning "Enlightenment."

$$563 BC$$

The year the Buddha was born in Nepal.

The Four Sights

A frail old man, a diseased person, a corpse, and a poor monk; these sent the Buddha on his path.

Bodhi tree

The location where the Buddha ultimately received his enlightenment.

Four Noble Truths

Duhkka (suffering), Tahna (desire), Nirvana (extinguish), and the Eightfold Path.

New Religious Movement (NRM)

The term Scientologists and others prefer instead of the word "cult."

Jim Jones

Founder of the People’s Temple movement, famous for the events in $1978$.

David Koresh

The leader of the Branch Davidians, known for the $1993$ standoff with the ATF.

Marshall Applewhite

Founder of Heaven’s Gate, known for the events of $1997$.

Joseph Smith

The founder of Mormonism who lived during the Second Great Awakening.

Latter Day Saints (LDS)

The preferred term Mormons use to refer to their faith.

Seer stones

Tools used by Joseph Smith for which he was found guilty of being an impostor; also associated with "Urim" and "Thummim."

Angel Moroni

The being Joseph Smith had an encounter with on September 22, $1823$.

Martin Harris

The scribe who assisted Joseph Smith in translating the golden plates.

Lehi

According to the Book of Mormon, the person God called to flee Jerusalem and sail to the Americas.

Laman and Nephi

The sons of the prophet who formed two rival tribes in ancient America.

Reformed Egyptian

The language Joseph Smith claimed to translate, though linguistic scholars do not recognize it as legitimate.