Final Study Guide Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on the final study guide topics.

Tantra

A complex system of beliefs and practices aiming at spiritual liberation through the controlled use of rituals, yoga, and meditation.

Rajneesh/Osho

Indian guru and spiritual teacher.

Superconsciousness

A heightened state of awareness beyond normal consciousness.

Sheela Silverman

Spokesperson for the Rajneesh movement.

Rajneeshpuram

An intentional community and city founded by followers of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh in Wasco County, Oregon.

Dynamic Meditation

A type of meditation developed by Osho involving vigorous physical activity.

Purusha

A concept in Hinduism referring to the universal self or principle of consciousness.

Androgyne

Having both male and female characteristics.

Stonewall

Refers to the Stonewall riots, a series of spontaneous demonstrations by members of the LGBTQ+ community in response to a police raid in 1969.

Queer theology

A field of theological study that explores and critiques traditional religious views on sexuality and gender identity from a queer perspective.

Liberation theology

A movement in Christian theology that emphasizes concern for the oppressed and marginalized.

Wicca/Paganism

Modern pagan religions often drawing on pre-Christian traditions.

Aleister Crowley

Influential English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet and mountaineer, responsible for founding the religion of Thelema.

Magic

The power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.

Raelians

Members of a UFO religion that believe life on Earth was created by extraterrestrial scientists.

Elohim

A term used in the Bible to refer to God or gods.

Branch Davidians

A religious sect that was involved in a standoff with the FBI in 1993.

Seventh Day Adventists

A Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday as the Sabbath.

Buddhism

A religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha.

Buddha

A title given to Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism.

Enlightenment

In Buddhism, the state of gaining true knowledge or wisdom.

Types of Judaism

Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist.

Temperance movement

A social movement against the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Prohibition

The prevention by law of the manufacture and sale of alcohol in the United States between 1920 and 1933.

Peyote

A spineless, dome-shaped cactus native to Mexico and the southwestern United States. It contains the psychoactive alkaloid mescaline.

Fourteenth Amendment

Ratified in 1868, it granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States—including formerly enslaved people—and guaranteed all citizens “equal protection of the laws.”

RFRA

Religious Freedom Restoration Act, enacted in 1993, aimed at protecting religious freedom.

Employment Division v. Smith

A 1990 Supreme Court case that determined that a state does not need to accommodate religious conduct if it violates a valid law that applies to everyone.

Ayahuasca

A psychoactive brew used in indigenous cultures of the Amazon basin for spiritual and healing purposes.

Santo Daime

A syncretic religion originating in Brazil that incorporates elements of Christianity, indigenous traditions, and African religions.

União do Vegetal

A religious group that uses ayahuasca.

Gonzales v. Uniao do Vegetal

A U.S. Supreme Court case concerning the use of ayahuasca for religious purposes.

Cannabis

A psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant used for medical or recreational purposes.

First Church of Cannabis

A church founded in Indiana to challenge laws on cannabis use.

Catholic sex abuse scandal

A series of scandals involving allegations of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy.

SBD sex abuse scandal

Southern Baptist denomination sex abuse scandal

Evangelicals

A diverse group of Protestant Christians who emphasize the experience of conversion.

Flying Spaghetti Monster

A parody religion used to protest the teaching of intelligent design in public schools.