World Religions Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on World Religions, focusing on Greek and Roman beliefs, divine revelation, and early human spirituality.

Animism

Belief in spirit worship.

Uranus

God of the sky in ancient Greek religion.

Gaia

Goddess of the earth and wife of Uranus.

Helios

God of the sun who rode a horse-drawn chariot.

Colossus

A giant statue that honored Helios.

Aphrodite

Greek goddess representing femininity, love, and beauty.

Mount Olympus

The mountain where the Greek gods lived.

Sacred fire

A fire lit in the town hall in ancient Greece.

Areopagus

A place where St. Paul preached in Christianity.

Vesta

One of the household gods in Roman religion.

Divine Revelation

God's self-giving and unveiling to humanity in Christian theology.

Gnosticism

A belief system concerned with knowledge rather than hope or transformation.

Covenant

A promise from God showing His faithfulness.

Ruach

Hebrew word for spirit, meaning breath of life or wind.

Pentecost

Event where the Holy Spirit descended as tongues of fire.

Homoousios

Means 'same substance,' used in context of Christ's divinity.

Mana

A supernatural power affecting nature in early religions.

Cave carvings

Depictions of spiritual beliefs important in prehistoric religions.

Mother nature

Provider of grains and fruits in nature worship.